The Springador Community

The Springador is a cross between an English Springer Spaniel and a Labrador Retriever — two of the UK's most popular and hardest-working gundogs. The result is a large, energetic, highly trainable dog that is devoted to its family and never happier than when it has a job to do. Unlike most crossbreeds on this hub, the Springador is not a doodle. There is no Poodle in the mix, so it sheds, and buyers looking for a low-shedding dog should look elsewhere. The Springador is one of the more naturally occurring crossbreeds in the UK. English Springer Spaniels and Labrador Retrievers are both widespread working gundogs, and crosses between them have existed informally in rural and farming communities for decades. The name Springador came later, as the crossbreed gained popularity as a family pet. Neither parent was bred for the sofa. The Labrador is a retrieving dog developed to work alongside hunters and wildfowlers in all weathers. The Springer Spaniel was bred to flush and retrieve game from dense cover. Both breeds are built for endurance, have a strong drive to work, and thrive on physical activity and mental challenge. The Springador inherits all of this. The Springador is not KC registered. Because both parents are established, recognisable breeds with published breed standards, health testing frameworks exist for both — which makes it easier to find a Springador from genuinely health-tested parents than it is for many crossbreeds. Size varies depending on which parent the individual dog takes after. Springer Spaniels are medium-sized (18–25 kg); Labradors are larger (25–36 kg). Springadors typically land somewhere in between, though some are sizeable dogs. **The honest caveat:** The Springador's working dog heritage is not switched off by domestication. These dogs need genuine, committed daily exercise — not a twenty-minute walk and a garden run-around. Families who underestimate this end up with a bored, destructive, and occasionally chaotic large dog in their home.