Questions about possible new dog-English Springer Spaniel UPDATE on p. 3

[punkin]

We went to the animal shelter yesterday and saw some dogs. My girls wanted a puppy that we saw online, but in person she was terrified of everything and IMO was too young to be taken from her mother (she was a pit bull, which my husband wanted)

Anyway, while there I saw a 4 year old English Spriger Spaniel who was wonderful and calm and good with the girls so we put in an aplication for him. However, I have some concerns. First of all, I know nothing about the breed. The shelter can't tell me anything about the dog as he came in as a stray. He knows some commands, but would only follow them when facing you. He would not turn around when called, which leads me to believe he has some hearing loss (he is suffering from an ear infection so that may be temporary). He also has a lot of gunk around his eyes which concerns me.

Does anyone know anything about the breed or adopting an Adult dog, or a dog with hearing problems? Please share your wisdom.

 

[punkin]

Anyone?

 

[Taylor]

We had a springer spaniel (Beamer) who passed about 2 years ago.

He was an absolute sweetheart. The kindest, gentlest dog we have ever owned.

 

[momrek06]

OMG...we had one growing up. He was BEAUTIFUL. His name was Fennesy and we called him FEN for short. WE LOVED him ! He had a great personality. We had a house of 7 people (5 kids m&d) and he was loved by all. Everyone commented on his beauty and just an overall great dog. We also had a collie and my dad used to put clothespins on his ears to get them to flop over..his name was "LAD A DOG" we called him LAD!!!

That was years ago..my m&d are 80yo and I am 52yo...so it was so funny you mentioning dogs as I have such fond memories of those pooches.

 

[punkin]

Thanks for the responses. I am a little uneasy adopting a dog I know nothing about. The people at the shelter also annoy me because they claim there is nothing wrong with him other than the ear infection (which is obviously not true) No one will comment about the gunk around the eyes because it is not in their notes and therefore doesn't exist. I wish I could get a vet to check him out before the adoption.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

My neighbor has had 2 English Springer Spaniels and I dog sit when they are gone. They are wonderful dogs and very trainable.

As far as getting an older dog....you don't have to worry about them chewing and often they are already housebroken.

Can you get him on a contingency and have hime checked by the vet first thing?

 

[punkin]

Can you get him on a contingency and have hime checked by the vet first thing?

Well, I suppose I can bring him back if I don't want him, but I doubt I'll be able to do that. I'm a pushover. Besides, I think I would want him even if he is deaf. I would just like to know going into it, exactly what I am in for as far as medical bills and problems.

 

[Disney Doll]

They are a great breed. I have a 12 year old ESS that we have had since he was 10 months old. He has always been a great dog.

They are a high energy breed, and need a lot of exercise. They do calm down a bit as they age, but we ended up fencing in our yard so Ted could have free rein and run around and blow off his steam, if you KWIM.

He has always been a pretty healthy dog. They are prone to ear infecions because of the long floppy ears, but when we got Ted, we got into the habit of cleaning his ears once a week with a little alcohol on a cotton ball, so he has actually only had one ear infection in the almost 12 years that we have had him. They also make an ear-cleaning solution that you can buy at most pet stores to do their ears. I also make it a habit of flipping his ears open if he is lying on his side, so that some air gets in there.

Their coats need brushing, and they are prone to matting if not brushed frequently. Get him in to that habit early.

Ted's only other problem has been a wheat allergy, which we corrcetd by giving him wheat-free food. In general, he has been a fairly healthy dog, sturdy, great temperment.

He is good natured, great with kids. We have a friend who has a child with Downs Syndrome, and Ted fancies himself Patrick's Saviour and Protector. When Patrcik was a baby, he'd fall asleep holding Ted's fur, and Ted would lay by that kid for hours...until he woke up...and he wouldn't move.

He was not obedience trained when we got him, but he was crate trained. We went to obedience school with Ted to learn how to train him. I recommend that you do train him, you must be consistent though. Springers can be strong-willed...training is a very good thing for them.

