When Eliot was young and we went to dog school, I was introduced to the Halti. The Halti is a training collar that works wonderfully for controlling a wild and crazy pup!

It reminds me of a horse bridle for dogs. It may look like a muzzle, but it is not, and your dog can eat, chew and drink while wearing a Halti. The Halti discourages rowdiness and mouthing just like a good Mommy would. Mommy dogs correct their pups by grasping their muzzles and shaking them. This lets the pup know it is time to settle down. The Halti works on the same principle, putting a small amount of pressure on the nose.

The Halti is a great training tool for walking your dog. Your dog’s leash gets attached under his chin, therefore he can not pull and drag you down the street. This allows you to be in control and your wild pup walks like a well behaved dog. The Halti can really make your walk enjoyable for you too!

While the Halti works wonders, dogs hate it and you need to be patient. Eliot really hates his Halti, and tries to take it off as soon as I place it on him. But while it is on, he behaves and calms down. Even though he is 10 years old, I still find the need to use it occasionally.

Be aware that they do come in sizes, so be sure to get the right size for your dog. Remember, it is not a muzzle and will not prevent a biting dog from biting someone, but it is a fantastic training collar to correct negative behavior in a wild and crazy pup!

I think I created a fresh water connoisseur. I personally, do not like to drink water that has been sitting out for hours. So because of that, I have always given Eliot fresh drinking water in his bowl. Normally, I would give him fresh water in the morning, noon and evening and any time his water bowl is empty.

Just this morning, I got up late and had a million things to do and I forgot to pour out yesterday’s water and give him fresh water. So when Eliot and I came inside from pulling weeds, he looked in his water bowl and then sniffed yesterday’s water and walked away. That was my hint “Hey Mom, fresh water please!” As soon as I replaced the water he ran back to his bowl and proceeded to drink all the water! “Thanks Mom, you read my mind for I was very thirsty!”

I just can’t figure out why the toilet bowl water is so appealing!

My English Springer Spaniel’s call name is Eliot. His registered name is KayNDee Sir Thomas Stern Eliot. All this means is that the kennel was KayNDee and the rest is what was decided on for a name. My daughter picked Sir Thomas Stern Eliot after the poet T.S. Eliot. We decided that Eliot was a good call name for him.

Eliot was born in Canada to Ch KayNDee Let Me Be Your Wings (father – call name Comet) and Ch KayNDee Bunny Jolyroche (mother – call name Bunny). Therefore he is registered with the CKC (the Canadian Kennel Club). CKC was formed several years after the AKC.

Kennel names of prominent breeders were first used by the AKC in September 1887. This was to differentiate all the dogs of the same breed that were named “Spot”. It also protected the kennel name. Can you imagine the confusion at the first dog shows without using the kennel name!

In January 1903 the AKC allowed no entries under a kennel name unless the kennel had been registered. Then in February 1934 the rules were more defined. New rules were that the AKC would not “protect any person against the use by any other person of any kennel or trade name as part of the name of a dog or in connection with the sale or showing of dogs unless the permission to use that kennel or trade name has first been obtained from the AKC.” The rule also states that if a kennel does not register any dogs under their name for six years, the ownership of the kennel name shall become expired.

In 1949, the rules were changed to limit the kennel name ownership to five years. After that the kennel had to apply for renewal. These rules still remain unchanged. To read about more of the AKC regulations, see www.AKC.org.

I was recently on the American Kennel Club website (www.akc.org) and noticed that Pennsylvania currently has a bill (PA House Bill 2553) that would allow municipalities to pass any type of law that applies to dangerous dogs and includes breed specific ordinances. If this bill is passed it will allow municipalities to decide which dogs / breeds are considered dangerous and take actions as they feel appropriate. If you oppose this bill, please contact the members of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, or contact your legislator!

Also, the neighboring state of Ohio has a bill (Ohio bill 568) introduced by Representative Tyrone Yates of Cincinnati, that is aimed at prohibiting ownership of any dog that is of the breed of pit bull dog. This bill will prohibit the ownership, keeping or harboring of a dog that belongs to the breed known as the pit bill. Within 90 days of the bill going into effective, anyone who owns a dog that belongs to the breed of pit bull will be forced to surrender the dog to a dog warden. Within 10 days of the surrender the dog will be euthanized. If there is probable cause to believe that a dog is of the pit bull breed, a search warrant can be obtained and the dog seized and euthanized within 10 days. If you are an Ohio resident and oppose this bill, please contact your representative! There are no bad dogs, just bad owners!

