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CHAPTER LII. 

 THE SUSSEX SPANIEL. 



WHEN a writer on dogs finds himself face to face with the Spaniel family, he will be sure to 

 find himself beset with a great difficulty when the place of honour has to be disposed of. For 

 our own part we have been much perplexed by the rival claims of the Sussex, the Clumber, 

 and the Black Spaniel, for each of these varieties have their thick-and-thin supporters, who 

 are rather inclined to look disparagingly upon the Spaniels of other breeds. Breeders of 

 the Clumber argue, and with some amount of reason, that the antiquity of their pet breed 

 entitles it to great consideration, and add that the aristocratic associations of this breed of 

 dog are solid proofs of the estimation with which it is regarded by the highest rank of 

 sportsmen. 



Supporters of the Black Spaniel, on the other side, maintain most stoutly that this 

 variety to which they are devoting all their energies, is making such rapid strides towards 

 perfection that it should be regarded as the most important member of the Spaniel family, 

 and base their claims to pre-eminence for it on the ground that there are better Blacks 

 now to be found than specimens of any other breed. This variety has certainly monopolised 

 the prizes for Spaniels in the classes where Clumbers and Sussex are unable to compete, 

 and certainly fine specimens of the breed have often appeared upon the bench specimens 

 which, indeed, for quality and for symmetry would rank second to no Spaniels in existence ; 

 but still we are of the opinion that the Sussex is the Spaniel which of all others should 

 occupy the place of honour in a book on dogs. The beauty in outline of the Sussex is 

 very great, and the colour, of a true " golden liver," is exceptional. Nor do his qualifications 

 for regard end with these external points of elegance, for his value in covert shooting is gladly 

 borne testimony to by those sportsmen who know the Sussex best and avail themselves of his 

 services frequently. 



Although this favourite breed of Spaniel has for many years occupied a high position 

 in the estimation of sportsmen, there was some years ago a very great chance of its becoming 

 extinct, as the kennels at Rosehill, Sussex the birthplace, so to speak, of the breed were 

 depopulated by that dreadful canine scourge, dumb madness. About the year 1870, however, 

 a few gentlemen, actuated by feelings of interest in the Sussex Spaniel, set themselves 

 to work to rescue the breed from the annihilation which threatened it, and to their energy 

 and devotion the present Sussex mainly owes its existence at the time of writing. It must 

 not be supposed, however, that certain so-called Sussex Spaniels were not before the public 

 previous to the action of these gentlemen ; on the contrary, there were several animals 

 about which laid claim to accurately represent the breed. The presence of these dogs, however, 

 was injurious rather than beneficial to the pure-bred Sussex, for they did not fairly display 

 his working capacities or the general beauty of his appearance. These impure specimens, 

 moreover, were stumbling-blocks in the way of those who, as referred to above, had set 

 themselves the self-imposed task of endeavouring to resuscitate the old Rosehill type, for their 



