Spaniel (Clumber)
Group: Gundog
Size: Large
Coat length: Medium
Grooming required: More than once a week
Coat sheds: No
Home size: Large House
Garden size: Small/Medium
Lifespan: Over 10 Years
Exercise: Up to 1 hour per day
They are a medium-sized, heavy, thick-set dog, low to the ground and with a large head and deep muzzle. In fact, over the years, the breed standard has allowed them to become heavier. Their coat is soft, flat and short and mainly white with markings in orange or lemon.
The breed was set in the 18th Century in England but may have come originally from France. They are a scenting gun dog, quite slow but quiet and with good stamina. They were used to hunt birds like pheasant.
They are intelligent and trainable and possibly the most placid and steady of the Spaniels. They are affectionate, easy-going and polite and make a good family dog. They are normally sociable and friendly towards other animals, strangers and children. They need regular exercise of a decent duration. They also love to chew so need to be given something suitable to meet that need.
They need regular brushing and occasional trimming but still shed quite heavily. They can be prone to entropion, cataracts, juvenile lameness, hip dysplasia, ear infections, dry eyes and skin and flea allergies. They tend to snore, wheeze and drool and have a tendency to put on weight easily.
The breed is also prone to Exercise-induced collapse (EIC) which is a genetic syndrome where dogs show signs of muscle weakness, loss of coordination, severe marked increase in body temperature and life-threatening collapse when participating in strenuous exercise or activity. Affected dogs can cope with mild to moderate exercise, but just 5 to 20 minutes of strenuous activity, or even extreme excitement can induce weakness or collapse. New owners should also bear in mind the Inbreeding Coefficient (COI) as the breed is small in numbers so many breeders are working on introducing new bloodlines to keep the genetic pool as varied as possible.