How to Identify a Sussex Spaniel
Assess the dog's face., Look at the dog's ears., Assess the shape of the dog's head., Inspect the dog's neck., Take a look at the dog's tail., Look at the forequarters and hindquarters., Check out the dog's coat., Assess the overall size and shape...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Assess the dog's face.
Looking at facial expression of the Sussex spaniel is important for identifying the breed.
Overall, the dog has a somber and serious expression, although this does not express its actual personality.
It has heavy eyebrows, which are the key feature that creates this frowning expression.The dog's eyes are large and hazel colored, with a soft and passive expression. -
Step 2: Look at the dog's ears.
The Sussex spaniel's ears are thick and fairly large.
They hang straight down from the point at which they are attached to the head, meaning they are consider drop or pendant ear.
They are also set moderately low, just slightly above the outside corner of the eye, and they hang down to the bottom point of the dog's head.The ears are covered with wavy hair that if very soft to the touch. , The skull of the Sussex spaniel is relatively long and wide.
The skull also has quite an indentation where the eyes sit, resulting in a pronounced forehead.The muzzle should be about three inches long, starting at where it meets the cheeks.
It should be broad and squared off.
The Sussex has pronounced nostrils that are brown in color, which is sometimes described as "liver-colored." The lips are somewhat loose and they hang down a bit. , The neck of the Sussex spaniel is relatively short for its body size.
The neck is also strong and slightly arched.
Because the neck is short, this means the dog's head does not not go much above the dog's body when it is holding its head upright.
There should not be much loose skin hanging down below the chin., Most purebred Sussex spaniels have docked tails, meaning that their natural tails are cut off for cosmetic reasons.The tail is docked so that it is only 5 to 7 inches (12.7 to
17.8 cm) long but still has some movement ability.Sussex spaniels without docked tails have tails that are more than a foot long., The shoulders of the Sussex spaniel are laid back and muscular.
The legs are set well under the dog.
The hindquarters are strong, well-rounded, and sturdy looking.
They should be parallel with each other and set apart as wide as the dog is at the shoulders.
The hind legs are shorter than the front legs but shouldn't look like it because they are attached to the body at a lower point.
They also look strong and should not be bent at the hocks, which is the joint at the middle of the back legs.The forelegs may show a slight bow.
The feet are large and round, with short hair between the toes.
The feet on the rear legs are just like the feet on the front legs. , The Sussex spaniel's color is described as a rich golden liver color, which is a term used to express its warm brown color.
This is the only acceptable color for show dogs and is used as a good sign of purity for those concerned with the breed.
These dogs tend to have a thick, rich coat with is flat or only slightly waved.The fur on the legs of a Sussex spaniel is feathered, meaning it flies away from the body, but clean below the hocks.
This is typically accentuated with grooming practices.
The tail is thickly covered with moderately long fur, which is also feathered.
When groomed to show standards, the fur between the toes must be left long enough to cover the nails.
A dark liver or puce color is not acceptable in show dogs, as it signals that the dog is not pure bred.
There may be some white on the chest, but white on any other part of the body is also not acceptable. , Ideally, the height of the Sussex spaniel should range from 13 to 15 inches (33 to 38 cm).
This height is measured from the withers to the ground.
The weight of the Sussex spaniel should range between 35 and 45 pounds.The whole body of the Sussex spaniel is characterized as low and long with a level topline.
The chest is round.
This is especially true right at the shoulders, where it is deep and wide.
The back and loins of the dog are also long and very muscular. , The Sussex spaniel is rectangular in shape.
This is because its body is longer than the dog is tall.
Even with this rectangular outline, the dog should read as muscular and strong rather than stubby.When looked at closely, the dog's legs may look short in proportion to its body. , The gait (how the dog looks when moving) is also important for identifying the Sussex spaniel.
The Sussex spaniel has what is known as a rolling gait.
This is created by its deep and wide chest moving in combination with its short legs and long body.
This means that the dog makes a slight alternate rocking motion over its shoulders when it walks.This movement looks deliberate and smooth, not clumsy.
The head of a Sussex spaniel is generally held low when moving. , If you have access to your dog's pedigree, you should use that to identify your dog's breed.
A purebred Sussex spaniel will have two parents that are both Sussex spaniels.
If you got your dog from a dog breeder, they should have pedigree information available to you.
If you did not get your dog from a breeder or from someone who knows the dog's parents, then pedigree information will not be available to you. , Your veterinarian looks at many, many dogs every year.
Because of this, and the fact that they have studied many types of dogs, they may have a good idea about whether your dog is a Sussex spaniel.
Your can also ask the opinion of other dog experts, such as dog groomers and dog trainers. , There are several companies that now offer DNA testing kits for dogs.
This type of testing can determine which breed strains are present in your dog.
For example, a DNA test might be able to tell you that your dog is 60% Welsh springer spaniel and 40% Sussex spaniel.If your dog has any purebred relatives, the test should be pretty accurate.
However, if your dog is a mix of a variety of breeds, the test will be less accurate. -
Step 3: Assess the shape of the dog's head.
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Step 4: Inspect the dog's neck.
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Step 5: Take a look at the dog's tail.
