The Standard

GENERAL APPEARANCE - Strongly built; deep in chest and back ribs; level back and powerful quarters on muscular legs and exhibiting in a marked degree a great combination of strength and activity.

CHARACTERISTICS - Small, active, game, hardy, possessed of no small amount of self-esteem with a varminty appearance.

TEMPERAMENT - Alert, gay, courageous, self-reliant but friendly.

HEAD AND SKULL - Skull slightly domed; when handled across forehead presents a smooth contour. Tapering very slightly from skull at level of ears to eyes. Distance from occiput to eyes slightly greater than length of foreface. Head thickly coated with hair, and carried at right angle or less, to axis of neck. Head not to be carried in extended position. Foreface gradually tapering from eye to muzzle. Distinct stop formed by heavy, bony ridges immediately above and slightly overhanging eye, and slight indentation between eyes. Foreface not dished nor falling away quickly below eyes, where it is well made up. Jaws strong and level. Nose black and fairly large, forming smooth contour with rest of muzzle. Nose not projecting forward.EYES - Set wide apart, medium in size, not full, as dark as possible. Slightly sunk in head, sharp & intelligent, which, looking from under heavy eyebrows, impart a piercing look. Light coloured eyes highly undesirable.

EARS - Small, erect & carried firmly, terminating in sharp point, set neither too wide nor too close. Hair short & smooth (velvety), should not be cut. Free from any fringe at top. Round-pointed, broad, large or thick ears or too heavily coated with hair most undesirable.

MOUTH - As broad between canine teeth as is consistent with varminty expression required. Teeth large for size of dog, with regular scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth & set square to the jaws.

NECK - Sufficiently long to allow proper set of head required, muscular & gradually thickening towards base allowing neck to merge into nicely sloping shoulders.

FOREQUARTERS - Shoulders sloping backwards. Shoulder blades broad & lying close to chest wall. Shoulder joint placed forward, elbow well in, allowing foreleg to move freely, parallel to axis of body. Forelegs short & muscular, straight & thickly covered with short, hard hair.

BODY - Compact. Back level, loins broad & strong. Chest deep & ribs well arched in upper half presenting a flattish side appearance. Back ribs of considerable depth & distance from last rib of quarters as short as compatible with free movement of body.

HINDQUARTERS - Strong, muscular & wide across top. Legs short, muscular & sinewy. Thighs very muscular, not too wide apart. Hocks bent & well set in under body so as to be fairly close to each other when standing or moving. Straight or weak hocks most undesirable.

FEET - Forefeet larger than hind, round, proportionate in size, strong, thickly padded & covered with short harsh hair. Hind feet are smaller & thickly padded. Under surface of pads & all nails preferable black.

TAIL - 5 to 6 inches long, covered with harsh hair, no feathering, as straight as possible, carried jauntily, not gay or carried over back. A long tail undesirable, & on no account should tails be docked.

GAIT/MOVEMENT - Free, straight & easy all round. In front legs freely extended forward from shoulder. Hind movement free, strong & close. Stifle & hocks well flexed & hocks drawn under body giving drive. Stiff, stilted movement behind & cow hocks highly undesirable.

COAT - Double coated. Outer coat consists of harsh hair, about 5 cms long, free from any curl. Undercoat, which resembles fur, short, soft & close. Open coats most undesirable.

COLOUR - White. SIZE - Height: approx. 28 cms (11 ins) at withers.

FAULTS - Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault & the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

NOTE - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into

the scrotum.