English Cocker Spaniel Club of America Breed Education Committee

English Cocker Spaniel Club of America
Breed Education Committee
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Mentor and/or Presenter for the ECSCA Judges Education. It is
expected that all Mentors and Presenters be more than comfortable with the standard and knowledge
of dog terms in general; not only knowing and understanding the breed specific details of type and
function, but being able to articulately elaborate upon them to future English Cocker judges. These judges
can run the gamut from a first breed judge through to someone who has judged multiple groups for many
decades and is well versed in all things dog. Judges spend time and significant money to attend Parent
Club seminars as part of AKC requirements and rightfully expect to be mentored by qualified,
knowledgeable individuals who can effectively communicate on the same level. Mentors and Presenters
must be not only be thoroughly knowledgeable of the English Cocker standard, but also of general dog
structure and movement. Knowledge of correct canine terminology is a must.
The ECSCA Breed Education Committee requires that a current, approved Mentor sponsor any application
for becoming a Mentor, and that a current, approved Presenter sponsor all applications for Presenters.
The packet attached to this letter contains:
 Mentor/Presenter Application
 Mentor/Presenter Description
 Mentor/Presenter Consent Form
 ECSCA Mentor/Presenter Notes
 Complete Updated Approved Mentor/Presenter List
 AKC Anatomy Test
 AKC English Cocker Spaniel Breed Test
Please thoroughly read and complete all forms, and return to the Committee Chair.
Thank you for your willingness to share your knowledge and educate others about our breed.
English Cocker Spaniel Club of America’s Breed Education Committee
Genelle Joseph, Chair
[email protected]
9429 East McGill Ct.
Parker, CO 80134
(303) 805-1617
Terri Burrows
Marlin Kvamme
Doug McFarlane
Bonnie Threlfall
Patricia Janzen
Sandy LaFlamme
Kathy Moore
Karen Whitfield
ENGLISH COCKER SPANIEL CLUB
OF AMERICA
Breed Education Committee
Presenter/Mentor Application
Name:
Date:
Last
First
M.I.
Address:
Street Address
Apartment/Unit #
City
State
Phone:
ZIP Code
Email
Breed Participation
Years in Breed:
AKC Licensed Judge?
Have you judged at sweepstakes level?
Applying for Mentor, Presenter or Both?
Explain Why You Feel You Are Qualified to Be A Mentor and/or Presenter
Breed Education Approved Mentor/ Presenter Sponsor Information
Sponsor of Applicant:
Date:
Years you’ve known applicant:
Comments:
Disclaimer and Signature
I certify that my answers and the information I have provided are true and complete to the best of my knowledge.
I have read all the requirements and guidelines for the ECSCA Breed Education Mentors and Presenters and I
am willing to adhere and abide by the rules.
Signature:
Date:
1
ENGLISH COCKER SPANIEL CLUB OF AMERICA
BREED EDUCATION COMMITTEE (BEC)
Presenter/Mentor Program
Purpose
To provide knowledgeable and capable Presenters and Mentors to execute the BEC education programs.
Presenters
To give BEC presentation at ECSCA National and Regional specialties, Member Club specialties and meeting
programs, and seminars/workshops by independent judges organizations.
Mentors
To act as ringside mentors for conformation judges and aspiring judges.
Description
Number - There will be an indefinite number of presenters and Mentors. It is strongly recommended that
representation be as broad as possible in order to meet the need for ECSCA education seminars across the
country.
Resources and materials – Presenters and mentors need to be thoroughly familiar with the BEC resources and
materials available to them, and agree to use the applicable materials as to meet the needs of their audience.
Applications – Interested parties should submit an application to the BEC Chair who will review them and
forward them to the rest of the BEC for review and approval. Presenter applications will require sponsorship
by a current, BEC Approved Presenter, Mentor applications require sponsorship by a BEC Approved Mentor.
It will be the responsibility of that committee to verify that the presenters and mentors meet the minimum
criteria for participation, are trained in the use of materials available through the BEC, receive regular
assignments or continuing education opportunities to keep up their skills, and are evaluated in the
presentation of their assigned projects. Presenters and Mentors who repeatedly fail to meet the expectations
set forth by the BEC are subject to removal from the program by a majority vote of the BEC.
Presenters – ECSCA member in good standing for 15 years, with advanced knowledge of the subject, and who
meets the requirements for a Presenter. Presenters are required for any program dealing directly with the
Breed Standard or any “parent club approved” judges’ education presentation, regardless of the sponsoring
organization.
Mentors – ECSCA member in good standing for 10 years, with significant knowledge of the subject, and who
meets most of the requirements for a Presenter.
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DUTIES AND QUALIFICATIONS
All Presenters and Mentors:

Presenters need to feel comfortable speaking before an audience and must be familiar enough with the
breed, its history and the AKC breed standard to speak about it for two hours or more as may be required
in some programs. Mentors need to feel comfortable with one-on-one discussions and dealing with the
individual’s needs.

Must agree to use only ECSCA programs, outlines, and handout material as approved by the BEC and the
Board of Directors at any ECSCA approved presentation.

