Editing English Springer Spaniel (section)

== Description ==
[[File:English Springer Spaniel liver & white.jpg|thumb|A show-bred English Springer Spaniel]]
The English Springer Spaniel is a medium-sized compact dog. Its coat is moderately long with feathering on the legs and tail. It is a well proportioned, balanced dog with a gentle expression. This breed represents perhaps the greatest divergence between working and show lines of any breed of dog. A field-bred dog and a show-bred dog appear to be different breeds but are registered together. The gene pools are almost completely segregated and have been for at least 70 years.<ref name="diff">{{cite web | url=http://www.essft.com/fieldshow.html#FIELD | work=English Springer Spaniel Information and Field Trial Page | title=Know The Difference Between A Show Bred & Field Bred English Springer Spaniel | access-date=9 July 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630213919/http://www.essft.com/fieldshow.html#FIELD | archive-date=30 June 2007 | url-status=dead }}</ref> A field-bred dog would not be competitive in a modern dog show, while a show dog would not have the speed or stamina to succeed in a field trial.<ref name="spring.org"/>

The English Springer Spaniel field-bred dogs tend to have shorter, coarser coats than show-bred dogs. The ears are less pendulous. Field-bred dogs are wiry and have more of a feral look than those bred for showing. The tail of the field-bred dog may be docked a few inches in comparison to the show dog.  Field-bred dogs are selected for their sense of smell, hunting ability, and response to training rather than appearance.<ref name="spring.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.springerspaniel.org.uk/english_springer_spaniel.htm |work=SpringerSpaniel.org.uk |title=English Springer Spaniel |access-date=25 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100509032143/http://www.springerspaniel.org.uk/english_springer_spaniel.htm |archive-date=9 May 2010  }}</ref>

Show dogs have longer fur and more pendant ears, [[dewlap]]s and dangling flews. The tail is [[Docking (dog)|docked]] to a short stub in those [[Docking (dog)#Legal status of dog tail docking and ear cropping by country|countries that permit docking]]. They are generally more thickly boned and heavier than field-bred springers.<ref name="spring.org"/>

The English Springer Spaniel is similar to the [[English Cocker Spaniel]] and at first glance, the only major difference is the latter's smaller size. However English Springers also tend to have shorter, and higher-set ears than English Cockers. Springers also tend to have a longer muzzle; their eyes are not as prominent, and the coat is less abundant.<ref name="differences">{{cite web|last=Gormish |first=Denise |publisher=English Cocker Spaniel Club of America |url=http://www.ecsca.org/difference.html |title=A comparison of English Cocker Spaniels, American Cocker Spaniels and English Springer Spaniels |access-date=13 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121224038/http://ecsca.org/difference.html |archive-date=21 November 2010  }}</ref>

=== Coat and colors ===
Field-bred dogs tend to have shorter, coarser coats than the longer furred show-bred dogs. They normally only shed in summer and spring months but shed occasionally in the autumn.<ref name="diff"/> The [[coat (dog)|coat]] may come in black or liver (dark brown) with white markings or predominantly white with black or liver markings; blue or liver roan; or tricolour consisting of black and white or liver and white with tan markings, usually found on eyebrows, cheeks, inside of ears and under the tail. Any white portion of the coat may be flecked with ticking.<ref>{{cite web |title=Official Standard of the English Springer Spaniel |url=http://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/EnglishSpringerSpaniel.pdf |publisher=American Kennel Club |access-date=18 January 2025}}</ref>

=== Sizes ===
Males in the show dog line are typically approximately {{convert|19|to|21|in|cm}} at the [[withers]] and weigh {{convert|40|to|60|lb|kg|abbr=on}}. According to the UK Breed Standard, the English Springer Spaniel should be {{convert|20|in|cm}} at the withers. The females should be {{convert|18|to|20|in|cm}} and usually {{convert|35|to|55|lb|kg|abbr=on}}. Working types can be lighter in weight and finer in bone.<ref>{{cite web |title=English Springer Spaniel Standard |url=https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/breed-standards/gundog/spaniel-english-springer/ |website=The Kennel Club |access-date=12 February 2024}}</ref>