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General Appearance
The English Springer Spaniel is a medium-sized sporting dog, with
a compact body and a docked tail. His coat is moderately long,
with feathering on his legs, ears, chest and brisket. His
pendulous ears, soft gentle expression, sturdy build and friendly
wagging tail proclaim him unmistakably a member of the ancient
family of Spaniels. He is above all a well-proportioned dog, free
from exaggeration, nicely balanced in every part. His carriage is
proud and upstanding, body deep, legs strong and muscular, with
enough length to carry him with ease. |
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Taken as a whole, the
English Springer Spaniel suggests power, endurance and agility. He looks
the part of a dog that can go, and keep going, under difficult hunting
conditions. At his best, he is endowed with style, symmetry, balance and
enthusiasm, and is every inch a sporting dog of distinct spaniel
character, combining beauty and utility.
Size, Proportion, Substance
The Springer is built to cover rough ground with agility and reasonable
speed. His structure suggests the capacity for endurance. He is to be kept
to medium size. Ideal height at the shoulder for dogs is 20 inches; for
bitches, it is 19 inches. Those more than one inch under or over the breed
ideal are to be faulted. A 20 inch dog, well-proportioned and in good
condition, will weigh approximately 50 pounds; a 19 inch bitch will weigh
approximately 40 pounds. The length of the body (measured from point of
shoulder to point of buttocks) is slightly greater than the height at the
withers. The dog too long in body, especially when long in the loin, tires
easily and lacks the compact outline characteristic of the breed. A dog
too short in body for the length of his legs, a condition which destroys
balance and restricts gait, is equally undesirable. A Springer with
correct substance appears well-knit and sturdy with good bone, however, he
is never coarse or ponderous.
Head
The head is impressive without being heavy. Its beauty lies in a
combination of strength and refinement. It is important that its size and
proportion be in balance with the rest of the dog. Viewed in profile, the
head appears approximately the same length as the neck and blends with the
body in substance. The stop, eyebrows and chiseling of the bony structure
around the eye sockets contribute to the Springer's beautiful and
characteristic expression, which is alert, kindly and trusting. The eyes,
more than any other feature, are the essence of the Springer's appeal.
Correct size, shape, placement and color influence expression and
attractiveness. The eyes are of medium size and oval in shape, set rather
well-apart and fairly deep in their sockets. The color of the iris
harmonizes with the color of the coat, preferably dark hazel in the liver
and white dogs and black or deep brown in the black and white dogs.
Eyerims are fully pigmented and match the coat in color. Lids are tight
with little or no haw showing. Eyes that are small, round or protruding,
as well as eyes that are yellow or brassy in color, are highly
undesirable. Ears are long and fairly wide, hanging close to the cheeks
with no tendency to stand up or out. The ear leather is thin and
approximately long enough to reach the tip of the nose. Correct ear set is
on a level with the eye and not too far back on the skull. The skull is
medium-length and fairly broad, flat on top and slightly rounded at the
sides and back. The occiput bone is inconspicuous. As the skull rises from
the foreface, it makes a stop, divided by a groove, or fluting, between
the eyes. The groove disappears as it reaches the middle of the forehead.
The amount of stop is moderate. It must not be a pronounced feature;
rather it is a subtle rise where the muzzle joins the upper head. It is
emphasized by the groove and by the position and shape of the eyebrows,
which are well-developed. The muzzle is approximately the same length as
the skull and one half the width of the skull. Viewed in profile, the
toplines of the skull and muzzle lie in approximately parallel planes. The
nasal bone is straight, with no inclination downward toward the tip of the
nose, the latter giving an undesirable downfaced look. Neither is the
nasal bone concave, resulting in a "dish-faced" profile; nor
convex, giving the dog a Roman nose. The cheeks are flat, and the face is
well-chiseled under the eyes. Jaws are of sufficient length to allow the
dog to carry game easily: fairly square, lean and strong. The upper lips
come down full and rather square to cover the line of the lower jaw,
however, the lips are never pendulous or exaggerated. The nose is
fully-pigmented, liver or black in color, depending on the color of the
coat. The nostrils are well-opened and broad. Teeth are strong, clean, of
good size and ideally meet in a close scissors bite. An even bite or one
or two incisors slightly out of line are minor faults. Undershot, overshot
and wry jaws are serious faults and are to be severely penalized.
Neck, Topline, Body
The neck is moderately long, muscular, clean and slightly arched at the
crest. It blends gradually and smoothly into sloping shoulders. The
portion of the topline from withers to tail is firm and slopes very
gently. The body is short-coupled, strong and compact. The chest is deep,
reaching the level of the elbows, with well-developed forechest; however,
it is not so wide or round as to interfere with the action of the front
legs. Ribs are fairly long, springing gradually to the middle of the body,
then tapering as they approach the end of the ribbed section. The
underline stays level with the elbows to a slight upcurve at the flank.
The back is straight, strong and essentially level. Loins are strong,
short and slightly arched. Hips are nicely-rounded, blending smoothly into
the hind legs. The croup slopes gently to the set of the tail, and
tail-set follows the natural line of the croup. The tail is carried
horizontally or slightly elevated and displays a characteristic lively,
merry action, particularly when the dog is on game. A clamped tail
(indicating timidity or undependable temperament) is to be faulted, as is
a tail carried at a right angle to the backline in Terrier fashion.
