JUDGING ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIELS

by Boris Pegan

Dog show exhibiting glorifies the external beauty of the English Springer Spaniel, but hunting is the heart and soul of the breed. As a judge, I believe that every Gundog breeder, at some point in their breeding process, should closely consider what their dog was originally bred for. They must understand that breed Standards were not written with chalked up and fluffed up show dogs in mind, but for working Gundogs. For the English Springer Spaniel, the Standard describes a unique breed, their skills, instincts, outward appearance, conformation and hunting desires, and that these attributes are different from any other breed. The Standard was written for a dog that, for years, was bred for a particular purpose that didn’t include free stacking or running around a show ring. How many breeders and judges read the Standard and ask themselves ‘why’? Without at least basic knowledge of the English Springer in the field, it is practically impossible to understand what correct type and conformation are all about.

English Springer Spaniels were bred to be hunting dogs. Specifically, they were used to ‘flush’ or ‘spring’ game, meaning they would find and chase birds into flight so that hunters could then shoot. English Springers can also retrieve game from land as well from water. My first Springer retrieved birds, while hunting with my father, from a frozen lake at -15C and continued hunting afterwards, which shows that the breed is quite sturdy. From their hunting style comes their structure and hence the very important sentence in the breed standard: ‘Symmetrically built, compact, strong, merry, active. Highest on leg and raciest in build of all British land spaniels’.

The first Standard was written by gamekeepers and hunters and initially was referred to as ‘The Points Of The English Springer’. It was created in February 1921 by the English Springer Spaniel Club. The original 1921 Standard stated, ‘general appearance should be symmetrical, compact, strong, merry, active, and built for endurance and activity’. This statement has remained, pretty much unchanged, for 100 years throughout various modifications so it should be very clear that ‘symmetrically built and compact’ is an extremely important aspect of breed type.

There are several Standards in the world for English Springer Spaniels - in my opinion, a few too many! As well as that of the country of origin, there is the FCI Standard, the American Kennel Club Standard, the Canadian Kennel Club Standard and the South African Standard. All Standards describe the same breed although the American version is much more extensive and detailed than the FCI standard which is actually very brief, and in my view, leaves too much room for interpretation. In most countries covered by FCI, it is the FCI (English Standard) that is used. Japan is an exceptiontothis,wheretheAmericanStandardisused. Americans, of course, follow the American Standard where the parent club, ESS ESSFTA has patronage. In Canada, the Standard is under the patronage of the English Springer Spaniel parent club and approved by the CKC. If you have accepted a judging assignment, it is your responsibility to judge the dogs on the day, according to the Standard that is applicable to the country that you are judging in. Most clubs will send you this information prior to your appointment but if not, you need to do your homework beforehand and follow the relevant Standard religiously while you are judging.

In the second version of the English Standard, written in 1934, an English Springer’s movement was described as ‘strictly his own’. This characteristic is specific to the breed and this wording is still present in most Standards, but no such term is found in the current