GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulderheight: Approx. 43-51cm (17”- 20”)
Colour: White body with or without lemon or orange markings.
Head is lightly marked and freckled.
Coat: Abundant, straight and silky. Chest and back of legs are well feathered.
Gait: Straight forward, effortless and rolling.
Being the heaviest, longest and lowest member of the Spaniel family, the characteristic rolling gait is created by the short legs and heavy body. The massive head and heavy eyebrows are balanced by a square lipped muzzle and large flesh coloured nostrils. Not needing far to reach the ground to scent, the neck is rather short. The short legs are well boned and the feet are large. The customary docked tail is carried level with the back.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
Clumbers make good hunting dogs as their low slung bodies make it easy for them to creep beneath the bushes to retrieve game. The broad muzzles give them a soft mouth ensuring little damage is done to the retrieved birds.
These spaniels love adults and children alike, and although sensitive, loyal and protective to their family, they do not make good guard dogs. They need plenty of exercise and their affinity with people makes them easily trainable. Coats needs regular brushing with special attention paid to their ears.
HISTORY
Like the Sussex Spaniel, the Clumber differs quite noticeably from other early land spaniels, cock-flushers, springers and the like. The breed is believed to have evolved from crosses between the Basset Hound and the early Alpine Spaniel. They derive their name from Clumber Park, the home of the Duke of Norfolk who is reported to have received some of these spaniels from the French Duc de Noailles in the mid 1700s. In 1859, the breed popularity and numbers were great enough for Clumbers to be allocated special classes at shows.