Clumber Spaniel

The Clumber Spaniel, developed in the United Kingdom as a gun dog with the intention of catching game birds for hunters, is the largest of the spaniels with a heavy body, short legs, massive head and a deep muzzle. Being one of the first ten breeds to gain recognition by the American Kennel Club, it looks unique in its white coat with lemon or orange stripes.

Clumber Spaniel Pictures

History

According to researches conducted, it has been revealed that the Duke of Noailles of France gave his kennel full of spaniels to the Duke of Newcastle during the French Revolution. This breed attained its name from the Duke’s residence, Clumber Park. William Mansell, his gamekeeper was instrumental in developing this breed to its present form.

Temperament

Being calm, gentle, sweet and affectionate, they generally love spending their time sleeping, eating and relaxing on the couch. Bonding well with all the members of the family, they may have a personal favorite. Their low barking capacity does not make them an ideal watch dog. Good quality chew toys must be made available for this playful, curious breed as they love carrying things in their mouth. When bored or even as a part of their play they may end up breaking into cupboards, refrigerators or destroying toys or other household goods. Their fascination towards fetching things makes them a child’s good playmate, but they have a tendency of stealing food from children or knocking them down without any reason. It is advisable to keep pet birds as well as smaller animals at a distance because of the hunting tendency inherent in them. However, its easy-to-adjust temperament makes it a good choice for first-time owners.

Care

• Exercise

• Grooming

• Health Problems

Clumber spaniel puppies are very active while as adults their energy level reduces mostly looking sleepy. Regular walk or a game facilitates their physical and mental development. Being good swimmers, an occasional water sport suits them well. However, jogging is not apt for them as they may strain or injure their joints.

Since they shed frequently, their coats are to be brushed daily as well as bathed with shampoo whenever necessary. Cleaning their mouth regularly is required because of their tendency to slobber and drool. Their ears should be dried well after swimming to prevent infection of any kind. Trimming their coat, clipping their overgrown hair, brushing their teeth thrice a week as well as regular trimming of nails is also required.

The common health problems encountered by the Clumber spaniel are hip dysplasia, skin allergies, entropion (rolling of eyelid inwards), panosteitis (lameness in the young), cataract, obesity issues, hypothyroidism and ear infections.

Training

Training this breed is not a tedious task as they possess a good memory and are always eager to do things in order to please their master. Proper socialization training since their puppy days is required to make them communicate well with strangers as well as other animals. Not responding well to harsh training methods, they need a patient, calm, confident as well as assertive trainer who can control them well, preventing them from being the pack leader. The stubbornness shown by the spaniel at times may be overcome by obedience training. Introduction of rewards in the form of food or play makes the training method a fulfilling one.

Feeding

Being prone to eating excessively, they may be affected by obesity in their initial months. Therefore proper care should be taken in monitoring their diet. A proper home-cooked diet of lamb, vegetables, and rice is perfectly suited for them. Supplements are to be given according to the vet’s advice. The recommended food intake for this breed is 2 to 2.5 cups of high-quality dry dog food, divided into two equal meals. The puppy, however, needs 4 to 6 cups of dry food daily.

Interesting Facts

• Being restricted to the noble class, their breeding was stopped during the First World War and restarted in the year 1925 by king GeorgeV.
• This rare breed rank 121^st of the 155 breeds that the AKC has recognized.
• Popular among hunters in the nineteenth century who used it as a gun dog, it was also petted by Edward, the Prince of Wales.
• Cluminger Spaniel is a mixed breed of the Clumber Spaniel and English Springer Spaniel.