This article is written primarily for our newer or novice owners, and for those who are hoping to judge the breed.

Firstly the Field Spaniel is a large spaniel, but that does not mean he is tall, some are, but this is a throwback to all the English Springer blood brought in between the wars.

A well proportioned male Field will weigh anything up to 60 olbs but he must be balanced, in hard condition, and move freely and majestically, and not in a heavy lumbering manner, not in a joyful, short striding, bouncy way. The female will weigh less, and although she must be feminine in appearance, not be small, light boned or weedy in appearance.

The correctly balanced Field has a perfectly laid shoulder, and stands with his front legs well under him, and with good forechest and depth of brisket. This gives him a large forehand, so it is most necessary that he is wide and strong in the loin and has well developed quarters with wide thighs which must be well muscled to enable him to drive well on the move and propel himself forward at the right pace.          

The stifle of the Field is moderately developed, and any over angulation of the hind leg is highly undesirable, as this changes the outline and also the mode of locomotion. The hind leg as well as the front must be well boned, strong at the hock joint, and with rear pasterns perfectly straight from joint to ground.

The rib cage is long and well developed but not over-sprung, and the width of the quarters, when the dog is viewed from the rear, should be the same width as the rib cage at its widest part. The loin must not only be wide and well muscled but also deep, as the dog must never look “cut up” in loin, but must present an ‘all of a piece’ appearance.

The topline of the Field starts at the nose and ends at the tip of the tail. It should be one continuous flowing line, along the muzzle, up between the eyes, where a moderate stop separates the eyes which are fairly widely spaced, sloping slightly up the skull to a raised (but not peaked) occiput, down over this to nip in at the base of the skull and then rise to a slight crest in the neck. The line should continue unbroken down the neck over the withers and to the end of the tail, without encountering any dip behind the withers usually caused by slack muscles, or any lump at the base of the neck that is caused by upright shoulders.

The length of the front leg is approximately one third of the dog from withers to ground. The bone of the legs must be well developed and flat, allowing for the tendons to lie and work comfortably. The head of the Field is very distinctive, the muzzle being longer than the skull, and well developed but not square, the curve from lower lip giving the dog its distinctive and aristocratic appearance.

The ears should be of quality leather and well clothed with silky hair, and set about level with the eyes, which are a wide-open almond shape and with a gentle expression. The skull should never be coarse, nor should it be too fine, and the chiseling below and above the eyes, very delicate, giving that look of supreme quality. The skull should be well worked but flat at the sides, any prominent bones here are undesirable. The nose must be large and fleshy with well-developed nostrils to enable the dog to use his unique scenting powers to the full. A full mouth of large teeth is desirable, meeting in a scissor bite, Fields with small teeth tend to be hard mouthed when retrieving.

The coat of the Field should be composed of long, silky hairs lying thick, flat and close. Short, hound-type coats with a high gloss are a throwback to the hound cross of the last century, and are undesirable. The front and rear legs, the brisket and chest should be well fringed, but the rear pastern from hock joint to ground must be cleaned of hair, and all four feet neatly trimmed to give the desired appearance. Clippers should never be used on the Field coat, this ruins the texture, gives a hard outline and causes hair to grow in grey at a very early age, especially in livers.

Movement is a long, majestic stride, with the forelegs hanging straight from well laid shoulders, there should be no bulge over the shoulders when the dog is viewed from the front, and there should be good width at the rear, and all four feet should face forward. The movement should be thorough and true, and not hurried.

The illustration should give a clear idea of what to accept and what not to accept in the Field Spaniel when judging, choosing a puppy or using a stud dog. However, it is as well to remember that the Field Spaniel takes a long time to develop, especially the males, and complete development is unlikely to be reached much before four or five years. Very well matured puppies tend to go coarse in adulthood, and when judging the breed, the immature but promising puppy with room for development is the one most likely to be the best in the long run.