Sprollie Pros And Cons

Willow the Sprollie (Photo: @sprollie_willow / Instagram)

By helloBARK!
Updated on 25 May 2021

The Sprollie is one of the most popular cross breeds in the UK.

This hybrid dog is a combination of two popular purebred dogs – the Border Collie and the English Springer Spaniel.

The result is an affectionate, energetic, intelligent and obedient dog.

The Sprollie is a healthy cross breed with a life expectancy ranging from 12 to 16 years.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at Sprollie pros and cons.

We’ll hear from some Sprollie owners who will provide us with their exclusive insights into the crossbreed to help prospective owners learn about life with a Sprollie.

If you’re looking to learn more about the Sprollie breed, we recommend checking out Gracie (@training.a.sprollie), Finn (@finn.the.sprollie), Willow (@sprollie_willow).

Sprollie Pros

Finn the Sprollie (Photo: @finn.the.sprollie / Instagram)

Intelligent

You won’t find many cross breeds as intelligent as the Sprollie. The Border Collie is widely recognised as the smartest dog in the world ahead of the Poodle and the German Shepherd. Given a Sprollie is part Border Collie, these hybrid dogs tend to be pretty smart. Their other parent, the English Springer Spaniel, doesn’t trail too far behind the Border Collie in The Intelligence Of Dogs. They’re ranked at number 13. So most Sprollies will be quick to learn new commands and tricks as well as being obedient.

Clare shared that Gracie is extremely intelligent.

Sprollies are incredibly intelligent and very easy to train. Gracie learns news tricks in as little as 10-15 minutes and remembers them almost immediately the next day. They love to work and perform best when training and given commands.

Easy To Train

Building on our previous point, Sprollies are usually easy to train thanks to their intelligence levels. It’s a good idea to start training your Sprollie from a young age to lay down the basic ground-rules and establish obedience. Sprollies don’t take long to learn new commands, as highlighted by Gracie who can learn new trucks in 10 to 15 minutes. Sprollies are smart so they can develop and independent or stubborn streak.

Willow is an example of a Sprollie who can be singleminded.

Willow picks up new skills and tricks extremely fast! The only thing I do notice in her is a slight stubborn streak that sometimes comes out during training that makes her very strong minded!

Affectionate

Upon researching the Sprollie breed, it was clear that the cross breed are usually affectionate dogs. However, this connection to their owner could be displayed in a number of different ways. Some Sprollies may be content to curl up to their owner on the sofa but other members of the cross breed may be less overtly affectionate. However, they could show their devotion to their owner through an eagerness to please.

Gracie is an example of a Sprollie who is very affectionate with her owner.

Gracie is my third dog after a Labrador Retriever and an English Bulljack and she is much more affectionate than them. My friends also tell me that Gracie appears to be more affectionate than their dogs and other dogs they know. Therefore, Sprollies are very affectionate.

Great Family Pets

If you’re looking for a dog to add to your family home, the Sprollie could be a good option. For pet parents who have older children with high energy levels, the Sprollie is a cross breed that can match teenage children step-for-step. The English Springer Collie mix have high energy levels so they’ll relish games of fetch, long walks or hikes with their fellow family members and establishing a deep bond with other members of the home.

Sociable

The Sprollie owners featured in this article shared that these dogs tend to be happy and sociable with other canines. It’s a good idea to socialize a Sprollie from a young age to work on their social skills. You may find it useful to attend a socialization class so you can work on your Sprollie’s soicalization in a controlled environment.

Finn’s parents explained that he’s friendly with other dogs and people.

Finn has a very loving nature. He is friendly, inquisitive and energetic.

Low Maintenance

We’ve featured some cross breeds on the website that are high maintenance, requiring regular brushing, frequent trips to the groomer and need to be bathed regularly. The Sprollie isn’t one. They’ll require a brush once or twice a week but otherwise their care needs are pretty low. Sprollie owners will need to clean their teeth and cut their nails but otherwise they’re relatively low maintenance.

Sprollie Cons

Gracie the Sprollie (Photo: @training.a.sprollie / Instagram)

High Energy

For active dog owners, the Sprollie’s high energy will complement their lifestyles. However, some pet parents may find these energetic dogs difficult to contend with. Dog walking company Wag Walking suggest a minimum of 60 minutes of exercise a day as well as recommending around 11 miles of walks a week. Sprollie owners will need to keep these smart dogs busy with games of fetch, agility sports or training.

Gracie’s owner explained that her Sprollie can be become overly boisterous if she hasn’t had a sufficient outlet to dispense of her high energy.

Gracie has a very bright, sweet and obedient temperament; however, if not exercised to her usual standard she can have a large build-up of energy and become very destructive and boisterous.

Require Mental Stimulation

Continuing the theme, Sprollies will require a lot of mental stimulation. This popular mix is highly intelligent so they’ll like to test their brain cells. You could try agility sports given the athletic build of the Sprollie as well as their eagerness to please. You could try some enrichment games inside your home or puzzle toys to keep them occupied.

Finn has a lot of toys to keep him entertained.

They need plenty to keep them occupied. We stuff kongs and hoofs with treats and meat. You can freeze these too, so it keeps them occupied for longer. We play lots of games and do training everyday to keep him brain working.

Not Suitable For Families With Young Children

While Sprollies will probably do quite well in homes with teenagers, the English Springer Collie mix probably isn’t suitable if you’ve got a young family with small children. Their high energy and boisterous personalities could make a Sprollie a potential inadvertent hazard around babies, toddlers and young children.

Gracie’s owner offer her perspective on this topic.

As Sprollies are very good with people and children, they would make fine family pets. However, they may not be good around small children due to their high energy. The family would also need to be dedicated and have time and energy as Sprollies are an intelligent, demanding and high energy breed.

Shedding

Sprollies aren’t hypoallergenic so if you struggle with allergies to dog hair and dog dander, this may not be the mix for you. They do shed quite a bit so you’ll need to have a good vacuum to clean up hair on the floor and furniture. A lint roller is a good idea to remove hair from your clothes. As we mentioned above, Sprollies will need to be brushed a couple of times a week.

Finn’s owners have to get the vacuum out every day to contend with dog hair. Willow’s owner recommended a grooming rake to help with the problem.

They do shed a fair amount because of their thick undercoat, however this can be managed by using a grooming ‘rake’ which works wonders to help remove dead hair that a normal brush wouldn’t.

Could Be Territorial

Border Collies and Springer Spaniels can sometimes be territorial around the home or with toys. It’s a trait that could be inherited by a Sprollie – too. If you’re concerned that your Sprollie is becoming increasingly territorial, you may find it helpful to contact a dog behaviourist or trainer.

No ‘Off’ Button

Some of the Sprollie owners that we spoke to explained that this mix may find it hard to switch off. Unlike some dog breeds or mixes that have a reputation for being coach potatoes, Sprollies are active and energetic. While some Sprollies may be content to curl up next to their owners, other members of the cross breed will have a constant desire to please through the completion of tasks.