General Appearance
Smart, workmanlike, well balanced and compact.
Characteristics
Gay, fearless demeanour, keen of expression,
quick of movement, on the tip-toe of expectation.
Temperament
Bold, friendly and self-confident.
Head and Skull
Well balanced. Skull flat and refined. Jaws powerful and muzzle broad but not
too long. Length of head from stop to tip of nose not exceeding that from
occiput to stop. Nose black, except in liver-coated dogs when the nose will
be liver.
Eyes
Dark or hazel. Slanting eyes undesirable.
Ears
Moderately small, V-shaped and carried alertly. Set neither too high nor too
low on head.
Mouth
Teeth even with perfect, regular scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping
lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck
Reachy, slightly arched, free from throatiness.
Forequarters
Shoulders well laid back. Forelegs straight, well boned.
Body
Chest reasonably narrow. Back strong, moderately short and well coupled.
Hindquarters
Strong and muscular. Thighs long and powerful with well turned stifles. Hocks
low to ground and straight.
Feet
Small, compact, round and well padded.
Tail
Customarily docked.
Docked: Well set on, carried gaily but not over back or curled.
Undocked: Well set on, carried gaily but not over back or curled. In overall
balance with the rest of dog.
Gait/Movement
Fore- and hindlegs carried straight forward and parallel. Elbows move perpendicular
to body, working free of sides, stifles turning neither in nor out. Good
drive coming from well flexing hindquarters.
Coat
Dense, harsh and weather-resisting with good undercoat.
Colour
Black and tan, blue and tan, red, wheaten, red grizzle, liver, blue or black.
Small tips of white on feet and chest undesirable but permissible. Mahogany
or deep tan not typical.
Size
Height not exceeding 37 cms (14 1/2 ins) at shoulder. Average weight: dogs:
8 kgs (17 lbs); bitches: 7 kgs (15 lbs).
Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the
seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion
to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into
the scrotum.