English Springer Spaniel vs Field Spaniel

Photo: Kruming

Photo: Peter

Side by side

English Springer Spaniel

Field Spaniel

Adult weight

Males 22–25 kg (49–55 lb); females 18–22 kg (40–49 lb) (breed club figure)1

18–25 kg (40–55 lb)2

Height

Males 48.3–53.3 cm; females 45.7–50.8 cm3

Males 43.2–48.3 cm; females 40.6–45.7 cm4

Lifespan

Median 13.5 years5

Median 13.1 years5

Fully grown

10 months, both sexes6

11 months, both sexes6

Group

Retrievers & water dogs7

Retrievers & water dogs2

Coat

Coat with feathering7

Long coat2

Shedding

Sheds through the year

Grooming

Brushing a few times a week

Daily brushing

Exercise

Plenty

Health

Insulin-secreting pancreatic tumour (more likely); Elbow joint disease (more likely)8,9

No sourced figure

Class

Field

Companion

Which suits you

Grooming

The Field Spaniel needs more grooming, daily brushing, where the English Springer Spaniel needs brushing a few times a week.

Temperament

They differ most on independence (English Springer Spaniel: keen to work with you; Field Spaniel: cooperative, with its own ideas) and on intelligence (English Springer Spaniel: needs daily brain work; Field Spaniel: learns readily, likes games).

Alike

They are much the same size as adults, about 22 kg (48 lb) for the English Springer Spaniel and 22 kg (47 lb) for the Field Spaniel.

Alike

Both are rated the same on affection: a lap or leaning dog.

Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.

Take the breed matcher

What they're like

English Springer Spaniel

Retrievers & water dogs · Medium

In temperament it is friendly, eager to please and busy, and it thrives when it has work to do.

Field Spaniel

Retrievers & water dogs · Medium

The Field Spaniel is affectionate, docile and sensitive, and does not respond well to harsh handling.

The English Springer Spaniel page →The Field Spaniel page →

Breed traits

Day to day

English Springer Spaniel

Field Spaniel

Activity

Needs lots of exercise

Intelligence

Differs

Needs daily brain work

Learns readily, likes games

Handler demand

Needs steady training

With people

English Springer Spaniel

Field Spaniel

Affection

A lap or leaning dog

Loyalty

Bonded to its family

Independence

Differs

Keen to work with you

Cooperative, with its own ideas

Around the home

English Springer Spaniel

Field Spaniel

Sensitivity

Differs

Average

Needs a calm, predictable home

Voice

Differs

Barks to alert, then settles

Quiet

Prey drive

Chases; needs managing

Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour10. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home11,12.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes

Summary

Detail

Both grow to much the same adult weight, about 22 kg.

English Springer Spaniel

Field Spaniel

More comparisons

Compare the English Springer Spaniel with

English Cocker Spaniel vs English Springer Spaniel Brittany vs English Springer Spaniel Boykin Spaniel vs English Springer Spaniel English Setter vs English Springer Spaniel English Cocker Spaniel vs Field Spaniel English Springer Spaniel vs Golden Retriever All breed comparisons →

Sources

1
American Kennel Club. English Springer Spaniel breed page. ↑
2
FCI. Breed standard no. 123. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. © FCI. ↑
www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/123g08-en.pdf
3
American Kennel Club. English Springer Spaniel breed standard. ↑
4
American Kennel Club. Field Spaniel breed standard. ↑
5
McMillan et al., 2024. Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14, 531 (VetCompass). CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w
6
Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
doi.org/10.1093/jn/134.8.2027S
7
FCI. Breed standard no. 125. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. © FCI. ↑
www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/125g08-en.pdf
8
Kraai et al., 2025. Incidence and risk factors for insulinoma diagnosed in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86782-6
9
O'Neill et al., 2020. Epidemiology and clinical management of elbow joint disease in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1186/s40575-020-0080-5
10
Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
doi.org/10.1126/science.abk0639
11
Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/getting-dog/choosing-dog/finding-a-breeder
12
American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeding/screening-puppy-buyers-how-top-breeders-find-the-best-homes/
13
Salt et al., 2017. Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes. PLoS ONE 12(9): e0182064 (WALTHAM). CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182064

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