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The Kennel Club (England) 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, especially with children.
TEMPERAMENT
Bold, fearless and totally reliable.
HEAD & SKULL
Short, deep through with broad skull. Very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop. Short fore face, black nose.
EYES
Dark preferable but may bear 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 jaws.
NECK
Muscular, rather short, clean in outline, gradually widening towards the shoulders.
FOREQUARTERS
Legs straight and well boned, set rather wide apart, showing no weakness at the pastern from which point feet turn out a little. Shoulders well laid back, with no looseness at elbow.
BODY
Close coupled, with a 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 fashioned pump handle.
GAIT AND MOVEMENT
Free, powerful and agile, with economy of effort, legs moving parallel when viewed from front or 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 shades of brindle or any shade of brindle and white. Black and tan, or liver colour highly undesirable.
SIZE
Weight: Dogs 28 to 38 lbs. Bitches 24 to 34 lbs. Desirable height (at wither), 14 to 16 inches, 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 exact proportion to the degree.
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