UNDERSTANDING THE ENGLISH COCKER SPANIEL by PATRICIA JANZEN (photos and illustrations courtesy of the author)
T he front defined: “the forepart of the body as viewed head on or from the side, to include forelegs, chest, brisket and shoulder line.” We should be breeding for correct type and an overall dog; but without a basic understanding of correct structure (which is also part of correct type) we may end up with something pretty that isn’t function- al. While structure is basic dog knowledge, fronts are the hardest to understand. Th e front is possibly the most important part of the four-legged mammal, includ- ing dogs. To understand why the front is so important, we need to consider some important facts. Like all parts of the skeletal system, it includes sca ff olding upon which every- thing hangs. It provides locomotion. It is also housing that protects the vital internal organs. Each of these is of extreme impor- tance on our smallest of gun dogs, which have to be stronger for their size than any other gun dog. Th e front bears more weight than the back half of the animal (even more when the dog carries game, prey or other objects), so it must prove to be strong. During movement, the dog is actually falling forward and downward on its front after propulsion from the rear; the front
also aids the rear in propulsion. Because the animal does fall forward with each stride, it must not only be strong enough to catch the weight but also be well cushioned for impact. Since the front houses the heart and lungs of a hardworking and athletic hunting animal, it needs to have adequate space within the ribcage to accommodate well developed organs. Th e Cocker needs to take fewer, more e ffi cient steps. In this way it travels far- ther with less e ff ort and can do more work in a day. FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION On an English Cocker, a good front is not just a pretty-coated, well-feathered piece with withers that are slightly higher than the rear, only ever viewed from the side. Th e Cocker must push through heavy cover carrying game larger for its size than any other sporting dog. Historically it has been used for pheasant and other game birds, as well as hare. Th ere is a reason our beautiful breed’s front needs to be as the standard calls for. Th e standard states: “ Th e English Cocker is a solidly built dog with as much bone and substance as is possible without becoming cloddy or coarse.” Bone needs to be significantly strong in order to carry heavy muscle. Th e muscle
“THE COCKER NEEDS TO TAKE FEWER, MORE EFFICIENT STEPS. IN THIS WAY IT TRAVELS FARTHER WITH LESS EFFORT AND CAN DO MORE WORK IN A DAY.”
234 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , J UNE 2015
Powered by FlippingBook