Sussex Spaniel
The only spaniel that gives tongue while it works, so a walking gun could follow it through thick cover. Low, slow, golden liver, and genuinely rare.
Photo by Pleple2000, CC BY-SA 3.0
Overview
The Sussex Spaniel is a slow, heavy, low set flushing spaniel bred to work thick cover in Sussex at a walking pace, and it is unusual among spaniels in giving tongue: it bays while working, so a hunter on foot in heavy cover can tell where it is.
It is always golden liver, and it is one of the rarest breeds in Britain, on every vulnerable native list with very low registrations.
Temperament
Calm, affectionate and stubborn. Sussex Spaniels are gentle with their families, tolerant of children, and considerably more laid back than other spaniels.
They are slow moving and slow to comply, and they respond to food rather than pressure. Some are vocal in the house as well as in the field. They are more independent than a Cocker and less frantic than a Springer.
Care and grooming
A flat coat with feathering that needs brushing twice a week. The long ears need weekly cleaning and drying.
The long low build brings intervertebral disc disease and weight control matters accordingly. Hip dysplasia is common in the breed, and pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase deficiency has a DNA test. Heart problems occur.
Living and exercise
An hour a day of moderate exercise on the flat.
The rarity is the practical obstacle. Registrations are low enough that the breed is genuinely at risk, and finding a puppy means a long wait. Twelve to fifteen years.
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