HomeBreeds › Springador

Crossbreed - no registry group (parent groups: Sporting) · Large (48-65 lbs typical) · 11-14 years

Springador

Typically friendly from the English Springer Spaniel side and friendly from the Labrador Retriever - but a cross is an individual first: littermates can land at opposite ends of both parents. Meet the dog, not the label.

Crossbreed 48–65 lb

At a glance

Kid-friendly
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
First-time owners
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Energy
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Shedding
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Good with cats
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Alone time
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Apartment OK
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Trainability
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
What this is
A cross of: English Springer Spaniel × Labrador Retriever. A cross can inherit from either parent line — in temperament, coat and health. Read both parent breeds, and treat anything shared by both as the risk that matters most.
What this is

What they’re great at

✓ Quick study - learns in a handful of reps
✓ Forgiving of first-timer mistakes
✓ Wants to work WITH you - biddable to the bone
✓ A natural with children - famously patient
Why it matters

Honest challenges

Alone time is genuinely hard
Bred to work or live beside a human all day - solitude was never in the job description.

What helps: ['Train it like a skill: the Alone-Time guide builds tolerance in micro-doses from day one', 'The frozen-KONG-only-when-you-leave ritual turns departures into jackpots', "Cover long days honestly: a midday walker, daycare 2-3x a week, and a camera to know (not guess) how they're doing"]
Needs a real outlet, rain or shine
Moderate-high drive doesn't take days off.

What helps: ['Build the outlet into the routine: Spaniel hunt tests', 'Brain work counts double on bad-weather days - see Training School', 'A flirt pole in the yard delivers a workout in ten minutes']
The fur is a lifestyle
Heavy-shedding coat with seasonal blowouts.

What helps: ['The weekly rake routine in the Grooming Kit halves it', 'Robot vacuum on daily patrol (see Home Setup)', 'A professional deshed blowout during coat-blow weeks saves the house']
What you can do

Exercise & training

Exercise: High - 1-2 hrs/day (from English Springer Spaniel) / High - 1-2 hrs/day of vigorous activity plus swimming/fetch (from Labrador Retriever) - a cross can land at either end, or between.
Training profile — Gundog / retrieving-pointing-flushing type: Biddable and handler-focused: these breeds genuinely want to work WITH you. Under-exercised gundogs invent jobs - usually involving your furniture.
Sports and outlets that suit them: Dock diving superstar · AKC Retriever Hunt Tests · Therapy work
What you can do

Grooming & coat

Grooming: Moderate effort expected. The specifics depend entirely on which coat this individual inherited - see coat_and_grooming for the honest version, including matting risk and professional grooming budget.
Shedding: Heavy as a starting expectation - but shedding is one of the least predictable traits in a cross. See coat_and_grooming: a single litter can produce both a low-shed and a full-shedding coat, and no breeder can promise which you'll get.
Good to know

Health to know about

From the English Springer Spaniel line: Ear infections, hip dysplasia, PRA, PFK deficiency, rage syndrome (rare, in some show lines) | From the Labrador Retriever line: Hip/elbow dysplasia, obesity, exercise-induced collapse (EIC), PRA, ear infections | SHARED BY BOTH LINES (not diluted by crossing): ear infections, pra
BOTH parent lines carry risk for: ear infections, pra. This is the important one to understand - crossing does NOT dilute a risk that both lines share, and 'hybrid vigor' does not apply here. Ask for testing on BOTH sides for these.
Breed-typical tendencies, not a diagnosis. Individual dogs vary enormously — your veterinarian screens for what matters for your dog.
Why it matters

Emergency red flags

Poisoning (chocolate, xylitol, grapes, medications, rodenticide)
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Know your ER
Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
This page never carries product links in the emergency section. ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661.
Good to know

The numbers

Typical ranges for planning, not promises — costs vary by region, breeder and individual dog.

GroupCrossbreed - no registry group (parent groups: Sporting)
SizeLarge (48-65 lbs typical)
Lifespan11-14 years
Healthy adult weight48–65 lb
Original purposeBred as a companion cross, not for a working role. The instincts still arrive from both sides - English Springer Spaniel: Flushing and retrieving game birds. | Labrador Retriever: Retrieving waterfowl and game for hunters; retrieving fishing nets.
Monthly care$90-$175 (estimated range across both parent lines)
Typical puppy price$800-$2,500 (spans both parent breeds; reputable cross breeders should still health-test BOTH lines)

Similar breeds

Coming soon

Be there when Rosette opens.

One email when it launches. Nothing else, ever.