Springer Spaniel Exercise

Springer Spaniel Exercise is essential to ensure happiness for both you and your Spaniel. As they have different exercise requirements throughout their lives, I hope that this guide will help you understand these requirements, as well as giving you ideas on how to meet their needs.

Under 6 months

You must not over exercise puppies that are younger than 6 months old, as their bodies are still growing, and long walks for a Springer Spaniel puppy at this age can cause serious problems.

At this stage the focus should be on allowing your puppy to play, eat and sleep, although you can still take your puppy to obedience training as well as having a couple of short walks everyday. I would recommend that you only let your puppy off the lead when they are in an enclosed and safe space, at least until they have mastered the art of the recall. Rummaging around in the undergrowth, in a safe environment, is all the exercise your puppy should need. 'Schnuffling' as we call it with George.

Over 6 months

By now your puppy will be becoming strong enough to take longer walks and has hopefully had enough obedience training as part of its Springer Spaniel exercise programme to have mastered the basics of the recall and walking on the lead.

I am firmly of the opinion that a Springer Spaniel who is never allowed off the lead will always be frustrated so, for me, a walk involves letting them off the lead to do what Spaniels do best - Schnuffling.

However, if they are still not great at the recall, I would still continue only doing this in a safe enclosed space and keep working on that recall, its only fair to let a Spaniel off the lead. Once your puppy reaches the age of 6 months, the Springer Spaniel exercise you can conduct is more varied. A good walk for a Springer Spaniel of this age is at least 40 minutes long, and would involve a wooded or brush area so he can really schnuffle around. If there is water for them, even better as Spaniels love to swim. In fact I'm positive that George is part water Spaniel!

Encourage their retrieving instinct whilst on a walk by throwing a ball for them, they will love this as they will feel they are working for you. George loves nothing better than having a ball thrown in the water for him. He often sprints to the side of a pond or stream when he sees one, jumps in and waits wiggling with excitement for us to arrive and throw the ball in.