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"Life is good"...Because God is :O) and He's been so very  good to us!
"Mr. and Mrs.Barnabus Heartfull" watching their pups. Barney: "Are you sure we  really did all that?"
Laz, with dam, above and below
        and with sire, right.
Laz with "Uncle Danny"
 
My Momma loves me...still.
and vice-versa!
I love love, love, love balls and frisbees!
"And, who loves his dinner?! 
 I do! I do!"
We all love having 'coffee time' together' on the couch. (big couch!) 
Laz: "Wow! My sis, Esther,  always did have a big mouth!"
Toys are nice, curtains, better!. (Laz is in middle, Samson-left, Delilah-right.)
Puddin' was a good little momma.
Ari: "Advice for new family members: "Smile softly and carry a big stick. It makes you very popular."
By now perhaps you see that I designed this website  for fun--for  the 'young and young-at-heart';  a great thing about Springers is that they help one lighten up, relax and enjoy life. But also to say: these little fellas 'point' to God's goodness for only a good God could think up and give us such amazingly beautiful little critters as the Springer Spaniel.  Ephesians 3:  8-9 "...the unsearchable riches of Christ.  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God,Who created all things by Jesus Christ." 
More of Laz-growing up. He is a liver/white/tan   'tri-color' like his momma Puddin'. As a pup he could certainly give the most intense looks. (I believe he was working on us---to keep him). But he also has an incredibly sweet and gentle nature and loves to clown. 
"Uncle" Danny, Our 14 yr old neutered male above and left with little Laz,) has always enjoyed playing with the puppies. In his first few years of life, he, usually our big 'macho-doggie' , absolutely loved to search for and 'adopt' my small, stuffed animals; then he would bathe and nurture them--so cute even if they became a wet, gooey disaster. But after the puppies arrived, he gave up the stuffed ones trading them for the real puppies. It's like he 'found his calling', making a whole new, contented dog out of him.(
  First days -July '08 with our baby girl, "Ari"-(and scroll on down to  see our new
   baby girl, Hannah Oct'09) already having fun 'doing what Springers (love to ) do' .
If I 'dood it' I'm gonna get in trouble...I already took over his bed...but, I'm a gonna dood it anyway.,   (and she got by with it). He's enjoyed the company anyway but had to try and get a bluff in at least. 
Ari: "Hey!  How ma doin'? See, I can do that -- I look just like them, right?"
"What's she doing?!" I dunno--but she's cute!"
Springer Spaniels just know how to find fun whatever the  occasion--inside or outside...and they are especially quick to give back to you an even happier mood than you can share with them. Because they are so strongly devoted to 'their humans', we strongly feel they should not be left 'to live' alone for long hours and especially not outdoors, away from the family for they thrive on human companionship.  If deprived of it, some even suffer from a condition known as 'separation anxiety. I hoped sharing these  characteristics of the Springer would be helpful to you  as you choose a breed suited to you; for if you're not looking for a dog that loves/needs to live and share its life closely with you, the ESS would not be a good choice (either for you or for the poor doggie!) There are other dog breeds to choose from which are more independent and wouldn't grieve so much when you're gone.
I'm sorry to have to report that there will always be a huge hole in your heart for a Springer who has 'passed on';. However,  in our experience, we've found that God sure does use another Springer to heal that hole a great deal when we've gone ahead and gotten another as soon as we possibly could. We even believe the one that left would want that for us if they could say so.  Since Springers seem to all have many of the same, endearing, wonderful traits in common, acting like all  the ones I've had in 53 years, making us laugh and soothing us with their love, another ESS does greatly help 'fill the hole' even when each one is still quite a distinctive character in his own right. They each have their special very winning ways . So, "Look out...fair warning:  you, too,  can easily become a  "Springer nut".  No, we wouldn't have believed it either when we first married, having just one old boy, but we soon found that having more than one does truly double/triple etc the 'fun',  
     Laz was the last one out so he said God saved the best for the 'L A Z' (t) 
Laz: "Did you get the number on that squirrel?:   April '09
 A "Tale of a Springer Tail":
  I am comforted in the knowlege that some other "Springer-nut" besides us, would appreciate these thoughts, no matter how 'weird' they might first appear: :O)   For I must share with you something we've found so very 'cute' about Springers: their derrieres are all exuberant wiggles--a picture of their joyful, life and people--loving personalities. (Their  tails go many mph. in coordination with their derrieres) Laz is one big blurr of backside wiggling--a happy 'shimmey'-er.  Danny's little tail seems to act like a propeller, driving him along; Barney has a fast, more 'waggy' one  with plenty of hip 'action'. The girls get their whole bodies into the tail action often from 'stem to stern'--a gal thing.  It is just one of Springers'  adorable antics. Who says dogs can't talk? Sure they do. But they also talk much with their eyes as well as the other body postures. One posture that 'gets to me' getting quick sympathy (and they know it) is making themselves into a 'puddle' on the floor--spreading their front legs, putting chin and ears down between--really flat and sad looking. (see picture below left, if you can stand to) So I can't stand it...and will do something to cheer them up. Oh yes, they're rotten. but they 'spoil you ' back-bigger.
