A: In view of his still young age and the fact that you have not kept his training up through the summer, I would definitely advise that you get in touch with his trainer. He or she will be fully aware of all the dog’s attributes and whether there were any issues in training initially. The trainer may give one-to-one lessons and this could be all that is needed to put you back on track. Or it may be that a few weeks’ residential work with the trainer is the best course of action.
Just as our guns need proper maintenance after the shooting season has ended, dogs do still need stimulation and practice during the close season to keep them fit for purpose. Your English springer spaniel was probably looked after very well in your absence, but repetitive playing with tennis balls or free exercise out in the countryside are not helpful to maintaining good control. A refresher course of training is definitely necessary before he goes out shooting again so that you don’t have to worry about your springer spaniel not listening..