History
German Spaniel outlines its history to the deceased Stoeberer, German breed which was used as a working and hunting dog after 1848 revolutions. Fredrick Roberth, the German breeder, crossed water dogs, sporting spaniels with Stoeberer and developed German Spaniels which are popular today as hunting dogs.
After its first recognition as a breed in the 1890s, the Verein fur Deutsche Wachtelhund (VDW) club was developed. From the beginning, Stoeberer was used to refer to German hunting dog category and German Spaniel being its first representative. In 1910 VDW chose four males and seven females to arrange the breed standard, and all the present German Spaniels are reasoned as progenies of these dogs.
Temperament & Personality
Apart from being a passionate hunter, it is also adaptable and manageable as a family pet. It is not very nervous or aggressive, but brave enough to handle a tough situation and smart enough to find a game, it has a balanced and mixed disposition. Their prey drive forces them to chase small animals and moving objects, but early training sessions can help to control.
They have a powerful smelling sense which is used by them for retrieving and tracking games. Being natural hunters, they perfectly hunt in dense forests with rivers and lakes, due to which they are famous as a gun dog. They show independent nature sometimes which can be controlled by proper guidance and training. Early socialization can help them to coexist with kids and children. Their interaction with kids needs supervision as they can unintentionally knock kids down while playing.
Exercise
German Spaniel requires a fair exercising schedule due to its activeness. Apart from jogs and long walks, it likes to play fetch games in a fenced yard. Other games like hide and seek, Frisbee, ball rolling, etc are preferable. It also loves water sports and owners can teach them different water games including swimming to suffice their requirements. To provide adequate mental exercise owners can offer them puzzle toys or agility training.
Grooming
Its dense and long coat requires regular brushing to keep away dirt. They shed seasonally and during this time brush them twice a day to remove loose furs from their coat. Also, bathe them when they are incredibly filthy. It is advisable to clip their long hairs amidst pads in winter, use a fingernail scissor for a better result.
Other grooming requirements include brushing their teeth twice a week to avoid development of tartar and oral problems. Their droopy ears can catch up infections due to water, dirt buildup and need regular checking to prevent infections and pain. Clean their ears with Vet prescribed ear solution. Like other dogs, they tend to grow nails faster than other breeds which can crack if not appropriately trimmed and hinder regular activities like walking, run, etc. However, cutting them twice a month will serve the purpose. Clean their corner of the eyes with a damp cloth to remove tear stains.
Health Problems
It is a very healthy breed but sometimes suffers from minor problems like skin allergies and hip dysplasia. But some occasional tests like allergy testing, skin scraping, complete body checkup and OFA can help to keep them healthy.
Training
Being an intelligent breed they catch up commands quickly, but their stubbornness makes them hard to train sometimes. Hence, this breed requires a firm but a consistent trainer to train them.
Early socialization will make them well behaved and a good companion. Take them to different busy places like a supermarket, bus stops busy roads and Dogs Park, etc. It will allow them to meet unknown faces, different sounds and situations and make them more flexible.
Command training is essential to polish their skills, enhance the relationship between the dog and the owner and to minimize their prey drive. Commands like ‘no,’ ‘yes,’ ’stop,’ ‘come’ are some simple commands which are essential.
Leash training is crucial to minimize its chasing instincts. Start from an early age to make it familiar with the leash. When it plays or during its meal time apply the leash and take a short walk around the room or the garden and when it completely gets familiar take them out.
Feeding
German Spaniel does well with a high-quality food or homemade food that is rich in fat, carbohydrates, and protein, owners can also include fiber foods to promote pet’s intestinal health. Owners can offer them 2-2.5 of dry kibbles to suffice their energy requirements.
But it is essential to visit a dietician or a vet before opting for the food. Owners can opt for a raw meat diet to offer them protein. It is advisable to create a diet depending upon the dog’s size, age, activity level and metabolism. The owner should offer them small meals multiple times a day and prevent heavy exercises to minimize the risk. Owners should check their weight level and calorie consumption. If they gain weight reduce table scraps, treats, etc.
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