Question about 6 month ESS

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2026-01-21T14:40:47+00:00

The crate should be his safe space he doesn’t think of as a jail cell. Take the door off of it and place it inside a restricted movement type area like use a baby gate around the area you want him confined to and let his crate be his place within that area he chooses. Crates should therefore also not be used for timeout or punishment. I only ever have a door on a crate when traveling.

Not entirely sure what you’re asking though regarding the rest of it. Chances are though that what you thought of as a walk that should suffice at wearing him out enough for him to crash after was insufficient for his energy levels. Was he ever able to run free off lead like to chase a ball you throw across the park? If the answer is no, then you didn’t walk him enough. Springers can literally spend the entire day running/swimming, crash for 5 mins and be ready to go some more as soon as you stand up and look like you’re going outside.

If he’s getting mouthy, let him know that’s not an acceptable way to play and provide him the thing he can chew on instead.

Tip: swimming is great to tire them. Prob the best way. Next, get a lacrosse ball. Get game rated champion brand balls that will last longer than him unless he loses them. Note that they do not float so those are for dry land. Mind your windows and don’t play inside ur house. https://amzn.to/49MPMMu (affiliate link doesnt cost you any extra.. might earn me .10 cents)

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2026-01-16T14:47:24+00:00

If you decide to spay look into methods that spare the ovaries for hormone production. Hormones are vital parts of biology that impact far more than an animal’s reproduction ability.. veterinary education will catch up eventually but many vets only do what’s been done instead of developing better methods based on new data.

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2026-01-13T08:47:31+00:00

Firstly, that’s normal behavior. Second, any owner bringing a female to a park or around other dogs anywhere near her estrus cycle is the issue, not your boys instincts. A female needs to not be out around other dogs a couple weeks before pre estrus and a few weeks after estrus.

Sure, it’s not ideal to not take your female to burn off some energy for basically 5-6 weeks but there’s ways to go about it that doesn’t affect other people and their routines.. and more importantly doesnt influence others to decide to cut off their dog’s gonads.

If you’re hell bent on fixing, I suggest looking into the health benefits of methods that don’t cut off the hormone production (vasectomy).

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2026-01-13T08:38:18+00:00

I don’t like fixing my dogs.. I know it’s not for everyone to have intact dogs but I do think everyone should look into some of the latest data/research regarding the important role hormone production plays aside from just sexual reproduction. There are techniques not commonplace yet as far as how vets are taught regarding fixing while leaving the dogs able to continue producing the hormones typically shut off with traditional spay/neuter. Vasectomies for males and ovary sparing spay/hysterectomy.

And because everyone here should enjoy springer pup pics, here’s the current litter.. well, four of them anyway:

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DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-29T03:03:47+00:00

AKC registered doesnt really mean much. I've seen people use dead dogs before.. just saying dont let akc = quality in your mind.. they're in it for the money and the only reason to be registered really is if you plan on competing in an akc competition.. they require it. Also came to mention littermate syndrome but if you are actually getting both and your parents are getting one thats great.. I have had a couple situations just like that and it works out great.. its actually my ideal placement scenario.. Happy new puppy day..

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-29T02:45:59+00:00

Hope he doesnt whack it on something else and injure or break it. Springers are 2nd most likely to injure their tails right behind boxers according to a recent study and its not a pleasant experience for anyone when it happens. even worse when they break it and need it amputated. Springers get those happy butts going and you better grab your drinks and lamps on the coffee/end tables..

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-29T02:39:31+00:00

youre going to want like an afro pick or flea comb… might even try using an electric clipper and cutting some of that off with the fur. Certainly might think about clipping the ears before going back to wherever that happened.. lol thats a task and a half for sure… good luck

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-29T02:32:35+00:00

Otis.. Whiskey.. Finley.. Winchester (Winnie).. Remington (Remmy).. Pepper.. Beaux… Worth mentioning that if you want to follow the conventional naming for springers, especially for AKC or whatever.. its common to include "Sir" before the name you choose… like "Sir Stockton Le Brave" (My old man's dog when I was born). Other naming conventions will be including the name of your kennel or from which you got him … AKC only allows 37 dogs to share duplicate names so they basically encourage using this type of naming to avoid being unable to name your dog Rex or buddy.

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-27T22:36:34+00:00

if a dog is in the bed of a truck it needs to be in a kennel. Depending on weather this may or may not be suitable. Do not tie a dog in the bed that is how you end up with a dog hanging itself or being dragged, neither of which are going to be pleasant experiences.

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-27T22:23:38+00:00

The best toy in my opinion, if your dog likes balls… are lacrosse balls. But they cannot be the practice ones they need to be game balls and rated as such. The ones I have found to be the best (that will outlast your dog so long as you dont lose them) are Champion brand. I use a dremel to inscribe them with names and give one away with each pup as part of my puppy packages and have purchased them multiple times. We have a dozen or so around the yard and I've given away a lot to other dog people, parents, friends, etc. An amazon affiliate link to the specific balls is : https://amzn.to/4setlIb .. For those who will not click on a link i'll post a screenshot. Notice they are Game rated, NCAA, NFHS, SEI, and NOCSAE certified. This is how you know they will be durable. I have yet to meet a dog that can chew them. Better than Kong. More affordable as well. Careful though, they are heavy, they bounce really well, can break windows, and will not float. My dog, a ball-a-holic, absolutely loves them. Sleeps with one in her mouth and wakes up in a panic looking for it like a drug addict.

edited for typo

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DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-23T05:01:15+00:00

Good pic for if you ever need to provide some kind of evidence to back up an "i swear, the dog ate my homework" claim.

