Breed Standard

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Breed Standard

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Small, dainty, compact.

CHARACTERISTICS: Alert little dog, swift moving with brisk, forceful action and saucy expression.

TEMPERAMENT: Gay, spirited, intelligent; neither snappy nor withdrawn.

HEAD AND SKULL: Well rounded "apple dome" skull, cheeks and jaws lean, muzzle moderately short, slightly pointed. Definite stop.

EYES: Large, round but not protruding; set well apart; centre of eye is on a plane with lowest point of ear and base of stop; dark or ruby. Light eyes in light colours permissible

EARS: Large, flaring, set on an angle of approximately 45degrees; giving breadth between ears. Tipped or broken down highly undesirable

MOUTH: Jaws strong ,with a perfect regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

NECK: Slightly arched ,medium length.

FOREQUARTERS: Shoulders well laid, lean sloping into broadening support above straight forelegs, set well under chest giving freedom of movement without looseness.

BODY: Level back. Body, from point of shoulder to rear point of croup, slightly longer than height at withers. Well sprung ribs, deep brisket.

HINDQUARTERS: Muscular, hocks well let down, with good turn to stifle, well apart turning neither in or out.

FEET: Small and dainty, turning neither in or out; toes not divided but not spread, pads cushioned, fine strong, flexible pasterns. Neither hare- nor cat-like, nails moderately short.

TAIL: Medium length, set high, carried up and over the back (sickle tails). When moving never tucked under or curled below the topline. Flattish in appearance, broadening slightly in centre and tapering to a point.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: Brisk, forceful action, neither high stepping or hackney; good reach without slackness in the forequarters, good drive in hindquarters. Viewed from front and behind legs should move neither too close nor too wide, with no turning in or out of feet pasterns. Topline should remain firm and level when moving.

COAT: LONGCOAT: Soft texture (never coarse or harsh to touch) either flat or slightly wavy. Never tight and curled. Feathering on ears, feet and legs, pants on hindquarters, large ruff on neck desirable. Tail long as a plume.

COLOUR: Any colour or mixture of colours.

SIZE: Weight up to 2.7 Kgs (6 lbs) with 1- 1.8 Kgs (2-4 lbs) preferred. If two dogs are equally good in type the more diminutive preferred.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be in exact proportion to its degree.

NOTE: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

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