How to Identify a Sussex Spaniel

Co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Last Updated: September 12, 2019 References

The Sussex spaniel is a dog breed that was originally bred in Sussex, England. In order to identify the Sussex spaniel, you will need to assess the shape and appearance of its body. It has a long and low, rectangular appearance, coupled with a lovely liver brown color and soft coat. The breed has a somber and serious expression although it is friendly and merry in temperament. Overall, in order to identify a dog you will need to make sure it conforms to the Sussex spaniel breed standard.^{[1]
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Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Assessing the Dog's Head

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.^{[2]
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- The dog's eyes are large and hazel colored, with a soft and passive expression.
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.^{[3]
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- The ears are covered with wavy hair that if very soft to the touch.
3
Assess the shape of the dog's head. 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.^{[4]
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- 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.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Evaluating the Dog's Individual Body Parts

1
Notice if the dog looks strong and well-proportioned. The dog should have an almost rectangular appearance that makes it look thicker through its body. The dog will be lower to the ground, with short legs and a long body.^{[5]
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2
Inspect the dog's neck. 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.
3
Take a look at the dog's tail. Most purebred Sussex spaniels have docked tails, meaning that their natural tails are cut off for cosmetic reasons.^{[6]
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Research source} 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.^{[7]
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- Sussex spaniels without docked tails have tails that are more than a foot long.^{[8]
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4
Look at the forequarters and hindquarters. 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 overly angled at the hocks, which is the joint at the middle of the back legs.^{[9]
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- 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.
5
Check out the dog's coat. 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.^{[10]
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- 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.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Assessing the Shape, Proportion, and Gait of the Dog

1
Assess the overall size and shape of the dog. 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.^{[11]
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- 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.
2
Look at the dog's proportions. 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.^{[12]
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The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show.

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- When looked at closely, the dog's legs may look short in proportion to its body.
3
Watch the gait of the dog. 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.^{[13]
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- This movement looks deliberate and smooth, not clumsy.
- The head of a Sussex spaniel is generally held low when moving.
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Relying on Expertise and Science

1
Check the dog' pedigree. 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.
2
Ask a veterinarian for breed possibilities. 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.
3
Consider DNA testing. 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.^{[14]
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- 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.
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