Sussex Spaniel

That sweet dog is victim of his beautiful dress. Hunters refuse to work with him because he can be mistaken with the sunset, but others love him for his beautiful qualities as a companion dog, which unfortunately is not enough to spread the breed and save it from possible extinction. However, this magnificent specimen has been resisting extinction for many years and hopefully for a long time to come.

Height 38 to 41 cm
Weight 21 to 23 kg
Life expectancy 12 to 15 years

Quick Overview of the Sussex Spaniel

Temperament

  • Very energetic
  • Tenacious
  • Active and vigorous
  • Calm and easy to live with

Appearance

  • Rather massive
  • Solid build
  • Looks different from other Spaniels
  • Tough and vigorous appearance

Health

  • No particular pathology
  • Generally healthy

Temperament of the Sussex Spaniel

Very energetic and an excellent working dog, he is tenacious, active and vigorous at work while calm and easy to live with in family.

Affectionate and cheerful, he loves children and gets along well with other dogs.

Endowed with an incredible flair, he is slightly louder than others in his category.

His education is easy because he is receptive to commands. This excellent hunter also has great qualities as a life companion.

This magnificent specimen of the Spaniel category is an excellent calm dog with an almost pensive gait when at rest.

As soon as he is at work, he becomes energetic and very active, always ready to accomplish his task.

Excellent dog with a good character, his early education will be easy and will facilitate his socialization with all.

He can be a delight to all types of homeowners and can easily adapt to every family situations.

His need for exercise can easily be met by daily walks where he will be able to spend his great energy.

Breed Appearance

sussex spaniel

Rather massive with a solid build, the Sussex Spaniel is energetic and very active.

His gait differs from other Spaniels by his stocky movement, which is very characteristic and unique to his breed. The appearance is that of a tenacious and vigorous working dog.

Adapted for research and hunting of birds and small animals, including pheasant and partridge, he barks frequently.

Even though he is an excellent hunter, his magnificent color greatly diminishes his popularity with hunting enthusiasts. At sunset, the color of his coat easily blends with the colors of wild animals, making him vulnerable to being shot by mistake.

Hunters prefer not to use him in order to protect him. This protection unfortunately hinders the expansion of the breed.

Height

Between 38 and 41 cm (14.96 to 16.14 inches) for the male
Between 38 and 41 cm (14.96 to 16.14 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 21 and 23 kg (46.30 to 50.71 pounds) for the male
Between 21 and 23 kg (46.30 to 50.71 pounds) for the female

Color

His color is a very intense golden brown, particularly concentrated on the tips of the limbs.

Hair

His flat hair is abundant and his ears are covered with soft wavy hair, but less abundant than on the rest of the body.

His limbs have moderate fringes except for the tail which is covered with denser hair.

Morphology

Both adult male and female weigh about 22 kg (49 pounds).

His head has a broad skull and a pronounced stop. His large eyes are a beautiful hazelnut color.

His long ears are set low and close to the head and in the shape of a lobe. His nose is brown and in complete harmony with the coat.

His generally shortened tail is carried over the back and set low.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 8, section 2 and is #127

Health of the Sussex Spaniel

No particular pathology affects the breed, and specimens generally enjoy excellent health and life expectancy.

GROOMING

He should be brushed daily and have his ears inspected regularly.

No other maintenance is necessary.

History of this breed

Originally from the province of Sussex in Northern England, the Sussex Spaniel is believed to have appeared during the 18th century.

Crossbreeding between different types of Spaniels, including the Clumber Spaniel and Springer Spaniel, is said to be at the origin of the current breed.

Recognized in 1885, the breed almost disappeared during the 20th century.

Reproduction of the breed was threatened by the two World Wars, when only five unfortunate Sussex Spaniels were left at the end of the Second World War in England.

Attempts were made around 1954 to revive the breed, but the desired results were not achieved, even in Great Britain, his country of origin.

Thanks to Miss Scholefield, a British woman with a passion for the breed, who raised the breed for more than sixty years, the Sussex Spaniel managed to survive in his country of origin.

This great lover of the Sussex Spaniel even went so far as to go without food during the war to keep her dogs alive and allow the breed to survive despite the threat.

Despite all the efforts of this enthusiast, the British Kennel Club declared the breed still threatened with extinction with only 56 specimens registered in 2008.

The association "Protection of the Sussex Spaniel" was created and has now around 200 active members working every day to save the breed from this constant threat of extinction.

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