Judging the Clumber Spaniel

Judging the Clumber Spaniel

I am often asked to mentor new judges wanting to learn the nuances of the Clumber Spaniel. Sadly, many times, this breed, like their rare, lesser-known spaniel cousins, is one of the last few breeds applied for in the Sporting Group. At that point, your judging skills are already in place and sorting dogs is not as difficult as when you first entered the ring.

For the newer Clumber judge, that level of comfort can work against good decision-making, meaning that you might start sorting with an untrained eye, making decision on soundness instead of type, and rewarding a generic spaniel-type dog over an animal that excels in breed-specific qualities.

The Clumber Spaniel presents judges with challenges not commonly found in other members of the spaniel family. I have shared 40 years of my life with this unique breed and I can tell you they are not like the other smaller spaniels. While they differ in many ways, you should instantly notice Clumbers enter your ring with a larger body mass and proportions, a looseness of protective skin, and a distinctive headpiece.

When I judge this breed, whether at a show or in my own breeding program, I look for a dog that is clearly long in proportion and deep in body, with massive bone and substance; top that off with the hallmark headpiece that contains the breed essential nuances I require (i.e., good eye set and the proper expression, deep lips, and a softness of brow). You can keep a high bar for quality in what you look for in this breed. While lower in overall numbers, the quality is quite good. When you have an entry, you will generally have plenty of decisions to make.

Looking at the breed in profile, the very first thing I notice is how low to the ground is this animal. Is he low and long? Does this dog occupy his space with substance and bone? Does he make an empowering impression with a big, broad head, with loose skin framing his face? As the judge, you should look at his elbow and notice that from the elbow to the ground is one-half of his height at the top of the shoulder. If the length is greater than that, he is too tall. Long legs are without question the plague of the breed today. He should never be fine-boned, tall, or present lots of daylight under his body. More and more often, dogs are getting taller, and as a result, they appear shorter in back. With this extra leg length, their proportions are skewed. This long, low silhouette is very important to the breed and defines his outline. As a breeder, these leggy, taller dogs have no value; however, as an uneducated judge, they can have a visual appeal. Beware: A taller dog will generally appear sounder and hold a firmer topline, giving a generic appeal or what we refer to as SPRINGERY. I avoid these animals as breeding stock and winners in my ring.

Clumbers are a massive dog with barrel-shaped ribbing that is vital to this breed. The body has a wide girth and is two-thirds ribbing and one-third strong loin. There is no tuck-up. The underline is also long. Use your hands to feel how far back the bottom of the ribs go and check for any presence of tuck-up. The front of the Clumber is well developed and wide, but elbows are tight to the chest and well tucked-in, supporting the dog’s full body mass. The pasterns are slightly sloping. On the move, the front legs should reach forward, converging to the centerline but never crossing over. Their feet are large and round, bone is strong. This breed has a level topline and a strong back, but there will be a slight rise over the loin that is not always perceptible to the eye but evident upon physical exam. The croup is typical for most spaniel breeds. It is slightly rounded and never a continuation of the topline. Like the slight rise of the loin, you will need to feel this, as the coat can be profuse. The tail should be slightly below the line of the back.

This breed was developed to flush out game and beat birds out of nests for hunters. The ground cover where they worked was densely covered with native Rhododendron bushes and thorny thickets. To that end, the breed must have loose-fitting skin, with a great deal of play to move with the dog when he is pushing through this underbrush. This is an essential breed characteristic, without which he would never be able to perform his function as a flushing spaniel. This thick skin is an element of proper breed type, most notably on the head; the skin creates the classic furrowing and loose eye. The brow acts as a protective element for the eyes as the dog pushes through the cover to locate game. Unlike other spaniel breeds, some haw will show around the eyes. A “V” shape lower rim is created with the skin. Too much skin can lead to many health issues and should be avoided. A Clumber devoid of loose skin is a Clumber with no type. Unlike most of the other breeds with a typical lobe shape, the ears are triangular or leaf-shaped. The ear leather is a place to feel for the characteristic thick skin of the Clumber Spaniel. This breed has suffered with malocclusion for many of the four decades I have been involved with them. As a breeder, I do not keep dogs in my breeding program that do not have perfect bites, and as a result I never reward them in the show ring. There will be others of merit to reward. The Clumber is never shy or timid; instead, he is reserved in temperament with a noble character.

Most judges are comfortable with breeds that look the same moving as standing, and frankly, often this breed is not. This is a direct result of the short legs and long body, coupled with the loose skin. On the move, the dog’s skin will undulate back and forth, tending to rock and vibrate. This is referred to as the “Clumber roll.” It is more apparent on the go-round, with a slight flap of coat that covers the shoulder blades. This is the spaniel shawl and is not to be trimmed or penalized. In other breeds, the handler will pull this out or trim it; however, it is left natural on the Clumber as it is part of his protective armor.

This breed has large, round, dense bone; round muscle, and thick, powerful thighs. They have a wide, round rump typical of most spaniel breeds. They should have meaty or fleshy rears with good muscle tone, and very short hocks with thick, fleshy feet that work as shock absorbers. Going away from you, he should push back, showing his pads. This breed has made great strides in soundness in the past few decades. He has become a strong, dynamic sporting dog, instead of the lumbering Clumber of yesteryear. They are more powerful and stronger today than ever. As breeders, we are proud of these structural improvements. His tail is thick at the root and can be either docked or natural. Neither is preferred. They are always white with either lemon or orange markings.

I often use a bulldozer or milkmaids as a metaphor for the breed. The females are always slightly less dog throughout than their male counterparts, and many times are overlooked. The mass of a male can outshine the superior qualities of a great Clumber bitch. Sadly, we struggle to have top-winning bitches even when their qualities are superior. The girls will carry less bone, head, and coat than males, but she should never be fine in bone or lacking in substance.

Clumber Spaniels are unique to the Spaniel Family. Their differences are what attracted me to them originally. It is my hope that when you have the opportunity to judge a major entry, you will come to appreciate the unique traits that define him as the country gentleman.