The AKC currently registers 197 dog breeds, and that means there are 197 breed standards.  Among all those standards, only one includes the word “languishing:” From its AKC standard: Eyes-The eyes are hazel in color, fairly large, soft and languishing, but do not show the haw overmuch. That standard belongs to the Sussex Spaniel.

While the expression of the big, sad, hazel eyes of this spaniel is an essential feature of the breed, it’s deceptive. Sussexs are actually cheerful, happy and slightly clownish dogs

As of 2018, the Sussex was also one of only two standards that mentioned “frowning” as part of the description on breed expression (the other is the Chow Chow).

So why did breeders develop the breed to look so sad?

They didn’t. They bred a hunting breed whose job is to plow through thick undergrowth and sharp seeded weeds looking for game without getting its eyes lacerated or scratched. A tight eye would have made a Sussex Spaniel vulnerable to ocular injury, while a frowning brow and haw showing underneath allows weed seeds that get into the eye to be easily flushed out or wiped away instead of staying in the eye to irritate or injure it.

The best image we had in our “library” is one shared with us several years ago by Lori Wright of “Grey,” a Sussex Spaniel. The photo was to commemorate something else, we suspect, but Mr. Grey’s expression is so “Sussexy.”