JUDGING SPRINGER SPANIELS

Are the shoulder blade and upper arm approximately equal in length and well laid back? What is the angulation of the front assembly? Are the front pasternselastic? Aretherearanglesinbalancewiththe forehand? Are the back feet in a natural position below the root of the tail? It is recommended to evaluate the dog in a natural position rather than when it is stacked by the handler. Most professional handlers can stack a faulty dog to present a perfect picture. Proportions and balance are of utmost importance in the English Springer Spaniel in understanding correct type. It is the balance between the length of leg in relation to the depth of the body. It is the balance between the size of the bones and the overall size of the dog. It is the balance between the length of the neck to the length of the head. Is the head proportional to the size of the dog’s body? Is the length of the skull the same as the length of the muzzle? Is the depth of the head proportional to its length? What are the parallels? The FCI Standard doesn’t state that the lines of the head must be parallel, but I feel, the more parallel they are, the better. That, however, doesn’t mean that the dog should look like a Pointer. Is the back level with a slight arch over the loin and well coupled? Is the elbow under the highest point of the withers?

The original Standard describes a height of about 51 cm for both males and females. This ’approximation’, means, in my opinion, that a dog or bitch should be no more than two centimetres either side of 51cm meaning that only a height of between 49cm and 53cm should be considered typical for this breed. Dogs larger or smaller than this should not be rewarded. The American standard is much more precise, describing the ideal male at 20 inches (50.8 cm) and 50 lbs in weight (around 22.5kg) while the ideal female should stand at 19 inches (around 48 cm) and 40 lbs (around 18kg.) European and Australian dogs have more oscillations in height than American dogs and we often see dogs losing breed type due to their height and everything else that comes in the package with it. In America, dogs are more even in height, but they often have other problems, some with short legs and some with short backs. For years, Americans struggled with height in the breed with very small dogs, reportedly due to close line breeding.

The construction of fronts is a big problem in American dogs, not only with the English Springer but with all Gundogs. In my communications, I have realized that many Americans do not understand how the front of a dog should be assembled, how long the upper arm should be, where the shoulder blade is placed or where the withers should be. Terrier fronts can often be seen in Gundog breeds and judges both tolerate and reward it. Correct front assembly, in my opinion, is a huge issueinmanyNorthAmericangundogsandregrettably insufficient front angulation often goes hand-in-hand with excessive rear angulation, detracting from the overall balance of the dog and causing uncoordinated movement. Of course, there are a decent number of English Springers with good fronts but they are much harder to find than in the rest of the world.

If the dog gives a square appearance then it is not typical of the breed. The Standard describes a breed whose leg length from the ground to the elbow is the same or slightly higher than the elbow to the highest part of the withers. The Springer should be a little longer from the point of shoulder to the sciatic bone, than its height from withers to the ground. They are not meant to be a square breed and this is a very common flaw especially in North America and more recently in some European countries. The length of the English Springer is not measured from the withers to the root of the tail.

If a dog fulfills all of the above, then it will be a typical representative at first glance and would be able to do the job for which it is intended. The next type test for this breed is movement. This will reveal how satisfactorily all its parts are connected. The movement of a Springer should be fluid, easy and ground covering. Since 1934, the Standard has described the movement of the English Springer as a breed-specific trait. When viewed from the front, the forelegs should swing forward from the shoulder (not elbows) in a free and easy manner so that the front feet touch the ground in a vertical line in front of the nose, all without difficulty or effort. The hind legs should have a driving action with hocks well under the body following in line with the forelegs. We observe whether the front legs, when moving, come under the dog without intersecting with the hind legs. Foot timing is important; many shorter backed dogs will cross over on the go round. Rolling when moving is not typical for this breed and should be penalized. When evaluated from the side, while moving at moderate speed (trot) on a loose lead, the Springer should show a good long forward stride. In line with everything else for the breed, the keyword is ‘moderate’, so do not be attracted by an overreaching front gait because it is not correct. As the speed increases, the legs naturally converge towards a central line of travel. The UK and FCI Standards clearly say ‘at slow movement may have a pacing stride typical of this breed’, a statement that has also been removed from the American Standard.

How is the topline of the dog in motion? Is it firm and level? Can a dog carry its head in multiple ways? Does the dog proudly carry a tail which is a reflection of its temperament? After the type evaluation, we should also observe the temperament of the dog, which must be cheerful, happy, outgoing and always ready to work. Aggressive or timid dogs should be severely penalized. The Springer’s temperament should be obvious, he should love people, life and all beings around him. Temperament stability should not change whether you pull it by the ears, pinch it or stroke it, but don’t do this in the show ring – you get the point, right? Stable, loving, easy going and gentle. All of the above should be thoroughly checked before putting your hands on the dog.

Now that the dog is in front of you, start by looking at the head. The Standard describes the head in great detail, so we should conclude that the head is very important when assessing this breed. The head of the English Springer is different from the heads of all other Spaniels. The Standard states that the skull should be almost, but not quite, flat (slightly rounded at the top), ‘rising from the foreface, making a stop and brow, divided by fluting between the eyes, drifting away along the forehead towards the occipital bone which should not be prominent’. This, again, is where the American standard slightly differs, ‘the skull is medium-length and fairly broad, flat on top and slightly rounded at the sides and back’.