Sometimes, some of us in the fancy fail to stress the importance of coat quality over coat quantity. While quantity is impressive (an eight year old Komondor in full coat is certainly a traffic stopper!) the texture of a coat does matter, particularly in working dogs. English Springer Spaniels, for example, should have a double coat: An insulating undercoat covered with a topcoat that acts like a kind of  “canine layering.” The outer coat should be sturdy and resilient, and lie flat against the ribcage, while the undercoat should apparent all year long. When one considers the breed’s purpose, it makes sense to have a coat that can stand up to bush and bramble, and the elements.

According to VetStreet.com, English Springer Spaniels there hasn’t been an English Springer Spaniel that has excelled in both the show ring and hunting grounds in more than 50 years, and while we understand the challenges involved, we’d love to see someone this dry spell broken. There is no better “press” for purebred dogs than dogs that can do the job for which their breed was created.

English Springer Spaniel by Dottie Dracos
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/dottie-dracos.html
www.etsy.com/shop/DottieDracos
http://dottiedracos.blogspot.com