Strongly built, muscular, well balanced and active with a keen, determined and intelligent expression.
Characteristics
Courageous, full of spirit, with a fun loving attitude.
A unique feature is a downfaced, egg-shaped head.
Irrespective of size dogs should look masculine and bitches
feminine.
Temperament
Of even temperament and amenable to discipline. Although
obstinate is particularly good with people.
Head and Skull
Head long, strong and deep right to end of muzzle, but
not coarse. Viewed from front egg-shaped and completely
filled, its surface free from hollows or indentations. Top
of skull almost flat from ear to ear. Profile curves gently
downwards from top of skull to tip of nose which should be
black and bent downwards at tip. Nostrils well developed and
under-jaw deep and strong.
Eyes
Appearing narrow and triangular, obliquely placed, black
or as dark brown as possible so as to appear almost black,
and with a piercing glint. Distance from tip of nose to eyes
perceptibly greater than that from eyes to top of skull.
Blue or partly blue undesirable.
Ears
Small, thin and placed close together. Dog should be
able to hold them stiffly erect, when they point straight
upwards.
Mouth
Teeth sound, clean, strong, of good size, regular with
perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth
closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Lips clean and tight.
Neck
Very muscular, long, arched, tapering from shoulders to
head and free from loose skin.
Forequarters
Shoulders strong and muscular without loading. Shoulder
blades wide, flat and held closely to chest wall and have a
very pronounced backward slope of front edge from bottom to
top, forming almost a right angle with upper arm. Elbows
held straight and strong, pasterns upright. Forelegs have
strongest type of round, quality bone, dog should stand
solidly upon them and they should be perfectly parallel. In
mature dogs length of foreleg should be approximately equal
to depth of chest.
Body
Body well rounded with marked spring of rib and great
depth from withers to brisket, so that latter nearer ground
than belly. Back short, strong with backline behind withers
level, arching or roaching slightly over broad, well muscled
loins. Underline from brisket to belly forms a graceful
upward curve. Chest broad when viewed from front.
Hindquarters
Hindlegs in parallel when viewed from behind. Thighs
muscular and second thighs well developed. Stifle joint well
bent and hock well angulated with bone to foot short and
strong.
Feet
Round and compact with well arched toes.
Tail
Short, set on low and carried horizontally. Thick at
root, it tapers to a fine point.
Gait/Movement
When moving appears well knit, smoothly covering ground
with free, easy strides and with a typical jaunty air. When
trotting, movement parallel, front and back, only converging
towards centre line at faster speeds, forelegs reaching out
well and hindlegs moving smoothly at hip, flexing well at
stifle and hock, with great thrust.
Coat
Short, flat, even and harsh to touch with a fine gloss.
Skin fitting dog tightly. A soft textured undercoat may be
present in winter.
Colour
For White, pure white coat. Skin pigmentation and
markings on head not to be penalised. For Coloured, colour
predominates; all other things being equal, brindle
preferred. Black, brindle, red, fawn and tricolour
acceptable. Tick markings in white coat undesirable. Blue
and liver highly undesirable.
Size
Height should not exceed 35.5 cms (14ins). There should
be an impression of substance to size of dog. There is no
weight limit. Dog should at all times be balanced
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.
Last Updated - October 2009
