Breed Standard
General appearance - Smooth coated, well balanced,of great strength for his 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 & Skull - Short deep though with broad skull. Very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop, short foreface, nose black.
Eyes - Dark preffered but may bare some relation to coat colour. Round, of 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 a 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 the shoulder.
Forequarters - Legs straight and weel boned, set rather wide apart, showing no weakness at the pasterns, from which point feet turn out a little. SHoulders well laid back with no looseness at elbow.
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 of medium size. Nails black in colour 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 / Movement - Free, powerful and agile with economy of effort. Legs moving parallel when viewed from front or rear. Discernible drive from hindlegs.
Coat - Smooth, short and close.
Colour - Red, fawn, white, black or blue, or any one of these colours with white. Any shade of brindle or any shade of brindle with white. Black and tan or liver highly undesirable.
Size - Weight: Dogs 12.7 - 17 kg (28-38 lbs) Bitches 11-15.4 kg (24-34 lbs).
Desirable height -14-16 inches at withers (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 should be in exact proportion to its degree.
NOTE - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Characteristics - Traditionally of indomitable courage and tenacity. Highly intelligent and affectionate, especially with children.
Temperament - Bold, fearless and totally reliable.
Head & Skull - Short deep though with broad skull. Very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop, short foreface, nose black.
Eyes - Dark preffered but may bare some relation to coat colour. Round, of 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 a 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 the shoulder.
Forequarters - Legs straight and weel boned, set rather wide apart, showing no weakness at the pasterns, from which point feet turn out a little. SHoulders well laid back with no looseness at elbow.
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 of medium size. Nails black in colour 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 / Movement - Free, powerful and agile with economy of effort. Legs moving parallel when viewed from front or rear. Discernible drive from hindlegs.
Coat - Smooth, short and close.
Colour - Red, fawn, white, black or blue, or any one of these colours with white. Any shade of brindle or any shade of brindle with white. Black and tan or liver highly undesirable.
Size - Weight: Dogs 12.7 - 17 kg (28-38 lbs) Bitches 11-15.4 kg (24-34 lbs).
Desirable height -14-16 inches at withers (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 should be in exact proportion to its degree.
NOTE - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.