Russian Spaniel

Date of Publication in Russia: 2000 Publication of the previous standard: 1966 Translation from Russian by E. Kaplan and A. Schroeder

Short historical note. First standard of Russian Spaniel was established in 1951. Next, slightly modified standard of the breed was accepted into use in 1966. Standard presented below is the one recently accepted by the Hunting Canine organization of the Russian Federation (RFOS), and under review in the main canine organization of Russia, RKF. It is expected to be submitted to FCI upon approval of RKF.

General view, conformation and behavior: Russian Spaniel is a longhaired gundog of medium height, strong build, relatively long-legged (the length of front extremities from a sole up to elbow joint constitutes 1/2 heights in withers), and moderately stretched. Height in withers in males is 40-45 cm (15 3/4"-17 3/4"), in females 38-43 (15"-17"), elongation index (the ratio of length to height, where length is measured on a level from the foremost point of the shoulder to the rearmost point of the buttocks) is 1.10 to 1.14 for males, and 1.12 to 1.16 for females. A typical pace on search is a light gallop (canter) , in difficult places changing to a tort. Type of behavior is well balanced and mobile. Attitude towards people is friendly. Faults (when over-expressed, severely penalized): weak signs of sexual dimorphism, signs of rachitis, overall physical underdevelopment, level topline in males, croup height is more than height in withers, excessively light-boned, elongation beyond the standard, height above standard up to 2cm (if more, considered a serious fault) or lower than standard up to 1cm (if more, considered a serious fault). Hyperactivity, listlessness, phlegmatism. Serious faults: unprovoked aggressiveness to people, fearfulness.

Color: Solids: black, brown, and tan. Bicolor: white with black, white with brown, white with tan markings. Black touchups of tan or brown color, brown with touchups of tan or black color. Tricolor: bicolor with spots or touchups of other color, black and tan with white marks on a chest or paws. Serious faults: all coloring not listed in the standard.

Coat: Hair coat is moderately long, soft, reflective, straight, and skintight. On the head and the front sides of legs the hair is short and straight. On the upper side of the neck, back, sides and croup it is moderately long and rich. On the bottom side of the neck, on the chest, stomach, the backside of front and back legs, as well as on ears and the bottom part of the tail, the dressy hair is longer, soft, wavy, forms fringe and feathers. Hair is like a thick brush between paw digits. Faults: wiry, excessively wavy, too short or too long hair coat, underdeveloped dressy coat, fringes and feathers Serious faults: curly or with curls on the neck and body, disheveled, non-skintight, fluffy, or short coat, absence of the dressy coat.

Skin, muscles, skeleton: A skin is dense, elastic, without wrinkles or folds. Skeleton is strong. Muscles are well developed, relief. Faults: skin is slightly wrinkly, with a few minor folds; slightly undeveloped muscles. Serious faults: wrinkly skin, with folds, seriously underdeveloped muscles; weak and underdeveloped skeleton. Head: Dry, moderately long (makes 1/3 from the total length of the body), with oval, moderately wide cranial part. Occipital bone is weakly expressed. Lines of a cranium and a muzzle are parallel. The lengths of the muzzle and the cranium are equal. Brow arches are moderately developed. Transition from the forehead to the muzzle is smooth, but clearly expressed. The muzzle is long and, if looked at from above, wide; a little narrower than the cranium, with slight narrowing to tip of the nose. If looked at from the side, the upper lip appears almost rectangular, with a slightly rounded front corner. Color of the nose tip and lips ranges from dark brown to black, preferably black. Faults: hooked, lowered or slightly turned-up muzzle, slightly shortened muzzle (length is less than that of the cranium by no more than 2cm), under expressed transition from forehead to muzzle, unparallel lines of muzzle and cranium; rectangular shape of upper lip. Serious faults: too narrow or too wide forehead, overly prominent cheek-bones, underdeveloped brow arches, smoothened or sharp transition from forehead to muzzle; too shot or too long muzzle, turned-up muzzle; pendulous lips; color of the nose tip and lips not listed in the standard.

Ears: Trailing, long, wide, hanging close to the cheeks, rounded from below, set on eye level or slightly higher, mobile. The leather of slightly extended ear should reach the tip of the nose. Faults: ears set too high, slightly short (no more than 1cm short of reach the tip of the nose), slightly long (extend beyond the tip of the nose by 1-2cm). Serious faults: ears set too low, rolled up, narrow, light, short (more than 1cm short of reach the tip of the nose), too long (extend beyond the tip of the nose more than 2cm), heavy, non-mobile.

