It goes without saying that fanciers aim to present their dogs in the best possible light at a dog show. But just as a breed standard can be open to interpretation, so too does the way we groom our dogs for shows vary—not only from person to person, but also between countries.
Both the AKC breed standard and the UK Kennel Club standard for the Welsh Springer Spaniel call for vine ears in nearly identical language:
From the Kennel Club standard: Ears: Comparatively small and gradually narrowing towards the tip, shaped somewhat like a vine leaf.
From the AKC standard: “…Gradually narrowing toward the tip, they [ears] are shaped somewhat like a vine leaf and are lightly feathered.”
As an aside, and to our knowledge, the WSS is the only AKC breed to describe the ear shape using a leaf comparison. It’s amusing to read in C. Bede Maxwell’s book, The Truth About Sporting Dogs, about the origins of the vine leaf term. She writes: “Attending an Annual General Meeting of the Club in England meant listening to debates about finding alternative wording to describe the ear. No one could come up with an exact definition to substitute, and ‘vine-leaf shape’ remains.”
Both countries call for the vine leaf ear, but how it is presented in a show ring differs. Across the pond, ear hair is presented at a noticeably shorter length, specifically to accentuate the “vine leaf” shape of the ear. This is a distinguishing feature and is part of the traditional presentation for the breed in UK show rings. The tops of their ears are shaved, trimmed with thinning shears, or stripped, and the edge along the bottom feathering is trimmed and “neatened” to better show off the lovely vine leaf ear shape. In our opinion, the WSS seen on Purina’s UK website best illustrates this look. It is a lovely dog, with tidy ears that accentuate the leaf shape.
American exhibitors also aim to present a clean and well-groomed appearance. While trimming the top third of the ear inside and outside is standard, the method—whether using thinning shears or a #10 clipper blade—is left to the handler’s preference. The Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of America’s grooming guidelines explicitly state:
“Trim the top third of the ear, inside and outside with thinning shears or #10 clipper blade. This will help keep mats from forming behind the ears. The hair on the bottom two thirds of the ear can be plucked, stripped or scissored with thinning shears. It is your personal preference as to how long you want the ear hair.”
This flexible approach results in a wider range of ear presentations in the US, from closely trimmed to more natural, depending on the exhibitor’s style and interpretation of the standard. However, the American approach tends to favor a slightly more natural look, with less emphasis on closely shaving the ears to the same degree as is customary in the UK. This might be best seen in the Welshie who appears on the AKC’s website, though it’s important to point out that this particular dog may not be groomed specifically for the show ring. We simply cite this dog as an example of a more natural ear presentation.
Photo by Elis.kadl/Deposit