The Toy Trawler Spaniel is an extinct breed of Spaniel which physically was similar to the King Charles Spaniel of the 16th century. It is considered to have descended from the original King Charles Spaniel, and the older variety of Sussex Spaniel. It was originally used as a sporting dog, but became used as a toy and show dog. It was considered to be on the verge of extinction by 1920. A preserved specimen is kept in Tring at the Natural History Museum at Tring.
History
The specific origin of the species is unknown but in 1919 was thought to have been descended from the originally curly coated King Charles Spaniel and the old-fashioned curly coated Sussex Spaniel.There is a preserved specimen at the Natural History Museum at Tring. Named Robin, it was bred by Judith Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth and was born in 1911. It died in 1920 when the breed was said to be “nearly extinct”. Lady Wentworth wrote about using Toy Trawler Spaniels to re-breed the original King Charles Spaniel in her book “Toy Dogs and Their Ancestors Including the History And Management of Toy Spaniels, Pekingese, Japanese and Pomeranians” published under the name of the “Hon. Mrs Neville Lytton” in 1911.
