English Water Spaniel.—The following description of this breed, which is a very great favourite of mine, and I regret to say seems to be growing more scarce, year by year, is from the pen of my old friend, Mr. A. W. Langdale, who was counted an authority on Spaniels generally:—"Young breeders and judges should have before them this fact, that Colour should be a secondary matter with the English Water Spaniel, and the latter should never pass over a liver and white dog, in favour of a whole coloured liver, provided the liver and white is a well-made specimen of his breed. The weight, again, should not exceed forty pounds, and his height nineteen inches, his ears may be fairly long, and covered all over with curl; also the body, not the close curl of his Irish brother, but one somewhat looser, and more straggly; his head is broad and long, with piercing eyes, his legs are well feathered behind, as well as in front, and there is no doubt that the feather, which in a ticked dog, comes out from each and every liver spot in front of the forelegs, has much to do with his power of endurance in water. They may be called 'natural retrievers,' as no dog is easier taught."
SUSSEX-SPANIEL CH. "BRIDFORD GIDDIE". MOSES WOOLLAND, OWNER.
The Sussex Spaniel.—He should be of a deep golden liver colour, and should weigh about thirty-four pounds. His head should be long and heavy, his eye large, and languishing, his forehead projecting over the eye, the muzzle square, the lips rather pendulous, his mouth large, and his underjaw rather recedes from the upper jaw. His ears should be large and well furnished with silky hair, they should be small, or narrow, where they spring from the head, and large, or lobe shaped, at the base; they should be set low down, and hang close to the cheeks. The nostrils should be large, the nose large and liver-coloured. The neck should be strong and muscular, with the crest a little arched. The chest, should be wide, the shoulders well thrown back, the body, long, and round. The legs should be short and strong, well flewed to the foot, before and behind. The feet, which are nearly always good in a Spaniel, should be round, well arched, and abundantly furnished with feather. The loin should be very strong, the back ribs very deep and round; the tail, docked to about nine inches, and well-feathered, should be set low, and have a downward action. The proper carriage of the tail marks the Spaniel's purity, as much as anything. The coat should be waved, not curled, and as already said, of a golden liver colour.
BLACK-SPANIEL. CH. "BRIDFORD-BRILLIANT". M. WOOLLAND. OWNER.
The Black Spaniel.—The following description of the points required in this popular variety, are laid down by my friend, Mr. T. Jacobs, of Newton Abbot, who is, as far as I know, about the most successful breeder and exhibitor of them, during the last twenty-five years, he says:—"My standard is as follows: Pleasing temper I always look to first, never breed from a bad tempered sporting dog, every sportsman knows what a nuisance they are. A long body, short legs, with plenty of bone and feather, a perfectly smooth, satin-like coat, with no inclination to wave, or curl, moderately long. Ears, covered with long, silky hair, not ringlets, well set, low down, and hung close to the cheeks, small, or narrow, where they spring from the head, and large and lobe shaped, at the base, well furnished with hair on the inside leather. A long head, not 'snipey,' or heavy, like the Clumber; dark, pleasing eye, a yellow eye indicates bad temper, and should be avoided. Level mouth, not 'pig-jawed,' or under hung, but I prefer the former fault to the latter, which prevails, I am sorry to see, in some of our present show dogs. Breeders should avoid them as stock dogs. A long neck, slightly arched, well clothed with muscle. Strong across the loins. Ribs well sprung, and barrel-shaped. Belly, well clothed with long hair and not tucked up, like the Greyhound, a common fault. Broad chest, well clothed with muscle and feather. Feet, round and cat-like, with a plentiful supply of hair between the toes. Many have argued with me, that mating black with liver colour, would throw the black puppies rusty, or bad black, but, being a pigeon breeder for many years, and knowing that by mating duns and blacks, you procure a better black than by breeding two blacks together, I thought if this held good with Pigeons, why should it not do with dogs? I therefore mated my Spaniels, as before described, the result is, I have never seen one bad black, and have bred more than a dozen litters in that way."