|
|
Dog Articles
Past and Present: Clumber, Field, and Cocker
Spaniels
These
rather closely related dogs may, like the Setters, be considered
each in relation to the others.
The
Clumber is the largest, weighing up to 65 pounds, though the average
is probably about 50. He is perhaps best described as a very low,
heavily built English Setter, all white except for lemon or orange
ears and eye-patches, with ticking of the same on forelegs and as
little as possible elsewhere. He is a benign, affectionate creature
and very sedate in manners.
As a gun
dog, he is used in England on Woodcock, Snipe, and other lowland
birds, but he has never been much used or bred in this country. The
soft, deep eye shows considerable haw in mature dogs. The coat
should be almost perfectly straight, and the tail, belly, and legs,
down to the hocks, should be full-feathered.
The Cocker
is the smallest of the three and is an active, playful, intelligent
little dog, which takes on the Spaniel dignity rather later in life
than the Clumber and the businesslike field Spaniel. He gets his
name, ‘Cocker’, from the use to which he was bred in hunting
Woodcock. They are easily trained to fowling, being already
predisposed in scenting out and flushing Grouse-like birds
(including the domestic hen). This tendency is taken advantage of
and developed, to force Grouse up into the trees, where they are
easily shot. The Cocker rushes his bird and then barks and keeps it
busy and preoccupied. If the hunter himself flushed the game, it
would go far and probably not again be seen.
The Cocker
should weigh from 18 to 24 pounds. In color he may be black, red,
liver, or lemon, with or without white. These colors should be clear
and pronounced, not pale or washed out, and if predominant over
white should be virtually solid, the white being restricted to a
mere dash on the chest. If white predominates, the color should be
solid on ears and face, except for the foreface and a blaze up the
nose. In this case, color should be distributed about as in the
English Setter.
The ears,
while long, silky, and set low, should not reach beyond the nose
when drawn forward. The legs must be strong, straight, and of good
bone and not too short, and the squarely built body hard and
muscular. They are admirable house dogs, but when kept as such
should be rather sparingly fed and kept in good trim. A fat Spaniel
is not an attractive object.
The Field
Spaniel is much larger and stronger than the Cocker, but not so
restless. He is, however, more active and lively than the Clumber.
While not so thoughtful-looking and sedate as the latter, he is
highly intelligent, good-natured, and obedient. His body is long and
low, but he carries his head with an air of courage and
determination. His coat is straight and silky, and his color may be
solid black, solid liver, liver and white, black and white, black
and tan, orange, or orange and white. The black and the liver are
the colors preferred. The proper weight is from 30 to 45 pounds.
Source:
National Geographic 1919
Recommended Reading
Dog Training
Mastery - An Owners' Manual
|
|
