Activities For English Bull Springers

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Activities For English Bull Springers

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Introduction

What happens when you combine the squat toughness of a Bulldog with the docility and spunk of an English Springer Spaniel? A fun-loving, gentle, and pawsitively wagtastic companion. The English Bull Springer is a great family dog because of its gentle and harmonious nature (it helps that they're absolutely adorable, too).

They're great with other dogs and quite patient, so families with children don't need to worry. Your English Bull Springer might bark occasionally, but that's one of the only negatives to this breed — overall, they're easy to please, require minimal grooming, and only have moderate energy levels.

That being said, you'll need to make sure that these pups are getting adequate exercise and that you're stimulating their brains — they're smart cookies and need extra attention to stay out of trouble! Check out a few of these English Bull Springer approved activities to keep your little love bundle entirely entertained and exercised!

Flygility

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Moderate

Normal

45 - 60 min

Items needed

flyball box

homemade obstacles

flyball jumps

Activity description

If you're never heard of flygility, we're about to change your life (and your dog's life, too). Flygility is a sport that emerged in New Zealand and Australia about two decades ago that's based on the game of flyball. Think of this game as a fast-paced game of fetch that mixes in agility training, hurdles, and other obstacles. Your doggo can jump through hoops, over hurdles, and interact with a springloaded box (known as a flyball box) that shoots out tennis balls, toys, or flyballs.

In this game, your pup learns how to open the box and then fly through the obstacles to get the ball back to their handler. It's a win-win because not only is your dog getting adequate physical exercise, but they're also challenging their brains! This is the perfect activity for your cunning pup — it'll help them stay trim and healthy and also occupy those hungry minds!

Step

Show your doggo the ropes

Before you can invest fully in this activity, you'll need to learn how to train and then teach your dog how to play. Look into what tools and props you might need, understand the objective, and ensure you're setting up the obstacle course right. Online videos and training guides can help with this. Now, it's time to train your pup with positive reinforcement and plenty of treats.

Step

Find new ways to play

Once your dog gets into the groove of flygility, you'll probably want to further challenge them. Though there aren't any official clubs for flygility in the US (yet), you can certainly team up with other doggos to form your own club — in fact, you can even write to various kennel clubs to see if you can start it up in your area! Some dog training facilities may also teach the sport, so do some research to find out if there are any flygility classes near you.

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Water Games

Popular

0 Votes

Hot Day

Free

Easy

30 min

Items needed

towel

treats

Activity description

If your dog has even an ounce of Springer Spaniel in them, you can bet they're absolutely going to adore being in the water. Bulldogs also tend to love the water, so the odds of your little hybrid pup enjoying a dip in the pool, lake, or ocean are pretty high.

On hot, sunny days, playing all kinds of water games with your pooch can be a great activity. The great thing about this is there are so many activities you can incorporate — water fetch, dock diving, or just lounging and swimming with your pup. Either way, you can guarantee your dog is going to love it. We suggest monitoring your dog's preferences when it comes to the water — some pups might love jumping in and diving around while others will simply want to lounge. No matter what you do, make sure you're always monitoring your pup while they're swimming — never leave them by themselves.

Step

Find the nearest body of water

Do some quick online searching to find a body of water nearby — a lake, the ocean, a pool. If you plan to swim in a pool, make sure they don't swallow too much chlorinated water as this can make them sick. If you're planning to swim in a natural body of water, keep a sharp eye out for wildlife.

Step

Have some fun in the sprinkler

If your pup isn't up for dock diving or swimming, a simple yard sprinkler can do the trick on a hot day. This will cool your pup off, get them moving, and probably entertain you beyond belief. Introduce your pup to the sprinkler slowly, letting them sniff it out before you turn it on.

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Advanced Training Classes

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Expensive

Hard

1 - 2 hrs

Items needed

treats

leash

Activity description

Your pup, by nature, is pretty clever. Bulldogs and Springer Spaniels are both known for their quick, cunning minds and their willingness to please their owners. All of this adds up to the perfect candidate for advanced training classes. Sure, your pup is probably already well-versed on the normal sit/stay/lie down commands, and while that's great, adding in an extra challenge can be really beneficial for their well-being.

Because your pup is likely obedient by nature, you can throw training opportunities in that might be too much for other breeds, like therapy dog training and nosework. You can even get your dog involved in agility training if you're really willing to expend some patience and time. If your dog enjoys learning new things and relishes a challenge, this is a perfect activity to spice up their daily routine.

Step

Teach the basic commands

Before you can throw something fancy into your doggo's routine, make sure they have the basic commands down. Does your dog sit on command? Do they listen to both vocal commands as well as hand signals? Teaching basic commands will take some patience (and quite a few treats!) but your clever pup should catch on in no time.

Step

Pick a training route

This is where you need to decide which training route you want to take and try to stick to it. While you can certainly go back and train your pup to do something else (therapy training, agility training, and more) it's best to focus on one route at a time so as not to confuse or overwhelm your dog.

Step

Practice

You know what they say — practice makes pawfect. If you're not dedicating time every day to this endeavor with your doggo, you probably aren't putting enough practice time in, which might result in them not making the progress they have the potential to. Try to make training a scheduled part of their daily routine.

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More Fun Ideas...

Tug of War

This will appeal to the brute side of your English Bull Springer. Nothing gets a bulldog going like a powerful game of tug of war. Use your pup's favorite toy to play this game to incite a little competition. Above all, though, make sure your doggo knows you're playing — if your pup gets a little too "ruff" during this game, this might not be the best choice for your dog.

Doggy Socialization

Odds are, your pup might have a dash of separation or social anxiety — that's just part of the English Springer Spaniel DNA. This is where doggie playtime — and even doggie daycare — can come into play. If you have a pup who is well-socialized, you'll have a much more balanced, adjusted pup — which likely means you'll have a happier pup in the long run.

Conclusion

Your English Bull Springer is a lot of things — smart, cunning, quick, cute, and willing to please. That's why activities — especially mentally demanding activities — matter so much to this breed. Sure, you need physical activities to keep them healthy (daily walks, hikes, swimming, fetch, etc.), but you also need to ensure they're getting the mental stimulation they need to stay sharp, entertained, and most importantly, out of trouble!

Try any of the fun, exciting, and stimulating activities we suggested above and we can guarantee your doggo will be having fun in no time! Whether you choose flygility, swimming, or a rousing game of tug of war, being with your pup should come first. No matter what you choose, spending a few hours a day with your pup is going to bond the two of you forever — and that's what really matters when it comes to doggo and owner activities.