Base colour
Rich golden liver and hair shading to golden at tip
- gold is predominating.
- Undesirable: Dark liver or puce
About the Sussex Spaniel
Origin: Great Britain
- Typical life span
- 12-15 years
- Size
- Medium — from its typical weight
- Weight
- 16-20 kg
- Height
- 33-38 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Retrievers - Flushing Dogs - Water Dogs
- Origin
- Great Britain
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Sussex Spaniel?
A long, low, and muscular spaniel with a distinctive rich golden liver coat and rolling gait, bred for hunting in dense undergrowth. Known for its calm and affectionate nature, this massive spaniel moves with deliberate purpose and steady temperament.
Sussex Spaniel history and origins
Developed in Sussex County England in the 18th-19th centuries by landowners specifically for hunting in dense forests and undergrowth. Nearly extinct after WWII but saved by dedicated breeders. Recognized by Kennel Club in 1872 and AKC in 1884.
Sussex Spaniel appearance and size
Typically 16-20 kg and 33-38 cm at the shoulder — published as one range rather than separately for males and females.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Flushing dog
- Behaviour and temperament
“Natural working ability, gives tongue at work in thick cover. Kindly disposition”
Quoted from FCI standard n°127. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Medium
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Flushing dog” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 4 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 3 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 3 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Sussex Spaniel
What you get with the Sussex Spaniel
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Flushing dog”
- The standard describes the breed as: “Natural working ability, gives tongue at work in thick cover. Kindly disposition”
- Longer-lived than a crossbred dog — median 13.5 years across 91 animals, against 12
What you are taking on
Nobody has written this side yet. It is a judgement rather than data, so it waits for a person — not for a missing source.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard; McMillan et al. 2024, median age at death. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Sussex Spaniel
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording, tagged undesirable.
Coat
Abundant and flat with no tendency to curl and with ample undercoat for weather resistance.
Ears covered with soft, wavy hair, but not too profuse.
Forequarters and hindquarters moderately well feathered
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°127 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Ideal height at the withers: Weight: Approximately 38 - 41 cm. 23 kgs”
- FCI distinguishes an ideal from what is permitted.
Quoted from FCI standard n°127. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Sussex Spaniel in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Sussex Spaniel
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Sussex Spaniel on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Sussex Spaniel owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Sussex Spaniel breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.