Eyes: Oval, moderately large, straightly cut, tightly attached eyelids. Color is dark-brown or brown depending on tone of the hair coat. Faults: Round, inset, or small eyes. Eyelids not tightly attached. Light-brown eyes regardless of coat color. Serious faults: detached and pink eyelids, bulging eyes. Very light, yellow, amber eyes regardless of coat color .

Teeth and bite: Healthy, strong, well developed, straight with no gaps; full dental formula; scissors bite. Faults: Small, sparse or unhealthy teeth; absence of no more than three premolars out of first 3; one leaning incisor under condition that its’ base is in line with other incisors; even bite after the age of six. Serious faults: absence of four premolars out of first 3 orone of the 4th. Disqualifying faults: All deviations from scissors bite regardless of severity: overbite, underbite; asymmetrical bite; an even bite detected before the age of six; an extra incisor; absence of one or few incisors, or incisor is broken which prevents proper evaluation of the bite; absence of at least one molar; absence of more than four premolars out of first 3 or two of the 4th.

Neck: Moderately long, relatively low set, oval in cross-section, muscular, without wrinkles and folds. Faults: too short or too long, with underdeveloped musculature. Few wrinkles, few fatty folds in the upper side of the neck . Serious faults: A lot of wrinkles, significant number of fatty folds.

Chest: Moderately wide, deep and long (lowered just below the elbows or at their level), with well developed false ribs. Faults: underdeveloped ribcage, not reaching the elbows by 2cm. Serious faults: Narrow ribcage, not reaching the elbows by more than 2cm.

Withers: Well developed. In males clearly expressed, exceeding the height in croup by no less than 2 cm (0.79”). In females the height of the withers may be in level with the croup. Faults: under expressed withers (in males, in level with the croup, in females, height in withers is 1cm lower than the croup). Serious faults: low withers, height is noticeably lower than the croup.

Back: Straight, strong, wide, slightly sloping from withers to the waist, muscled. Faults: soft back, noticeable depression behind scapula, while standing or walking the dog slightly humps the back. Serious faults: sagging back, humpbacked.

Waist: Short, wide, muscular, and slightly convex. Faults: straight, slightly elongated waist. Serious faults: weak, long waist

Croup: Wide, moderately long, slightly sloping, muscular. Faults: slightly slanting croup. Serious faults: narrow, sharply slanting croup.

Abdomen: Moderately tightened. Transition from the chest to the groin is smooth. Faults: abdomen is almost level with the chest, over tightened abdomen. Serious faults: sharp transition from the chest to the groin (detriment), abdomen is in level or lower than the chest.

Front Extremities: Dry, bony, when looked at from the front, straight and parallel. Angles of the shoulder scapular joints are near 100°. Elbows are directed straight back. Forearms are straight. Wrists are wide, slightly inclined. Faults: slight deformity of forearms. Slightly straightened angles of the shoulder scapular joints. Elbows turn slightly out. Slight external rotation of the foot, intowed. Serious faults: Over-expressed faults from those listed above are severely penalized.

Hind Extremities: When looked at from behind - straight and parallel, set wider than the front ones. From the side, joints are clearly defined. Rear pasterns are moderately short, angled. Metatarsus (the unit between the hock joint and the foot) is substantial, set straight. Faults: underexpressed joint angles, metatarsus is slightly articulated, hocks that slightly turn in while causing the toes to face outward or turn slightly out with toes facing inward. Serious faults: straightened angles of the elbow and hock joints, close set limbs, hocks that turn in while causing the toes to face outward (cow-hocked) or turn out with toes facing inward (bow-hocked), metatarsus is tightly articulated.

Paws: Round, arched, with densely tightened digits (“paw in a clod") and dense hair inbetween. Faults: narrow, slightly elongated, slightly loose paws, with too long, soft hair between digits. Serious faults: elongated, flat

Tail: Relatively thick at the base, mobile, straight with a fringe. It is docked to the half of its length. In a quiet standing position the dog holds the tail in level with the back. Faults: short or long docked, not very mobile tail; in a quiet standing position the dog holds the tail slightly higher than back level. Serious faults: undocked, vertically standing tail.

Movements: Movements are light and free at all paces. Faults: listless, mincing, constrained movements Serious faults: Over-expressed faults from those listed above are severely penalized. Header walking movements.