The Clumber Spaniel places 122 in the AKC ranking, in the family of Gundog and Spaniel, belonging to the Sporting Group of hunters. Developed as hunting and bird dogs, using energetic hunting abilities in the water and field settings, almost all sporting dogs require regular exercise.
CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC
The color of the Clumber Spaniel is pure white with lemon or orange markings, which improves the Clumber's location out in the field when working, as white against the brush and bramble colors improve the dog's visibility to hunters.
Long
Large
Heavy Shed
19 to 20 inches at the withers
70 and 85 pounds
17 to 19 inches at the withers.
55 to 70 pounds
The Clumber Spaniel make excellent house pets as they are easy going and sedate, very affectionate, and can exist on moderate amounts of exercise, even though it has been known to be high-energy, depending on the owner. They love the outdoors and participate in obedience and tracking, and hunting out in the fields.
As they grow very rapidly, the Clumbers are usually very active as young pups into young adulthood. Apartments are acceptable for this breed as long as they are exercised with swimming, walking, playing fetch, catching balls, and hunting. As they get older, not as much energy is projected so less exercise is needed, allowing for smaller homes or apartments. These dogs do best living with older individuals or those who do not have a high-activity lifestyle.
Description
Considered the most gentle of all the aristocratic dog breeds, this very lovable and highly intelligent Clumber Spaniel is physically a very sound and sturdy dog, with the most perspective intelligent personality of any breed available in the sporting group. Very much a family dog, this dog adores children and all family members, and is very protective toward them along with being a good mother to their own puppies. As puppies themselves, they love to play ball and fetch, from the moment they can stagger around on their pudgy little legs and put things in their mouth--they and children kind of go hand-in-hand.
A very gentle dog, this long and low-to-the-ground heavy dog cannot handle any harsh criticism, or physical abuse. If treated as such, the dog will simply go down emotionally and mentally, refusing to budge, which gives the Clumber a "dumb attitude" appearance which causes many people to consider this dog an unintelligent breed and not worthy of anything--which is quite the opposite of what the breed actually is. Anyone who has ever had a Clumber Spaniel will stay with the breed, even as uncommon as the breed is, as there are no other breeds with this level of devotion or kindness to their owner and his family until their dying day.
The coat of the Clumber Spaniel is very thick, silky, with a very dense undercoat. Very soft to the touch, the Clumber's hair is straight and weather resistant, which combined with its low body feature and heavy weight allows it to move through the field without tearing of the skin or damage to the body.
History
The legend of the Clumber Spaniel says that its ancestors were beaters and retrievers, owned by the French Duc de Noailles, who during the French Revolution sent quite a number of his dogs to the Duke of Newcastle in England to ensure their safety. This may be the reason the history of the dog is split between the two countries, both laying claim to its early development. Where today this avuncular dog methodically tracks and retrieves fallen leaves and hidden insects, at one time it worked as a team to very carefully, step by step, beat game toward the hunters waiting at the end of the field.
But regardless, the development of the Clumber Spaniel is wide and varied with its parent stock disappearing into thin air, with the only written words going back to the last half of the 18th century. The Clumber Spaniel in theory to come from a blend of the Basset Hound with an early European spaniel, the now extinct Alpine Spaniel. England states their name comes form Clumber Park in Nottinghanshire. Unequaled to any dog other than the Bloodhound, this aristocratic breed has been kept pure from any outside sources of plebian blood for several generations. With a noble and ancient lineage that goes back such a long way, they popularity of the Clumbers around the early 1900s was due to the excellent record these dogs had at field trials. In the United States by 1995, over 500 Clumbers have placed with either an AKC Championship title before their name, or AKC Obedience, Tracking, and Hunting titles after their name.
Regardless which country, Britain or France, laid claim to the original development of the Clumber, their breed was totally confined to the nobleman, not being allowed into any outside hands until the mid-nineteenth century. But during WWI, any breeding operation of this breed was stopped entirely, which caused their numbers to sink to a record low with only a few breeding stock remaining. But in 1925, King George V re-developed the Sandringham Clumbers, with the Royal Kennel producing a line of Clumbers that were working dogs in the field, with durable and outstanding quality showmanship in the dog rings. Rated highly, the King's Clumbers were used in a pack to work the vast rhododendron field around the Sandringham Estate.
After the war, breeding stopped entirely until a period in time when many prominent English kennels appeared--Snowholme, Cuerden, Mason, Mason, Anchorfield, Fatpastures, Oldholbans, Alansmere, Sefton, and Raycroft. The breed was brought over to the United States as early as 1844 by Lt. Venables of the British regiment, stationed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, introducing the dog to his fellow officers. Recognized as one of the oldest breeds in America, one of the first ten breeds recognized by the AKC when their organization began in 1884, it really did not enter into the mainstream until the past ten years or so.
Temperament
The devoted Clumber Spaniel is a very heavy dog that refuses to acknowledge that it is not a small lap dog, and cannot just lightly jump into anyone's lap. Desiring to lie as close to its owner as possible to touch, it will lie on your feet or lap (if it can!), and if desperate enough, will lean against the legs--anything that will bring it in close physical proximity to its owner. To develop this close relationship, it is a good idea to exercise the family Clumber by walking or playing fetch in order to keep the weight down, which is a really problem with this breed in addition to constant shedding. Enough exercise and regular daily to weekly brushing and combing will work wonders with this small gentle giant with the big heart.