Must be able to speak coherently and describe characteristics in specific terms using a positive style using
correct canine terminology.

Must agree to conduct oneself ethically.

Must follow up on all questions from any participant who needs more specific information either by
referring him/her to other people or researching the information requested.

Must obtain the names and addresses of attendees at presentations or individuals tutored.

Must be willing to travel when needed to assist in mentoring when called upon to do so.

Must be familiar enough with basic canine anatomy to discuss details such as point of shoulder, overreaching, foot-timing, etc. and to discuss how various faults contribute to specific problems.

Must have significant depth of knowledge regarding structure, type, and function. This can be
demonstrated through extensive study of the breed standard by attendance at multiple seminars of study
groups, or membership on educational programs/committees.

Must be able to pass a basic test on the English Cocker Spaniel breed standard and canine anatomy, and
accurately discuss and describe these topics if requested.

Must be able to set aside personal preferences such as color and size, etc. from others that are well within
the parameters of the breed standard.

Must be willing to sign a Program Presenter/Mentor Consent Form.

Must be able to assemble a small group of English Cocker Spaniels, both dogs and bitches that represent a
variety of acceptable styles, ages, and colors. These dogs should come from a variety of breeders to
represent a broad picture of the breed as a whole. Except in the case of visits to breeders with tutors, the
identity of all dogs, owners, and handlers will remain anonymous, including any information on the wins
or accomplishments.
Presenter Qualifications
Presenters of judges’ education programs, or any presenter who uses the breed standard as the basis of a
presentation, must be eligible as a Presenter by meeting the minimum requirements as follows:

Have a minimum of 15 years of active participation in English Cocker Spaniel events and 15 years
membership in the ECSCA

Have bred five (5) litters of English Cocker Spaniels and produced four (4) AKC champions of record from
those litters
C:\USERS\GENELLE\DESKTOP\SEMINARS-PRESNETER ADN MENTORS\BEC PRESENTER_MENTOR DESCRIPTION.DOC

Preferably have judging experience minimally at the sweepstakes level

Have attended at least six (6) National specialties, three (3) of them within the past six (6) years in order to
have seen dogs from all over the country, and to have observed them from the puppy through veteran
classes. This ratio of 3 of 6 National specialties must be maintained to remain on the list.

Must attend a seminar presented by an approved BEC presenter prior to application.

Application must be sponsored by a current, BEC approved Presenter.

Have completed a training session with the BEC New Presenter / Mentor Subcommittee members.
Mentor Qualifications
ECSCA member in good standing for 10 years with significant knowledge of the subject, and who meets or
nearly meets most of the requirements for a Presenter as described above as well as:

