The mud Spaniel was the brainchild of hunter Elma T. Splatchett, who hunted for duck and various waterfowl on the mudflats near where he lived. The mud there was particularly thick and sticky, and he found that his spaniels often had difficulty coping with the conditions.
Talking with fellow hunters, and also some bird-watching enthusiasts, he found that this was a common problem. On that basis he decided that there might be a lot of interest in a new type of spaniel better able to navigate muddy landscapes.
His aim was that through selective breeding the width of the dog’s paws would be increased which would enable it to spread its weight better and thus move easier across the mud. However, an unforeseen development occurred in that subsequent generations of dogs developed the ability to swim through the mud rather than walk on top of it.
As a result of the dogs spending more and more time in mud, they grew increasingly at ease and at home in the medium, desiring to spend as much time as possible in muddy conditions. This resulted in a dog that while was eminently suited to boggy conditions, found itself pining for the mud when on dry land or at home. The dogs would subsequently take advantage of any opportunity leap in a puddle or patch of mud, regardless of the inconvenience to the owner.
Although very friendly and full of enthusiasm, the mud Spaniel is not really suitable for a family pet as it loves mud so much.
One of the most notorious incidents involving the mud Spaniel occurred at the high society wedding between Tim Baggi-Trowsas and Gwenifer Churn. The wedding had been held at Saint Jessops church (Saint Jessop is the patron saint of superior wicker work) in Little Snoodling.
It had rained heavily before the ceremony, and while it had stopped just in time for the bride and groom to emerge, there were puddles everywhere. The happy couple had just started to pose for a photograph with their immediate family, when Scupper, a four-year old mud Spaniel, spied a very large and very tempting puddle right behind the group.
Launching himself with a run and leap worthy of any Olympic long jumper, Scupper landed slap bang, or rather splash bang, right in the middle of the puddle, ruining a perfectly good photo opportunity, the wedding dress and various suits, and the brides day.
The plot thickened as it turned out that Scupper belonged to The now Mrs Baggi-Trowsas-Churn's ex-boyfriend Jeremy Splendid, who denied having any intent behind the incident at all. Mrs Baggi-Trowsas-Churn was later to gain revenge two years later at Splendids own marriage to Cecilia Spangle, with a particularly ingenious and dastardly plot involving a specially trained squadron of Venezuelan fabric-eating moths.
Owners of Mud-Spaniels, include noted marine biologist India Splodge, who can often be seen accompanied by her faithful dog, Bodgitt, while out on the mud flats.
Breed Facts and Trivia
Longest recorded instance of a Mud Spaniel staying clean:
Forty seven minutes, twelve seconds
Colour:
Colours include black, black and tan, sable, and liver. However, it doesn’t really matter as the dog doesn’t stay that colour for very long anyway.
Weight:
Females: 18 - 23 kg, males: 20 - 25kg, plus whatever quantity of mud the dog has managed to accumulate.
Health
Willingness to submit to a bath is a sign that there’s something up with the dog
What’s next?
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