Deciding on which dog breed is right for you and your family is hard. There are so many dog breeds with different characteristics and temperaments, the options can seem endless. The pressure is on to make the right decision, as this dog will be a member of your family for the next decade! I’m going to tell you everything I’ve learned about my Springador, to help you decide if a Springador is the best dog breed for you.
Meet Honey the Springador
Honey is my 1.5 year old Springador, who came to live with me in September 2022. Our journey to deciding on a dog breed is probably very similar to many – we met a Springador who we fell in love with! Springadors were instantly in the mix of dog breeds my husband and I wanted to research. Why was a Springador the best dog breed for us? I’ll explain the reasons below.
Let’s start with the basics… what is a Springador?
A Springador, also known as a Labradinger, is a popular cross breed of a Labrador with a Springer Spaniel. Two of the UK’s best loved breeds! Both of these dog breeds are versatile dogs. They are popular family dogs, but also can work as farm or hunting dogs – so you’ll see a lot of them around the UK countryside especially. They are not a KC registered breed, and are considered a ‘designer dog.’
Springadors come in a variety of colours – black, brown, or golden. They are commonly seen with a white patch on their chest. They can range in size from 15KG – 25KG, and the life expectancy is between 10-14 years. Our Springador Honey is the result of a black Labrador mum and a brown and white Springer Spaniel dad.
Common traits of a Springador
Springadors inherit the best traits of Labradors and Springer Spaniels. They are friendly, charismatic and sociable dogs. They typically have a lot of energy, and will want to greet every person and dog that they meet. If you want a dog that will be happy going out and about on adventures with you, the Springador could be perfect as they take every new experience in their stride.
Springadors are intelligent dogs, so they need lots of mental stimulation to help manage their energy levels. Thanks to their food driven traits from the Labrador breed, they will (try to) do anything for a treat. This means they will love training sessions with you. Training sessions provide great mental stimulation for your Springador, and will help you to bond with your dog. They also love mentally stimulating toys and games, like puzzle games where they try to free a treat. You can find all sorts of these in pet shops and online. Below is one of Honey’s puzzle balls, which she has to roll around to get treats to fall out.
How much exercise does a Springador need?
Springadors are high energy dogs. One of the easiest ways to decide if a Springador is the best dog breed for you is to ask yourself – do I have at least an hour to take this dog on walks every day? If the answer is no, you should probably rule the Springador out now. Given their working dog genetics, they LOVE to be outside, rain or shine.
Thanks to their amazing noses from their hunting dog ancestors, Springadors love being out in the world, sniffing everything. Honey’s nose is so powerful it is hard to get her attention when she is sniffing something exciting. This has become a difficulty when training her recall – once she is following a scent, she is very hard to convince to come back. The same goes for her retrieving instincts, which go into overdrive when she sees small animals or birds. Thankfully, the only thing she has ever caught is a mouse, and nothing larger.
Are Springadors good with children?
As mentioned, Springadors are incredibly sociable and friendly dogs, which makes them good candidates for a family with children. However you might find the high energy of the breed a challenge if you are caring for children at the same time, and they might be a risk for knocking over small children in their excitement.
A dog’s suitability with children is often based on their personal experiences. We have children in our house once or twice a month, so our Springador was introduced to children very early in her life. Sadly she got spooked by the crying of a child in our family and spent the first year of her life scared of children, and she would choose to go and be alone in her crate when we had children in the house. We are very thankful this never transpired to aggression towards children, just avoidance of them.
We have worked hard to build up her confidence around children. One way we did this was by letting the little people in our family give her high value treats when they came to visit. Now, thankfully she is over her fear and will happily greet and play with children.
Can Springadors be left at home?
A big factor to deciding if a Springador is the best dog breed for you is to consider how often you are at home. I’ve already mentioned that Springadors are incredibly social, so I don’t think they would be suited to a life where they were at home alone for long periods of time. They are happiest when they have company! In our household, someone is working from home every day of the week. The only occasions where she is left alone are if we have social plans, on evenings or weekends.
High energy dogs are more likely to be destructive if they are left alone too long. For this reason, I highly recommend crate training a Springador, so if you do leave them alone you have peace of mind they aren’t tearing up your house. We have lost many pairs of shoes from leaving our crazy Springador alone in the kitchen, for even 30 minutes.
Do Springadors shed a lot of hair?
The short answer is they shed a medium amount of hair. It is not as much as a husky or golden retriever, but it would be more than a poodle or other dog breeds considered to be hypoallergenic. Their hair shedding varies seasonally – as you go into the summer months and they shed their winter coat, you will find yourself hoovering the house a lot more than usual.
One positive of a Springador is their low-maintenance grooming needs. They are not a breed that needs to be taken to a groomer every six weeks, which will cost you an arm and a leg. All their coats need is washing and brushing, which you can do at home.
Why was a Springador the best dog breed for me?
Our criteria when deciding on a dog breed included the following factors:
- A dog that would love long countryside walks.
- A dog that was big enough that we wouldn’t accidentally step on it, but small enough I could confidently walk it on my own. I didn’t want a dog that would be stronger than me.
- It would be a sociable dog that would love playing with the dogs of our family and friends.
- Low grooming needs.
A Springador met all these factors, and I have no regrets choosing Honey! I have written more about my experience of getting Honey in this blog post: Seven ways getting a dog in your 20’s will enhance your life.
So, is a Springador the best dog breed for you?
A Springador is one of the happiest and friendliest dogs you can meet, with cheeky personalities. They will love you immensely and want to be with you as much as possible. They are playful and energetic but also cuddly and will relax on the sofa with you. They are a dog breed which needs a lot of love and attention to keep them satisfied, but will give you their unwavering loyalty and love back. If you put the work in they are a breed that has the potential to be obedient and well trained.
