DONATE NOW
DONATE NOW

Sprocker Behaviour, Training & Owner Support

Sprockers are not always ‘easy’

What does easy mean though? A dog who will fit in easily, learn difficult skills quickly and without much practice, and naturally chilled maybe is a start.

Explore the resources and sections below to find out more about the Sprocker breed, what to expect, considerations when getting a dog, training and more.

Please do your research thoroughly on the breed(s). Don’t just choose one because they look beautiful, cuddly, ‘teddy bear’ like. With a Sprocker you have a working dog with specific needs and traits that need to be fulfilled – and THAT is what makes them WONDERFUL.

Contact Us

Breed Information

Find out more about the history and temperament of the Sprocker breed.

Breed Information​

Behaviourists

Need help with your Sprocker’s behaviour? Meet our behaviourists.

Behaviourists​

Considerations

Thinking of getting a Sprocker? These are things to consider before getting a dog.

Considerations

Canine Enrichment​

Find out why enrichment is key to a dog’s development, along with some fun games you can use to keep your pup’s mind busy.

Canine Enrichment​

Recall Training​

Find out more about recall training your Spaniel, along with our six useful tips.​

Recall Training​

Free Downloads​

Download a home survival checklist or gift aid form here.​

Free Downloads​

Getting To Know Sprockers

Training any dog from a puppy all the way through to adulthood takes TIME, CONSISTENCY, EFFORT, PATIENCE, PLANNING, AND PERSEVERANCE. With a rescue this is tenfold. With a sprocker it also useful to have a sense of humour!

Lots of sprockers excel at a range of activities- gundog work/training, agility, scentwork, flyball, hoopers, trick training etc. Great ‘extra curricular’ activities which challenge the body and brain! Consider if these activities are for you as your sprocker may ‘need’ that something extra.

Sadly there is a growing number of spaniels including Sprockers ending up in rescue simply because they are spaniels.

 

  • Because they pick things up and learn to protect them.
  • Because they love to chase things and no-one teaches them not to,
  • Because they are busy and no-one expected it and now the dog is bored, frustrated, and going self employed.
  • Sprockers are absolutely fabulous, busy, intelligent dogs, but their natural behavioural patterns means they aren’t always right for everyone.
  • Sprockers are bred to hunt birds. This means they find following scent highly rewarding making recall and loose lead walking sometimes challenging.
  • Sprockers are usually naturally impulsive which means they are fast to act and usually without much thought: perfect for flushing birds, less perfect for being a calm, polite member of the family without a lot of consistent input.
  • Sprockers find holding things in their mouth naturally rewarding. They also like to keep hold of things unless otherwise encouraged in a non confrontational way. If handled incorrectly, this naturally predisposition can easily lead to ‘resource guarding’. This is not ideal around young children- invariably Sprockers will pick your children’s toys up if left around.
  • Sprockers are extremely intelligent, busy and in need of jobs. Even the show varieties. Clear, reward based training alongside off lead walks and brain games are good starts. Without this they WILL likely go ‘self employed’, probably doing things you’d rather they didn’t. This list is never ending: Stealing socks, relentlessly chasing birds and running off after scents, digging in the garden, and then more of a welfare concern, chasing shadows, pacing etc.
  • Don’t expect your sprocker to walk nicely on a lead without a lot of input. Why on earth would a sprocker ever walk anywhere when they can RUN FAST! Lead walking is a self control skill, which takes a sprocker a lot of learning to master!
  • A lot of sprockers are easily frustrated too – this can mean they don’t necessarily love being ‘forced’ to be cuddled or restrained, they may not cope well with ‘forced’ confinement or barriers, and they struggle when denied access to things they want. Difficult sometimes therefore to manage around small children.

Sprocker Assist and Rescue has more dogs waiting for foster homes than fosterers. If you can offer a temporary home for one of these dogs, please do complete our fostering application form or contact us.

Please do your research thoroughly on the breed(s). Don’t just choose one because they look beautiful, cuddly, ‘teddy bear’ like. You have a working dog with specific needs and traits that need to be fulfilled- and THAT is what makes them WONDERFUL.

Find out more about training your sprocker

Help & Advice Articles

We’ve written some help and advice articles, which may help answer some of your questions about looking after your Sprocker.

Recall

When your dog doesn’t come back, it’s rarely about stubbornness—and much more about what’s happening around them.

Read Article »
Load More