Wow, 14 and 17? Perhaps I was misinformed about the life expectancy of Springers.
Wes
No, I don't think so. I've heard the same numbers. Maybe Daisy was exceptional, she was out of English stock (her father was an English field trial champion).
The Americans have bred a lot of the "field" traits out of Springers, trying to make show dogs out of them. The English strains have longer legs and shorter hair and ears, good traits for a hunting dog. Part of Brutus' 'klutziness' came from his father "Odie" who was a typical American show dog, short legs, long curly hair and ears.
I don't have a scanner here at home but maybe I can post a picture of Daisy tomorrow (she looked a lot like your dog).