more favorable mass to surface are for
losing heat. They also put less strain on joints, etc."
Another large dog advocate opined, "One should get the largest
dog possible for a particular weight. If you want a 45-pound
dog, then the largest 45-pound dog will perform the best. A dog
dissipates heat more easily through a large muscle surface area,
in particular a long, flat muscle. A small compact dog will overheat
far quicker than a large rangy build. Also longer legs use less
energy to cover ground and negotiate obstacles. If you look for
the real performers, they all have this in common."
One last dog owner then chimed in, "I like a leggy Lab or
Springer. I think a tall dog has a chance of being a faster swimmer
or runner than a dog with shorter legs. Long legs don't guarantee
a faster dog because I've seen short English Springer Spaniels
that were rockets and some small Labs that could move. If you
hunt a flusher, you may not want a dog that's too tall. The dog
should be the right combination of size that it can weasel through
thick stuff but have enough speed to put the bird to flight."
Well, as the above comments indicate, everybody's got an opinion
about dog size, and most seem to be quite willing to share it |
In hopes of getting some kind of a grip
on this issue, I decided to ask a pro trainer the same question.
I selected Ken Alexander of DeCoverly Kennels, Inc. I had first
met Ken about a year ago and was impressed with his dogs and
his thoughts about training them. When I caught up with Ken at
his kennel in Factoryville, Pennsylvania he had about 127 dogs
on the premises. With this many dogs around, I figured there
had to be some of about every size. So I asked Ken the question,
"Does size matter?"  |
He replied, "When you talk about 'size'
you are really talking about conformation of which size is a
component. There are some excellent pieces in Bob Wehle's book,
Wing and Shot, including the fact that Elhew Marmaduke was 67
lbs in condition. A private individual can have any preferences
that he chooses, but a reputable breeder should not ignore the
standards for the breed. Each breed was bred [or designed] for
a field purpose and that purpose should not be ignored for fads
or medals. For example, at one period English Setters were the
predominant field dog in the USA. That is not even close today
and the huge numbers of people that have turned to other breeds
have often done it to get away from what has been done to English
Setters. They look wrong and they behave in ways that the founders
never intended. Many of the worst breedings have [except for
color] degenerated into a cur conformation that you would find
in the garbage dumps around Mexico City. The show people have
often given up on athletic conformation in favor of too much
size and a movement that is only applicable in the ring and does
not make for endurance. They do, however, have a much better
eye for the components of conformation that indicate athleticism
irrespective of size. The difference is often like a quarter
horse vs. a thoroughbred after the 3/8 pole, but neither a pony
nor a draft |
