If you want to find the top springer spaniels breeders then you first need to find out about the top springer spaniels, and in what line. Welsh or English Springer? English springer spaniels have two distinct lines - the working ('Field') dog and the Show dog types - they are slightly different in build. Welsh springer spaniels have only one line. We will use the English springer as an example. In the United States, the Show dogs are known as Bench dogs.
To Find Show or Bench English Springer Spaniels Breeders:
The top show dogs will have been show champions (in the UK Crufts is the foremost show, and has a website). You can easily check online for the champions. For Crufts 2010, in the Gundog Group, the Brest of Breed (Spaniel, English Springer) was:
SH CH TRIMERE TALKING POINT OF ALLENIE JW
["]Trimere["] is the affix of the breeder (it identitifies the breeder), and a search online for ["]Trimere spaniel["] will locate the breeder for you. Not all breeders have a website with contact details - some top breeders do not feel they need to advertise their litters - they are well known with Show circles and the pups sell readily.
Then, if there are no contact details available, a search on the Kennel Club website will usually uncover the breeder's name and address details.
In the USA, the National Championship run by the American Kennel Club is one of the top shows. For the 2009 National Championship, the Best in Breed was:
CH SPRINGWEST AMAZING GRACE
Again, just use the affix 'Springwest' to search online for the Breeder.
The author has no connection with any of the breeders mentioned here - they were at the top the prizewinners lists.
Of course, there will have been runners up too, and other prize categories, so you should be able to locate at least half a dozen champion breeders. And, you can check through a couple of preceding years' results.
To Find Field or Working English Springer Spaniels Breeders:
These trials are organised by Field Trials Associations or Clubs, such as:
In the USA: English Springer Spaniel Field Trail Association
In Britain: List of Field Trial Societies on the Kennel Club website
Australia and South Africa: There is less information available online, and the sites are mainly commercial, though links to breeders can be found. Part of the reason for this is that these countries use hunting dogs which are more specialised to their environments and their game.
In the US and UK there is more English springer spaniels field trial activity, and top breeders are more easily found.
The great thing about field trials is that the springers are doing what they are bred to do - flush and retrieve - and it is much more fun for both owners and dogs. Most field trials involve live shooting.
Why do you want a Champion's offspring? The main reason has to be that you want to own a champion, and that means show the dog or field-trial him. This will involve a very high degree of commitment to do the dog justice.
There are plenty of second- and third-tier English springer spaniels breeders who have perfectly good pups. With a well chosen pup from a local prize-winning bloodline, you can still have a great deal of fun and win a few prizes, whether it is in the show-ring or out in the country at field trials.
A final note - with a Welsh Springer you can both show and field-trail the same dog; with the English Springer you make the commitment one way or the other when you buy a pup from either the show dog line or the field line.