THE RETRIEVERS 343 



over-showing, or general delicacy of constitution. This is one of the hereditary 

 blots on the Darenth escutcheon, and is to be observed in his son Champion 

 Horton Rector and his grandson Champion Black Quilt. The loins of the 

 Retriever should be broad, strong, muscular, and gently arched. 



Hind Legs, Thighs, Stifles, and Hocks. The thighs should be full of muscle, 

 and large, with the second thighs well developed. The stifles should be long 

 and fairly bent, but not to the extent that is seen in some other breeds. The 

 hocks should be well bent, with good bone, and when the dog is standing square, 

 should be plumb straight. Sickle-hocks are most objectionable, and cow-hocks 

 i.e. the points turned inward, and the feet, in consequence, turned outward 

 are even more so. Really first-rate hocks are, unfortunately, a rarity ; but lately 

 matters have improved in this respect. 



Stern. A typical stern, properly carried, is also a comparative rarity. It 

 should be well feathered underneath, gently curving at the set-on to the spine, 

 but otherwise quite straight. A pot-hook tail that is to say, one that curves 

 into a hook or a ring at its extremity is one of the worst faults that a Retriever 

 can exhibit ; in fact, such an eye-sore ought almost to amount to a disquali- 

 fying point. A stern set on too high, or too low, is also most detrimental 

 to symmetry, giving respectively a Terrier-like or a goose-rumped appearance. 

 It should be of moderate length ; the tip, when pulled down, should just reach 

 half-way between the cap of the hock and the ground. When the dog is still, 

 the stern should hang straight down ; when excited or moving, it should be 

 waved on a level with the back. In the case of a dog, especially one that has 

 been used at the stud, the judge must not pay too much attention to the 

 elevation of the flag, when the animal is in contact with other competitors. 

 The best of them will "give himself away" under the circumstances. A 

 little patience will always enable him (the judge) to see if the dog carries his 

 stern correctly under normal conditions. 



Coat. The coat should be absolutely flat (a slight wave on the flanks is 

 often observable, and is of no great importance). It should be dense and glossy, 

 with a strong undergrowth of still finer hair. It should be of moderate length, 

 and for the most part even ; but a longer, denser mass, almost amounting to 

 an incipient mane, on the neck, is typical of the breed, though somewhat 

 detrimental to quality. 



General Appearance and Symmetry. When the expert judge of a Retriever 

 enters the ring, his practised eye wanders around, and is attracted by the 

 general outline and symmetry of certain competitors. In nine cases out of 

 ten, first impressions turn out to be correct (except where some disqualifying 

 fault is subsequently detected), and the general appearance of the competitor 

 is usually found to be the sum of his perfections or otherwise. In general 

 appearance, the Flat-coated Retriever stands out a strong, symmetrical animal, 

 built on perfectly balanced lines of artistic beauty in fact, a perfect gentleman, 

 and one of the noblest examples of the noblest animal with which humanity 

 has to deal. 



Action and Character. It is hardly conceivable that a judge, after summing 

 up the merits and demerits of the competitors, should proceed to make his 

 awards without putting them through their paces, so that he may appraise their 

 movement and detect any lameness, stiffness, or slovenly action. And yet, over 

 and over again, this grave omission may be seen in evidence, and passed without 

 comment by exhibitors and reporters. Breeders of to-day are wont to deplore 

 the fact that good, level action is not as universal as it should be ; the action 

 of the quarters, and especially of hocks, is rarely perfect, and it behoves judges 

 to pay particular attention to these defects. In their slow paces, many Retrievers 

 have a rolling gait, which suggests weakness ; but when pace is accelerated, 

 this often disappears, and it is found that, after all, the dog is a really good 

 mover. Every competitor whose conformation is otherwise up to the standard 



