Springer Spaniel UK: Food, Insurance & Health Guide

The Royal Kennel Club lists the English Springer Spaniel as needing more than two hours of exercise a day and grooming more than once a week. As good practice it lists eye, hip and elbow screening and a breeding plan that prioritises genetic diversity; as best practice, DNA tests for fucosidosis, PFK, PRA (cord1), AMS and DAMS (Royal Kennel Club breed page). The table sets out what to ask a breeder.

The foods below are sold in the UK and suit medium, active dogs. We have not rated them. For a cost-per-day comparison see our dog food guide, and to work out how much to feed use the dog food portion calculator. For a monthly budget including flea and worm treatment and boosters, see our cost of owning a dog guide.

• Butternut BoxFresh cooked food sold by subscription
• Orijen OriginalHigh-protein dry food
• Arden Grange Sensitive (Ocean White Fish & Potato)Dry food made with white fish and potato, sold as a sensitive formula
• James WellbelovedUK dry food range

Check how each policy handles long-term ear, joint and eye conditions over a lifetime; lifetime cover renews the vet-fee limit each year. Premiums depend on age, postcode, excess and cover level, so compare real quotes.

Flushing game. The Royal Kennel Club says the name comes from the way the dogs "sprang" forward to drive game into nets, and after guns arrived they flushed game out of cover for the shooter. The English Springer is the tallest of the land spaniels and shares its ancestry with the others; once spaniels were classified, breeding for size and colour fixed the type. It was once called the Norfolk Spaniel, reputedly because the Duke of Norfolk developed it (RKC breed history).

The Royal Kennel Club lists the English Springer as medium-sized, with more than two hours of exercise a day and grooming more than once a week. The Cocker Spaniel is small, with up to 1 hour of exercise and grooming every day. Median lifespans in the 2024 UK study were close: 13.5 years for Springers and 13.3 for English Cockers (McMillan et al., 2024). Our Springer vs Cocker comparison goes round by round.

Springers have long ears that fold over the ear canal and limit airflow. Moisture from swimming and hair in the ear canal can both make problems more likely.

Dry the ears after every swim or bath, use an ear cleaner your vet recommends, and check the ears weekly. Early signs of infection include head shaking, pawing at the ears and a smell. See your vet promptly if you notice them; ear problems are easier to deal with early.

Springer Spaniels in the UK fall broadly into two types. The Royal Kennel Club's guidance of more than two hours of exercise a day applies to the breed as a whole.

• Show lines

  Exercise need:

  More than 2 hours a day

  Temperament:

  Often described as calmer, with a heavier build

  Suits:

  Active families

• Working lines

  Exercise need:

  More than 2 hours a day, ideally with field work or dog sport

  Temperament:

  Often described as higher-drive, with a slimmer build

  Suits:

  Very active owners, gundog work, dog sports

Springer Spaniels have a medium-length feathered coat that needs regular attention, particularly on the ears, legs and belly where the feathering tangles. The Royal Kennel Club says the breed needs grooming more than once a week; brushing every few days helps prevent matting. Many pet owners also use a groomer for a tidy trim and nail clip. Working-type owners often keep coats slightly shorter for easier field maintenance.

Spaniels are enthusiastic swimmers and country walkers, so check ears, paws and coat for seeds, thorns and ticks after country walks. Grass seeds are a particular risk in summer: they can work into the skin and cause infection if not removed.

• 21 October 2026: Added the 2024 UK median lifespan (13.5 years) and hazard ratio from McMillan et al. Supplementary Table S3, and the RKC lifespan. Re-checked the Royal Kennel Club breed page: exercise, grooming and size unchanged; added the breed's history and the genetic diversity good-practice item, and labelled which tests are good or best practice. Added a Springer vs Cocker Spaniel comparison.