Clumber Spaniel | Breed Info: Pictures, Personality, Facts & Traits

The Clumber Spaniel is a beautiful dog that has a very striking appearance. They have short legs but large, bulky heads, and they usually have long, straight hair like many Spaniels.

These dogs are big sweethearts with a lot of love and affection to go around, and they’ll likely get along with and befriend any member of your family. They love cuddling and human interaction, so they do best in homes where they can get a lot of attention.

Clumber Spaniels can make wonderful family pets for just about any sized family, and that includes those with kids as well as older family members. We’ll discuss everything you should know about these dogs in depth below so you can decide if this big, lumbering giant of a pooch is right for your home!

 

Clumber Spaniel Puppies

Clumber Spaniels are highly affectionate and tend to be rather emotionally needy, so these dogs, above all else, will require a lot of attention. Before you dive into owning one of these dogs, you should know that they quickly turn to destructive behavior if they feel they aren’t getting the attention they desire. They do best in homes where there’s always someone around with whom they can spend some quality time.

If you’ve ever met one of these pups, you may have immediately noticed their calm and gentle nature. Many people assume that their relatively low energy throughout the day is indicative of a short amount of required daily exercise. However, these dogs need around an hour a day, so don’t be fooled by how reserved and collected they seem when not exercising.

Lastly, you’ll need to be prepared to clean up after your dog. With long hair, you’re bound to notice quite a bit of shedding, so you should be ready to vacuum regularly and brush your dog often to get rid of loose hair. Perhaps even worse than the shedding is this breed’s tendency to drool. Clumber Spaniels have loose jowls that lead to regular drooling, so if you aren’t wiping drool off your dog’s mouth, you’ll be wiping it off the floor!

3 Little-Known Facts About the Clumber Spaniel

1. They Are Sometimes Too Intelligent

Clumber Spaniels are highly intelligent dogs, which is great in most cases. However, these dogs sometimes use their smarts for naughty behavior. They often figure out how to get into refrigerators, cabinets, and other places not suitable for hungry pups in search of treats! You may find you need to install child locks on your cabinets and fridge with a Clumber Spaniel around.

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2. They’re Nicknamed the “Retired Gentleman’s Spaniel”

Due to their calm demeanor and low-key personality, the Clumber Spaniel is commonly referred to as the “Retired Gentleman’s Spaniel.” They may have a moderate energy level and fairly high endurance when it comes to exercise, but around the house, they are easy-going and often in a zen-like state.

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3. They Were Originally Bred for Hunting

You may hear traits like “calm” and “zen-like” and never expect that they would be used to describe hunting dogs, but Clumber Spaniels were bred for hunting birds and small game. They’re likely to have a healthy prey drive despite their calm nature.

Temperament & Intelligence of the Clumber Spaniel 🧠

Clumber Spaniels are mild-tempered and tranquil. As long as they get their necessary exercise, they will happily lounge around the house and relax with their owners.

They love human interaction, and they are very affectionate and needy dogs. They are happiest when they get to interact with and spend time with their family members, and they can quickly feel neglected if they’re left alone for too long without attention.

These dogs are friendly and fairly outgoing, and they’ll usually take kindly to meeting and befriending new people.

Are Clumber Spaniels Good for Families? 🏡

The Clumber Spaniel is among the best of family pets. They have a ton of love and affection to go around to all family members, and they adore and need attention constantly, so the more people around to offer some, the better! They also enjoy company immensely, so homes where at least one family member is always around are perfect for these pups.

The Clumber Spaniel’s calmness and friendliness also make it an excellent dog for families with children. They are very patient and kind toward kids, even younger ones, and you’ll never have to be concerned that your dog will show any aggression toward any family member, children included.

They will often choose one family member as their “favorite,” and they will form a special bond with this person. However, no one in your family will feel slighted, as your Clumber Spaniel will be happy to spend time with anyone in your home.

Do Clumber Spaniels Get Along with Other Pets? 🐶 😽

The Clumber Spaniel’s friendliness will extend beyond human family members to other dogs as well, especially if they are socialized early and grow up together. They also will very rarely have any issues with unfamiliar dogs they come in contact with, and their calm friendliness will generally extend to all canines.

Because these dogs were bred for hunting small game and birds, they do have a high prey drive. For this reason, Clumber Spaniels are not recommended for homes with cats, rodents, or pet birds, as they will likely be seen as prey to be chased or retrieved. Early socialization may help a little, but their instinct to catch small game won’t be trained away entirely.

