GENERAL APPEARANCE:
Smooth coated, well balanced, of great strength for
its size. Muscular, active and agile.
CHARACTERISTICS:
Traditionally of indomitable courage and tenacity.
Highly intelligent and affectionate especially with
children.
TEMPERAMENT:
Bold, fearless and totally reliable.
HEAD AND SKULL:
Short, deep through with broad skull. Very
pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop, short
foreface, nose black.
EYES:
Dark preferred but may bare some relation to coat
colour. Round to medium size, and set to look
straight ahead. Eye rims dark.
EARS:
Rose or half pricked, not large or heavy. Full drop
or pricked ears highly undesirable.
MOUTH:
Lips tight and clean. Jaws strong, teeth large, with
perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e.
upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and
set square to the jaw.
NECK:
Muscular, rather short, clean in outline gradually
widening towards shoulders.
FOREQUARTERS:
Legs straight and well boned, set rather wide apart,
showing no weakness at the pasterns from which point
the feet turn out a little. Shoulders well laid back
with no looseness at elbows.
BODY:
Close coupled, with level topline, wide front, deep
brisket, well sprung ribs, muscular and well
defined.
HINDQUARTERS:
Well muscled. hocks well let down with stifles well
bent. Legs parallel when viewed from behind.
FEET:
Well padded, strong and medium size. Nails black in
solid coloured dogs.
TAIL:
Medium length, low set, tapering to a point and
carried rather low. Should not curl much and may be
likened to an old fashion pump handle.
GAIT AND MOVEMENT:
Free, powerful and agile with economy of effort.
Legs moving parallel when viewed from front and
rear. Discernible drive from hind legs.
COAT:
Smooth, short and close.
COLOUR:
Red, fawn, white, black or blue, or any of these
colours with white. Any shade of brindle or brindle
with white. Black and tan or liver colour highly
undesirable.
SIZE:
Weight: Dogs 13-17kgs (28-38lbs). Bitches 11-15.5kgs
( 24-34lbs). Desirable height (at withers)
35.5-40.5cms (14-16ins), these heights being related
to the weights.
FAULTS:
Any departure from the foregoing points should be
considered a fault and the seriousness with which
the fault should be
regarded be in exact proportion to its degree.
NOTE:
Male animals should have two apparently normal
testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
