Life with Canines

Hi There! just wondering if anyone owns English Springer Spaniel/s in HK and how are they coping with life. I'm interested in getting an ESS but am not sure if these are good apartment dogs as they are high energy dogs. Any / All experiences / thoughts welcome. Thanks.

A friend of ours used to own a few English Springers, but they lived on a farm with plenty of space to exercise these dogs, they have a lovely temperment but are very active, need lots of attention and exercise, I would say definately not suitable for appartment living.

I'm not an expert but larger hunting breeds tend to need a lot of exercise. If you can give the dog that, you're ok. If you can't, not so much. And by exercise I mean off leash in a country park or following you on your daily run, not walking leisurely on the sidewalk a few times a day. There are certainly many many trails you can use. We have a Boxer and he requires a good deal of exercise. He's fine but he gets a little antsy if I don't have time to give him a good 45-90 minutes on the trails each day, preferably with some tough slopes.


There's also adaptation to think about. An apartment is not a natural environment for a dog (neither is a house really, but that's less unnatural). You can certainly train most dogs for it (I've seen Great Danes and Rottweilers in HK apartments) but it will take more time and patience than if you live in a house. The first 9-12 months are a crucial time. If you get it right, you're set. If you don't, you'll have an unhappy dog and an unhappy house.