Now that Ted is older, he is getting a little hard-of-hearing. I have to clap to get his attention, and use more hand signals. I do the hand signals and say the word at the same time.

As far as the eye thing...Ted has pink eye once since we have had him. It was pretty "text book"...sort of a fluorescent green drainage coming out of his eye. About 10 days of antibiotic eye ointment cleared it up, and we haven't had a problem since.

With regard to your dog, the hearing may be being affected because of the ear infection. If he is hard-of-hearing, that doesn't seem insurmountable to me. The eye infection may just be because he is in close quarters. You know, if one dog comes in with something, it probably spreads like wildfire through a shelter.

I would recommend a Springer. Ted has been a great pet and has brought a lot of joy to our lives. They have a kooky little personality, and are a fun dog to hang with.

As far as medical bills...not huge. The ear infection, the eye infection, twice yearly check-ups, the occasional other thing (he caught Lyme Disease last year and once twisted his foot)...as I said, for a purebred, Ted has been a pretty sturdy little fella for the most part.

PM if you have specific questions.

 

[Cindy B]

My Dh grew up with ESS. They are wonderful dogs. The termperment was wonderful and they are a great size, not too small, but not humongous either.

My SIL has one now and she is slightly hyper. She is more hyper than my male mini poodle.

They are fun sweet dogs.

 

[mum4jenn]

We used to have a Springer as well. We named him Buddy. He was already grown and he just showed up one day out of the blue and there never was anyone looking for him. I swear he was an Angel Dog that was sent to watch over our dd!! Our dd at the time was about a year old and he protected her fom day one!!!!! If we ever scolded her in the slightest bit he would stand by her and growl at us!! Dd would just love on him and hug him and he would just lay there. Someone poisoned him and we had to put him to sleep and that was so very hard to do. We miss him so much. Please take a chance on this one.

 

[punkin]

Thanks so much for the responses, especially Disney Doll. That was exactly what I needed.

Someone poisoned him and we had to put him to sleep and that was so very hard to do. We miss him so much. Please take a chance on this one.

I have already decided to take him We are waiting for the formalities (home visit and the like) but we are the only family who put in an application for him and he was at the shelter for 5 days.

We also had a dog that the neighbors got rid of (even though we could never prove anything). She was very sweet, but some people just cannot accept a sweet pit bull.

 

[Disney Doll]

Well, we have never regretted getting Ted. He has been an important family member for many years now.

As a matter-of-fact, now I am starting to imagine my life without him, as he is getting on in years...they say Springers have a 12-15 year average life span, and he is 12!!!

The thought of not having my little buddy is not a happy one.

 

[Disneyrsh]

We went to the animal shelter yesterday and saw some dogs. My girls wanted a puppy that we saw online, but in person she was terrified of everything and IMO was too young to be taken from her mother (she was a pit bull, which my husband wanted)

Anyway, while there I saw a 4 year old English Spriger Spaniel who was wonderful and calm and good with the girls so we put in an aplication for him. However, I have some concerns. First of all, I know nothing about the breed. The shelter can't tell me anything about the dog as he came in as a stray. He knows some commands, but would only follow them when facing you. He would not turn around when called, which leads me to believe he has some hearing loss (he is suffering from an ear infection so that may be temporary). He also has a lot of gunk around his eyes which concerns me.

Does anyone know anything about the breed or adopting an Adult dog, or a dog with hearing problems? Please share your wisdom.

Dude, if your other choice is a pit bull, just about any dog would be better.

Springers are prone to ear infections, which is probably why this one ended up at the shelter. You'll need to learn to manage his ears carefully, keep them clean, he probably has an allergy to wheat which will cause ear infections. If you take him, bring him to the vet, get the infection cultured, get him on some good antibiotics, and then learn to do a regular rinse on his ears with vinegar/water, and put him on a good lamb/rice diet.