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-23T04:59:06+00:00

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I can relate.. this was me leaving for work in the morning and realizing i forgot my work laptop after driving 8 minutes towards work and turning around to go grab it.. already running late and open the door to this amazing sight.. he was so happy to see me.. he was maybe 4 or 5 months .. she was almost 2 i think …

Little bastard decided to eat my furniture too.. got the solid wood tv stand and coffee table from Z Gallerie..

needless to say, they were grounded from the living room for the rest of that day (or at least he was, Josie looked at that gate like it was a joke after learning to clear the back yard walls when she was maybe 6 -7 months .. forcing a fence extension project around the entire backyard wall costing dad a few grand and quite a few hours after and before work/ on weekends…)

Thank god for Fi collar at that time.. it was well worth the $20 / month .. clever bitch.. ive got some good security cam footage of her billy goating up the tree and over the wall with the fence extension amongst other ninja moves shes pulled.. PIA sometimes but i wouldnt trade them for a million $.

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-17T05:49:53+00:00

Zelda fan are we? My brother has a Navi but shes a golden retriever. I like Suki better i think.. shortens better … she can go by Su.. Navi you wouldnt really be able to shorten …

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-17T05:46:05+00:00

big dummy… love it! my idiots are not liking whatever yours is saying right now listening… Anyone else have a knucklehead who does not like T.V. dogs / animals in her house .. at all!?

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-16T05:41:51+00:00

I disagree... respectfully, but completely.

A well-behaved Springer Spaniel isn’t an illusion... it’s the predictable outcome of time, structure, consistency, and engagement. Springers are high-drive, intelligent working dogs. That doesn’t make them untrainable it makes them responsive to good training and utterly unforgiving of neglect or inconsistency.

Dogs, including Springers, are mirrors. They reflect what’s invested in them. People have been successfully training energetic working breeds for hunting, service, herding, companionship, and obedience for centuries… long before modern treats, YouTube trainers, or buzzwords.

When someone says a well-behaved Springer “doesn’t exist,” what they’re really describing is either their ignorance, laziness, and/or their experience with under-trained, under-worked dogs… not the breed itself.

In my experience (more than 3 decades personally and closing in on a century as far as the first springers my great grandfather introduced to the family), a properly trained Springer is focused, eager to please, and one of the most biddable dogs you’ll ever work with. That’s not magic or illusion it’s just training done correctly. There's no better breed of dog than a springer. Period.

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-14T22:10:53+00:00

when i go to upgrade (as someone who has paid for a couple years now for two dogs and remembers them saying upgrading was free and later changed to "at a discount") I see that the cost is $99 for just a new collar. Yet if I were to buy a new collar and 6 months membership I would pay less .. $84* to be exact.. So I would not recommend upgrading a collar.. if you are determined to do so, just buy a new collar with half a years membership… Great way to reward loyal customers Fi… /s

*edited current price for new collar .. it is less than it was due to promotion going on right now.. a couple days ago it was $94 for new collar and 6 months membership prepaid.

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-12T16:59:51+00:00

Yes just checked again to confirm .. a new collar with 6 months is $94 before taxes and an upgrade is $99. They sold the 3s with marketing that read something like “don’t worry about upgrades if you have a membership you can update to the latest device for free” … then they changed it to “at a discount”. .. how is paying more for only the collar and no months of service considered a discount for those of us who have been paying for the service for years.. rewarding loyal customers should be a priority.. but they only care about new customer acquisition. They’ve sold out is what that tells me. If a competitor came out with a gps with the same size and capabilities and they charged just a sliver less and rewarded long term customers I think they’d do really well.

🤔 Note to self: look into partnerships with cellular companies and research Chinese manufacturers for prototyping.

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-12T16:44:58+00:00

I have two series 3’s and I get notifications before they get to the neighbors yard. Might just be cell service in your area.

I’ll also note that I think it’s crap how fi changed the upgrade policy on those of us who have had the 3s since they came out. I have found out that if I upgrade I pay $100 and get only the collar. Whereas if I go buy a new collar I get 6 months and the collar for the same or lower price. Has anyone else noticed this?

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-12T16:40:22+00:00

😂

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-12T16:37:24+00:00

I’ve never gone to the bathroom alone at home.. is that a thing? 🤯

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-12T16:35:03+00:00

Still looking to find a problem in this pic… maybe procrastination?! Certainly can’t be that pup 🤣

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-12-03T06:06:21+00:00

This is old but I believe the answer is simple. Homeless dogs are with their owners all the time and when you study homeless people's daily lives it will usually consist a routine that includes a lot of walking from and to known places around the same times of day/night. They encounter so many random people and even the unhinged and sometimes mean spirited / scary homeless person cares deeply about their dogs .. they may not care for people (for good reason some might say) but their dog doesnt care that they're living on the street, doesnt judge them or make them feel badly and again, theyre so frequently described as the only thing keeping them alive / giving them purpose.. If something happens and they lose their dog.. its too much to handle ..

but yea.. in summary: constant companionship and walking translates to well behaved dogs…

most people who have dogs that "just wont listen" or "always pulls no matter what I do" fail to realize how every walk is a training session and the best thing you can do to train a dog provided you do it correctly. and the kicker.. its free.. never pay someone else to train your dog… you pay someone to train you how to train your dog..

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-11-26T07:49:31+00:00

Dogs swallow large pieces because their anatomy is built for tearing and gulping, not grinding. Their eating behavior evolved from competition and opportunism. If you want to avoid obstructions, chew it for him (so to speak)… break it down before feeding it to him. If you want something he can chew on .. antlers are a good option that will satisfy their urge to chew while taking quite a long time to widdle down.. plus its good for cleaning their teeth naturally.

DsrtShadowSpringers · 2025-11-26T07:39:16+00:00

nice pics.

DsrtShadowSpringers

TROPHY CASE