the 1940’s, when the last dual champion- ships were earned. Field trial enthusiasts began selecting those qualities in their dogs which produced top caliber perfor- mance in the fi eld, while show-minded breeders bred dogs to conform with the written standard of the breed as successful conformation competitors. Th e Standard for the breed does not distinguish between show and fi eld style dogs. Many fi eld-bred Springers have lovely breed type and many show-bred Springers have good hunting ability. Th e advent of spaniel hunting tests have o ff ered a venue to those breeders and owners maintaining high level hunting ability within what is considered show- bred Springers. Th e true beauty of the English Springer Spaniel can be found in its original pur- pose as a companion gundog. Th e diverse appearance of today’s show and fi eld bred Springers is due to specialization, and to the choices breeders make to achieve suc- cess in their chosen sports. Competitive fi eld trial Springers are the ultimate in athleticism and performance, while the competitive conformation Springers are beautiful examples of breed type, sound- ness and symmetry. Th e English Springer Spaniel has a friendly, happy, even temperament and should get along well with people and
other dogs. An a ff ectionate breed, Spring- ers want to be part of family activity and are highly social. Th e breed has often been described as alert, kindly and trusting. Excessive shyness or aggression are not acceptable in an English Springer Spaniel. While there exists a “split” within the breed, overall the English Springer Span- iel is the essence of a versatile breed. Th e advent of the spaniel hunting test program along with additional performance compe- tition venues has allowed this versatility to be evaluated more readily and better dem- onstrated on a regular basis. Th eir intel- ligence and enthusiasm, along with the traits of being a willing-to-please and bid- dable breed lend to a pleasing companion dog, making the English Springer Span- iel an outstanding hunting companion as well as a breed that excels in performance events such as obedience, agility, and tracking. Th e ESSFTA recognizes those English Springer Spaniels demonstrating a high level of versatility through the Versa- tile Springer recognition program. Dogs earning this recognition can be found at http://www.essfta.org/about-the-essfta/ awards-and-achievements/ Th e secret to the many and varied suc- cesses the English Springer Springer enjoys is related to the qualities of being a smart, happy, and eager to please breed.
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