A repost from this blog circa 8-17-06
This morning I stumbled across the web site of Gun Dog Magazine which has a nice piece on it about cocker spaniels. The author, Chad Mason (aka C. Stanley Mason), writes:
"By now the observant reader will have noticed the recurring qualification: 'field bred.' I have thus cracked the lid on a can of worms, and might as well dump them out. There is a definite split in this breed, and space limitations compel me to focus on one side of that split. I do not mean to diminish the worth of show- or dual-type English cockers. Rather, I am ... making a judgment about which type of dog most readers of this magazine would be happiest with.
I am certainly no expert on show dogs, and will leave their discussion to people more qualified than I. (See 'For More Information' at the end of this article.) My modest firsthand experience with dual-type cockers leaves me convinced that a dual-type cocker is basically a show-type cocker that can pass a 'hunting test.'
More worms will squirm free with my encapsulation of hunting test in quotation marks, but I'm willing to bear the scorn. I've spent a quarter century hunting eight species of upland birds and 10 species of waterfowl in wild habitats from Georgia to Alberta, and I killed those birds over nine breeds of sporting dogs representing all major categories: pointers, retrievers, spaniels and versatile breeds.
I've also witnessed hunting tests for all these breeds conducted by several parent clubs and registries. Among the spaniel ranks, the difference between hunting tests and wild bird hunting seems analogous to the difference between passing a quiz and having a real job. "
A nice piece, and the article is worth a read . Though the dogs being described are not terriers, the words are very close to what can be said about "earthdog" trials and the "one and done" hunting certificates coveted by folks only interested in getting their dogs into the "working dog" ring at a show.
Some things, it seems, are the same all over. Mason has apparently written a book of bird hunting essays entitled Voices On The Wind, which is available from www.countrysportpress.com. I have not read it, but it looks interesing ...
.
4 comments:
"Dual purpose" dogs often win a show championship first and then they move on to HT Titles, Obedience, Agilty whatever. Very few go to Field Trials, which culls almost all of the beauty show winners.
It seems very ask backwards, because only the best workers should be allowed to compete in a show to see if they exhibit the standards of their breed. The breeders can now say their dogs are dual purpose, a misnomer if there ever were one. But it still cons the public because nothing has really changed
This is my breed. I run a Field Bred Cocker. I organize and have Field Marshalled one of the oldest AKC Cocker Trials in the US. This is a great breed and surprisingly, the AKC Field Trials are a good test of real field work (big difference between field trial and hunt test on the Spaniel side.)
That said, these dogs could be even better. Cockers and Springers used to be the same breed. The smaller dogs were used to root out wood cock and the larger dogs were used to spring (flush) larger birds and game. The kennel clubs split these into two breeds so that additional ribbons could be offered. This is a shame, but is fixable.
In Canada, cockers and springers run against one another in the same trials. And why not!! The dogs do the same work! Because the AKC is a show organization they do not follow this plan. Cocker trials and springer trials are separate affairs. This means few opportunities for the cocker folks.
Much has been written about the demise of genetic variability particularly among springers. The field bred cocker provides a perfect opportunity for an out-cross without any of the usual downsides to doing so.
In fact, why not just put these breeds back together. Some breeders could specialize in cocker lines and some in larger springer type lines, but the genes would be available to all and we would have healthier dogs. In truth, this is already happening, but it should be supported by a stud book with the resources to put on field trials.
Correction: My club's trial is a springer trial. Woops.
My very first dog was a cocker. Looked like the one on the left. Great dog, though never hunted for birds. Well, he hunted snakes and varmints arund the house. Great kids dog and died defending a family member from a rattlesnake. Imagine my surprise when the next pair of CS's I knew afterwards,(belonged to an acquaintance) the male was sharp/shy vicious and the female cowed and peed everywhere. Yet these were breeding show dogs. And as much hair as an Angora Goat. Of course, they've done as much to Rough Collies also.
Damn shame.
Debi and the happy JRTs
Post a Comment