What age dog?

When deciding what age rescue dog you would prefer, please do not eliminate older and senior dogs from your consideration. Sadly, most people will only consider adopting younger dogs. Their reasoning is they do not want to face the loss of a dog in a few years. But remember, a young dog has no guarantees that it will live for 10 years. And senior dogs can live till age 12 or more.

Experienced rescue volunteers know that the senior dogs seem especially appreciative of a new, loving home, and usually readily adapt to the family. They happily find the warm sunny spot in the house to snooze the day away, confident that they are now safe and secure. But don't think that a senior dog only sleeps! Most senior Springers are still very happy to go for a walk with you and to sniff around the yard, too. And that is why many volunteers really prefer senior dogs-they are low-maintenance and easily fit into the household. Their activity level is keyed to you-if you want to snooze on the sofa, they are happy to join you, but if you want a hike in the woods, they are eager to go, too.

So we ask you to please keep an open mind and open heart about the age of rescue dogs available for adoption. Senior dogs are special dogs, and those who adopt them are very special people. At the very least, be open-minded to an average adult dog. Our most common age range is between 4 - 6 year old.

Boys Vs Girls

When I interview people that are interested in adopting a Springer, I most frequent encounter a request for a girl. When asked why, people say they want a sweet, affectionate dog, and that they have always had girls. What?! Is the other half of the Springer population NOT sweet, goofy, loyal and loveable? Of course they are--I'm talking about the boys! My favorite big old teddy bears! I want to give you some things to ponder.

Female preference is ingrained in society. However, there are often misconceptions. For example, many people believe that females don't "mark" or "hump", but in reality they do these behaviors at no different rate when spayed than the boys do when they are neutered. Many people believe that females are more docile and sweet that the males, which is really a myth when it comes to Springers. People seem to think they are less "aggressive" than males. There are very few truly aggressive Springers due to their sweet-natured breed characteristics, whether they are male or female. Some of the reputation of male aggression is due to other breed influences and sociological concepts. What people forget about is dominance and how it differs from aggression. If you think that females do not participate in fighting over dominance, you are mistaken! An article on the net entitled "InterBitch Aggression," by Shirley Chong, a reknowned clicker-trainer and author says: "I have noticed that with dogs, there are breeds and lines within breeds where interbitch aggression is either practically unknown or conversely, is a very predictable problem." So, is this a predictable issue with Springers? Yes, I believe so.

In my rescue experience, the girls have more alpha tendencies than the boys. In the Springer pack makeup, as with many other breeds, females rule the roost. It is the females who determine the pecking order, and often compete to maintain or change that order. There is a reason people use the technical term of "bitch" in a negative connotation - it refers to the behaviors exibited by the females of the dog world. I receive calls every month from owners that need Springer rescue to help re-home one of the multiple females in the home due to fighting.

Given a male and a female, the girl is most often top of the pack. She is known as the "alpha" dog. What happens when you put two girls together? Well, I grew up with two female Springers and had no problems, like many other people. However, many people do have problems with two girls if they both are genetically urged to be the alpha dog. Two alpha dogs mix about as good as oil and water. Of course, not every female has those alpha tendencies so you can have peacefull same-sex pairs. Adding a second girl to your household is like the weather being favorable for a storm, or a "Storm Watch." It may blow over and be peaceful, or it may be clear for a while, then storm again. Or it could be very bad! Why take chances and fight the odds?

Let's talk about the boys! I have a soft spot for the male Springers. This didn't happen until about 3 years ago. I grew up with two female Springers who indeed lived peacefully together. When our 4-year-old female Springer suddenly died in the yard one day, I contacted ESRA and adopted a male. This was the first male I'd ever owned. Yes, he peed on everything the first day he was left alone free in the house, but he was THE most goofy, adoring Springer I'd ever had. Loyal and regal, without a care in the world.  Roscoe passed away in February, 2003, of lymphoma and I just couldn't be without a male Springer! Soon after, we adopted Brody, a liver & white boy, and more recently, Stuart, another liver & white boy, who joins our black & white female, Ivey. In the previous 3 years, we've fostered about a dozen doggie guests here and I've learned a lot about pack dynamics and dog behavior from these experiences and those of the other coordinators that I work with from around the country. The worst fights are often the female-female fights.