Application must be sponsored by a current, BEC approved Mentor

Have completed a training session with the BEC New Presenter / Mentor Subcommittee members
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ENGLISH COCKER SPANIEL CLUB OF AMERICA
BREED EDUCATION COMMITTEE (BEC)
Program Presenter/Mentor Consent Form
When representing the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America as a Program Presenter
and/or Mentor at ECSCA approved events, I
agree to the following stipulations:
1. I acknowledge that as a “parent club approved” speaker or Mentor, I represent the
English Cocker Spaniel Club of America providing programs for the purpose of
educating judges, breeder and/or fanciers of the English Cocker Spaniel under AKC
guidelines.
2. I agree to use any or all visual aids in the exact form in which I receive them from
the committee.
3. I agree to follow the written outline, based on the AKC breed standard and supplied
by the Breed Education Committee during any such presentations or seminars.
4. I agree to adhere to the use of the English Cocker Spaniel breed standard as the
basis for any and all educational information I, or my co-speakers, provide during
such programs.
5. I will distribute only those written materials approved and supplied by the English
Cocker Spaniel Club of America.
6. If I utilize my own dog(s) during a presentation, either for demonstration purposes
or as part of a hands-on discussion, the participants are not to know that they are
my dogs
7. Except in the case of visits to breeders with tutors, all dogs that are used for any
purpose during a presentation will remain anonymous. I will not acknowledge their
owners or handlers by name, registered names of dogs, titles, show wins, or
accomplishments.
8. Following the presentation or mentoring experience, I will promptly submit to the
appropriate chairman, an itemization of reimbursable expenses with receipts for
same, and will immediately return leftover handouts, booklets, drawings, and any
monies collected from the sale of Club items, if applicable.
9. I will obtain a list of names and addresses of attendees or persons mentored at the
presentation and will forward it to the chairman of the BEC with any items noted in
#8 above.
Signature:
Date:
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ECSCA MENTOR NOTES
Thank you for mentoring for your breed. Your willingness to mentor is indicative of your desire
and determination to assist others in understanding the English Cocker. Please remember when
mentoring that you are to remain absolutely unbiased in your observations of individual dogs.
Breeders, owners, handlers, are not to be discussed. The students will come from various
dog backgrounds. Ours may be the first or second breed that they are working towards
judging, or the student could be a long time judge who knows more about dogs than you do.
You are there to help them learn correct breed type. You must know proper canine terminology
in order to effectively communicate. A good book to own and study is Harold Spira's "Canine
Terminology", for example. The ECSCA Presenter/Mentor program is overseen by the AKC
which has established the requirements for judging qualifications. Most, if not all, of your
students have been to other breed club educational experiences. They have invested time
and money to attend ours and have been known to complain not only to a club's education
committee but to the AKC itself, should the educational experience be less than satisfactory.
Finally, breed health issues, personal comments, etc., are not appropriate discussions during
mentoring.
AKC’s rules regarding Mentors:
Formal observations (Ringside Observation Form) will be allowed with parent club
approved mentors at National or Regional Specialties where formal ringside mentoring is
organized by the host club. (Mentors will be permitted to participate on days they are
exhibiting up to the class in which they have an entry. They will be allowed to participate
thereafter as this has always been at National or Regional Specialties where formal
ringside mentoring is organized by the host club. Mentors will be asked to document their
own experience on the Observation Form when they sign it.)
Individuals engaged in Parent Club mentoring may not exhibit to the judge/applicant for a
period of four months after and the mentor may not show to the judge following approval
of the breeds for four months after.
During the judging, ask students to find the correct English Cocker type outline both standing
and moving. Emphasize the importance of judging the dog as one piece being careful not to
single out and isolate or place undue emphasis on any one feature to the exclusion of the others.
Help them identify the English Cockers which most closely represent the ideal English Cocker.
There will always be a range of acceptability since perfect does not exist. Let the students do
the talking. They will have read the standard and other materials on the breed before the
mentoring process. You are there to guide them, not lecture to them. For example, if they are
missing something that they should have noticed, ask them to tell you what they think of that
dog's proportions, or that dog's croup, or whatever. To learn type, they have to be able to
recognize what is good about a dog. All the negatives in the world won't teach type.
For Discussion:
Select some dogs to go over after the judging to demonstrate how important the hands on is.
Was their observation at a distance accurate?
1. Front: Is there generous bone from elbow to heel and are feet proportionate in size to the
legs. Feel for forechest, elbow directly under withers, equal length of upper arm and
shoulder blade. Well sprung ribs should be of good depth and extend well back.
2. Rear: Broad, “hammy” rear with significant muscling on outside and inside of rear legs
continuing down through second thigh. Short hocks. Balanced angulation with rear not
extending way out.
3. Have them view the dogs from above to confirm that the well-sprung ribcage is the widest
part of the dog and that the rear is broad as well as the loin short.
4. Have them feel a variety of coats to determine which are correct in silky texture – not
cottony.
5. Heads: Point out and explain parallel head planes when viewed from above. Feel the
grooved stop. Show them a dog with one pigmented and one unpigmented haw.
6. Croups/tail carriage: Discuss gently rounded croup. Tails may be carried somewhat
higher when excited but not cocked up.
7. Ask your students to enumerate the distinctive traits of type for the English Cocker and to
list 8 important adjectives from the standard.
Committee Members
Burrows, Terri (BJ)
Janzen, Patty
Joseph, Genelle - Chair
Kvamme, Marlin (BJ)
Laflamme, Sandy
McFarlane, Doug (BJ)
Moore, Kathy (BJ)
Threlfall, Bonnie (BJ)
Whitfield, Karen (BJ)
Tomball, TX
Florissant, CO
Parker, CO
Rogue River, OR
Newcastle, CA
Gig Harbor, WA
Albuquerque, NM
Cary, NC
Salisbury, MA
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
ECSCA Approved Seminar Presenters/Mentors
Clark, Marissa (BJ)
Flanagan, David (BJ)
Heckerman, Barbara
Helbig, Maureen
Kvamme, Lorrie (BJ)
Mason, Deborah
O'Neill, Mari-Beth
Neff, Elizabeth
Rose, Sue Sellers (BJ)
Roth, Karen (BJ)
Gig Harbor, WA
Millbrook, NY
Swanton, OH
Croton on Hudson, NY
Rogue River, OR
Duxbury, MA
Cary, NC
Sinking Springs, PA
Mason, MI
Sharpsburg, GA
[email protected]
(845) 677-9700
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Garland, TX
Ontario, Canada
Spartanburg, SC
Battle Creek, MI
Ft. Collins, CO
Verona, KY
Sterling , VA
Florissant, CO
British Columbia, Canada
East Bangor, PA
Monument, CO
Agua Dulce, CA
Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma City, OK
San Dimas, CA
[email protected]
ECSCA Approved Mentors
Boylan, Virginia (BJ)
Brangers, Kerri
Dwelly, Sue
Gallant, Nancy (BJ)
Hartshorn, Sharon
Hasler, Cindy
Hendrick, Beth
Kaul, Jean
Lyne, Virginia (BJ)
Nawrocki, Chereen
Praiswater, Nancy
Rosenthal, Sally
VanMeter, Brent
VanMeter, Trish
Weston, Eileen (BJ)
(BJ) signifies breeder judge
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]