ShowSight - August 2018

FLAT-COATED RETRIEVER QUICK STUDY VERSATILE FAMILY COMPANION HUNTING RETRIEVER Distinctive and most important features are the silhouette, smooth effortless movement and headtype

Scissors bite preferred, level bite acceptable. Severe faults: Wry, undershot or overshot bites, noticeable gap. Body slightly longer than tall, with length in ribcage. Deep chest and rib. Prominent prow, well-developed forechest; never loosely coupled. Medium bone, feet oval or round, medium-sized, tight with well-arched toes and thick pads.

Coat solid black or liver. Straight, flat-lying, moderate length and fullness, high luster. DQ: Yellow, cream or any other color than black or liver. Shown with as natural a coat as possible. Shaving or barbering of the head, neck or body coat must be severely penalized. Gait balanced, free, efficient. Best appraised at trot, loose lead.

Neck moderately long. Topline strong and level, supple in motion. Tail extends to hock, fairly straight, in motion without curl.

Males: 23 to 24 ½ inches | Females: 22 to 23 ½ inches Variation more than 1 inch either way not practical for work.

Shoulder blades long, well laid back, upper arm of approximately equal length. Elbows clean, close to body.

“One-piece” head, muzzle nearly equal in length and breadth to skull.

Length from point of shoulder to rearmost point of upper thigh slightly longer than height at with- ers. Female may be slightly longer.

Good turn of stifle. Balanced angulation between front and rear. Second thigh as long or slightly longer than upper thigh. Hock well let down.

Drawings © Marcia Schlehr

Fairly flat skull, moderate breadth and flat, clean cheeks, with long, strong, deep muzzle well filled in before, between, and beneath eye. Gradual, slight stop, brows slightly raised and mobile. Eyes set widely apart, medium-sized, almond shaped, dark brown or hazel; eye rims self-colored and tight.

Nose black on black dogs, brown on liver dogs; large, open nostrils.

Ears relatively small, well set on, close to side of head and thickly feath- ered, not low set.

Jaws long and strong, with lips fairly tight, firm and clean.

S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , A UGUST 2018 • 253

Powered by