Epagneul Pont-Audemer

Gun Dog Group

The goals and purposes of this breed standard include: to furnish guidelines for breeders who wish to maintain the quality of their breed and to improve it; to advance this breed to a state of similarity throughout the world; and to act as a guide for judges.

Breeders and judges have the responsibility to avoid any conditions or exaggerations that are detrimental to the health, welfare, essence and soundness of this breed, and must take the responsibility to see that these are not perpetuated.

Any departure from the following 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 and on the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.

History

Descended from the Picardy spaniel and possibly the Barbet and the Poodle, the Epagneul de Pont-Audemer has always been a rare breed, and so few existed after the Second World War that it was necessary to breed them with Irish Water Spaniels to keep the breed alive. A water specialist, the breed is also used to point and flush.

The Epagneul de Pont-Audemer was recognized by the United Kennel Club January 1, 1996.

General Appearance

A medium sized, stocky dog with liver/brown coat that is long and wavy, but smooth about the face.

Characteristics

Called ‘the little clown of the marshes’ in France, the breed is hardy and hard working, but has the spaniel traits of being gentle, affectionate and easy to train.

Head

SKULL

The skull is round, with a prominent occipital crest. The forehead rises towards the topknot, which must be very curly and leave the forehead bare. The stop is sloping.

MUZZLE

The muzzle is long, with an arched nasal bone. The lips are fine and slightly let down, making the muzzle fairly pointed.

TEETH

The Epagneul de Pont-Audemer has a complete set of evenly spaced, white teeth meeting in a scissors bite.

NOSE

The nose is rather pointed, and protrudes in front of the line of the muzzle. It is brown in color.

EYES

Rather small and well set into the sockets, the eyes are dark amber or hazel, and have a kind, frank expression.

EARS

Set on rather low, the ears are long and flat, and furnished with long, silky, very curly hair, which joins with the topknot to frame the head.

Neck

Slightly arched, neat and well muscled.

Forequarters

The shoulder blades are long, sloping and fairly close together at the tips. The upper arm is strong and muscular.

FORELEGS

The legs are rather short, the dog being somewhat low to the ground, without falling into the Cocker type.

Body

The chest is deep and broad, descending to the elbow. The ribs are long and well sprung. The back is straight or slightly convex. The loin is short, broad and solid. The croup is very slightly sloping. The flanks are flat and there is a slight tuck up.

Hindquarters

The hipbones are prominent, and at the same level as the back.

HIND LEGS

The thighs are muscular and fleshy, with the point of the buttocks prominent. The hock joint is broad and straight, and the rear pasterns are short and furnished with a curly fringe. Dewclaws should be removed.

Feet

The feet are round, and furnished with long, curly hair between the toes.

Tail

Set as a continuation of the topline, and carried quite straight. Generally docked to one third of its length, and well feathered with curly hair. An undocked tail should be medium length and carried a little curved.

Coat

Curly, and slightly ruffled.

Color

Brown or brown roan, with dead leaf glints.

Height

20.5 to 23 inches at the withers.

Disqualifications

(A dog with a Disqualification must not be considered for placement in a conformation event, and must be reported to UKC.)
Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid.
Viciousness or extreme shyness.
Albinism.

The docking of tails and cropping of ears in America is legal and remains a personal choice. However, as an international registry, the United Kennel Club is aware that the practices of cropping and docking have been forbidden in some countries. In light of these developments, the United Kennel Club feels that no dog in any UKC event, including conformation, shall be penalized for a full tail or natural ears.