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Sussex Spaniel

General
Other Names
Dog Group Kennel Club		Gundog
Breed Classification		The Sussex Spaniel is usually a good hunter in the shooting field and can also be a show dog. They make good companions.
Cost of Ownership
Average Food Cost		£4-7.50 per week
Feeding Requirements		They generally eat about 350gms of food per day. As a rule they will adapt to most foods, however some puppies can be difficult eaters.
		Try Royal Canin Breed Specific Dog Food
Other Expenses		The average price of a puppy is £350-£400. The only other expense that should be considered is health insurance.
Average Puppy Price		£300-500
Lifespan		9 - 15 years On average the Sussex Spaniel can live until 12 years of age.
Average Litter Size		4 They can have 2 to 8 puppies in a litter.
General Physical Description		The Sussex Spaniel is a heavily built, sturdy dog, with rather short and strong legs. They have a wide head and short muzzle with a frowning quizzical expression. Their eyes are mid-brown in colour. This dog has a short abundant coat of rich golden liver.
Height Min Max Bitch 38cm (15") 41cm (16") Dog 38cm (15") 41cm (16") Weight Min Max Bitch 23kg (51lbs) 23kg (51lbs) Dog 23kg (51lbs) 23kg (51lbs)
Size Category		Medium
Weight Height Range		These dogs measure between 38 - 41cms at the withers and weigh approximately 23kgs.
Ailments		The Sussex Spaniel does not appear to suffer from many health problems, just the usual spaniel ailments.
Common Ailments		Bones (Developmental) - Hip dysplasia Ear infections
Susceptibility To Illness		Low
Other
History		The Sussex Spaniel was around in the early 1800's as part of a melange of land spaniels. The main interest in the breed began with Mr Fuller, a Sussex landowner. He had large kennels and kept several spaniels including Sussex Spaniels. He bred them for working and owned the breed for 50 years until the 1850's. By the time of the second world war there were few Sussex being bred from and it is thought that after the war only 5 Sussex Spaniels remained. Fortunately the breed has had dedicated followers and in particular Mrs Freer provided a link over 6 decades. She devoted her life to breeding the Sussex Spaniel for posterity. Today, this is still a numerically small breed with only 60-100 registrations each year.
Intelligence		Sussex Spaniels have a cheerful tractable disposition. They have their own funny little ways and can sometimes be wilful. They are not as quick to learn as some breeds so need patience with training. It is well worth the effort and the result is a happy and loyal dog.
Show Characteristics		The head should be wide and give the overall appearance of being well balanced. The muzzle is short with well developed nostrils. The jaws are strong with a complete scissor bite. The eyes should be hazel in colour, relatively large with a gentle, soft expression. The ears are thick, large, low set and lie close to the head, they are covered with soft, wavy hair. The neck should be long, strong and slightly arched. They have a well developed deep chest that is not too wide or round. They should appear level and have no apparent waist from the withers to the hips. The legs should be rather short, strong, well boned and muscular and are moderately feathered. The back legs should not appear shorter than the front legs. The feet are found, well padded with lots of feathering between the toes. They move with a distinctive rolling gait. The tail is customarily docked, low set and never carried above the level of the topline, it is also thickly covered in hair but not feathered. Their coat is abundant, flat and weather resistant. The preferred colour for the show ring is rich golden liver with the hair shading to golden at the tip. Dark liver is undesirable.
Country Of Origin		England
Famous Examples
Records Held
Characteristics
Energy		Medium
Overall Exercise		> 2 hours per day. They should not be over exercised when very young. They need stimulation or they easily become bored. They are country dogs at heart.
Distress Caused if Left Alone		Medium
Personal Protection		High
Suitability As Guard Dog		Low
Risk of Sheep Worrying		Medium
Tendency to Bark		Medium
Ease of Transportation		High
Level of Aggression		Low
Compatibility With Other Animals		High
Suitable For Children		Low
General Character And Temperament		These are happy and adaptable dogs who can also be very laid back. They make very good pets, but they need plenty of socialisation when young. It is important that they are introduced regularly to children, dogs, cars etc when young. This socialisation should be kept up until the dog is mature. They love hunting and are sometimes more interested in this than anything else when outside, so training when they are young is needed. They can be difficult with strange dogs, but they should be introduced to dogs at an early age.
Grooming
Coat Length		Short/Medium
Grooming Requirement		> Once a week
Trimming		Occassional
Requires Professional Groomer
Grooming		As a rule a brush or comb through every day is ideal. The ears should be kept clean and checked for foreign bodies regularly. The hair around the pads should be trimmed and check between the claws for grass seeds. They do not require a professional groomer however if they are neutered the dog sometimes looks better if the coat is trimmed.
Colour		They are a rich golden liver colour shading to gold at the hair tips.
Shedding		Little
Suffers From Allergies
Tendency to Cause Allergies

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