Sussex Spaniel

The Sussex Spaniel is a gundog from the county of Sussex in southern England. It is a low, compact spaniel, built much like the Clumber Spaniel but smaller and a different color. It was bred to work rough ground and very thick undergrowth, and to bark on the scent so the hunter could tell where it was.

History

The Sussex was being bred in its home county in the 1790s, at Goodwood in West Sussex and by Augustus Elliot Fuller at Rose Hill in East Sussex. It is older than the Field Spaniel and the English Springer Spaniel. Most spaniels work silently, and the Sussex was bred on purpose to give tongue.

It was one of the first breeds registered by The Kennel Club when the club formed in 1872, and one of the first ten admitted to the American Kennel Club’s stud book in 1884. It was never common. Breeding was discouraged during the Second World War, and the breed was saved from extinction by an English breeder, Joy Freer. Every Sussex Spaniel alive today descends from her dogs. In 1947 only ten were registered in England.

The Kennel Club listed the Sussex as a vulnerable native breed in 2004, and only 56 puppies were registered in 2008. In 2009 a ten-year-old Sussex known as Stump won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the oldest dog to take the title. The breed is more popular in the United Kingdom and the United States than anywhere else.

Appearance

The Sussex normally stands no more than 38–41 cm (15–16 in) at the withers and weighs 20–23 kg (45–50 lb), with a roughly rectangular outline.

Its golden liver color is found in no other breed. The coat is thick, sometimes slightly wavy, with a silky outer layer over a weather-resistant undercoat and feathering on the chest, legs and ears. The eyes are hazel. The ears are long, silky and lobe-shaped, set fairly low.

Temperament

This is a slow-paced, calm dog with a clownish streak. It likes to be with people, is very good with children and can be protective of its family. Sussex Spaniels suit therapy work. Most are family pets, but they can still serve a hunter: they quarter ground naturally and can be taught to retrieve, though they are stubborn to train. The Sussex is the only spaniel that howls when it picks up the scent of game.

Care and health

Hip dysplasia is common. In surveys by the Orthopaedic Foundation for Animals, 41.5 percent of Sussex Spaniels were affected, though in such a compact dog it is not often seriously disabling. The long, hanging ears trap moisture and make outer ear infections a recurring problem.

Heart conditions seen in the breed include pulmonary valve stenosis and patent ductus arteriosus, and less often tetralogy of Fallot. Spinal disc herniation also occurs, with effects ranging from mild back or neck pain to paralysis.

The Sussex is considered hard to breed. Whelping can be difficult and sometimes calls for a caesarean section.

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