Guides: Training Your Spaniel

Woman walking two dogs on a grassy field under a cloudy sky.

Training Spaniels

Successful spaniel training works with the breed’s natural traits, not against them.

Video Tutorials & Advice
white and gold cocker spaniel sat at her handlers feet

Spaniel Specific Dog Training

Spaniels are intelligent and sensitive with a high-drive. They have strong working instincts and a deep attachment to their owners, which means that most traditional training advice can fall short and not meet their natural needs.

Springer Spaniels and Cocker Spaniels typically have:

  • Emotional awareness and sensitivity

  • Strong bonds with their humans

  • A natural desire to work and stay busy

  • High energy levels paired with quick mental fatigue

  • A tendency to become overstimulated without a clear structure

So training a Spaniel needs to be focused on building confidence and harnessing that natural drive through engagement games with you, the handler.

A woman and man stand outdoors in a natural landscape, engaging in a conversation with a black dog nearby. The woman is wearing a black beanie, red and brown jacket, khaki pants, and rubber boots, holding a small stick or toy. The man is dressed in a green jacket, blue jeans, and rubber boots. They are surrounded by shrubs and rocky terrain under a blue sky.

Who Are The Spaniel School Guides For?

Our Spaniel Training guides are designed for..


New Springer Spaniel or Cocker Spaniel Owners

Owners struggling with certain behaviours like lack of recall

People confused by different training advice that hasn’t worked for their spaniel

If more generic dog training hasn’t worked for your spaniel, or you are looking to fulfill the needs of your Spaniel, these guides are perfect for you. They cover lots of aspects of Spaniel training, including:

History of Spaniels

Breed characteristics

Choosing a Spaniel Puppy

Recall

Lead walking

Engagement Games

Training Challenges

Each guide provides practical, step-by-step training advice, supported where possible with video walkthroughs to make techniques easier to understand and apply in real life.

All of our resources are completely free. You can access our guides at no cost through our website and social media channels, because our goal is to support the long-term wellbeing of spaniel breeds.

As spaniels grow in popularity, many owners are unprepared for their temperament, emotional sensitivity, and training needs. Without that understanding, integrating a spaniel into everyday life can feel overwhelming. Too often, this leads to behavioural challenges that could have been prevented — and in some cases, to spaniels being rehomed or, tragically, put to sleep.

The Spaniel School exists to change that. We create free, accessible training resources to help owners truly understand their spaniel, prevent avoidable behavioural issues, and reduce the number of spaniels needing to be rehomed.