It’s just a suspicion, mind you, but we have a hunch that Clumber Spaniels are misunderstood. That woe-begone face at one end is balanced by a wiggling tail at the other, and a conformation that hints at a lumbering dog is very misleading. A sound Clumber moves easily and freely with a balanced reach and drive. A wide body and short legs causes the Clumber to roll slightly as he moves, but this is an efficient gait that can be sustained for a full day of work in the field without tiring.
The Clumber is a marvelous companion- as an adult. The fine artist of this image writes, “An adult Clumber Spaniel…[is] generally quite laid back and easy to have around. The downside? – it takes a lot of work to get a Clumber puppy to that stage!…Clumber puppies can be trying for even the most experienced of dog owners.” You can read more of Ms. Wynen’s insights here.
Additional reading further suggests to us that Clumbers can be possessive, stubborn, and single minded to their task at hand. On the other hand, when you look up the word, “sweetheart” in the dictionary, the picture of a Clumber Spaniel should appear alongside it. For the right owners, this is one fabulous breed. If we have Clumber owning readers, we’d love to see photos of your dogs and get your own insights into the breed.
Image: Clumber Head Markings by Diane Wynen
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I’m a clumber addict. I have two females, age 5y5mths and 2y5mnths, mother and daughter. Latter bred by me.
I had a litter of 7 in summer 2017 and one of 5 in May 2019.
Males weighing around 35 to 40 kg, the girls with an average weight of 30 to 32 kg.
The girls can be bitches, they like a bit of personal space. Too loud and too busy is something they decide. With others dogs they will show their teeth, growl or put their elbows on top. They do not bite easily though.
The boys are cooler.
Both want to be hugged, groomed and spoiled whole day, all week long. When I’m sitting, they are lying down and often snoring. When I go, they want to come along. If not possible, that is ok in a pack. If allowed, they can they in the car (if not too hot and in the shade or too cold) for hours. Reward is running free in the field, on the beach or wherever. Balladdict as they are, it is a good way to exercise and it keeps them from doing silly things. Fetch and bring is a marvellous game. They do not share! Food isn’t shared either. They wait to be rewarded, but they can be bossy amongst each other. I can ask anything and they will do it, even if it is reluctantly (e.g. edible things found along the walk). With children they are patient and as they like to play and to cuddle and to eat … No comment needed!
With animals it can be a problem if they run/fly or make high pitched sounds. But they even release a hare if I ask them to.
I love saint Bernardino’s, basset hounds, blood hounds. The clumber has the best of all qualities in one dog. The only disadvantage is that they are always dirty! They are self cleaning, dirt falls off. My house isn’t. This time if the year they she’d.
One cannot have it all. 😉
Wonderful insights, Karin, thank you for sharing them with us! There’s just nothing to equal the experiences of people who live with a breed, and you’ve shared information that only an owner would know. Thank you again!
Their personality is sparkly ! They can be trying as puppies as you acknowledge, mostly because they love to snatch socks ,tea towels , napkins and undies and run like crazy ! They are extremely intelligent, highly trainable and hard workers . They have terrific energy and love to fetch ,play ball and tug a war .For me ,the only drawback is the extreme shedding .
Thank you for writing, Kate, and passing along your personal experiences with the Clumber. As we told Karin in another comment, there’s nothing to equal the experiences of people who live with a breed.
There is not another dog like a Clumber and like potato chips you can’t have just one! I have two and wish I had room for more. It is so hard to put into words what makes them so special. Lucy and Mr Willoughby are always excited to see everyone. A stranger is immediately their friend. The personality of a Clumber is charming, devilish and very funny. You will always look forward to going home when there is a Clumber Spaniel waiting for you!
These wonderful drawings were commissioned by The Clumber Spaniel Club of America… read all about the breed at http://www.vlumbers.org
And become a member to help protect and preserve this wonderful breed!
These wonderful drawings were commissioned by The Clumber Spaniel Club of America… read all about the breed at
http://www.clumbers.org
And become a member to help protect and preserve this wonderful breed!