The Smooth Fox Terrier Standard
Forequarters, Feet, Hindquarters
(The Breed Standard for
Smooth Fox Terriers
Published by the American Fox Terrier Club)
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 size, shape
and contour are the main points; and if a dog can gallop and stay,
and follow is 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 ½ 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 ¼
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.
Thighs (A&B) are long and well bent at stifle(C).
Angle of shoulder layback should be as nearly as possible 45
degrees.
Tail should be set well forward of pelvic bone (E).
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 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 are approximate, and are inserted for the information of breeders
and exhibitors rather than a hard-and-fast rule.
Length of skull (A) equals length of foreface (B).
Height at the withers (C) equals length of body (D)
from point of shoulder to point of buttocks.
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 ears 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 dip 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 they 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, towards 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.
Well-balanced head. Skull
and foreface (A and B)
should appear equal in length. Top-skull and foreface
(C and D) are in parallel planes.
Correct head, ear and eye type
Correct head, ear and eye type
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.
The Brisket should be deep, yet not exaggerated. The fore ribs
should be moderately arched, the back ribs deep and well sprung, and
the dog should be well ribbed up. Loin should be 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 from
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
when traveling.
Forequarters standing:
Left - Correct;
Center - out at elbow, toeing in;
Right - tied at elbow, toeing out.
Forequarters moving:
Left - Correct;
Center - weave and dish action;
Right - paddling action.
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 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.
Hindquarters standing:
Left - Correct;
Center - cow-hocked;
Right - open-hocked.
Hindquarters standing:
Left - Correct; Center - cow-hocked;
Right - open-hocked.
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 as 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 outwards 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.
Used, in order to benefit
the breed, with permission and indebtedness to
Virginia O'Connor, Janie Bousek, Laura Forkel, