Plate 198 · British Isles
Sussex Spaniel
萨塞克斯猎犬
“The barking spaniel of the Sussex hedgerows.”
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Sussex, southern England
- Region of origin
- Bred in East and West Sussex (Goodwood, Rose Hill); the marker is West Sussex's reference point.
- The point marks the region the breed comes from, not an exact birthplace.
- Era
- Traced back to the late 1700s
- Today
- Gun dog · Companion
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
Sussex, southern England
A low, heavy, golden-liver spaniel that barks while it works in dense cover.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Flushing game in heavy clay and thick hedgerows, giving tongue so hunters could follow.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Bred at Goodwood and by Augustus Elliot Fuller at Rose Hill in Sussex. It was among the first breeds in the UK and AKC stud books. Breeder Joy Freer kept it going through the Second World War; all of today's Sussex Spaniels descend from her dogs.
04 · Today
Gun dog · Companion
A gun dog and companion; the UK Kennel Club listed it as a Vulnerable Native Breed in 2004.
Personality
- Affectionate
- Loyal
- Calm
- Vocal
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- No hard exercise before a year old; adults love swimming and long walks.
- Grooming
- Bathe, brush and comb; trim the hair under the feet.
- Training
- Stubborn with a long memory: never handle roughly.
Living with one
- Size
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 13–15 years
- Coat
- Abundant, flat or slightly wavy coat in rich golden liver
Field note
A Sussex Spaniel named Stump won Westminster Best in Show in 2009.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Sporting Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (Group 8, standard 127), The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Sporting Group, recognized 1878.
Listed by the UK Kennel Club as a Vulnerable Native Breed in 2004. AKC registrations: ranked 175 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- Sussex Spaniel — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/sussex-spaniel/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Sussex Spaniel — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sussex_Spaniel
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · First record (1795), Goodwood and Rose Hill, early UK and AKC stud books, Joy Freer and the 1947 low, vulnerable status, Westminster 2009.
- Sussex Spaniel — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/SUSSEX-SPANIEL-127.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin Great Britain; Group 8, section "Flushing Dogs"; accepted 1954.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: Bred in East and West Sussex (Goodwood, Rose Hill); the marker is West Sussex's reference point.
