General Appearance
The Scottish Terrier is a small, compact, short-legged,
sturdily-built dog of good bone and substance. His head is long
in proportion to his size. He has a hard, wiry, weather-resistant
coat and a thick-set, cobby body which is hung between short,
heavy legs. These characteristics, joined with his very special
keen, piercing, "varminty" expression, and his erect
ears and tail are salient features of the breed. The Scottish
Terrier's bold, confident, dignified aspect exemplifies power in
a small package.
Size, Proportion, Substance
The Scottish Terrier should have a thick body and heavy bone.
The principal objective must be symmetry and balance without
exaggeration. Equal consideration shall be given to height,
weight, length of back and length of head. Height at withers for
either sex should be about 10 inches. The length of back from
withers to set-on of tail should be approximately 11 inches.
Generally, a well-balanced Scottish Terrier dog should weigh from
19 to 22 pounds and a bitch from 18 to 21 pounds.
Head
The head should be long in proportion to the overall length
and size of the dog. In profile, the skull and muzzle should give
the appearance of two parallel planes. The skull should be long
and of medium width, slightly domed and covered with short, hard
hair. In profile, the skull should appear flat. There should be a
slight but definite stop between the skull and muzzle at eye
level, allowing the eyes to be set in under the brow,
contributing to proper Scottish Terrier expression. The skull
should be smooth with no prominences or depressions and the
cheeks should be flat and clean. The muzzle should be
approximately equal to the length of skull with only a slight
taper to the nose. The muzzle should be well filled in under the
eye, with no evidence of snippiness. A correct Scottish Terrier
muzzle should fill an average man's hand. The nose should be
black, regardless of coat color, and of good size, projecting
somewhat over the mouth and giving the impression that the upper
jaw is longer than the lower. The teeth should be large and
evenly spaced, having either a scissor or level bite, the former
preferred. The jaw should be square, level and powerful.
Undershot or overshot bites should be penalized. The eyes should
be set wide apart and well in under the brow. They should be
small, bright and piercing, and almond-shaped not round. The
color should be dark brown or nearly black, the darker the
better. The ears should be small, prick, set well up on the skull
and pointed, but never cut. They should be covered with short
velvety hair. From the front, the outer edge of the ear should
form a straight line up from the side of the skull. The use,
size, shape and placement of the ear and its erect carriage are
major elements of the keen, alert, intelligent Scottish Terrier
expression.
Neck, Topline, Body
The neck should be moderately short, strong, thick and
muscular, blending smoothly into well laid back shoulders. The
neck must never be so short as to appear clumsy. The body should
be moderately short with ribs extending well back into a short,
strong loin, deep flanks and very muscular hindquarters. The ribs
should be well sprung out from the spine, forming a broad, strong
back, then curving down and inward to form a deep body that would
be nearly heart-shaped if viewed in cross-section. The topline of
the back should be firm and level. The chest should be broad,
very deep and well let down between the forelegs. The forechest
should extend well in front of the legs and drop well down into
the brisket. The chest should not be flat or concave, and the
brisket should nicely fill an average man's slightly-cupped hand.
The lowest point of the brisket should be such that an average
man's fist would fit under it with little or no overhead
clearance. The tail should be about seven inches long and never
cut. It should be set on high and carried erectly, either
vertical or with a slight curve forward, but not over the back.
The tail should be thick at the base, tapering gradually to a
point and covered with short, hard hair.
Forequarters
The shoulders should be well laid back and moderately well
knit at the withers. The forelegs should be very heavy in bone,
straight or slightly bent with elbows close to the body, and set
in under the shoulder blade with a definite forechest in front of
them. Scottish Terriers should not be out at the elbows. The
forefeet should be larger than the hind feet, round, thick and
compact with strong nails. The front feet should point straight
ahead, but a slight "toeing out" is acceptable. Dew
claws may be removed.
Hindquarters
The thighs should be very muscular and powerful for the size
of the dog with the stifles well bent and the legs straight from
hock to heel. Hocks should be well let down and parallel to each
other.
Coat
The Scottish Terrier should have a broken coat. It is a hard,
wiry outer coat with a soft, dense undercoat. The coat should be
trimmed and blended into the furnishings to give a distinct
Scottish Terrier outline. The dog should be presented with
sufficient coat so that the texture and density may be
determined. The longer coat on the beard, legs and lower body may
be slightly softer than the body coat but should not be or appear
fluffy.
Color
Black, wheaten or brindle of any color. Many black and brindle
dogs have sprinklings of white or silver hairs in their coats
which are normal and not to be penalized. White can be allowed
only on the chest and chin and that to a slight extent only.
Gait
The gait of the Scottish Terrier is very characteristic of the
breed. It is not the square trot or walk desirable in the
long-legged breeds. The forelegs do not move in exact parallel
planes; rather, in reaching out, the forelegs incline slightly
inward because of the deep broad forechest. Movement should be
free, agile and coordinated with powerful drive from the rear and
good reach in front. The action of the rear legs should be square
and true and, at the trot, both the hocks and stifles should be
flexed with a vigorous motion. When the dog is in motion, the
back should remain firm and level.
Temperament
The Scottish Terrier should be alert and spirited but also
stable and steady-going. He is a determined and thoughtful dog
whose "heads up, tails up" attitude in the ring should
convey both fire and control. The Scottish Terrier, while loving
and gentle with people, can be aggressive with other dogs. He
should exude ruggedness and power, living up to his nickname, the
"Diehard."
Penalties
Soft coat; curly coat; round, protruding or light eyes;
overshot or undershot jaws; obviously oversize or undersize;
shyness or timidity; upright shoulders; lack of reach in front or
drive in rear; stiff or stilted movement; movement too wide or
too close in rear; too narrow in front or rear; out at the elbow;
lack of bone and substance; low set tail; lack of pigment in the
nose; coarse head; and failure to show with head and tail up are
faults to be penalized.
This information from the AKC
Scottish Terrier Club
of America
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