To add another opinion to this conversation on conformation, I had a talk with Pete Flanagan. Pete, as those who know him can attest, is not hesitant to share an opinion. Yet his first comments on the subject indicate a problem that many of experience when dealing with functional conformation. "I feel like the Supreme Court justice struggling to define pornography," Pete begins, "The justice eventually said, ‘I may not be able to define it, but I know what it is when I see it.’ "

Grouse Ridge Kennels was established by Pete’s father, Field Trial Hall Of Famer Dr. Thomas Flanagan in 1950. It still conducts a major breeding operation. The kennels boast a number of cover champions including Grouse Ridge Will, John, Bounce, Storm, Looloo and Reroy among others. Reroy has already produced a number of cover and horseback champions.

Pete, who has been running the operation for about two decades, admits that he has never made physical conformation a specific study. Aside from x-raying every dog for potential hip problems, he has not formulated any formal conformation specifications. He has never measured specific body parts nor has he calculated proportions or formulae such as those that Curtis Brown recommended from Part I. But that does not mean that Pete does not have preferences.

Pete admires a dog with a deep chest and he prefers a big boned dog with females weighing from the mid to upper forties or more, and males above 50. But he adds quickly, "If I saw a great dog, with a great nose and a lot of intelligence, but who was smaller or bigger than what I like, I would use it in a trial and might breed to it." Within reasonable limits, beauty is as beauty does. Size is not just a matter of preference. Pete has noted that once size is lost in a line of dogs, it is difficult to get back.

Pete is somewhat critical of trend that developed in some cover trial circles: that being a strong preference for a small, very flashy dog. At times, Pete feels that the admiration for such a dog became exclusionary. Bigger dogs just did not look good to a preponderance of those who were judging cover trials in many places, and could not win, or were at such a disadvantage that it became imprudent to run a bigger dog. "I have seen some small dogs that looked like little missiles in the woods, but who in more open terrain, were clearly considerably slower than a dog with a long, smooth stride. Appearances can be deceiving."

In some covers, particularly where there is a lot of ground cover, a big dog can push through it easier. In other cases, such as a young aspen cut a small dog that can juke between and around trees might get the job done better. But the main thing, Pete feels, is that you don’t want a dog that has become so specialized in terms of body structure and function, that it is not all that useful anywhere else.

. Part of Pete’s problem with specialists, is that Grouse Ridge sells dogs everywhere and must provide his customers, most of which are non-field trialing hunters, with a dog capable of doing the job wherever that dog may go. Producing dogs that can be used in various conditions and situations is a challenge. The ‘nick’ between Grouse Ridge Frankie bred to Reroy has been repeated several times and has produced several dogs being used to guide hunts on plantations, several that went to hunters around the country, one that has become a multiple horseback champion (Calico’s Future Force), and one youngster that won a runner-up woodcock title this past fall (Grouse Ridge Franc.)

Pete particularly likes dogs that can compete in a variety of circuits. Grouse Ridge Storm and Reroy are among many Grouse Ridge dogs that had both foot and horseback wins. Grouse Ridge Will and Looloo were two dogs that won championships on both horseback and foot, something that has historically been exceedingly rare.

Pete, who has, peeked in on the Cover Dog Message Board only occasionally, promises to watch it more closely as this conversation on conformation unfolds.