JUDGING THE GORDON SETTER BY GARY L. ANDERSEN
W hen judging the Gordon Setter remember it is the heaviest of the four Setters, having more bone and body. Gordons are a single person walking hunting dog. They have a unique front movement. The other three Setters are used more for open field work, the Gordon work heavier brush and because of this, the front legs lift up and then fold back at the pas- terns so the feet do not get caught in the brush. Look for a black and tan dog with plenty of substance and is good sized. Active, upstanding and stylish, capable of doing a full day’s work in the field suggesting strength and stamina rather than speed. They are equally at home as companions dogs, obedience, agility, field competitors and show dogs. The head is fairly heavy and finely chiseled. His bearing is intelligent, noble and dig- nified, showing no signs of shyness or aggressiveness. Clear colors and either a wavy or straight coat are acceptable. A dog of well balance in all points is preferred to one with outstanding good qualities and defects. A smooth, free movement with high head carriage is typical. Many of the words used in this description are taken from the official AKC standard. The suggested height is 24 to 27 inches for a male and 23 to 26 inches for a female. This is a wide scale. You can have females and males of the same size in the ring, a 24 inch male with the substance of the Gordon is as good as a 27 inch dog. You may see dogs over 27 inches and our standard says that as long as the proportions are correct, it is ok. To me, going below our standard is more of a fault than going over. A 22 inch female is getting into the Span- iel size. Dogs should weigh 55 to 80 pounds and bitches 45 to 70 pounds. Again showing the substance of our breed. We want our breed shown in field condition, hard muscles not overly
292 • S how S ight M agazine , F ebruary 2019
Powered by FlippingBook