    We would have been sorely tempted to not have had our litter's tails docked, but the vet advised we had best do it, for many who hunt them in heavy brush and thorns might feel the need to have  them docked at a later age after purchase. (and that'd be really painful whereas the bones haven't hardened as much at 3 days old). We hadn't realized that since we're not hunters. But we've always heard from our hunting friends that Springers are wonderful for hunting. ) so, with that idea in mind, we had our vet dock them, and he even used local anesthetic. (We may still give our puppies' buyers the option to dock or not dock.)
"Uncle Danny" and Ari early summer '09
Laz and Ari May 14, '09 joyously springing around the yard in the awesome  Colorado springtime, beginning to 'think happy thoughts about each other'.  We did let them mate during her 3rd cycle which came in Oct.
Laz: "me and my momma"
"Springer-sweet", funny little furr-balls
Below: Some "Laz Baby Pictures"
Danny: "Hey! which way did they go?!"
AKC "Laz R Us"
 God blessed us back in '08 with a "miracle loan" with which to buy this dreamed of, 'fixer-upper', cabin; and just lately we can now afford to expand the yard. Poppa's building us a new fence. We always had room to run (that's enough); but now we can 'run wide open, too! Also, fences help in protecting us from  4 (& even some 2-legged) 'beasts')
Laz 'baby pictures'
In June ('09) we put up our English Springer   Crossing" sign. Several neighbors have up their 'fox crossing' ones, so it's time for the best one , hey gang?
Momma Puddin' (r.) and son, Laz,  July '09
Ari: "Uh-oh! that's not that 'terrible bottle', is it, Mom? The one with the ear cleaning solution? No?   ah...GOOD! it's that camera-thingie again.
It's obvious these guys have a 'tough life'  to deal with here: "Barney's deck" at top, needs restaining; "Laz's rocker' is a yuckky color and getting too small; "Ari's couch" is getting too old -and yes, not wide enough.
Laz: "ok, Mom's convinced me that  I'm wonderful, sweet, funny company, and decorate the house with my presence, folks; but I have this feeling like, somehow, I'm going to waste.  I keep hearing that I'm going to get to be a poppa soon--whatever that means...must be something to go along with my 'going to waste' feeling lately..Mom smiles and says, 'Cheer up, sweetie! It still will be soon.' I hope so! I'll be 3 this month! " (Oct update:  and he finally 'did' and quickly got over his mood.)
Laz: "Oh, ok! whoopee! back to my toys...(I know it'll please "Mom and Dad" if I can 'eat this one' in record time!") Springers seem to enjoy putting trust in their humans. That's why I  wouldn't want to let them down. 
I'm not really 'sad' here--I'm 'tired' (and was a little 'frustrated')-but no longer  
Ari: "Hey, come back here I'm not through with you
Laz: "Whew!" .
"The sad, puddle look": 
  but he's not really 'sad' and mistreated' : he's pooped out and thinking 'lovely thoughts' of helping the world have more beautiful Springers.  
A happier, tired Laz has finally "got married with" Ari. We were trying to wait until she was two, butthe timing was still good and healthy for her, during her 3rd cycle in mid Oct '09
First weeks with new baby age 9-12 weeks old:  "Hannah" Oct.'09  She's quite an endearing, comical, adorably sweet character, but then she is a 'typical' English Springer Spaniel.
Pictures of first months with baby Hannah 
 Uncle Danny: "Here we  go again! In my lifetime this makes Baby no.5 for me to love and sometimes 'just put up with' until I can help get her trained. I let babies think that they've pulled one over on me--moving me over on my bed.  
We feel they are great to just 'watch'-they are beautiful together.
