Description: The Clumber Spaniel is low to the ground with heavy bones and short legs. The head is large and broad, with a deep muzzle, combined with a bushy forehead. The nose is large and comes in various shades of brown. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The eyes are amber and sunken. The chest is wide and deep, with straight front legs.

The Clumber Spaniel’s ears are triangular in shape, set low and hanging down. The neck is muscular and heavy, and the fur is feathered at the throat. The tail is amputated, in countries that allow it, and is feathered. The coat is dense, flat and straight, being soft to the touch. This coat is primarily white, with orange or lemon markings. His weight is 55 to 85 pounds and his height is 41 to 51 inches. Their life expectancy is ten to twelve years.

History: The dogs that contributed to making this breed were the Basset Hound, the Saint Bernard and the Alpine Spaniel. There is no proof, but it is believed that this breed was created in the 18th century in France by one of the Dukes of Noailles. Threatened by the French Revolution, the Duke moved his dogs to England, to his closest family, the Duke of Newcastle. Here the breed was in royal favor and the name possibly derives from the Duke of Newcastle’s estate called Cumber Park.

This is the heaviest of the Spaniels and is a slow and quiet hunter. This dog is capable of working independently or within a pack, displaying good stamina to do particularly well in dense undergrowth, and has a good sense of smell. This breed has been trained to retrieve and track. In 1848, the breed arrived in Canada and from there made its way to the United States. The Clumber Spaniel was first recognized by the AKC in 1884.