CHAPTER XV 

 THE NORFOLK SPANIEL 



O more useful dog exists than the variety of spaniel known 

 many years ago as the Norfolk. At least, that was the 

 name given it about London and the sections of England 

 we then knew, which was as far west as Oxford and pretty 

 well through the Midlands. Generally he was simply 

 called a spaniel, but when it came to a question as to a variety, then he 

 was a Norfolk and was supposed to be excellent as a water dog as well 

 as for the man who owned but one general-purpose dog. 



Even if the efforts of the English Spaniel Club to encourage the breed- 

 ing, improvement and showing of this dog have not met with much success, 

 they have at least given a name to what has been for years the common 

 or "garden" variety of spaniel throughout England. A workman all 

 over, well built, good legs of fair length, neither making him look leggy 

 nor short on the leg, no approach to what can be called "length of body," 

 nor exaggeration of any kind, the Norfolk has not as yet fallen a victim 

 to "fancy" and been improved out of his sphere of usefulness. 



Of course the obvious had to be ignored by late writers as to the origin 



o j o 



of the name, and even the usually trustworthy Dalziel is found surmising 

 that this was the Duke of Norfolk's breed, hence the name. Lee follows 

 suit and quotes Youatt as to the Duke getting the black and tan by crossing 

 the terrier. Lee also says that as the liver and white and ticked spaniel 

 was met with everywhere, he does not see why it should be called Norfolk. 

 We know what Shakespeare wrote about a name, but as this variety of 

 spaniel was not only well known in the county which called for a dog fit 

 for work on land and in water, but had the appearance of being exactly 

 fitted for the sports associated with Norfolk and the east coast, it is a name 

 far more appropriate than many which have been given to dogs, besides which 

 it was named a Norfolk when they had or knew of Sussex and Clumbers. 



As for any association of the Duke of Norfolk with this breed, that 

 is quite erroneous, for the Duke of Norfolk's spaniels that is, the spaniels 



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