H: "Sorry, Bub.It's mine" . Here she's only 12 wks old and had run to get between Barney and the ball I'm throwing to him.  It is a Springer thing all right.-even the nice way Barney has let the gals do him ;O)
If "Uncle Danny" wants it, it must be good.
Hannah: "This is a neat tire-thingie I just caught...or was it 'vice -versa'? I love to figure out how to get little balls out of it's insides! Now I put things in the middle myself.
Laz, Puddin' and Hannah enjoying a warm  November  '09
Girl gab session with Hannah gabbing loudest.
Hannah: "I love acting goofy just like Aunt  (actually 'first cousin'), Puddin' when Momma rakes leaves."
Yikes! momma's after me to get her shoe back...whew! this thing is really big! oops!
"Toys-Smoys! I love papers!"
and now we have a new generation  that loves  its canvas cats Like Laz on a previous page.
 
First full day with her new 'family'
Hannah: "wow! and you say you're one of the smaller guys around here!?"
About these little CHEWERS: We don't pretend to have all the answers but hope what we've experienced  may help you: puppies chew when new teeth are coming through their aching gums over the months and even at a year;  most all will chew if bored and/or lonely;  As I shared earlier, we are still learning after 4 decades, and have found that all  Springers have their own unique personalities and needs. We now have one of the most 'athletic' pups, bred from parents of good 'agility competition' lines. Unlike all our others in the past, he is in need of MUCH running at least a couple times a day..."or else!"(He decides the house is his chew toy.) He is  extra intelligent and curious so the running around the yard has really helped soothe his inner need to 'run like the wind'...and he sure does-beautiful to watch. In the past with having over a dozen Springers  we found that the momma dogs were the best trainers along with our putting toys  quickly  in their mouths;  and another "biggie": It will not spoil a biting puppy  to distract them with reward treats in your hand as you approach (to remove wrong thing they are chewing), and it's a good time to teach them to sit.  Bribes won't hurt them and will ensure trust and bonding between you. Often they think you are wanting to play (like another biting littermate),when all you want to do is pet them.  Worse--there are times one feels the little critter is bound and determined to really hurt itself-trying to eat/chew the wrong things, no matter how hard you've tried to keep the pup only chewing on its toys; ( We don't like the cowhide chews--our 'grand-dog' nearly choked on cowhide twice before my daughter gave that up forever We like "Benebones" but still check often to see they're not getting pieces off.)  .  Even with giving you a 'heads-up' about all that, I  can vouch to you--that you will say they were WORTH it! --for there's nothing like an ESS puppy to bring one lots of joy.  Please keep a close eye on your children when with the puppy. They  will lose patience with sharp-toothed puppies even faster than we do and will be tempted to hit or kick the little guys . Patient,  consistent  gentleness (and I know that is sometimes difficult to do)  will build  lifelong trust between you    (and vice-versa: harshness will greatly diminish future closeness between you.
  Left: At 15 and a half weeks old in these two pics at left, Hannah's on the verge of becoming a lanky 'teen-ager'. She already wants, even more than before,  to please you. And while she has lots of 'playful puppy' left in abundance, one can actually tell that she is TRYING harder than ever, to just chew on what you've given her, replacing a finger or other object you didn't want reduced to fine particles. with a toy.  Fun to see above all : She's  just like all our other ESSs over the years:  She acts 'happy- to   fit in' with your desires while giving you her great affection and cute antics to laugh at.
Our Springer family 'helping' Poppa shovel Jan.2,'10 
Late Dec. '09 
We love playing in the snow!  and (to right:  I love my "Uncles" Barney and Danny. )
 (sort of like 'at the bar') Laz: "It's like this, kid..."
Hannah: "Mom...you're really sure this coat-thingie is necessary?"
Puddin' and Ari and Laz love the snow using the 'trails' as  "obstacle courses." whee!"
It's a bird! It's a plane!
 It's a bird-dog 
(It's "SUPER Laz"!)

At first glance one would think this is "Laz"-but this adorable fella is Laz's Grand-sire, Puddin's poppa, "Gunner Bear". 
H: "Oh, no, Mom. You got me all wrong. 'Sweet lil me' wouldn't even think of chewing on the pillow or rug!"
Laz -top left; Max-right
"Hannah"

Website designed by Carolyn Y. Daniels--All Rights Reserved
Back to summer and Mom is giving Laz his favorite neck rub/chest scratch: also a way he likes to get closer and give you 'sugars'.
This "Photos 2" page shows Laz/Hannah/Ari baby pictures and our ESS family May-Dec.'09