Best puppy food for a Springer Spaniel
Springer Spaniels are a medium-sized, energetic breed with genuinely wide variation between lines — a working-bred Springer from gundog stock is a different animal, appetite-wise, from one bred more for companionship. A complete puppy food sized for medium breeds is the right starting point either way, with the exact recipe shaped by how active your particular puppy turns out to be.
What Springer Spaniels need from a puppy food
Springer Spaniels are a genuinely active, food-motivated breed, and puppies from working or field-trial lines in particular can have noticeably higher energy needs than a more sedentary companion-bred littermate. A medium-breed puppy formula, rather than a small or large breed one, matches their typical adult size — Springers usually settle between around 18 and 25kg, smaller than a large-breed formula is built around.
Because the breed is prone to being food-motivated and can put on weight readily once past the puppy growth phase, it is worth paying attention to portion control from early on rather than treating a puppy's larger appetite as something to feed without limit. A vet or breeder is the right person to advise on your particular puppy's target weight and growth rate.
Ear health is a separate but common consideration for the breed, given their long, low-set ears — not something a food changes, but worth being aware of alongside diet as part of general care.
What we stock, and how to introduce it
Our puppy food range includes medium-breed dry formulas suited to a growing Springer, alongside grain-free options for owners who prefer to avoid wheat or maize. Whichever recipe you choose, introduce it gradually over about a week if your puppy is coming from a different food, mixing in more of the new and less of the old each day.
Watch their weight, coat and stools as they grow, and adjust the amount fed in line with your vet's or the pack's guidance for their current weight and life stage, rather than sticking rigidly to what worked at eight weeks old as they head towards adult size.
What we stock for this breed
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Salmon
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for dogs, built on fresh and dried salmon
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Duck
Cold-pressed grain-free duck food with fruit and botanicals, in two bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Turkey
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% turkey, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Chicken
A grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, lightly baked and built on 50% chicken
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Small Dog Turkey
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for small dogs and puppies, built on turkey
£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Lamb
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% lamb, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Adult Dog Turkey Veg
Complete dry food for adult dogs with turkey, chicken and salmon oil, 21% protein
From£3.39
Harringtons Adult Dog Salmon & Potato
Complete salmon and potato dry dog food with 21% protein in a 1.7KG bag
£6.25
Common questions
- What size of puppy food is right for a Springer Spaniel?
- A medium-breed puppy formula fits most Springers well, since the breed typically settles between around 18 and 25kg as an adult. Working-bred lines can run more active and food-motivated than companion lines, so watch your own puppy's condition rather than assuming one recipe suits every Springer.
- Are Springer Spaniel puppies prone to weight gain?
- They can be, particularly once past the puppy growth phase, since the breed is generally food-motivated. Keep an eye on body condition as they mature and speak to your vet if you are unsure whether your puppy is carrying more weight than they should.
- Should I feed a working-line Springer differently to a companion-line one?
- A working-bred puppy that is genuinely more active day to day may need a higher-energy recipe or a larger portion than a companion-bred littermate of the same age, but this comes down to your individual puppy's activity and condition rather than the bloodline alone. A vet can help you judge this as they grow.
- When should I move my Springer Spaniel from puppy to adult food?
- Most medium breeds move onto an adult formula somewhere around 12 months, once growth has largely levelled off, though this varies by individual dog. Your vet or the guidance on the puppy food's pack is the best place to confirm timing for your particular dog.
Related
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Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.