If you're not willing to go through this stuff with him, you probably don't need a dog in the first place. The eye boogers are almost certainly part of the ear problems-we've seen that in our Standard Poodle. If she gets an ear infection, the eyes go all icky. It's because the tear ducts can become infected when they flap their ears-spreads the bacteria. Don't freak out, the ears will be fine once you get a good handle on them.

If you do buy a pit bull with young kids, the pit bull WILL consistently try to assert his dominace over those kids, because pit bulls are not comfortable being the low man on the totem pole. You should also check your homeowners insurance. Most will not cover you if you own a pit bull and if you add one to the family without notifying them they will not cover you when the pit bull bites someone.

Spaniels have no problems being the low man, and are a good choice for families. Your insurance company will have no problems with him, either.

You will probably see the spaniel's true temperament emerge once he's cured of his ear infection. They're very loving and people oriented, and they live to please.

 

[punkin]

Dude, if your other choice is a pit bull, just about any dog would be better.

As a former pit bull owner (American Staffordshire, to be precise), I take offense. True, we did not have any children when we had her (she was my mother's dog and I was not married yet), but she was a wonderful dog.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Personally, I wouldn't worry about the eye guck, it most likely can be cleared up pretty simply with veterinary care and good hygiene.

As for the hearing, one of my elderly dogs passed last year. Besides not being able to walk, he was just about blind and deaf as well. Despite his limitations, he was still one of the happiest and sweetest dogs there ever was; he was unaffected by these problems. Dogs adapt much easier than humans do.

The other day I read a story about a young dog whose eyes both had to be removed due to (intentional) trauma. The family was debating about whether they should put him to sleep, but decided to let him live without his eyes. He was doing great. I guess my point is that even if the dog is deaf, he'll still be a wonderful dog if his basic personality is good. But more than likely, his ears are infected and his hearing will improve with treatment and your love and good care.

Good luck and congratulations on the new addition to your family!!

 

[ElizK]

We ALWAYS had springers when I was growing up, and my parents still have them. They are great with kids, highly intelligent, and great family dogs. One of the ones I had as a kid had been abused, so she was a bit afraid of my dad, but was great with us (I was probably about 6 when we got her). I don't think you could go wrong with a springer.

 

[Disneyrsh]

As a former pit bull owner (American Staffordshire, to be precise), I take offense. True, we did not have any children when we had her (she was my mother's dog and I was not married yet), but she was a wonderful dog.

I'm not going to start an argument with you over the perceived merits of pit bulls, but if a dog statistically gives the insurance companies that many problems, then it's not a stereotype or a misunderstanding.

I sat in the emergency room with my 5 year old who had gastroenteritis and watched them bring in a three year old that the "sweetest pit in the world" as the mother was wailing, had just torn to pieces.

She died.

If you want to take a chance with dogs that are bred to fight rather than be companions, feel free. You'll find that a lot of people won't allow their kids to socialize with your kids because your choice of a breed, you'll find the insurance companies don't like you very much, and you'll find that most people will cross streets to get away from you, especially after yet another pit bull shows up on the evening news.

The dogs are pariahs for a reason. When pit bulls bite kids, they KILL them. When a chihuahua bites you, you go, ow. The bite force on a pit bull exceeds any other breed of dog, with the possible exception of the brasilia. Most dogs bite out of fear or in self-defence, pits will bite to demonstrate dominance.

Funny, don't hear about those vicious springers getting loose and tearing apart the neighborhood kids.

Hmmm.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I hope this thread doesn't turn into a debate about Pit Bulls. There are other threads for that. This one was about a family adopting a new dog, a happy occasion.

 

[hentob]

Springers

Smart, willing to please and they love children.

Great dogs!

 

[Disney Doll]

Funny, don't hear about those vicious springers getting loose and tearing apart the neighborhood kids.

Hmmm.

You obviously never heard of "Springer rage". Uncommon, true, but not unheard of.