Sporting Dogs: Their Points and Management in Health and Disease

by Frank Townend Barton

4. Size.—Dogs to weigh from 14 lbs. to 18 lbs., and bitches from 12 lbs. to 16 lbs., and measure from 8 ins. to 12 ins. at the shoulder.

5. Skull.—Should not be too narrow, being in proportion to his powerful jaw, proportionally long, slightly domed, and gradually tapering to the eyes, between which there should be a slight indentation or stop. Eyebrows heavy. The hair on the skull to be from ¾ in. to 1 in. long, fairly hard.

6. Eyes.—Widely set apart, medium size, dark hazel in colour, slightly sunk in the head, sharp and intelligent, which, looking from under the heavy eyebrows, give a piercing look. Full eyes and also light-coloured eyes are very objectionable.

7. Muzzle.—Should be powerful. The jaws level and powerful, and teeth square or evenly met, well set, and large for the size of the dog.

8. Ears.—Small, carried erect or semi-erect, but never drop, and should be carried tightly up. The semi-erect ear should drop nicely over at the tips, the break being about three-quarters up the ear, and both forms of ears should terminate in a sharp point. The hair on them should be short, smooth (velvety), and they should not be cut. The ears should be free from any fringe at the top. Round-pointed, broad, and large ears are objectionable, also ears too heavily covered with hair.

9. Neck.—Muscular, and nicely set on sloping shoulders.

10. Chest.—Very deep, with breadth in comparison to the size of the dog.

11. Body.—Compact, straight back, ribs deep and well arched in the upper half of rib, presenting a flattish side appearance. Loins broad and strong. Hind-quarters strong, muscular, and wide across the top.

12. Legs and Feet.—Both fore-and hind-legs should be short and muscular. The shoulder-blades should be comparatively broad, and well sloped backwards. The points of the shoulder-blades should be closely knit into the backbone, so that very little movement of them should be noticeable when the dog is walking. The elbow should be close in to the body, both when moving or standing, thus causing the fore-leg to be well placed in under the shoulder. The fore-legs should be straight and thickly covered with short, hard hair. The hind-legs should be short and sinewy. The thighs very muscular, and not too wide apart. The hocks bent and well set in under the body, so as to be fairly close to each other, either when standing, walking, or running (trotting), and, when standing, the hind-legs, from the point of the hock down to the fetlock joint, should be straight or perpendicular, and not far apart. The fore feet are larger than the hind ones, are round, proportionate in size, strong, thickly padded, and covered with short, hard hair. The foot must point straight forward. The hind feet are smaller, not quite as round as fore feet, and thickly padded. The under surface of the pads of feet, and all the nails, should be distinctly black in colour. Hocks too much bent (cow hocks) detracts from the general appearance. Straight hocks are weak: both kinds are undesirable, and should be guarded against.