Springer spaniel lines

[scottpenn28 245]

Been doing some research, for my next gundog im wanting to make a change from cockers to springers. Family have always had springers when I was a boy and now I've got a little lad I want to get 1 back in my house, plus they are my favourite breed so it makes sense to have 1 for my next. My uncle moved to cockers about 15 years ago so when I was searching for mine (now 5 years old) I went to him for help with breeding lines to look at and the breeders themselves. Now im wanting to get a springer im not really clued up on the lines. Our springers of old were always heavy set with nice big heads but from what im seeing they have been bred much slimmer and smaller. Ideally I'd love 1 like I had when I was younger but would be using it as a gundog so would also like a decent pedigree behind it. 

 

Can anybody recommend looking at any lines or breeders in particular? Travelling not as issue so can be anywhere in the UK. I've already looked at the springers of poolgreen and also of sugar bullet gundogs.

[scottpenn28 245]

I know what you mean, my cocker will go all day through bramble and anything else in her way then still have energy to bounce off the walls when we get home, im already guessing to find a heavy springer is leaving me very limited as most top bred dogs are for trialling and they want them quick and nimble generally seeming to be smaller and slimmer. If I do have to start looking at smaller type then I will but not until I've exhausted myself looking for heavy type 

[scottpenn28 245]

I have considered sprockers before in the hope of getting the best of both breeds but never really got anywhere with it, especially now with the prices of dogs seemingly getting higher by the day, seems crazy to be paying over £1000 for essentially a mixed breed (even though people have been for years with the likes of French bulldogs) another reason being I literally know 0 people with a sprocker 

[scottpenn28 245]

I have had people suggest to me i should look at sprockers but simply never had the opportunity to see one work, I know what you mean about papers, know people with fantastic dogs on paper but not a clue when in the field. The Mrs has been trying to persuade me to cover my cocker bitch with a springer and keep a sprocker back for myself but I bred her back last year, Mrs wanted a cocker of her own to work so I let her fully choose and have full say over the pup we kept, she chose her dog and then 6 months later didnt have the time to train it, by that time the pup I would have kept was long gone and I had zero bond with the dog she kept....she rehomed him and now im back to wanting a dog to bring on for myself

 

[scottpenn28 245]

Yeah hopefully, good luck with your litter! 

[jessdale 416]

A well bred trial line will do absolutely everything any other line will do. All this “45mins” talk is total nonsense. A fit dog can work, a unfit dog cannot. Gundogs don’t work “all day”, that’s another load of nonsense. What did you think of the poolgreen and sugarbullet dogs ?

[foxdropper 17,092]

Gun dogs certainly do work all day mate . Apart from the lunch break the gun dogs on our shoot work their guts out from 9 til 4 ,enough for any dog .Beater line that is .

[jessdale 416]

1 minute ago, foxdropper said:

Gun dogs certainly do work all day mate . Apart from the lunch break the gun dogs on our shoot work their guts out from 9 til 4 ,enough for any dog .Beater line that is .

What about the time they are stood/travelling between drives ??? NO gundog works solidly 9-5. NONE

[foxdropper 17,092]

We walk from drive to drive mate ,blanking in hedges ,ditches on the way .I’m surprised you question such goings on .
Why is it hard to take this in .

[jessdale 416]

I don’t find it hard to take in at all, I don’t take it full stop ! Lol

[SheepChaser 8,082]

When I was a kid we had lots of heavy set, strong, athletic springers, badgercourt stuff. Badger court druid, badger court susan etc.

[foxdropper 17,092]

12 minutes ago, jessdale said:

I don’t find it hard to take in at all, I don’t take it full stop ! Lol

Lol you need to get out with real  countrymen dude .Forget trial stock .

[jessdale 416]

Just now, foxdropper said:

Lol you need to get out with real  countrymen dude .Forget trial stock .

Oh ok I will. I will take notice of you and completely change my mind now. Thanks 

[foxdropper 17,092]

No probs Jess ,glad to be of service 

[Born Hunter 17,637]

I remember reading about a fella who was breeding the old stamp of springer, think he moved the Ireland? No idea if he was successful or still going. I think it was in shooting times?