Page 145 - Showsight March 2013

English Cocker with what I would consid-
er too much bone. 3) A very well-sprung
ribcage, which is deep and carried well
back towards the dog’s rear. 4) a SHORT,
broad loin. This is a compact, cobby breed.
5) A “hammy” rear, with thick muscling
on both upper and lower thighs. The thick
muscle only accompanies a MODERATE-
LY angulated rear. A line dropped from the
point of the buttock should land immedi-
ately in front of the rear toes.
V.L. My breed essentials are a compact
dog, with a good spring of rib, moderate
bone, width in hindquarter and a merry
temperament. A pleasing head piece that
has the look of a Cocker and never that of a
Setter is a determinant of true breed type.
A.J. Put simply, the English Cocker
should be a lot of dog in a small package—
meaning substance, compactness, width of
front, strong ribs and a wide well-rounded
back end, all of this with that essential
merry character and driving movement
displaying the breed’s love of life.
D.M. Well let’s start at the front of the
dog. Expression: I put a lot of emphasis on
expression. I don’t get hung up on head
planes as long as they are not exagger-
ated and don’t affect the expression, but
the dog must have that melting expres-
sion the standard calls for so eye place-
ment, eye shape, eye color and proper
chiseling under the eye are all important
to me along with muzzle length balanced
with the skull. Body: Since the Cocker
is built to plough through thick brush,
that dictates the body structure which
must have well-sprung ribs, deep chest,
ribs well back with a short loin, wide hip
bones to support a strong muscle mass on
the rear with well-developed first and sec-
ond thigh. Tail set should be off a slightly
rounded croup. When viewed from above,
the roundness of body must be evident.
The angles front and rear should be bal-
anced and with good bone and substance,
without being coarse or cloddy.
Attitude: The standard starts right off
with “merry”. That tail action must dis-
play that characteristic and be in constant
motion. Proper carriage is important. A
gay tail is not desirable and you will see
it in the ring. Balance: While in motion
all the parts have to come together for a
smooth effortless gait with a firm slightly
sloping topline.
Describe what you hope to find
when examining a dog—on the
table as well as moving.
D.F. The table examination lets your
hands confirm or deny what your eyes have
told you. This is when you feel for proper
bone, fore-chest, flat shoulders, round ribs,
short loin, tail set, proper stop and chis-
eling, bite, etc. This is also when you feel
for muscling, proper condition, coat qual-
ity and proper trim. Let’s not forget that
English Cocker exhibitors are masters of
illusion, it’s your job to figure out what is
real and what is not.
On the move I look particularly at the
side gait as proof of proper construction
and balance. This to me is the true test of
what your hands have felt on the table. I
am not known as a down and back freak—
I use it as a tool, and it is very useful for
optical illusion tan points can give. Watch
the pads of the feet! A tip for judging this
breed, if you feel you need to reexamine a
dog, be sure to put it back on the table and
to not attempt to go over it on the ground.
B.T. When examining an English Cock-
er, do not “blow by” the head once the bite
is checked. The body gets the dog to the
bird, but the head has to do its job, too.
Looking at the bite you will notice that the
teeth can be considered rather large for the
size of the dog. Although developed to flush
and retrieve woodcock, he is also perfectly
capable of working pheasant, if necessary.
With that in mind, I look for a strong, full
muzzle equally balanced in length to the
backskull. The sides of the backskull should
not be rounded (coarse). Still looking at the
head straight on, the topskull should have
a noticeable arch to the sides with only a
slight flattening at the very top. The arch
is necessary to anchor the jaw muscles. A
thoroughly flat topskull is incorrect. Cor-
rectly placed eyes of correct shape and
color, together with the requisite chiseling
under the eye, and the grooved stop, and
ear set, complete the exam from the front. I
then evaluate the head from the side. Hold-
ing the muzzle parallel to the ground, I
check to see where the eyes are looking. For
function they must look forward over the
muzzle and not into the sky. The neck is just
long enough to comfortably reach down to
pick up a bird and to carry the bird with-
out interfering with front movement, but
not too long as to be out of balance with
the rest of the dog. A giraffe neck would
not support a heavy bird for any distance. I
then examine the rest of the dog hopefully
finding the five requisites mentioned in the
above question. Feet should be an extension
of the bone, and be deep, round, and cat-
like. As part of the exam, this breed has to
be looked at over the top. The ribs are the
widest part of the dog, followed closely by
the rear. This is a broad, round dog. He is
not narrow and angular—that is “Setter”
type and should never be rewarded.
When moving, a balanced English
Cocker keeps the same outline as standing.
He should show equal reach and drive in
moderation. He has a SLIGHTLY sloping
topline, and not the extreme topline of the
S howS ight Magazine, M arch 2013 • 145