Breed Type

I have been re-reading the book Solving The Mysteries of Breed Type by Richard Beauchamp this last couple of weeks. This is a wonderful book which I really recommend to any serious breeder or person interested in breeding or judging in any breed. This book has really made me think in detail about breed type, especially what and why it is in English Cockers in particular. One main point in the book is that you must know the origins of a breed in order to really understand what and why the standard, which is the blueprint for breed type, was written the way it was. This has, of course, made me dig out my English Cocker jubilee books, which are a history of the English Cocker Spaniel in the US. I bought these books before I bred my first English Cocker litter and read them then, but I have been re-reading them now in a more thoughtful manner after reading Richard Beauchamp's book. I think, based on my reading, that many of the original English Cocker fanciers in the US would be pleased with many things about the breed in the US today and less pleased with other things such as the tremendous amount of coat that we grow on our show bred ECS now. I think that the essence of an English Cocker is found in these things: 1. Headpiece. 2. Short loin with good spring of rib. 3. As much bone as possible without being coarse. 4. Muscular body with sound movement and excellent reach and drive. 5. Cheerful, merry, tail-wagging temperament. There is much more written in our standard, of course, but it seems to me that this is what early breeders focused on and what must be focused on even now in order to get a truly good English Cocker. If you do not like to read you might enjoy attending one of our breed seminars. I have attended a couple of them and enjoyed them thoroughly. The ECSCA holds one at our National Specialty each year and generally at other shows as well. If you would like to attend one of these educational seminars, you might try contacting someone at www.ecsca.org to find out if one will be held near you. You can also order the Jubilee books and other good books through the ECSCA.