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Step 6: Look at the forequarters and hindquarters.
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Step 7: Check out the dog's coat.
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Step 8: Assess the overall size and shape of the dog.
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Step 9: Look at the dog's proportions.
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Step 10: Watch the gait of the dog.
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Step 11: Check the dog' pedigree.
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Step 12: Ask a veterinarian for breed possibilities.
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Step 13: Consider DNA testing.
Detailed Guide
Looking at facial expression of the Sussex spaniel is important for identifying the breed.
Overall, the dog has a somber and serious expression, although this does not express its actual personality.
It has heavy eyebrows, which are the key feature that creates this frowning expression.The dog's eyes are large and hazel colored, with a soft and passive expression.
The Sussex spaniel's ears are thick and fairly large.
They hang straight down from the point at which they are attached to the head, meaning they are consider drop or pendant ear.
They are also set moderately low, just slightly above the outside corner of the eye, and they hang down to the bottom point of the dog's head.The ears are covered with wavy hair that if very soft to the touch. , The skull of the Sussex spaniel is relatively long and wide.
The skull also has quite an indentation where the eyes sit, resulting in a pronounced forehead.The muzzle should be about three inches long, starting at where it meets the cheeks.
It should be broad and squared off.
The Sussex has pronounced nostrils that are brown in color, which is sometimes described as "liver-colored." The lips are somewhat loose and they hang down a bit. , The neck of the Sussex spaniel is relatively short for its body size.
The neck is also strong and slightly arched.
Because the neck is short, this means the dog's head does not not go much above the dog's body when it is holding its head upright.
There should not be much loose skin hanging down below the chin., Most purebred Sussex spaniels have docked tails, meaning that their natural tails are cut off for cosmetic reasons.The tail is docked so that it is only 5 to 7 inches (12.7 to
17.8 cm) long but still has some movement ability.Sussex spaniels without docked tails have tails that are more than a foot long., The shoulders of the Sussex spaniel are laid back and muscular.
The legs are set well under the dog.
The hindquarters are strong, well-rounded, and sturdy looking.
They should be parallel with each other and set apart as wide as the dog is at the shoulders.
The hind legs are shorter than the front legs but shouldn't look like it because they are attached to the body at a lower point.
They also look strong and should not be bent at the hocks, which is the joint at the middle of the back legs.The forelegs may show a slight bow.
The feet are large and round, with short hair between the toes.
The feet on the rear legs are just like the feet on the front legs. , The Sussex spaniel's color is described as a rich golden liver color, which is a term used to express its warm brown color.
This is the only acceptable color for show dogs and is used as a good sign of purity for those concerned with the breed.
These dogs tend to have a thick, rich coat with is flat or only slightly waved.The fur on the legs of a Sussex spaniel is feathered, meaning it flies away from the body, but clean below the hocks.
This is typically accentuated with grooming practices.
The tail is thickly covered with moderately long fur, which is also feathered.
When groomed to show standards, the fur between the toes must be left long enough to cover the nails.
A dark liver or puce color is not acceptable in show dogs, as it signals that the dog is not pure bred.
There may be some white on the chest, but white on any other part of the body is also not acceptable. , Ideally, the height of the Sussex spaniel should range from 13 to 15 inches (33 to 38 cm).
This height is measured from the withers to the ground.
The weight of the Sussex spaniel should range between 35 and 45 pounds.The whole body of the Sussex spaniel is characterized as low and long with a level topline.
The chest is round.
This is especially true right at the shoulders, where it is deep and wide.
The back and loins of the dog are also long and very muscular. , The Sussex spaniel is rectangular in shape.
This is because its body is longer than the dog is tall.
Even with this rectangular outline, the dog should read as muscular and strong rather than stubby.When looked at closely, the dog's legs may look short in proportion to its body. , The gait (how the dog looks when moving) is also important for identifying the Sussex spaniel.
The Sussex spaniel has what is known as a rolling gait.
This is created by its deep and wide chest moving in combination with its short legs and long body.
This means that the dog makes a slight alternate rocking motion over its shoulders when it walks.This movement looks deliberate and smooth, not clumsy.
The head of a Sussex spaniel is generally held low when moving. , If you have access to your dog's pedigree, you should use that to identify your dog's breed.
A purebred Sussex spaniel will have two parents that are both Sussex spaniels.
If you got your dog from a dog breeder, they should have pedigree information available to you.
If you did not get your dog from a breeder or from someone who knows the dog's parents, then pedigree information will not be available to you. , Your veterinarian looks at many, many dogs every year.
Because of this, and the fact that they have studied many types of dogs, they may have a good idea about whether your dog is a Sussex spaniel.
Your can also ask the opinion of other dog experts, such as dog groomers and dog trainers. , There are several companies that now offer DNA testing kits for dogs.
This type of testing can determine which breed strains are present in your dog.
For example, a DNA test might be able to tell you that your dog is 60% Welsh springer spaniel and 40% Sussex spaniel.If your dog has any purebred relatives, the test should be pretty accurate.
However, if your dog is a mix of a variety of breeds, the test will be less accurate.
About the Author
Nicholas Ellis
Specializes in breaking down complex pet care topics into simple steps.
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