FIELD SPANIEL COLORS, PATTERNS, AND MARKINGS
in patches on the head and body. The white areas of bi-colored dogs must be roaned or ticked. If the white areas of the dog are nearly evenly dis- tributed with the base color, then the dog is iden- tified as a roan (blue roan or liver roan). If the base color is distributed into the white in spits and spurts, then it is identified as black (or liver) bi-colored with ticking. According to the breed standard, there is no minimum amount of tick- ing required. The dog may be highly or lightly ticked and still meet the standard. If ticking is not apparent, then some of the white should be gently ruffled to reveal the colored hairs with- in the white. It matters not if the dog is a true roan or a bi-colored dog with ticking. Both are equally acceptable. That leaves us with markings. Regardless of color or pattern, Field Spaniels may have tan markings typical of other tan-marked breeds. Expect to find tan on the sides of the muzzle, eyebrows, all four feet, inside the ears, and under the tail. Chest bars and penciling on the toes may be present. Tan can range from light tan to gold to deep russet. Dogs that inherit the alleles for tan from only one parent do not have tan markings, but some of the tan will pres- ent itself. For example, instead of having a tan muzzle, the muzzle will be made up of a blend of black and tan (or liver and tan) hair. These ghost markings are subtle and are best seen in bright sunlight. The dog should never be penalized for these markings. Two colors, two patterns, and one marking might make the Field Spaniel seem a rather plain breed. Quite the contrary. In combination with each other, there are a dozen different ways to describe the color of a Field Spaniel. The twelve combinations of color, pattern, and markings are commonly interbred because breeders wisely rec- ognize that there is more to a Field Spaniel than its color. As a result, some self-colored Fields have more than a little bit of white on their throats. It is not uncommon to see Fields that have a broad white chest or a little white on their noses, a white toe, or even a spot of white on the shoul- der. Personally, I don’t have an issue with these “mismarks” if the extra white is ticked. Dogs that have “ghost tan” have a tan-marked ancestor, and the mismarks have a bi-colored ancestor. There is one breed-specific disqualification, and this is for the color pattern “sable.” The AKC Field Spaniel breed standard describes sable as “… a lighter undercoat with darker shading as tipping or dark overlay, with or without a mask present…” Sable is extremely rare and you are unlikely to encounter it. It is similar to the sable coat pattern seen in English Cocker Spaniels. The twelve combinations of coat color, pattern, and markings are beautifully illustrated in the Field Spaniel Society of America’s illustrated stan- dard. It is available for download at the club’s web- site: http://www.fieldspanielsocietyofamerica.org .
Liver Roan Field Spaniel puppy
above: Blue Roan Field Spaniel puppy right: Liver Roan Field Spaniel puppy
THE TWELVE COMBINATIONS OF COLOR, PATTERN, AND MARKINGS ARE COMMONLY INTERBRED BECAUSE BREEDERS WISELY RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS MORE TO A FIELD SPANIEL THAN ITS COLOR.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sheila Miller is a retired science educator who lives in rural Northern Nevada. Sheila has been a Field Spaniel breeder/owner/ exhibitor for 25 years. Her breeding focus is on breeding sound, healthy dogs that live up to the breed standard’s description of a “combination of beauty and utility.” Wolftree Field Spaniels compete successfully in conformation and in a wide variety of performance events.
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2021 | 299
Powered by FlippingBook