Anyone got any experience of Sprollies?

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Annette4

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None doggy friend is looking at a rescue who seems nice enough but I'm not familiar with the mix and as her only doggy friend I tend to be her only port of call for 'real life' advice so said I see if any of the lovely doggy folk I know do.
 
I’m assuming you mean spaniel x collie? Not really a mix I would recommend to a new dog owner but if they are really willing to put the work in they can be lovely active bonkers pets. Is it a young dog? I’d worry that as things are currently they may struggle to socialise it well and go to training classes etc it will need a lot of mental and physical stimulation as working breeds tend to.
 
Yes I had a litter brother and sister - from our pedigree Border Collie dog & a neighbour's Welsh Springer bitch.

We lost the sister last Dec at 11 - still have her brother - affectionate energetic loyal and very obedient but I would say they are definitely not beginner's dogs.

We have always lived rurally and so they have always had lots of space - they do need a lot of exercise.
 
My Sprollie is the best dog in the whole wide world! But he's not easy. He's higher maintenance than the spaniel. He LOVES training and is COMPLETELY bonkers. He's very, very intense. He never gives up. In the wrong hands he could have been a total nightmare. I met a litter sister once, not on purpose they came into work... erm, nervous and aggressive and useless owner nearly let her bite a child!

I did a lot of work with mine as a pup to get him to turn out well. I'd worry about getting a second hand one that the good foundations aren't there.

I don't throw balls or toys for mine unless it's a training retrieve or "find it". He's too intense and basically will keep going until he breaks, mentally and physically! But he's a class act at agility and is sooooo loving and obedient. Separation anxiety could be a real issue if badly managed... He's a clingy sod.

If I could get another just like him I apsolutely would... but not at the same time! One is enough. ?

(He was from an accidental litter from farm dogs we heard about word of mouth by the way. Didn't seek out a specially bred one.)

It's difficult to put into words quite what he's like to be honest. ?
 
So much depends on your friend’s lifestyle, how much time they have to commit to the dog, what they want to do with him/her and of course, very importantly, the individual dog’s nature, temperament, what his/her back story is and why they arrived in rescue.

Obviously collies and spaniels in general are high energy, driven dogs that need plenty in the way of exercise, training and time spent. Do the rescue do proper assessments of temperament and personality as well as home checks? Do they offer advice and back up if needed? Do they think your friend is a good match for this dog?
 
They are not for the faint hearted and not a cross of dog I would particularly recommend for a first dog. They can be fabulous dogs and have a lovely working brain. The downside to this, is you need to keep this brain active or they will find things to entertain themselves.

I would have to think twice about a sprollie and I’ve had springers for 20+ years.
 
Does your friend have a plan? Do they know about training and have a trainer/club in mind?

If it's got the brain of a collie and energy of a Springer I would imagine that it would need a "job" and undoubtedly would require training, that would slightly tire it out physically and mentally, to do the job.

Does friend live in a housing estate or are they rural? Are they at home a lot and/or able to take the dog out with them?

I love collies & grew up with them but mum had them all trained and they worked livestock, were shown, obedience, tracking and field trials as well as being excellent pets and child minders!

A friend has working springers that live outside and they are wired. They never tire even after a full day working on the moors. The more they train the fitter they are and the further away the ability to tire them out gets!

A cross for a novice scares me a little.
 
Sounds like my kind of dog!

If your friend has bags of time and is happy to do something with the dog, as opposed to just walk it round the woods or whatever, then fine. Saying that, it might be a chill dog, breed, not deed! It might be a lunatic or a fabulous dog, possibly with strict direction. I see a lot of collies and collie mixes round here, none of whom look like lunatics, none of whom-to my knowledge-are ‘worked’, they just pootle round the park. She needs to ask a lot of questions and do her research.
 
Levrier said:
Hmmm.... two of the most intense, full-on manic breeds you can get....

I’ll stick with greyhounds thanks ???
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Excuse me but no mention of George dogs, I'm outraged on his behalf!

I have known two. Both were calm, well adjusted dogs but they were owned by experienced dog owners.
 
Blanche said:
Excuse me but no mention of George dogs, I'm outraged on his behalf!

I have known two. Both were calm, well adjusted dogs but they were owned by experienced dog owners.
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I think I can honestly say that George doesn’t share most of the attributes which make greyhounds so appealing to me.... calm, laid back, quiet, dignified..... ????
 
There’s some very confused (read aggressive) ones out there...

I’m sure there’s wonderful ones too but most I meet are fear aggressive in almost all situations. We have a farm bred (cow work) collie and a 2x trials bred springers all as house pets and I wouldn’t entertain a cross of them.
 
Meredith said:
The only one I knew never stopped running. Everywhere the dog went it carried a stick and worried you constantly to throw it.
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Funny you say that years ago my friend had one before all these mixed breeds where a thing, and she was exactly the same as the one you know she was a lovely dog though, I think the litter was an accident though.
 
Despite his litter sister being fear aggressive when I met her have to say my lad has never shown the slightest hint of any aggression. He's soft as clarts. And he's perfect with livestock. I think he'd be interested enough to herd sheep if he was trained to do so but he just ignores them out and about because that's what I trained him to do. He sees sheep and comes straight to heel and stays there until told. With biscuits/toy provided as payment... he's very keen on biscuits and toys! Which helps.
 
spacefaer said:
Collies are obsessed with sheep
Springers hunt
They need someone dog minded, with time for them and outside space.

They are the ultimate Welsh farm dog - there are loads round here - mostly accidental! ?? they do all the jobs, but they're outside, on the go all day, every day
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That's my mix but not accidental ?
The two Sprollies were easier to train than our two Pedigree Border Collies tbh ?‍♀️
 
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