Like many other spaniel breeds, English Springer Spaniels need more in the way of grooming than other dogs because they have longer coats and if allowed to, they love exploring overgrown areas tracking down new scents which means they pick up a lot of dirt and debris in the coats.
It's important to keep their ears well trimmed to avoid them picking up any debris which could lead to a painful knot or tangle. It's also a good idea to keep any hair found beneath their earflaps as short as possible as this helps keep a dog's ear canals nice and dry because the air can circulate that much better when the hair is kept shorter. This reduces the risk of an ear infection taking hold which can often be notoriously difficult to clear up.
Ideally, a Springer needs to brushed at once day to keep their coats tangle and knot-free. Daily grooming also ensures a dog's skin is kept in good condition. The areas of a Springer's coat that are more likely to get matted and tangled are where there's a lot of feathering, namely around their ears, neck, under their legs, elbows, backends and feet. It's a good idea to have a Springer professionally groomed from time to time which makes keeping their coats tidy that much easier, especially if a dog has been hand stripped.
It is also worth clipping back the fur between the pads and on top of a dog's feet as this can become very long making walking uncomfortable for the dog especially if they have picked up any thorns or burrs in the hair found between their pads. The other thing to bear in mind is that because Springers are automatically attracted to water and boggy land, they do need to be bathed quite regularly, but you need to be careful not to overdo things as this could upset the PH balance of a dog's skin which could lead to allergies taking hold.
Springer Spaniels benefit from being given regular and brisk daily exercise and ideally this should be for a minimum of 2 hours a day. Springers also need to be given lots of mental stimulation to be truly happy and healthy dogs. They are definitely not couch potatoes and would quickly become bored if left shut up in a home and left to their own devices for any length of time. It could lead to a Springer developing some serious behavioural problems which includes being destructive around the home.
Springers, being active and energetic dogs, need to be fed a good quality, nutritious diet that ideally has a higher protein content. They are not known to be fussy eaters, but this does not mean they can be fed lower quality dog food. Springer puppies need to be fed a specific "puppy" diet and in larger quantities as compared to their bodyweight simply because they are still growing and developing. Puppies need to be more frequently too and this should be 4 times a day and at regular intervals right up to when they are around 18 weeks old. After that, they can be fed once or twice a day, but if you have any worries it's a good idea to discuss things with the vet.
However, a mature, adult Springer needs to be fed once or twice a day and as previously mentioned, they need to be fed a diet with a higher protein content because they are such active and energetic dogs. As Springers reach their golden years, they slow down and are less energetic which means their diet has to be adjusted accordingly. Older dogs benefit from being fed little and often which means splitting their meals into four times a day. As with any other breed, it's important for Springers to have access to fresh, clean water at all times.
