General Appearance

Workmanlike. Substance without heaviness. Moderately well-boned. Lively with an intelligent expression. Square and cobby appearance.

Characteristics

Very energetic, intelligent, hunt-point-retriever. Exceedingly keen game sense, persistent in hunting and finding game. A naturally keen worker with distinctive gait.

Temperament

Gentle and affectionate yet full of life and exuberance.

Head and Skull

Skull slightly rounded as seen from front, side or above. Toplines of skull and muzzle should be parallel. Width of skull measured at the zygomatic arches is less than its length. Median line and occiput are slightly defined. Stop moderate. Muzzle tapered but not snipy. Ideal proportion of skull to muzzle as 3 is to 2. Nostrils open and well shaped.

Eyes

Expressive, brown to dark, in harmony with coat colour, Somewhat oval in shape and slightly obliquely set. Never light or hard in expression.

Ears

Triangular in shape, slightly rounded at tip. Relatively wide and rather short with slightly wavy hair. Set and carried high, falling flat against the cheek. When drawn forward, the ear tip reaches the stop.

Mouth

Jaws strong with a perfect regular scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Lips tight, upper lip slightly overlapping lower.

Neck

Medium length, clean and well set into shoulders.

Forequarters

Shoulders muscular and moderately sloping. Angulation slightly less that that of the hindquarters. Tops of shoulder blades set fairly wide. Elbows close to body. Forelegs muscular, vertical and straight. Pasterns slightly sloping.

Body

Chest deep. Brisket reaching to elbow. Foreleg length is slightly greater than chest depth. Ribcage well rounded. Back short with loin short and strong. Topline slopes slightly from withers to croup. Croup very slightly sloping to set on of tail. Height at withers equal to length of body measured from point of shoulder to point of buttock.

Hindquarters

Moderate bend of stifle. Point of buttock and hock on approximately the same vertical. Thighs broad and muscular. Rear pastern vertical to ground.

Feet

Rather round, tight and compact with little hair between the toes. Rear feet slightly longer.

Tail

Naturally tailless, short or previously customarily docked.

Docked: Set high, carried horizontally or slightly lower.

Undocked: Set high, carried horizontally or slightly lower.

Gait/Movement

Brisk, short stride, Should retain topline when moving. Hindlegs have little rear extension.

Coat

Body coat dense but fairly fine. Rather flat or slightly wavy. Forelegs slightly feathered and hindlegs well feathered to mid-thigh.

Colour

Orange/white, liver/white, black/white, tricolour, or roan of any of these colours. Nose dark or in harmony with coat colour. Black & white and liver & white tricolours have orange markings over eyes, on sides of muzzle, either side of chest, on inside of front legs and outside from knee downwards, on inside of hindlegs and outside from stifle downwards, and around vent.

Size

Ideal height at withers:: Dogs: 48-51 cms (19-20 ins); Bitches: 47-50 cms (18½-193/4 ins).

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Note

Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.