[QUOTE=Jackbox;1872217]Thats fine, each to their own... if one enjoys parading their dogs round a show ring , why are they so inferior to those who work them.


Do you get people insulting working folk, because they enjoy their sport[/QUOTE (G)!

Interesting that you feel being compared to a baby show is an insult.

Same as any beauty contest, Lets face it you wouldn't get far in Miss World if you didn't conform to a certain standard.

I didn't say they were inferior.

rune

rune can I ask what breed of dog it is/was that you showed with?

Breed history.....

Spaniels were originally used to spring game for sighthound/hawk or net. The clue is in the name "Springer". Cockers were developed as they were better for retrieving Woodcock shot by the gun. As Spaniels weren't used for the gun until later, then this shows that the Cocker wasn't developed until later. The Springer was an all purpose hunter and the Cocker derived from this to produce a specialist dog for a specific purpose.

How could Cockers come first if Spaniels weren't originally used with shooting (and therefore the retrieval of birds) in mind?

A Gordon Setter.

I didn't do much, a couple of champ shows where she was placed and a few opens to get practice. I don't like the clipping of the neck and chest that they do now, she was just left apart form behind her ears to get them hanging flatter and between her feet,

She was the only dog I have truly chosen, I had first pick of a litter of 12. She was wonderful and irreplacable. She also did basic obedience and agility----she'd stand at the top of the a frame scenting the wind (G)!

rune

Ahh, so you say you've seen both sides. But what you really mean is you tried your hand at a couple of shows and didn't like it! Hardly the same thing really is it!

I think this is prob the wrong thread as we are chatting quite a bit between two,

now I know nothing about gordons, but were there top breeders in the breed who imported dogs or similar?

Sorry I don't understand still where you are getting your info from----are you really saying that all the old dog reference books were wrong? The books seem to say that lots of different types of spaniels were around but not a definitive springer as such, I went through them all this morning as I was interested and hadn't thought of checking Ettas ancestry before---so it is very clear in my mind what was written and I really can't see that all three sources written pre war can be wrong. BTW The wiki quote seems to be from one of them---probably the Book of the Dog as that is considered to be an important reference source.

rune

She didn't like it.

rune

I doubt it as they were bred mainly over here---they may have done but I don't see the relevance? Celts close ancestors were imported but that actually isn't a recommendation (G)!

rune