FIELD SPANIEL COLORS, PATTERNS, AND MARKINGS
Black Field Spaniel
Liver Field Spaniel
THE COLOR SECTION OF THE BREED STANDARD IS SUCCINCT. THERE ARE JUST TWO COLORS, TWO COLOR PATTERNS, AND ONE MARKING.
We are all human and, of course, we have our personal likes and dislikes. But the key is not to be so distracted by color that we fail to see the dog underneath the coat. Follow the breed standard, but respect the breed. If the color, pattern, and markings are acceptable, then focus on what makes the dog a Field Spaniel. The color section of the breed standard is suc- cinct. There are just two colors, two color patterns, and one marking. Let’s start with color. Field Span- iels may be black or liver. Black may range from black with subtle brown or liver undertones, to a high-gloss, jet black. If you ask a lay person, “What color is that dog?” the person will simply say that the dog is “black.” Liver consists of all shades of liver, from light to dark. Golden liver is a separate color, according to the breed standard, but it is, for practical purposes, just another shade of liver. Liver may have a reddish or golden cast, but it would not be identified as “red,” “gold,” “orange,” or “lemon.” For example, a Field Spaniel is not Irish Setter red, Golden Retriever gold, or Pointer lemon. A lay per- son will identify any liver Field Spaniel (including golden liver) as being some shade of “brown.” Now that the dog’s color has been established, let’s look at color patterns. Again, there are only two choices; self-colored and bi-colored. Self-colored dogs are, of course, solid black or solid liver. A white throat, chest, and/or brisket is allowed on self-col- ored dogs. Bi-colored Field Spaniels are simply black and white or liver and white dogs. Bi-colored dogs have a significant amount of white on the body, with the base color (black or liver) typically found
Liver/Tan Field Spaniel
Black/Tan Field Spaniel
298 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2021
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