Page 144 - Showsight March 2013

Judging the english CoCker spaniel
The Breed Education Committee for the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America selected the following well-known,
respected, Breeder/Judges to answer several questions and share their thoughts and insight on judging the breed:
David Flanagan, Decorum (NY) exhibiting/breeding for 50+ years, judging since 1998.
Bonnie Threlfall, Edgewood, Reg. (NC) exhibiting 50+ and breeding 40+ years, judging since 2000.
Virginia Lyne, Ranzfel, Reg. (Canada) exhibiting/breeding for 53 years, judging since 1969.
Andrew Jones, Shenmore (UK), exhibiting/breeding since 1985, judging since 1991.
Doug McFarlane, Merimac (WA) exhibiting/breeding since the early 1970s, judging since 1998.
Please explain what
you are looking for
in your first impres-
sion of a class of
English Cockers as
a whole?
D.F. The idea of examining and judging
a dog, comparing it to the ideal and plac-
ing it accordingly with the other dogs in
the class can seem daunting when you first
judge, and the tick-tock of the “two-min-
ute-per-dog” clock can be overwhelming.
The more experience one has, the more of
a routine you develop.
When a class lines up in the ring, I
look for animals that have proper balance
with regard to size and proportion. I then
move from the front of the line to the back
of the line getting my first impression of
head and expression. Next, I move from
the back of the line forward looking down
over the animals to see the shape of the
dog with regards to neck set, roundness of
rib, length of loin and roundness of rear.
Finally, I send the class around to observe
ease and fluidity of movement, balance
and topline.
B.T. From across the ring I am look-
ing for compact, one piece dogs with
balanced angulation at both ends. I am
already mentally eliminating the long
dogs that appear shelly and narrow, with
dramatic toplines and rears extending
way out behind them. I want to see the
entire dog as a package without my eye
being drawn to one or more exaggerated
features. The correctly-made dogs will
appear rounded all over, with no sharp
angles or lines.
V.L. My first impression is always a
check for balance and overall proportions. I
am looking for an alert, moderate dog with
nothing exaggerated and showing a confi-
dent, merry temperament. Generally my
first impression comes when the dogs are
doing their initial move around the ring.
A.J. First impressions are the chance
for the dogs to grab my attention. As I
walk down the line I’ll be drawn to those
that have shortness, balance and most
importantly, angulation. As I send them
once round the ring those with character
and drive on the move will demand atten-
tion. In a large class after first impres-
sions I should have a handful in my mind
who will be the contenders and maybe
even one that already stands out as the
likely winner.
D.M. When I amfirst looking at a whole
class I look at each dog to determine proper
breed type and assess their overall balance
and conformation. I ask myself, ‘Does the
head match the rest of the dog; does the
neck flow smoothly into the shoulders; is
the backline level; do the angles front and
rear match; is the dog square; and are there
any extremes or exaggerated parts, like a
long back leg or long loin?’ These all make
up the characteristics that help me form
that first impression.
What are absolute necessities
for correct breed type?
D.F. The absolute necessities with
regard to breed type are balance and pro-
portion, proper bone and feet, roundness
of rib and rear, a short, hard back and a
properly balanced head with a sweet, melt-
ing expression, and a tail with never stops
wagging, all on a sound animal.
B.T. There are five necessities to correct
cocker body type, which enable the dog
to do the job for which he was bred, that
being pushing through thick, very dense
cover most often higher than the dog.
They are of equal importance, so in no par-
ticular order: 1) A protective forechest for
pushing into cover. The forechest will only
be present if the dog has the correct fore-
hand assembly, the shoulder being well laid
back with equal length and return of upper
arm, placing the front legs well under the
dog. 2) Thick bone. The amount of bone
should almost seem too much for height
of the dog, but is necessary to support the
correctly made body. I have yet to see an
Bad vs. good dog silhouettes.
144 • ShowSight Magazine, March 2013