ORIGIN : Great Britain.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 24.06.1987.

UTILIZATION : Retriever.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 8       Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs.

                                              Section 1     Retrievers.

                                              With working trial.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Strongly built, short-coupled, very active; broad in skull; broad and deep through chest and ribs; broad and strong over loins and hindquarters.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Good-tempered, very agile. Excellent nose, soft mouth; keen lover of water. Adaptable, devoted companion. Intelligent, keen and biddable, with a strong will to please. Kindly nature, with no trace of aggression or undue shyness.

HEAD

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : Broad.  Clean-cut without fleshy cheeks.

Stop : Defined.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Wide, nostrils well developed.

Muzzle : Powerful, not snipey.

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

Eyes : Medium size, expressing intelligence and good temper; brown or hazel.

Ears : Not large or heavy, hanging close to head and set rather far back.

NECK : Clean, strong, powerful, set into well placed shoulders.

BODY :

Back  : Level topline.

Loins : Wide, short-coupled and strong.

Chest : Of good width and depth, with well sprung barrel ribs.

TAIL : Distinctive feature, very thick towards the base, gradually tapering towards tip, medium length, free from feathering, but clothed thickly all round with short, thick, dense coat, thus giving « rounded » appearance described as « Otter » tail. May be carried gaily, but should not curl over back.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS : Forelegs well boned and straight from elbow to ground when viewed from either front or side.

Shoulders : Long and sloping.

HINDQUARTERS : Well developed, not sloping to tail.

Stifle : Well turned.

Hocks : well let down. Cowhocks highly undesirable.

FEET : Round, compact; well-arched toes and well developed pads.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Free, covering adequate ground; straight and true in front and rear.

COAT

HAIR : Distinctive feature, short, dense, without wave or feathering, giving fairly hard feel to the touch; weather-resistant undercoat.

COLOUR : Wholly black, yellow or liver/chocolate. Yellows range from light cream to red fox. Small white spot on chest permissible.

SIZE  :

Ideal height at withers : dogs     56-57 cm ( 22    - 22,5 ins);

                                   bitches  54-56 cm ( 21,5 - 22    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.

ORIGIN : Great-Britain.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 29.10.2003.

UTILIZATION : Flushing and retrieving dog. Ideal for rough shooting or companion for the country dweller. Not suitable for city.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 8    Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs.

                                              Section 2  Flushing Dogs.

                                              With working trial.                                                          

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Well balanced, noble, upstanding sporting Spaniel, built for activity and endurance.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Unusually docile, active, sensitive, independent.

HEAD : Conveys the impression  of high breeding, character and nobility.

CRANIAL REGION  :

Skull : Well chiselled, occiput well defined, lean beneath eyes. A thickness here gives coarseness to whole head. Slightly raised eyebrows.

Stop : Moderate.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Well developed with good open nostrils.

Muzzle : Long and lean, neither snipy nor squarely cut. In profile curving gradually from nose to throat.

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.

Eyes : Wide open but almond-shaped with tight lids showing no haw. Grave and gentle expression. Dark hazel in colour. 

Ears :  Moderately long and wide, set low and well feathered.

NECK : Long, strong and muscular enabling dog to retrieve his game without undue fatigue.

BODY :

Back and loin : Strong, level and muscular.

Chest : Deep and well developed. Ribs moderately well sprung. Length of rib cage is two-thirds of the body length.

TAIL : Customarily docked.

Docked : Docked by one third. Set on low. Never carried above level of back.

Nicely feathered, with lively action.

Undocked : Set low. Never carried above level of back. Nicely feathered with lively action. Reaches approximately to the hocks. Of moderate length in balance with the rest of the dog.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS : Legs of moderate length. Straight, flat bone.

Shoulders : Long and sloping and well laid back.

HINDQUARTERS : Strong, muscular.

Stifles : Moderately bent.

Hocks : Well let down.

FEET : Tight, round with strong pads and not too small.

GAIT/MOVEMENT : Long, unhurried stride with great drive from the rear. Short, stumping action undesirable.

COAT

HAIR : Long, flat, glossy and silky in texture. Never curly, short or wiry. Dense and weatherproof. Abundant feathering on chest, under body and behind legs, but clean from hock to ground.

COLOUR : Black, liver or roan. Any one of these with tan markings. In self-coloured dogs white or roan on chest permissible. Clear black / white or liver / white unacceptable.