"Boys are fun loving until the day they die. Females tend to become more reserved or dignified as they age. Witness the human equivalent of the twinkling eyed Grandpa still playing catch at age 70, while Grandma quietly observes from the porch. Neutered males rarely exibit secondary sexual behavior such as "humping", or "marking" and lifting of legs. Once the testosterone levels recede after neutering, most of these behaviors (if they ever existed) will disappear. Boys who were neutered early (by 5 months) usually don't ever raise their legs to urinate." (1.)
Brian Killcommons made an excellent point : "The bottom line about gender is that dogs are individuals, and while generalities about males and females can be made, we don't find them all that useful. The only time gender becomes relevant is when you are adding a second dog. When doing that, your best bet is always the opposite sex from what you currently have." (2.)

I wholeheartedly agree! Why take chances and fight the odds of success? It could work, but do you want to risk it? I don't want to put you and your family at those risks when you adopt from us. Open your heart and home to the right dog for YOUR resident dog!

--Kathy Patterson, Carolina Coordinator

Outdoor dogs.

Springer Spaniels thrive as part of the family. They are not meant to live outside. What if you want to leave your dog in the yard during the day?  Can you guarantee that it won't be too hot, too cold, or storm while you are gone?  The Carolinas are known for the hot, humid days. Most Springers prefer to be inside in that kind of weather. Can you guarantee that your dog won't be stolen from your yard? It happens all the time, unfortunately.  What if another animal or person came into your yard? What if the dog got out? We respect different ways to care for a dog. However, we invest a large portion of time and love into our foster dogs. We are looking out for their utmost safety for the long-term.

Your family has children.

Did you know that "children" are one of the most common reasons that we receive dogs into rescue from owners?  Springers ARE known to be great family dogs, but often the owners do not handle things properly. Example:  My phone rings and it's an owner seeking help. She says, "My 2 year old child tried to take a bone away from the dog and he growled. Now I don't trust the dog." Is there anything wrong with the dog? No! Poor parental management. The dog did not bite. He was warning the child to leave him alone.  Parental instinct is strong and usually takes priority over loyalty to the dog. People often incorrectly feel that the dog should just adjust to the child without any work, training, or management.

Toddlers naturally have inquisitive minds and hands. They touch everything, as you know, even the dog when he's sleeping in the family room.  Many dogs don't appreciate that.  Toddlers move and sound differently than adult--they screech, they fall down, they cry, they run, etc.  To a dog that didn't grow up with the child, this can be startling.  It takes a special rescue dog to be able to be thrust into an environment with small children and be successful.  For the most part, none of our foster homes have small children due to these challenges. Our rescue volunteers are fully aware of the tremendous amount of work and time it takes to have a dog with small children.

If you have small children and want to adopt a Springer from us, you may have to wait quite a while for a dog that has been "kid-tested."  This means he/she has lived successfully with small children. Otherwise, it is too risky.   When children hit kindergarten age, they learn to listen better to their parents and learn personal boundaries and you may have a better chance at success. Are you planning on more children? If so, I recommend that you wait to adopt. Very frequently I receive calls from families with several children, and sometimes the dog is just too much work as the family grows. The dog may knock over the child or take food from their hand, so he gets banished to the back yard. 

Most people that apply grew up with dogs and think that they can just add a dog to household routine with the kids. However, it takes more effort than that. Do you know about dominance? pack order and how children fit into the pack?  How will you keep the dog from chewing the childrens' toys? What if he/she ate one and required surgery to remove the toy? What about the dog snatching food from the child's hand? How would you react if the dog growled? Even an adult rescue dog needs to learn the potty routine and you can expect a few accidents.  Are you ready to potty-train your new dog and your child? If you are prepared and understand the challenges, then we can put you on the list for a kid-tested dog.

Do you think this all this sounds like too much to deal with so you'll just get a puppy?  Well, please research that more carefully as well.  Puppies and children are commonly known to be incompatible.

Here is a link to an article, posted by Jennifer Shryock of Family Paws, an excellent organization that provides training to families with children:   "Adopting a New Doggie Family Member."

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