Clumber Spaniel - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The Clumber Spaniel origin is still debatable and little bit mysterious, but the mostly accepted theory says, that this breed was originally developed in France over two hundread years ago. Later, they were brought to England by Duke of Newcastle and they were bred by him at his large estate called Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire. The breed was named after this Clumber Park. The breed became quite popular and lets say trendy in the end of 19th century, when King Edward VII bred them.
2) Ancestry
Since we are not sure about the breeds place of origin, we can not be sure about the breeds ancestry, but again, there are some theories about it. One says, that they are crosses between Alpine Spaniel and Basset Hound and probably a Great Pyrenees. And i think this is very plausible, because if i look on the Clumber Spaniel, it kinda looks like a mix of Spaniel and Basset.
3) Purpose
Originally, Clumber Spaniels were bred as excellent flushing and retrieving spaniels. They are known to be very hard working, silent and stealthy during the hunt. Because of its slow and persistent hunting style, they were sometimes nicknamed as "retired gentleman's shooting dog." You can still see Clumber Spaniels hunting today, but most often they are living the spoiled life of family companions.

4) Exercise
Well, if you look at the Clumber Spaniel it does not look like a very active dog right? They look quite stocky, slow and their droopy faces make them look, lets say, tired. But believe it or not, this is very playful breed. They are not hyperactive, but defintely not a lazy coach potatoes as well. They will enjoy a good playtime, longer walk, hike or swim and it is not absolutely unusual to see them competing in different dog sports like field or tracking trials.

5) Size
The Clumber Spaniel was bred to have low and heavy body so they can work in dense terrain and so they could plow through thick underbrush while hunting. The average Clumber Spaniels height should be between 43-51 cm, which is 17-20 inch and weight is typically between 25-39 kg, which is 55-85 pounds. Females are naturally little bit smaller than males.

6) Rarity
In 19th century, the Clumber Spaniel was exported from United Kingdom to many other countries around the world and the breed was pretty popular. It was actually among the first nine breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1878. Sadly, these days, the breed is very rare, even in their homeland with only less than 300 new dogs being registered each year in United Kingdom and 200 in USA. In the UK they are listed as a vulnerable native breed.

7) Personality
The official FCI breed standard describes the Clumber Spaniel personality as a great-hearted and highly intelligent dog with a determined attitude. It is possible that they will alert you by barking on anything suspicious, but most of the time they are pretty quiet. They have reputation of sweet and gentle dog that makes extraordinary family companion. And even though they are sometimes little bit stubborn, they are pretty easily trainable and managable.

8) Other pets

Typically the Clumber Spaniel does not have problems with other dogs in the family and even though they were bred as hunters, it is not uncommon for them to live with other smaller household pets as well. Of course, they need to be socialized with these pets from the puppyhood. Clumber Spaniels are also pretty gentle and patient around kids, but you should always monitor the situation between any breed and a small child.

9) Coat

This breed has a dense and weather resistant double coat which is straight and flat with feathering on the legs, chest, ears and tail. Clumbers are predominantly white in colour with lemon, brown, or orange markings around the eyes, and at the base of the tail. They require regular brushing few times per week to keep the coat in best condition.

10) Health
The average Clumber Spaniels lifespan is between 10-12 years. Because they are large and heavy boned dogs that are growing quite fast, they can suffer from skeletal and joint problems. It is important to not overfeed your Clumber Spaniel, so they do not become obese. Most common health problems include hip dysplasia, entropion, hypothyroidism and infections.