SIZE AND WEIGHT : Approximately 45,7 cm (18 ins) at the withers.

Weight : between 18-25 kg (40-55 lbs).

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.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : Ireland.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 13.03.2001.

UTILISATION : The Irish Water Spaniel can be easily adapted to suit most forms of shooting he will hunt, often point and retrieve readily from heavy cover. The construction and nature of the breed has traditionally made it the choice of the wildfowler.

CLASSIFICATION FCI :   Group   8   Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs.

                                             Section 3   Water Dogs.

                                             With working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: The exact origins of the breed remain obscure. Generally it is thought that Water Spaniels evolved from dogs that originated in Persia and came to Ireland via Spain. The first Irish reference to “water dogs that pursue water fowl” dates from 1600, so we know that dogs with waterproof coats were used in Ireland even before the advent of the fowling piece. There is no real evidence of the ancestry of the Irish Water Spaniel except in its most peculiar feature-the rat tail. This feature appears in no similar dog and makes it very likely that the modern breed had an indigenous Irish ancestor. The tail has given rise to the names “Whip Tail” and “Rat Tail”. In any event the descendants of these dogs were accepted and achieved great success on show benches in the second half of the 19^th century. In 1890 the Irish Water Spaniel Club was formed to promote the interests of the breed.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Smart, upstanding, strongly built, compact or cobby.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Proud, combining great intelligence and endurance with a bold and dashing eagerness of temperament, immense stamina and loyalty. A good family dog with a sense of humour but discerning with strangers.

HEAD : Skull and head should be of good size.

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull: Skull high in dome, good length and width allowing for large brain capacity. Top-knot should consist of long loose curls growing down into a well defined peak between the eyes and should not be in the form of a wig, i.e. growing straight across.

Stop : Gradual.

FACIAL REGION :

Face: perfectly smooth. Hair grows in a narrow line forming a beard at the back of the lower jaw.

Nose : Large and well developed and of dark liver colour.

Muzzle : Long, strong and somewhat square in appearance.

Teeth: Strong and regular with scissors bite.

Eyes : Comparatively small almond-shaped, dark amber or dark hazel and very intelligent looking.

Ears: Very long and lobe-shaped in the leather, set low, hanging quite close to the cheeks and covered with long, twisted curls of hair.

NECK : Fairly long, strong and arching, (enabling the head to be carried well above the level of the back) and strongly set into the shoulders.

BODY: Should be of good size, being as a whole so proportionate as to give a barrel-shaped appearance accentuated by the springing of the ribs, overall strong and well- muscled.

Back : Short, broad and level, strongly coupled to the hindquarters.

Loins : Deep and wide.

Chest : Deep, but not too wide or round between the forelegs, though large girth with ribs well sprung behind the shoulders. Ribs carried well back.

TAIL : Smooth, strong and thick at root (where it is covered for 3 to 4 inches - 7,5 cm to 10 cm with short curls) and gradually tapering, ending in a fine point. It should not be long enough to reach the hock joint, and should be carried nearly level with the back in a straight line.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS :

Shoulders : Very powerful and sloping.

Forelegs : Well boned and straight, the forearm at point of elbow in a straight line with the highest point of the shoulder blade.

HINDQUARTERS : Very powerful.

Stifles : Well bent stifles.

Hocks : Hocks set low.

FEET: Large, somewhat round and spreading, well covered with hair, both over and between the toes, but free from any superfluous feather.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: The gait has a characteristic peculiar to the breed, that of a rolling motion produced by the barrel-shaped ribcage.

COAT

HAIR : Dense, tight, crisp ringlets, entirely free from woolliness but with a natural oiliness. The back and sides of the neck should be covered with curls similar to those on the body, the throat should be smooth, the smooth hair forming a V-shaped patch from the back of the lower jaw to the breastbone. The forelegs covered with feather, which should be abundant all round though shorter in front. Below the hocks, the hindlegs must be smooth in front, but feathered behind down to the feet.

COLOUR : A very rich puce liver, white on chest objectionable.

SIZE :

Dogs     21/23 inches (53/59cm).

Bitches  20/22 inches (51/56cm).

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.

·         White on Chest.

·         Paleness of coat.

·         Light eye.

·         Woolliness of coat.

·         Feather on front of Hocks.

·         Want of feather on front of forelegs.

·         Splay feet.

·         Feather on stern.

·         Feather on face.

·         White on feet.

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

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.

© Copyright by Yvonne Soomers-Marell