This reminds me of a poem by Pastor Martin Neimoller (1892-1984) the translation as appears at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The version inscribed at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. reads:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.

Spaniels were native dogs to Spain and are thought to have made their way to Britain by migrating Roman legions. Excavations of a Roman Villa in Dorset, England show cave drawings of hunting spaniels around 150 AD. Spaniels appear in The Bayeux Tapestry which represents the conquest of England by William I in 1066. The 14th century English writer Geoffrey Chaucer, wrote a poem in 1387 first using the written word Spaniel in English literature.

The purpose of spaniels was to serve as hunting dogs. Before guns were used to shoot game, spaniels would flush the game and a trained falcon or hawk would capture the prey. After the flintlock gun was introduced in Britain in the late 17th century, sportsmen started training gundogs. In the next three hundred years, spaniels were trained to hunt within an area, flush the game for “fly shooting” and retrieve the game with his soft mouth for his master. Spaniels were also popular hunting dogs in America in the 1700’s.

Around 1800 the Boughey family of Aqualate in Shropshire, England began carefully breeding the first English Springer Spaniel and started keeping a stud book in 1813. It was here that Mop I whelped in 1812 was the first pure strain of the English Springer Spaniel.

In 1902 the Kennel Club (based in London, England) gave recognition to the English Springer Spaniel as a separate breed. Years later in 1930 Westminster (founded in New York, USA) also gave recognition to the English Springer Spaniel as a separate breed.

The English Springer Spaniel has became the most effective gundog with every desirable trait a hunter could want all wrapped up in one intelligent, friendly dog! The Springer has a natural ability to spring the game and hunt along with being a good swimmer and retriever as well as great family dog!

If your dog is the typical dog he/she has probably tasted people food on at least one occasion, maybe even daily. Eliot loves people food. He begs at every meal and every snack. Actually, he cries and if you ignore him he cries louder and longer. While he does eat his own dog food, he is absolutely crazy about people food. He is very fond of chicken, hamburgers, steak and hot dogs!

Some people food is actually beneficial to a dog and while some can be toxic and kill!
Avoid feeding your dog the following:

• alcohol
• bones
• cat food
• ice cream
• milk
• raw eggs
• tomatoes
• salt
• sugary items

NEVER, EVER, feed your dog the following:

• chocolate
• coffee
• tea and caffeine drinks (affects the heart and nervous systems)
• citrus oil extracts (causes vomiting)
• grapes or raisins (damages the kidneys)
• macadamia nuts (affect the digestive and nervous system)
• mushrooms (causes shock and can result in death)
• onion and garlic (damages red blood cells)

Foods that are beneficial to a dog are most fruit and vegetables. I give Eliot small pieces of raw apples (no seeds), small pieces of raw carrots and lettuce. Green beans are great for dogs but Eliot hates these! Also, sweet potatoes. cooked eggs, rice and small amounts of whole grains are good for your dog. You can even find recipes to make your own dog food and biscuits.

With the recent problems of dog food making dogs very ill, I did some research and found that Eliot’s dog food is made in USA. What a relief! Now I hear that the manufacturer is having difficulty getting the ingredients to make the dog food. I am sure this means a higher price for a smaller bag! I may be soon searching for those dog food recipes!

In the dog world the English Springer Spaniel standard is 50 to 55 lbs and always described as a medium sized dog. If the Chihuahua is as small as 2 lbs and the Saint Bernard as large as 240 plus lbs, then a Springer is definitely a medium sized dog. However, when I need to purchase anything for Eliot, I find that he always fits in the large category.

His Frontline Plus is for large dogs 45 lbs to 88 lbs. Most of his other medications are listed as large for over 50 lbs. His coat, raincoat, safety car harness, and halti are all a size large. Even his crate was a large. The larger sizes always cost more.

Is this a way for manufacturers to make more money?

Do you find this to be true with your Springer?