English Springer Spaniel

FCI-Standard N° 125 / 28. 11. 2003 / GB

ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL

ORIGIN : Great Britain.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 29.10.2003.

UTILIZATION : Flushing dog, Retriever.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 8 Retrievers-Flushing Dogs-Water Dogs.  Section 2  Flushing Dogs.  With working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : Breed is of ancient and pure origins, oldest of sporting gundogs; original purpose was finding and springing game for net, falcon or greyhound.  Now used to find, flush and retrieve game for gun.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Symmetrically built, compact, strong, merry, active.  Highest on leg and raciest in build of all British land Spaniels.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Friendly, happy disposition, biddable.  Timidity or aggression highly undesirable.

HEAD

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : Of medium length, fairly broad, slightly rounded, rising from foreface, making a brow or stop, divided by fluting between eyes, dying away along forehead towards occipital bone which should not be prominent.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Nostrils well developed.

Muzzle : Foreface of proportionate length to skull, fairly broad and deep, well chiselled below eyes.

Flews : Fairly deep and square.

Jaws/Teeth : Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Cheeks : Flat.

Eyes : Medium size, almond-shaped, not prominent nor sunken, well set in (not showing haw), alert, kind expression.  Dark hazel.  Light eyes undesirable.

Ears : Lobular, good length and width, fairly close to head, set in line with eye.  Nicely feathered.

NECK : Good length, strong and muscular, free from throatiness, slightly arched, tapering towards head.

BODY : Strong, neither too long nor too short.

Loin : Muscular, strong with slight arch and well coupled.

Chest : Deep, well developed.  Well sprung ribs.

TAIL : Customarily docked.

Docked : Set low, never carried above level of back.  Well feathered with lively action. 

Undocked : Set low, never carried above level of back.  Well feathered with lively action.  In balance with the rest of the dog.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS : Forelegs straight and well boned.

Shoulders : Sloping and well laid.

Elbows : Set well to body.

Pasterns : Strong, flexible.

HINDQUARTERS : Hindlegs well let down.

Thighs : Broad, muscular, well developed.

Stifles and hocks : Moderately bent.  Coarse hocks undesirable.

FEET : Tight, compact, well rounded, with strong, full pads.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Strictly his own.  Forelegs swing straight forward from shoulder, throwing feet well forward in an easy free manner.  Hocks driving well under body, following in line with forelegs.  At slow movement may have a pacing stride typical of this breed.

COAT

HAIR : Close, straight and weather resisting, never coarse.  Moderate feathering on ears, forelegs, body and hinquarters.

COLOUR : Liver and white, black and white, or either of these colours with tan markings.

SIZE  : Approximate height at withers : 51 cm (20 ins).

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

 This amended breed standard will become effective from April 2004.