The Sussex Spaniel’s “sad” expression is functional for hunting and adds to their charm, making them both practical and irresistibly cuddly.
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This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, June 2021 issue.
The AKC Breed Standard states: “The Sussex Spaniel has a somber and serious appearance, and its fairly heavy brows produce a frowning expression.” The “somber and serious” part is misleading. People often say, “Oh, he looks so sad,” when a Sussex is just standing there thinking about what sort of mischief he can get into next.
The reason they were and are bred to look this way is because they were bred to be a hunting dog; a hunting dog that can go through heavy underbrush after birds and other game without getting his eyes scratched—hence the frowning brow—and the “sad” look of the large, hazel eyes with some haw showing underneath is to allow for any weed seeds that get into the eye to be easily wiped out, rather than staying in the eye and irritating it as would happen with a tight eye.
That soft, languishing look is not only beautiful, it is functional in the field while hunting. And it also makes his people want to hug him and give him whatever his little heart desires at home!
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