CHAPTER XV 
Tue Norroik 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 
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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