This image comes comes from a painting by Abraham Cooper in the early to middle part of the nineteenth century. I would estimate that this painting was done in the 1830’s. Sir Edwin Landseer, the man kneeling before the spaniel on the right, looks to be in his early 30’s.
The only copy of this image I can find is in James Watson’s The Dog Book (1906).
The spaniel that is facing Landseer– and the likely retriever of the woodcock he is holding– is a Sussex spaniel
And it is very much unlike a Sussex spaniel of the modern era. It is also post Rosehill-breeding, which suggests that even after Mr. Fuller established his strain, these dogs were often longer leg than they became as show dogs.
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¿Y por qué no field-spaniel?, en cualquier caso es preferible un perro de trabajo y no de exposición, seria muy interesante volver a clasificárlos por libras o kilos de peso.
Saludos.
So called ‘working’ type spaniels, very similar in appearance to those depicted in the painting, seem to be very popular among the English of 2012, judging from what we see out on the hills every day. I’m not surprised at these being popular since I’m told they are generally a healthier option than the show cockers, not usually inbred yet having the cheerful cocker disposition in spades, which makes them such a favourite still.
These working cockers I’m sure are a better alternative spaniel type than the cavalier, anyway, with that latter breed’s increasing tendencies towards inheriting syringomyelia and mitral valve disease. What amazes me is the way the gentle owners of cavaliers seem to accept this situation, “warts and all” and still buy yet another cavalier. They look lovely and are a delight – but the medical costs and more sadly the eventual cruel outcome for most of them…!
Actually when I say “working cocker” I mean to include all the working spaniels of various mixed origins as well; such as, most commonly, the ‘working springer/cocker whose exact ancestry is varied and often not exactly recalled or recorded when you ask an owner/breeder.
My friend Eileen used to breed field spaniels but eventually gave them up as “boring”. In any case I understand the gene pools especially of the less popular show breeds of spaniels are troublingly narrowed it seems. The clumber breed as some will agree, is no longer properly acceptable, having been developed with ectropian and entropian of the eyes, that is with eyelids turned painfully either inwards or outwards and often with haw showing, looking red and painful.
The winning clumber was famously thrown out of Crufts this year.
I’m not so familiar with the sussex but what one hears is not encouraging . It looks to me like being superficially midway between clumber and field.
In Watson’s book, he mentions Idstone as reference for the supposition that it was Edwin Landseer at the far right. And in my copy of his book, Idstone (1872) does rather off-handedly mention this painting in the chapter on Sussex spaniels. Still, “Sussex spaniels” varied considerably in leg length, body proportions, and head type. The dog in the painting could just as well have been called a Field, a Cocker, or a Springer spaniel.
Hey Scottie; I think you’ll want to keep a copy of this one: http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/05/17/152913171/the-essence-of-science-explained-in-63-seconds?ft=3&f=111787346&sc=nl&cc=es-20120520
hi pleased the picture or only one thank guy