General Appearance
The dog must present a generally gay, lively and active
appearance; bone and strength in a small compass are essentials;
but this must not be taken to mean that a Fox Terrier should be
cloddy, or in any way coarse-speed and endurance must be looked
to as well as power, and the symmetry of the Foxhound taken as a
model. The Terrier, like the Hound, must on no account be leggy,
nor must he be too short in the leg. He should stand like a
cleverly made hunter, covering a lot of ground, yet with a short
back, as stated below. He will then attain the highest degree of
propelling power, together with the greatest length of stride
that is compatible with the length of his body. Weight is not a
certain criterion of a Terrier's fitness for his work-general
shape, size and contour are the main points; and if a dog can
gallop and stay, and follow his fox up a drain, it matters little
what his weight is to a pound or so.
N.B. Old scars or injuries, the result of work
or accident, should not be allowed to prejudice a Terrier's
chance in the show ring, unless they interfere with its movement
or with its utility for work or stud.
Size, Proportion, Substance
According to present-day requirements, a full-sized, well
balanced dog should not exceed 15-1/2 inches at the withers-the
bitch being proportionately lower-nor should the length of back
from withers to root of tail exceed 12 inches, while to maintain
the relative proportions, the head should not exceed 7-1/4 inches
or be less than 7 inches. A dog with these measurements should
scale 18 pounds in show condition-a bitch weighing some two
pounds less-with a margin of one pound either way.
Balance-This may be defined as the correct
proportions of a certain point, or points, when considered in
relation to a certain other point or points. It is the keystone
of the Terrier's anatomy. The chief points for consideration are
the relative proportions of skull and foreface; head and back;
height at withers and length of body from shoulder point to
buttock-the ideal of proportion being reached when the last two
measurements are the same. It should be added that, although the
head measurements can be taken with absolute accuracy, the height
at withers and length of back and coat are approximate, and are
inserted for the information of breeders and exhibitors rather
than as a hard-and-fast rule.
Head
Eyes and rims should be dark
in color, moderately small and rather deep set, full of fire,
life and intelligence and as nearly possible circular in shape.
Anything approaching a yellow eye is most objectionable. Ears
should be V-shaped and small, of moderate thickness, and dropping
forward close to the cheek, not hanging by the side of the head
like a Foxhound. The topline of the folded ear should be well
above the level of the skull. Disqualifications-Ears
prick, tulip or rose.
The skull should be flat and moderately narrow,
gradually decreasing in width to the eyes. Not much
"stop" should be apparent, but there should be more dip
in the profile between the forehead and the top jaw than is seen
in the case of a Greyhound. It should be noticed that although
the foreface should gradually taper from eye to muzzle and should
tip slightly at its junction with the forehead, it should not
"dish" or fall away quickly below the eyes, where it
should be full and well made up, but relieved from
"wedginess" by a little delicate chiseling. There
should be apparent little difference in length between the skull
and foreface of a well balanced head. Cheeks must not be
full.
Jaws, upper and lower, should be strong and
muscular and of fair punishing strength, but not so as in any way
to resemble the Greyhound or modern English Terrier. There should
not be much falling away below the eyes. This part of the head
should, however, be moderately chiseled out, so as not to go down
in a straight slope like a wedge. The nose,
toward which the muzzle must gradually taper, should be black. Disqualifications-Nose
white, cherry or spotted to a considerable extent with either of
these colors.
The teeth should be as nearly as possible
together, i.e., the points of the upper (incisors) teeth on the
outside of or slightly overlapping the lower teeth. Disqualifications-Much
undershot, or much overshot.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck should be clean and muscular, without throatiness, of
fair length, and gradually widening to the shoulders. Back
should be short, straight (i.e., level), and strong, with no
appearance of slackness. Chest deep and not broad. Brisket should
be deep, yet not exaggerated. The foreribs should be moderately
arched, the back ribs deep and well sprung, and the dog should be
well ribbed up. Loin should be very powerful, muscular and very
slightly arched. Stern should be set on rather
high, and carried gaily, but not over the back or curled. It
should be of good strength, anything approaching a
"Pipestopper" tail being especially objectionable.
Forequarters
Shoulders should be long and sloping, well
laid back, fine at the points, and clearly cut at the withers.
The elbows should hang perpendicular to the body, working free of
the sides. The forelegs viewed from any direction must be
straight with bone strong right down to the feet, showing little
or no appearance of ankle in front, and being short and straight
in pastern. Both fore and hind legs should be carried straight
forward in traveling.
Feet should be round, compact, and not large;
the soles hard and tough; the toes moderately arched, and turned
neither in nor out.
Hindquarters
Should be strong and muscular, quite free from droop or
crouch; the thighs long and powerful, stifles well curved and
turned neither in nor out; hocks well bent and near the ground
should be perfectly upright and parallel each with the other when
viewed from behind, the dog standing well up on them like a
Foxhound, and not straight in the stifle. The worst possible form
of hindquarters consists of a short second thigh and a straight
stifle. Both fore and hind legs should be carried straight
forward in traveling, the stifles not turning outward. Feet as in
front.
Coat
Should be smooth, flat, but hard, dense and abundant. The
belly and underside of the thighs should not be bare.
Color
White should predominate; brindle, red or liver markings are
objectionable. Otherwise this point is of little or no
importance.
Gait
Movement, or action, is the crucial test of conformation. The
Terrier's legs should be carried straight forward while
traveling, the forelegs hanging perpendicular and swinging
parallel with the sides, like the pendulum of a clock. The
principal propulsive power is furnished by the hind legs,
perfection of action being found in the Terrier possessing long
thighs and muscular second thighs well bent at the stifles, which
admit of a strong forward thrust or "snatch" of the
hocks. When approaching, the forelegs should form a continuation
of the straight line of the front, the feet being the same
distance apart as the elbows. When stationary it is often
difficult to determine whether a dog is slightly out at shoulder,
but, directly he moves, the defect-if it exists-becomes more
apparent, the forefeet having a tendency to cross,
"weave," or "dish." When, on the contrary,
the dog is tied at the shoulder, the tendency of the feet is to
move wider apart, with a sort of paddling action. When the hocks
are turned in-cow-hocks-the stifles and feet are turned outwards,
resulting in a serious loss of propulsive power. When the hocks
are turned outward the tendency of the hind feet is to cross,
resulting in an ungainly waddle.
Temperament
The dog must present a generally gay, lively and active
appearance.
Disqualifications
Ears prick, tulip or rose.
Nose white, cherry or spotted to a considerable extent with
either of these colors.
Mouth much undershot, or much overshot.
This information from the AKC
American Fox Terrier Club
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