Breed Info

Head

Skull: The long, clean, well-moulded head is adequate in size and strength to retrieve large pheasant, duck or hare with ease. The impression of the skull and muzzle being cast in one piece is created by the fairly flat skull of moderate breadth; and flat clean cheeks, combined with the long, strong, deep muzzle which is well filled in before and between the eyes.

Occiput: not accentuated, the skull forming a curve where it joins the neck.

Muzzle: the muzzle is nearly equal in length to the skull with a gradual, slight, but perceptible stop.

Nose: black and large open nostrils; brown on liver-coloured Flat-Coats.

Mouth: lips are fairly tight, clean and dry to minimize the retention of eathers. Jaws, long and strong. Teeth, scissor bite preferred, level bite acceptable. Honourable scars, anywhere on the Flat-Coat, including broken and missing teeth (as long as the natural bite is evident), should not count against the dog.

Eyes: are set widely apart with brows slightly raised and mobile, giving life to the expression. Medium-sized, almond-shaped, dark brown or hazel with a very intelligent expression. Eye rims are self-coloured.

Ears: relatively small, well set on, lying close to th side of thead and thicckly feathered.

Faults: Any coarseness or weakness, down or dish face, cheekiness, domed skulls short or snipey muzzle. Large, round, protruding or yellow eyes, loose lower eye lid, small mouths or weak lower jaws, pendulous lips which create an incorrect square-muzzled appearance, overly harge or low-set, hound-like or setterish ears. Wry, undershot or overshot bites with a noticeable gap must be severely penalized.