Breed History
Though the English Springer Spaniel was not truly developed as a breed until the 19th century, descriptions of land spaniels bearing a strong resemblance to the dog we know today date back to the 16th century....
These dogs were said to spring at their prey, flushing it out into the open so men with guns could take their shot. Until the 19th century, the English Springer and Cocker Spaniel were used in this capacity and were by all accounts the same breed, the only difference between the two being that the Cocker Spaniel was slightly smaller. The Duke of Norfolk is credited with developing the Springer as a separate breed during the early 1800s, and his passion for the breed led the dog to be temporarily known as the Norfolk Spaniel. The effort to separate the Springer and Cocker Spaniel continued into the 19th century, and in 1880 the American Spaniel Club was founded to further this work. In 1902, The English Kennel Club recognized the English Springer Spaniel as being a separate breed from the Cocker Spaniel, and in 1910 the American Kennel Club followed suit. To this day, the dogs sweet nature and eagerness to please continue to make it a popular choice as a family pet, hunting dog and competitive obedience trial participant.