Ellen Lonergan As for me, I got my first Springer 20 years ago. Roxy never got to hunt as much as she deserved as we lived in Eastern MA at the time so I took a brief journey into the world of show Springers (some would call it the dark side). Once I moved to Maine, where the best grouse hunting imaginable is literally a quick walk out my back door, I got another field bred dog. My current Springer population gives me three dogs to hunt with and I'll have a pup out of this litter for field trialing, hunt tests and hunting. As a veterinary technician I am fortunate to have a work schedule which permits me to hunt a minimum of four days a week and so my dogs have had the opportunity to teach me quite a lot about grouse and woodcock.

I was attracted to Springers in the first place because of our mutual fascination with swampy places and the beauty I see in the combination of the find, the flush and the retrieve. There is no better dog than a Springer for the dense, sometimes impenetrable covers of Maine, places impossible for a big retriever to get into or a pointing dog person to flush game out of. And with the abundance of waterfowl and snowshoe hare, a Springer has a chance to use all of its abilities. There is nothing more rewarding and enjoyable than to be able to take a walk with one dog, one gun and a handful of shells and bring home grouse, woodcock, snowshoe hares and ducks. Who but a spaniel can do that?