General Appearance
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.
Effective August 28, 2002
The SMOOTH
FOX TERRIER
The Smooth Fox Terrier 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.
Size, Proportion, Substance
According to present-day requirements, a full-sized, well balanced dog should
not exceed 15½ 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 7¼ 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, docked to leave about three
quarters of the original length of the tail. 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.
Approved July 8, 2002
BREED STANDARD