Forequarters
Efficient movement in front calls for proper forequarter assembly. The
shoulder blades are flat and fairly close together at the tips, molding
smoothly into the contour of the body. Ideally, when measured from the top
of the withers to the point of the shoulder to the elbow, the shoulder
blade and upper arm are of apparent equal length, forming an angle of
nearly 90 degrees; this sets the front legs well under the body and places
the elbows directly beneath the tips of the shoulder blades. Elbows lie
close to the body. Forelegs are straight with the same degree of size
continuing to the foot. Bone is strong, slightly flattened, not too round
or too heavy. Pasterns are short, strong and slightly sloping, with no
suggestion of weakness. Dewclaws are usually removed. Feet are round or
slightly oval. They are compact and well-arched, of medium size with thick
pads, and well-feathered between the toes.
Hindquarters
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The Springer should
be worked and shown in hard, muscular condition with well-developed
hips and thighs. His whole rear assembly suggests strength and
driving power. Thighs are broad and muscular. Stifle joints are
strong. For functional efficiency, the angulation of the hindquarter
is never greater than that of the forequarter, and not appreciably
less. The hock joints are somewhat rounded, not small and sharp in
contour. Rear pasterns are short (about 1/3 the distance from the
hip joint to the foot) and strong, with good bone. When viewed from
behind, the rear pasterns are parallel. Dewclaws are usually
removed. The feet are the same as in front, except that they are
smaller and often more compact. |
Coat
The Springer has an outer coat and an undercoat. On the body, the outer
coat is of medium length, flat or wavy, and is easily distinguishable from
the undercoat, which is short, soft and dense. The quantity of undercoat
is affected by climate and season. When in combination, outer coat and
undercoat serve to make the dog substantially waterproof, weatherproof and
thornproof. On ears, chest, legs and belly the Springer is nicely
furnished with a fringe of feathering of moderate length and heaviness. On
the head, front of the forelegs, and below the hock joints on the front of
the hind legs, the hair is short and fine. The coat has the clean, glossy,
"live" appearance indicative of good health. It is legitimate to
trim about the head, ears, neck and feet, to remove dead undercoat, and to
thin and shorten excess feathering as required to enhance a smart,
functional appearance. The tail may be trimmed, or well fringed with wavy
feathering. Above all, the appearance should be natural. Overtrimming,
especially the body coat, or any chopped, barbered or artificial effect is
to be penalized in the show ring, as is excessive feathering that destroys
the clean outline desirable in a sporting dog. Correct quality and
condition of coat is to take precedence over quantity of coat.
Color
All the following combinations of colors and markings are equally
acceptable:(1) Black or liver with white markings or predominantly white
with black or liver markings; (2) Blue or liver roan; (3) Tricolor: black
and white or liver and white with tan markings, usually found on eyebrows,
cheeks, inside of ears and under the tail. Any white portion of the coat
may be flecked with ticking. Off colors such as lemon, red or orange are
not to place.
Gait
The final test of the Springer's conformation and soundness is proper
movement. Balance is a prerequisite to good movement. The front and rear
assemblies must be equivalent in angulation and muscular development for
the gait to be smooth and effortless. Shoulders which are well laid-back
to permit a long stride are just as essential as the excellent rear
quarters that provide driving power. Seen from the side, the Springer
exhibits a long, ground-covering stride and carries a firm back, with no
tendency to dip, roach or roll from side to side. From the front, the legs
swing forward in a free and easy manner. Elbows have free action from the
shoulders, and the legs show no tendency to cross or interfere. From
behind, the rear legs reach well under the body, following on a line with
the forelegs. As speed increases, there is a natural tendency for the legs
to converge toward a center line of travel. Movement faults include
high-stepping, wasted motion; short, choppy stride; crabbing; and moving
with the feet wide, the latter giving roll or swing to the body.
Temperament
The typical Springer is friendly, eager to please, quick to learn and
willing to obey. Such traits are conducive to tractability, which is
essential for appropriate handler control in the field. In the show ring,
he should exhibit poise and attentiveness and permit himself to be
examined by the judge without resentment or cringing. Aggression toward
people and aggression toward other dogs is not in keeping with sporting
dog character and purpose and is not acceptable. Excessive timidity, with
due allowance for puppies and novice exhibits, is to be equally penalized.
Summary
In evaluating the English Springer Spaniel, the overall picture is a
primary consideration. One should look for type, which includes
general appearance and outline, and also for soundness, which
includes movement and temperament. Inasmuch as the dog with a smooth easy
gait must be reasonably sound and well-balanced, he is to be highly
regarded, however, not to the extent of forgiving him for not looking like
an English Springer Spaniel. An atypical dog, too short or long in leg
length or foreign in head or expression, may move well, but he is not to
be preferred over a good all-round specimen that has a minor fault in
movement. It must be remembered that the English Springer Spaniel is first
and foremost a sporting dog of the Spaniel family, and he must look,
behave and move in character.
Approval Date: February 12, 1994
Effective Date: March 31, 1994
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