The breed can suffer from a variety of breed-specific ailments varying in severity from temporary lameness due to bone growth whilst young to hip dysplasia or spinal disc herniation.

[3] The Clumber has a heavy bone structure,[4] has a massive 'melting' head[5] with a mournful and dopey expression, a square nose and muzzle, and large vine-leaf shaped ears.

[2] Clumbers are predominantly white in colour with lemon, brown, or orange markings around the eyes, and at the base of the tail.

The breed has a trophy mentality and the dog has an incessant need to carry something most of the time; unfortunately this can lead to health issues as they may ingest the items.

It is well-suited for work in upland hunting in dense cover,[2] and although the Clumber is rather slow in the field compared to other spaniels, it is a quiet worker with a fine nose and good stamina.

The final common condition that the breed has is heat sensitivity: if Clumber Spaniels are left without shade, they can become uncomfortably hot and dehydrated.

[11] A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 12.3 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.

[14] The only treatment for entropion is surgical, and may be delayed until the dog reaches adulthood as whilst a puppy the facial structures of the animal are still growing and changing.

Once the cord is compressed, the dog experiences symptoms ranging from mild back/neck pain to leg paralysis, loss of sensation, and urinary and fecal incontinence.

One theory is that it originated in France, stating that the Duc de Noailles at the time of the French Revolution gave his kennel of prized spaniels to the Duke of Newcastle at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire.

[18] The theory goes, that the now extinct Alpine Spaniel was bred with Basset Hounds, and the Pyrenean Mountain Dog also known as the Great Pyrenees.

[5] They are referred to in Queen Victoria's diary: on October 16, 1840, she wrote, "Walked out directly after breakfast before Albert went to shoot.

He had his 7 fine Clumber Spaniels with us and we went into the Slopes, with such a funny old Gamekeeper, Walters, in order that I should see how the dogs found out their game.

[22] While the breed was not shown widely in the United States prior to the late 1960s, in 1844, Lieutenant Venables, an officer of the British regiment stationed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, introduced the Clumber Spaniel to North America.

[23] The first Clumber Spaniel listed in the AKC registry, recorded for the date of 1878 was Bustler, an orange and white dog owned by Benjamin Smith of Nova Scotia.

[24] Champion Clussexx Country Sunrise ("Brady"), bred by Doug Johnson and owned by Richard and Judith Zaleski of Florida, became the only Clumber to win Best in Show there in 1996.