Ears, lips, and eyes.—The ears should be shorter than the pointer’s in leather, but the hair fringing them brings them in appearance nearly to the same lenght. The leather must be thin and soft, and must hang close to the cheeks, without the slightest tendency to “prick.” The hair is very silky on the ears of good breeds, and is usually about two inches in length. The lips are, perhaps, not quite so full as the pointer’s, but there is a decided pouch at the angle, which when on game is usually full slaver.
The eyes are of medium size, more animated than the pointer’s, sad of all shades of brown, the darker the better. They should be set straight across, and not at any angle. The neck has a different contour from the pointer’s, not showing the decided convexity in either direction peculiar to that dog, and feeling thin and soft to the touch, with a slight hollow on each side. The skin is loose, but no throatiness or dewlap is allowed.
Shoulders and chest.—In Mr. Laverack’s breed, the chest of the dogs is usually very round and barrel-like, making their elbows stand wide apart, and tending to produce a slow pace. In the bitches no such conformation exists, and hence, perhaps, the latter have generally come out better in public than the former. I have not remarked this difference in any other breed, but certainly I have seen no exception in his, nor have I ever known any other strain of setters so thick and ” cobby ” in the body, and so like the Clumber spaniel in outline; of course, not to the same extent as in that dog.
Mr. Laverack was so prejudiced in favour of his own breed, that in his book he even went so far as to recommend a wide chest. I very much prefer, in common with all other setter fanciers, a somewhat narrow chest, moderately deep in front, but but with the back ribs well let down. This formation gives the light airy gallop of the Irish setter and yet allows sufficient room for lungs and heart. The shoulders should be very sloping, and the blades wide at the top from before backwards, so as to give plenty of room for the muscles moving the arm.
