Thornfield Embody
Call Name: Zac
Dam: Em (Wrangham Cathy Earnshaw RRD AD JDM SD)
Sire: Banjo (Mistral Acheron (IMP NZL))
Born: 23rd April 2015
Sex: Male (entire)
Colour: Black and white
Health: Clear by parentage for PRA, Fucosidosis and PFK deficiency
Zac is living it up in South Australia with his show Springer friends, Alfred and Lily. He loves to run and swim, enjoys his body strengthening and awarness exercises and is working on foundations for Retrieving.
His owner and trainer has successfully competed in both obedience and retrieving. What a lucky pup!
Living with Zac
What his owner and trainer says...
Little did we know that when Sally and Ian visited us in April 2015, that our next family member had come home for the first time! Em was in pup but at that stage we did not dream of owning one of her precious babies. We already had two show bred Springers Lily and Alfie and we thought our family was complete!
Sally mentioned that she hoped to be away when the pups would be 5 weeks old. I casually offered to help out, and yes - the rest is history. Of course I fell in love with the pups – but it was more – I quickly realized that the upbringing of this litter was special. Very special. This was a unique (maybe once in my lifetime) opportunity to own a great working Springer pup with an even greater start.
What is he like to live with? He gets on perfectly with his human and canine pack. He has great house manners. He goes sound asleep when you trim his nails. He eats whatever he is offered. He waits for his food and has since he was a very young pup. He’s a lot of fun to train. He’d run, skip, jump, hunt and chase all day in the garden if you let him. He’d destroy the lawn in Winter if you let him. When not running he likes to sleep on the lounge or on my feet. He waits at open door and gate to come in or out. He loves his crate. He sleeps next to my bed. He’s more interested in running and hunting than other dogs or people. He’s thoughtful and likes a bit of time to work things through. He’s of a lot fun and he’s always at the door ready to go. He finds birds very exciting and will yip into the distance after low flying ducks. He likes to chase little fish at the beach. He covers ground and water very fast. Without training (like most working dogs) he could completely disappear into the distance or into a creek or both.
Did I mention that he generally comes in with one call or one whistle, is damn cute, gorgeous looking, smart, loving and he is all we could have ever hoped for?
Field vs Show
Zac shares his life with two show ESS, Alfred and Lily. This is what their owner says about the different lines...
Show and working or field bred Springers share a breed standard but they have quite different ancestory. We have had five Springers. Four from different show lines and now Zac.
Their anatomy varies considerably. They are both well put together, very athletic in build but the working Springer tends to be smaller with a stronger and wider chest and the muscling can be way more evident. Both have lovely spaniel heads but the show Springers are be broader in the forehead and squarer in the muzzle.
Both have a soft temperament, they deeply care when their owners are happy or not happy and react accordingly. Both have a strong desire to hunt and fossick and they are birdy. Both enjoy interaction and training and have a natural desire to retrieve.
A noticeable difference is the coat. Show bred dogs are likely to have a large flowing coat. This coat requires a lot of attention (grooming and clipping) to keep it in fine show condition – many owners choose to clip it off all over for ease of maintenance and this may keep the dog cooler. In my experience clipping thickens the coat and once clipped the coat must be continually clipped as it gets thick all over. Field bred spaniels have a fine coat with moderate furnishings on their chest and legs. Interestingly the field bred dogs seem to me to shed more hair regularly even though their coat is very fine in comparison to their show cousins.
All Springers do attract a lot of mud and water – the working dog dries a lot quicker and is easier to maintain. The dirt falls away quickly from both as their coats dry.
We love their looks, temperament and activity level. All of our Springers have been very active, athletic and fun loving. They just love swimming and running. We find the breed easy to own and love the time we put into exercise, training and grooming.
In summary (now that I have really thought this through) the working and show lines (in my limited experience) share more similarities than differences and these are the characteristics make all Springers a sheer joy to own. Most Springer owners would say that the working dogs have a lot more desire and ability to hunt and find scent, are faster, busier and have tons more drive that their show cousins. This is probably true. They are also more likely to be brought up in experienced working homes where these attributes are carefully guarded and nurtured. Show bred Springers are more likely to be placed in a show or pet home - with less opportunity to develop and be trained to maximize their working instincts.
The working Springer is probably a busier, faster and more intense dog – but given the same upbringing and opportunities a show bred Springer may just surprise you! The final outcome is hugely influenced by training and the environment.
All Springers are beautiful dogs and one way or another they will steal your heart. Everyone I know who has one in their family just loves their beautiful Springer spaniel.
Good Luck with making your choice!
Untitled from Philippa Both on Vimeo.