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Bred
in the English county of Sussex, this spaniel is the only breed of working
spaniel that was permitted to give tongue in the hunting field. This is
seen as an asset in the field for this particular breed, however, the
giving of tongue (barking) is frowned upon in every other hunting spaniel
breed.
The Sussex spaniel was bred from a now
extinct breed of spaniel known as the Relf spaniel. They were originally
bred for their short legs that were a distinct advantage in their native
county of Sussex, where dense woodland proliferated. Perhaps a spaniel
giving tongue is dense undercover does have an advantage.
Always slow dogs, the Sussex spaniel has
been superseded by the faster, leggier spaniel breeds of today. The
colouring of the Sussex is a throw back to their original bloodline, the
Relf spaniels that were of a golden liver hew. The coat of the Sussex is
soft and smooth with ample feathering around the legs. The feet are
un-proportionally large and would be of a distinct advantage in wet and
heavy soil conditions. |
