Saint-Usuge Spaniel

The Saint-Usuge Spaniel is a Burgundian marsh spaniel that was declared extinct and then found again in the villages around its home.

History

It worked the wetlands of Bresse in eastern France for centuries and was written off as lost by the mid-twentieth century. In the 1980s a local priest, Father Robert Billard, went looking through the villages of Saint-Usuge and the surrounding countryside, found dogs of the old type still being worked by farmers, and rebuilt the breed from them. France recognised it in 1990.

Temperament

The breed is known for being lively, affectionate and biddable, sociable at home and hardy in cold water.

Care and training

It needs substantial exercise and work for its nose. The medium wavy coat needs regular brushing and the drop ears want checking.

Health

Generally sound; the narrow base it was rebuilt from is the standing caution. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.