Sigmund Freud (a Chow Chow man, by the way), famously postulated the theory that behavior and objects, particularly in dreams and the subconscious, had symbolic meanings, usually related to sex. Indeed, the phrase, “Freudian slip” refers to an unintentional slip of the tongue that Freudians believe reveal the true unconscious thoughts, feelings, or desire of the person who made it.

We go back in time to the day when Freud, an inveterate cigar smoker, was asked by a student what his cigars symbolized. There is no proof that Freud ever said the following, but urban legend forever attaches him to the response:  “Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar.”

In today’s parlance, we might simply say, “It is what it is.”

People new to the dog world, particularly those learning to read breed standards, are often mystified by unfamiliar terms they encounter: “Fluting?” “Daisy cutting?” “Timber?” While it’s true that the fancy has a unique vocabulary, sometimes, like Freud’s cigar, there’s no hidden meaning beyond what’s actually written. To illustrate this point, we examine a short sentence from the AKC standard for Cocker Spaniels (and to be clear, we refer to the American Cocker Spaniel, not the English Cocker Spaniel):

The muzzle is broad and deep, with square even jaws

Most readers understand “broad.” They might, however, trip over  “deep” and “square even jaws. Since there is nothing like an illustration to replace words……

Sometimes, a square really is just a square.

As for the muzzle being broad and deep?

We could joke that the merry Cocker Spaniel’s deep muzzle is where the blues go to die, but kidding aside, this is a well-defined stop that should fit the shape of one’s thumb if it is placed it between the eyes. In profile, a Cocker should have a level bridge that turns neither up nor downwards. Put another way (and figuratively speaking), one could place a marble on this dog’s bridge and not have it roll, an unlikely scenario without sufficient underjaw to lend depth to the muzzle. It’s important to remember that this is a sporting breed that is called upon to hold and carry a bird, and yes, the hunting tradition of Cocker Spaniels remains alive and well, particularly among enthusiasts. There has been increased popularity among hunters, especially in Denmark, and the American Spaniel Club offers many field work tests – but that’s a post for another day.

For now, we conclude by circling back to the fact that it pays to read a breed standard more than once, and consider that jargon aside, what a standard writes is really what it means.

Image: Judith Stein
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