A Spaniel fit for the once Kingdom of Sussex A peek at one of our precious, vintage-breeds, born in the ancient Sussex heart-lands It seems only right and proper, that in our inaugural issue Sussex Spaniels. She is renowned for saving the breed of Country Dog Magazine that we would cover a short from extinction. article on the rare, but iconic, Sussex Spaniel. Since then, more breeders took an interest. The breed A slightly bias narrative, as during my childhood our home then persevered through love rather than profit to was graced with a couple of these large pawed, working- maintain the numbers of the breed we have today. dogs. “Whether at Crufts or as a pet bumbling Some of the history surrounding the origins of the breed through a hayfield, vary. But history strongly suggests that they may have he will always stand out as one of our great originated just a short 20-miles north, north-east of the far east-edges of the East Sussex chalk escarpments. national breeds.” Nestled deep within the High Weald hills at the Fullers’ grand country estate at Rosehill, near Brightling. There is I can just about remember the time when Sharland no exact date of their origin, but it is believed sometime Sussex Wine gave birth to a litter of 7 glorious puppies. during the early 19th century. They and their mother found themselves on the children’s TV show Blue Peter, hosted by Peter Purves Mr. Augustus Elliot Fuller is broadly recognized to be the and the country-side legend, John Noakes. catalyst and initial breeder of these hardy spaniels for Due to this exposure, the breed received a welcome many decades. From there, the breed spread and gained boost. We, as a family, somehow, ended up with one of more dedicated followers. the stars of the show ourselves, a puppy called Penny. She Somewhere through the years following, the breeding- line becomes distorted, but even so, continued in relatively modest but steady numbers. However, the breed as a whole started to head into difficulty during the war years of 39-45, as did many rarer breeds during that time. A shortage of food and other priorities took precedence on the home front. Consequently, just after WW ll, things became dire for this legendary spaniel, and literally, just a handful of these fabulous dogs remained. The saving grace for the Sussex Spaniel was exclusively down to a Mrs Joy Freer, of the famed Four-Clovers Kennels. Joy actively used her dogs in the field, had devoted her life to breeding the Sussex Spaniel. It is collectively conclusive that she was the only person who persevered with them through the war years. Joy continued and created the foundation of all today's At home with Watson WWW.THECOUNTRYDOGCOMPANY.CO.UK 1 Dibble in the Snow also went on to breed a fine litter herself. And at that deceptive by his low-slung centre of gravity, quite heavy point, yet another added to our stable. and very strong with large paws that assist in pushing through the typical hard scrub of the Sussex countryside, Modest in height, standing just above 40cm and a shade and will happily work a long day at an albeit slow but under 1m long, this 25-kilogram golden-liver spaniel is a decisive and steady pace. treat. However, do not be misled by his size. He is WWW.THECOUNTRYDOGCOMPANY.CO.UK 2 Although used less these days as a working dog, they still constantly be a few die-hard breeders who are dedicated remain a great allrounder. Whether at Crufts, or a pet to the survival of any of the rare-breeds. Just enough to bumbling through a hayfield, he will always stand out as keep things ticking along. And this wonderful, golden- one of our great national breeds. edged-fleeced-spaniel will be no exception. In 2017 the Sussex Spaniel Association put out a call to all I have no doubt he will be with us for many more members and owners to gather as many Sussex Spaniels centuries to come. as could be achieved from all corners along with an adjudicator from the Guinness Book of Records meeting Many thanks to Greg, Jan, and their Sussex clan for all at Parham Park Estate game fair. 126 was the new record, their assistance in putting this article together. And a a high percentage of the UK contingent. special thanks to Dibble. In addition, we wish to thank Kirsty and Watson Today, little has changed for the Sussex Spaniel. Through @Watson_sussex_spaniel on Instagram. their ups and downs across the last couple of centuries, their numbers now are fluctuating as similarly they always have been, except during the war. With just 52 registered in 2019, it keeps them hanging on in the Kennel Clubs list of Vulnerable Native Breeds. Each year they are represented at the Discover Dogs show thus giving the general public a chance to meet the breed along with their owners and breeders and get first-hand information as to their availability, characters and characteristics. Anyone who may be interested in the breed can look up the Sussex Spaniel Association online. However, that said, there may always be some pedigrees that will be somewhat scarce. I’m not sure if that’s the end of the world though. I believe there will Watson at Richmond Park Sussex Spaniel Circa 1930 - Unknown WWW.THECOUNTRYDOGCOMPANY.CO.UK 3 .