This section is from the book "The Dogs Of The British Islands", by J. H. Walsh. Also available from Amazon: The Dogs Of The British Islands.
Classes defined as above have been made specially with a view to include those liver-coloured specimens which are met with constantly in litters bred from black curly-coated parents, indicating the spaniel cross. Thus, in 1866, Mr. Jones and Mr. Harrison took the first and second prizes at Birmingham with Neptune and Sailor respectively, both being by the celebrated Jet, and the former out of a black daughter of that dog, while the latter was out of Gorse's Gyp, also black. Both were liver-coated dogs; and in 1865 Sailor was placed second to Mr Gorse's Jet, Mr. Harrison asserting his superiority to that dog in all other respects, and on that account a separate class was made next year; but the result was not more favourable to the then treasurer and prime mover of the show, as he only got a second to Neptune, as above stated. This class is not defined at all, so that the judges may have to decide between curly-coated of both, colours, wavy-coated of a black, brindled, black and tabby, black and tan, or red colour; and, of course, can have no rule but the rule of thumb to guide them.
In such a class, colour must be left out of consideration; but a well-coated and finely-shaped curly-coated liver dog would generally achieve success.
The weight of the modern retriever proper is about 801b; height, 25 to 26 indies.
 
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