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STANDARD OF POINTS OF THE SUSSEX SPANIEL

HEAD. The skull should be moderately long and also wide, with an indentation in the middle and a full stop; brows fairly heavy; occiput full, but not pointed, the whole giving an appearance of heaviness without dulness. EYES.-Hazel colour, fairly large, soft and languishing, not showing the haw overmuch.

NOSE. The muzzle should be about 3 inches long, square, and the lips somewhat pendulous; the nostrils well developed and liver colour. EARS.-Thick, fairly large, and lobe-shaped; set moderately low, but relatively not so low as in the black field spaniel; carried close to the head, and furnished with soft, wavy hair.

NECK is rather short, strong, and slightly arched, but not carrying the head above the level of the back. There should not be much throatiness in the skin, but well marked frill in the coat.

CHEST AND SHOULDERS.-The chest is round, especially behind the shoulders, deep and wide, giving a good girth. The shoulders should be oblique.

BACK AND BACK RIBS.-The back and loin is long, and should be very muscular, both in width and depth; for this development the back ribs must be deep. The whole body is characterised as low, long, level, and strong.

LEGS AND FEET.-The arms and thighs must be bony, as well as muscular, knees and hocks large and strong, pasterns very short and bony, feet large and round, and with short hair between the toes. The legs should be very short and strong, with great bone, and may show a slight bend in the fore arm, and be moderately well feathered. The hind legs should not be apparently shorter than the fore legs, or be too much bent at the hock, so as to give a settery appearance, which is so objection. able. The hind legs should be well feathered above the hocks, but should not have much hair below this point. The hocks should be short and wide apart.

TAIL. Should be docked from 5 to 7 inches, set low, and not carried above the level of the back, thickly clothed with moderately long feather. COAT.-Body coat abundant, flat or slightly waved, with no tendency to curl; moderately well feathered on legs and stern, but clean below the hocks.

COLOUR.-Rich golden liver; this is a certain sign of the purity of the breed-dark liver or puce denoting unmistakably a recent cross with the black or other variety of field spaniel.

GENERAL APPEARANCE.-Rather massive and muscular, but with free movements and nice tail action, denoting a tractable and cheerful disposition. Weight from 35 to 45 lbs.

VALUE OF POINTS

Head
Eyes

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THE FIELD SPANIEL

THERE are two classifications for field spaniels-the black and the any other variety. The distinction is purely one of colour of coat, and the points—such as colour of eyes, nose, etc.—which hinge on it. In all other matters the Standard of Points of the two classes is precisely the same, and I therefore propose to deal with them in the same section.

The name "field spaniel" is one that has been given to the variety to distinguish it from the cocker spaniel on the one hand, and from the "springers other than Clumber and Sussex" on the other; at least such is the definition to be derived by inference from the Kennel Club's latest classification. The Spaniel Club, whilst giving a maximum weight of 65 lbs. for the Clumber, 45 for the Sussex, 45 for the field, and 25 for the cocker, omits any mention of weight for the springer or Norfolk (sit venia verbum), but one of my contributors puts it as from 45 to 50 lbs. The term "springer" cannot be regarded as a distinctive name for any one variety of spaniel, as it simply implies that a dog "springs" its game, in contradistinction to other breeds that point or set it. In its duties the field spaniel is a springer, and yet if the reader will compare the modern type with the illustrations of the "springer spaniel" as it existed in 1803 and 1843, he will see a

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