Legislation
Shooting
Is my gundog overweight?
Would you like to appear on our site? We offer sponsored articles and advertising to put you in front of our readers. Find out more
How can you tell if your dog is the correct weight? Is there a standard weight for a healthy male spaniel? Gundog vet Vicky Payne offers expert advice
Q: What is a healthy weight for a male springer spaniel?
VICKY PAYNE replies: What a tough question! Working springers are very variable in shape, size, and bone, so their ideal weights vary too. I have seen springers from 12kg right up to 25kg who were all the right weight! I prefer to look at a body condition chart. On a 1-9 scale, dogs should be a 4 or 5 – their ribs should be easy to palpate or have a thin covering of fat, with a waist visible behind the rib cage and a tuck to the abdomen.
Related articles
Driven
Vegan to hunter
Emily Damment tells the extraordinary story of one man’s transformation from full veganism to harvesting his own wild meat, with plenty of lessons to learn along the way.
By Time Well Spent
Wildfowling
Generation game
James Green recounts an unforgettable week of wildfowling on Scotland’s Tay estuary, where three families shared the joys, challenges and triumphs of outdoor adventures