Things to Know When Owning a Clumber Spaniel:

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

Given their size, you may be surprised to find out that Clumber Spaniels need two to three cups of dry dog food a day. These pups have a healthy appetite, so the cost of food is something you’ll need to consider when deciding if this breed is right for you.

It’s also probably surprising to hear that Clumber Spaniel puppies often need even more than their adult counterparts! Puppies can easily eat between four and six cups of food per day while they’re growing. Their appetite may not taper off so much when they hit their target height and weight, so be careful not to overfeed your pooch once they hit adulthood.

Exercise 🐕

Despite their calm demeanor at home, Clumber Spaniels still need daily exercise to remain happy and healthy. You should expect to set aside around an hour a day to walk or run with your pup. As often as possible, this exercise should be done on soft surfaces like grass or dirt, as these dogs often suffer from joint issues.

Your Clumber Spaniel will likely lounge around if you let them, so it’s important not to take their willingness to relax all day as a sign that your dog doesn’t need to exercise. These dogs, like many others, can experience additional health problems including weight gain and obesity if they don’t get their daily exercise.

Lastly, because Clumber Spaniels have a high prey drive, you need to make sure that they are always on a secure and strong harness and leash when exercising outdoors. They may try to back out of their collar or harness and go on the hunt if they see a rabbit, squirrel, or other small animal during walks or runs.

Training 🦮

Like we mentioned earlier, Clumber Spaniels are highly intelligent. They’re also eager to please their owners, and these traits combined make for a very obedient and easy-to-train dog. They will pick up on commands, tricks, and the rules of your household quickly and with ease.

However, these dogs will also gladly assume the leadership position in your home if no one else does. It won’t take much effort to establish yourself as an authoritative figure for them, but you will need to establish your dominance and let your pooch know who the boss is.

Once you have assumed the leadership role, your pup will happily obey you, and only some casual reminders of your leadership will be necessary.

Grooming ✂️

Grooming your Clumber Spaniel will take some time and effort, as their long hair can be a bit challenging at times. You will need to do regular brushing about two to three times a week with a pin brush or de-shedder — this will help cut down on shedding a bit and keep their coats healthy and shiny. Keep in mind that you won’t avoid shedding altogether, so do plan on vacuuming up loose hair regularly as well.

Drooling is another messy habit that Clumber Spaniels can’t avoid, so you’ll find yourself wiping your dog’s jowls clean several times a day. Even with this maintenance, you may need to clean drool up off of your floors regularly as well. Their cute, droopy faces make the cleaning worth it!

Bathing can be done once every six to eight weeks, and more frequent baths should be avoided, as they can lead to dry skin and fur.

You’ll want to clean around your dog’s eyes and wipe their ears clean at least once a week, as this will help reduce infection. You should also plan to brush your pup’s teeth about once a week as well to prevent tooth and gum issues.

Lastly, always keep your dog’s nails properly trimmed, as long nails can lead to cracking, breaking, discomfort, and infection.

• Also see: Best Dry Dog Shampoos – Reviews & Top Picks

Health Conditions ❤️

Thankfully, Clumber Spaniels are pretty hearty dogs that don’t experience many health issues, and those that are common are not life-threatening. You should still make sure to take your pooch to the vet about once a year for checkups and be on the lookout for the below issues, especially those related to their eyes.

Male vs. Female

Male Clumber Spaniels do tend to have a bit more energy and may exhibit a higher prey drive. For the most part, your dog will be sociable and calm regardless of their gender. Males do tend to be larger than females, and they can stand up to three inches taller and weigh in about 15 pounds heavier.

 

Final Thoughts: Clumber Spaniel

Clumber Spaniels are exceptionally friendly, loving, and affectionate dogs who make wonderful additions to families of all sizes. They will get along with any member of your household, including kids and other dogs.

They thrive on human interaction and will always want to be a part of what your family is doing. They love attention, will always seek it out, and can easily feel neglected if they don’t get enough. They also do best in homes where they always have some company.

These lumbering dogs are great for first-time dog owners, as they are easy to train and fairly easy to groom. If you’re able and willing to keep up with their shedding and drooling, you’d find it difficult to choose a better companion dog for you and your family!

See also:

• Cockalier (Cocker Spaniel & Cavalier King Charles Mix): Pictures, Info & Facts
• Clumber Lab (Clumber Spaniel & Labrador Mix): Info, Pictures, Traits

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Featured Image: Lenkadan, Shutterstock