The Sussex Spaniel has a medium length top coat and a denser, softer undercoat which makes them high maintenance in the grooming department more especially during the Spring and then again in the Autumn when they tend to shed the most. Ideally, their coats need to be brushed every day paying special attention to feathers found on a dog's legs, chest, ears, abdomen and tail. Daily brushing helps prevent any knots or tangles from forming and to remove any debris a dog might have picked up.
It's also important to have their coats trimmed from time to time which makes keeping on top of things that much easier in between visits to a professional groomer. This is especially true of neutered and spayed dogs. Any long hair that grows in and around their paw pads should also be kept nice and short which is a task a professional groomer would be able to do when a dog is being trimmed.
It's also important to check a dog's ears on a regular basis and to clean them when necessary. If too much wax is allowed to build up in a dog's ears, it can lead to a painful infection which can be hard to clear up. In short, prevention is often easier than cure when it comes to ear infections bearing in mind that Sussex Spaniels are prone to ear problems.
Sussex Spaniels are intelligent, energetic albeit laid-back dogs and they need to be given the right amount of daily exercise paired to as much mental stimulation as possible for them to be truly happy, well-balanced dogs. They are most suited to life in the country and with people who lead more active, outdoor lives. They need to be given at least 2 hour's exercise a day which should include as much off the lead time as possible.
A shorter walk in the morning would be fine, but a longer more interesting one in the afternoon is a must. These dogs also like to be able to roam around a back garden as often as possible so they can really let off steam. However, the fencing has to be extremely secure to keep these high energy dogs in because if they find a weakness in the fence, they will soon escape out and get into all sorts of trouble.
With this said, Sussex Spaniel puppies should not be over exercised because their joints and bones are still developing. This includes not letting a dog jump up and down from furniture or going up or down the stairs. Too much pressure placed on their joints and spines at an early age could result in a dog developing serious problems later in their lives.
If you get a Sussex Spaniel puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again. It's worth bearing in mind that some puppies can be a little fussy about their food and if this is the case, the best course of action is to discuss things with a vet or dog nutritionist who would be able to offer the best and most reliable advice.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy or finicky eaters, but this does not mean you can feed them a lower quality diet. It's best to feed a mature dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog's life by several years so it's important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go.
