The Sussex Spaniel is a breed of dog developed in England. It played a part in the foundations of the Field Spaniel and is very similar in appearance to the Clumber Spaniel. It is used as a Gundog and in Dog Shows.
The breed is long-bodied, muscular and heavily built. Its head is broader in the skull than the English Cocker Spaniel and its wrinkled brow gives it a kind, gentle, and sometimes slightly sad expression. The tail is usually docked except in countries where docking is not permitted. Its bones are quite large for a short-legged dog.
The only acceptable color is golden liver with hazel eyes. The coat is thick, either straight or slightly wavy, and does not curl. The nose and eye-rims must be of the same color as the coat.
The Sussex Spaniel is short and should be no taller than 13 to 15 inches at the withers. The acceptable weight range is between 35 and 45 pounds.
The breed is friendly and makes an excellent companion for the country household. Calmer than a Cocker but not as calm as a Clumber Spaniel.
In 1795, Mr. Fuller of Rosehill Park, Hastings in East Sussex, England began breeding dogs for a special purpose - gun dogs to work in districts where the terrain was rough and the undergrowth very dense- which meant that a spaniel was needed which could give tongue or to alert the hunter on his quarry.
This was a trait not desirable in any other spaniel. So Mr. Fuller decided to cross various dogs like the now extinct liver and white norfolk, the Field Spaniel and possibly some early springer spaniels.
Sussex Spaniel circa 1915The Sussex Spaniel was one of the first breeds admitted into the stud book by the American Kennel Club in 1884. As the name implies, the breed originated in Sussex, England in the 18th century where it was used as a hunting dog.
Because of its short legs and narrow body the breed could easily maneuver through the undergrowth, which made it the ideal hunting companion.
The breed lost what little popularity it had in the 1940's. In 1947, only 10 Sussex Spaniels were registered in the English Kennel Club.
Today this breed is more common in the United States than even in England.
If you can't find a local breeder in your area don't worry, many breeders are using the major airlines like American, Delta, Continental and Northwest airlines for shipping their puppies.
At this time the airlines will ship puppies to the following States: Alabama AL - Alaska AK - Arizona AZ - Arkansas AR - California CA - Colorado CO - Connecticut CT - Delaware DE - Florida FL - Georgia GA - Hawaii HI - Idaho ID - Illinois IL - Indiana IN - Iowa IA - Kansas KS - Kentucky KY - Louisiana LA - Maine ME - Maryland MD - Massachusetts MA - Michigan MI - Minnesota MN - Mississippi MS - Missouri MO - Montana MT - Nebraska NE - Nevada NV - New Hampshire NH - New Jersey NJ - New Mexico NM - New York NY - North Carolina NC - North Dakota ND - Ohio OH - Oklahoma OK - Oregon OR - Pennsylvania PA - Rhode Island RI - South Carolina SC - South Dakota SD - Tennessee TN - Texas TX - Utah UT - Vermont VT - Virginia VA - Washington WA - Washington, D.C. - West Virginia WV - Wisconsin WI - Wyoming WY - Hawaii HI.
Sussex Spaniel Dog learning to hunt and retrieve
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