Known as a stubborn breed, usually it refers to the fact the Clumber Spaniel is not getting enough physical or mental stimulation. Not an easy dog to work with, they become bored very easy. It is said by Clumber trainers that the owner needs to show them with firm consistency, they mean what they say--the owner is "alpha" and not the dog. Respect training is a mandatory requirement for individuals who are in the process of getting a Clumber. The need to learn to respect their owner, and know the rules of the home for visitors and other pets. Otherwise if allowed to reign free--like most breeds, but especially this breed, will believe they are higher in the "pack order" of the home. The pack order is a ladder of hierarchy regarding "who is boss." Dogs are very sociable animals who enjoy having other sociable animals or humans around them in a group (family) or pack of animals.
As a hunting dog, this breed is by tendency to have the keenest of noses with the most remarkable massive build, and powers of endurance. With an ancient lineage proudly behind them, they are very deserving of the hunting reputation as a very capable hunting assistant to their owner. Easily controlled with the proper training, the Clumber Spaniel takes naturally to the water for retrieving and "fetching," and are good at retrieving anywhere in the field.
ectropion with suggested testing in the hips and eyes for future reference.
CHD refers to canine hip dysplasia, and is considered a skeletal abnormal development. The head of the femur does not fit snugly into the pelvic socket, requiring hip radiograph as a special diagnostics. Entropion refers to inversion of the eyelids, where the eyelids roll inwards enough to irritate the eye.
Lamb and rice diets are usually the prime food for this dog as it gains weight easily, and is prone to flea and skin Allergies. Not health issues--but they do drool, wheeze, and snore--which is easily overlooked by their owners as they are so sweet, loyal, and lovable.
Grooming
Clumber Spaniels require slightly more than a moderate amount of grooming as they are a spaniel, so daily grooming is good for both the dog and owner as it allows time to check for ticks, cuts, and skin situations. Combing through the Clumber's hair is best on a daily basis or at least two to three times a week, paying special attention to the area behind the ears--this is "knot haven" for this family of dog. When doing so, make sure no dirt is visible in the ear canal. If so, use ear wipes or ear cleaning solutions to clean the are out, in order to get a jump on any ear condition that may be developing.
Grooming the body hair can be done by either a slicker or pin head brush, with extra focus on the leg feather and belly, as this area becomes more matted and dirty than any other area. Balled up hair is caught under the armpits, forming matts which are painful to the dog and can irritate the skin or pull skin away. Removing the matts with fingertips is better than with scissors, as some matts are too close to the skin. Use conditioner if the knot or matt refuses to come loose. Another option if the Clumber is a pet is to clip the air off, but usually the clipped hair does not grow back the same way as before the clipping occurred. The advantages are it is easy to maintain, is clean, and cool in the hot months.
Many owners want to keep the longer-haired look of the Clumber Spaniel, but want to remove the dead hair which is shedding all over the house. A defelting tool called the "Mars Coat King" is a good tool to use, which removed dead undercoat and loose hairs without hurting the dog. Metal combs with large and wide teeth are also perfect for this grooming job, with the stripping knife used for fine hair on the legs.
Exercise
If the Clumber Spaniel is purchased as a hunting dog, and is hunted regularly through swimming or retrieving in the field, this is enough exercise for all ages of the breed. If the dog is purchased as a pet, then exercising is very important as so many owners vary on their lifestyle. The Clumber loves to swim, as it was trained for hunting, in order to go after birds in the water; walking is also an excellent exercise as the breed was originally trained for hunting in the field, which sometimes lasted for long periods of time. But this dog's favorite past-time is playing ball and fetching, which can be done in the back yard or in the park.
Training
The Clumber Spaniel has a reputation for "silence in the field" due to the fact it worked in a pack beating the brush silently to quietly force the birds toward the hunter, not causing or forcing the birds to fly. This same personality is seen today, even though the Clumber is a rare breed and hard to come by. Not used in the field as much as it is a family pet or companion today, this breed needs proper training to ensure its quality within the home. This breed is not good for kennel life, preferring human companionship at all times.
Any untrained dog in the world today, with the pace of society at high speed, is a liability to ensure the dog's own safety. No dog should be left untrained, accomplished either professionally or by the owner. Training a Clumber is not as difficult as rumor has it, due to the fact it is loyal and has a strong desire to please, with a very sweet and gentle temperament. As this breed thrives on attention, the respond well to training methods that use positive reinforcement and lots of praise. But an important requirement of the Clumber Spaniel to achieve successful training results is consistency and patience, beginning early training. At this time, the young puppies when first brought home should be taught to walk on a loose lead, to come when called, and to say when commanded, using lots of praise and encouragement when "they do good."
Harsh training or verbal/physical abuse cannot be used with this breed, or any other breed of dog. But this dog in particular will refuse to listen, become bull-headed and stubborn, almost appearing as an unintelligent "dult" to the owner-- its response to such treatment is to totally shut down. Intelligent as they are, this is their way to handle something not in their chemistry to respond to. The more vicious an owner becomes, the more the dog will shut down. If the Clumber Spaniel is not the breed of choice for kindness and decency, then the dog should be placed in a home that can offer it a better way of life. A historical breed with a high-quality aristocratic line, the Clumber does not deserve anything other than love, kindness, decency, and respect for what it was bred for.
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Ratings and Attributes
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