Springer Spaniels are friendly, medium-sized dogs originally bred as hunting companions and now most often owned as family pets. While they are far from the most expensive dog breed, they’re not cheap, either. Why are Springer Spaniels so expensive?
Here are three main reasons why Springer Spaniels are so expensive:
- Breeder expertise is essential.
- Springer Spaniels require extensive grooming and upkeep.
- They are prone to severe health issues.
Read on for more about why it’s important to choose your breeder carefully, how much grooming your Springer Spaniel will need, and what sorts of medical issues you’ll need to watch out for.
1. Breeder Expertise Is Essential
Owning any dog comes with certain costs. Whether pure or mixed-breed, your pup will need food, veterinary care, and someone to look after them when you’re not available. However, specific types of dogs have additional costs, and Springer Spaniels are no exception.
A survey of English Springer Spaniel puppies available on the American Kennel Club (AKC) marketplace website suggests that you should expect to pay at least $700 for your puppy, with costs going as high as $3000 or more for some champion bloodlines. Even if you’re looking for a family pet instead of a future show dog, however, it’s worth seeking out an experienced breeder.
As with all purebred dogs, when you purchase a Springer Spaniel puppy from a breeder, you’re paying not only for the pup itself but for the breeder’s expertise. A good breeder will carefully consider which dogs to breed together, paying attention to both their individual traits and their pedigrees. A conscientious breeder will also evaluate you as an owner and try to pair you with the right puppy for your lifestyle.
Breeder’s expertise is particularly important with Springer Spaniels. Although most Springer Spaniels are friendly dogs with good temperaments, there is a genetic quirk that can cause fits of aggression in some bloodlines. It’s important to choose a breeder who understands this risk and has carefully evaluated the pedigrees of potential parent dogs. We’ll take a closer look at this issue later in the article.
2. Springer Spaniels Require Extensive Grooming and Upkeep
If you fell in love with the look of a Springer Spaniel in the show ring, be forewarned: you will have to spend a good bit of money and time maintaining that look at home. Most Springer Spaniels are not dainty dogs. They like water, whether it’s in swimming pools or mud puddles, and they’ll happily dive through a burr-filled thicket in pursuit of something interesting.
A long, feathered coat on an active, outdoorsy dog means frequent grooming if you want to keep your pup from looking like a matted mess. Every few months, the coat–particularly around the head, legs, and chest–will need to be trimmed to keep it neat. The fur inside the ears needs to be clipped to help prevent ear infections. Finally, you’ll need to trim the fur between the toes and paw pads so it doesn’t collect debris that could damage the tender pads.
In addition to their outer coat, Springer Spaniels have a soft, insulating undercoat, which sheds heavily in the warmer months. If you like, you can wear rubber gloves and gently pull out the dead fur in the undercoat to help minimize shedding on your furniture. I have always used the FURminator (sold on Amazon.com) to remove the undercoat from my dog. Medium is the best size for a Springer Spaniel.
Even if they are comfortable with doing a weekly brushing, many Springer Spaniel owners prefer to hire a professional to do the more intensive grooming.
Other upkeep costs can include dental care, and purchasing high-quality food (Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream is a great choice and is available on Amazon.com). Springer Spaniels are also energetic dogs that will require regular exercise, and physical and mental stimulation. If you aren’t able to provide your dog with frequent walks, you may have to spend more to hire a dog-walker, a dogsitter, or take your pup to a doggy daycare.
3. They Are Prone to Severe Health Issues
As mentioned earlier in the article, there are several known health issues in some Springer Spaniel bloodlines. The most serious of these is Rage syndrome. Rage syndrome, also known as Springer rage or sudden onset aggression, is exactly what it sounds like: abrupt fits of unprovoked rage or aggression.
Unlike more typical forms of canine aggression, which are behavioral issues usually triggered by a specific event or circumstance, Rage syndrome is genetic in origin. It is believed to be an inheritable form of epilepsy, which causes small seizures in the dog’s brain. During an episode, the dog will not be able to hear or respond to commands, which means there is no way to train the behavior out of the dog.
There are medications that can reduce the frequency of episodes, but there is no cure for Rage syndrome. Rage syndrome is uncommon, but good breeders are aware of the issue and will be very deliberate in evaluating a dog’s temperament before breeding them. Unskilled or unscrupulous breeders may not be so careful.
Although Rage syndrome is the most alarming health issue present in Springer Spaniels, it is not the only one. Springer Spaniels are also prone to several other significant health conditions:
- Elbow dysplasia. Elbow dysplasia is another genetic defect present in Springer Spaniels. The elbow joint does not develop properly, leading to abnormal wear on the cartilage and eventual pain and lameness.
- Hip Dysplasia. Much like elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia is a hereditary condition. The hip joint doesn’t fit into its socket correctly, leading to abnormal motion, pain, and lameness.
- Otitis externa. Otitis externa is a chronic inflammation of the ear canal. It leads to frequent ear infections and can sometimes lead to deafness.
- Phosphofructokinase (PFK) deficiency. PFK deficiency is a genetic metabolic condition in which the body cannot break down glucose into energy. It results in muscle weakness and anemia in affected dogs. All Springer Spaniels should be tested for this abnormality prior to breeding.
- Retinal problems. Springer Spaniels sometimes have problems with retinal detachment or atrophy, where the retinal tissue degenerates over time.
Again, because so many of these problems are genetic in origin, careful breeding is particularly important in Springer Spaniels.
Final Thoughts
All breeds can be expensive, so it is important to understand why costs can add up. You can always check adoption websites or local events to see if you can land a Springer Spaniel at a discount. If you decided to go through a breeder, make sure you reach out to a couple different ones and get quotes and general information about the litter and parents.
