History and Origins of the Sussex Spaniel

History and Origins of the Sussex Spaniel

The History and Origins of the Sussex Spaniel is really interesting. The history of the Sussex Spaniel began during the 18th century, in 1795 when the dog was bred in Hastings, in the county of Sussex, which is located in England; hence the name of this breed of dog. English breeders created the dog as they needed a field dog and a hunting companion. This particular breed is often slower and has less energy that other types of Spaniel, however, it has a well developed sense of smell and it is excellent at flushing and retrieving upland game; moving well through dense undergrowth when hunting. When the popularity of the Sussex Spaniel began to decrease around the time of the Second World War, a lady by the name of Joy Freer took several into her own care and many of the Sussex Spaniels from today's times are descendants from these particular dogs.

History and Origins - How the Sussex Spaniel got its name

The history and origins of the Sussex Spaniel continues with how the dog got his name! The name of the breed simply derived from its county of origin which was Sussex. The American Kennel Club officially recognized the breed in 1884 when the club was first formed. This was one of the first of nine breeds to be recognized by the AKC, however, it had derived a long time before this. The breed has a unique colored coat that is a deep golden liver color. In this day and age, there are not a lot of Sussex Spaniels bred, however, the ones that are, tend to make excellent family pets as their personalities and temperaments are gentle, kind, cheerful and eager. When it was first bred, this dog was mainly used for hunting small game. It is the only type of Spaniel that will sometimes by whilst hunting. As well as hunting, this breed is particularly good at tracking, flushing and retrieving, and as a watchdog.

History and Origins of the Sussex Spaniel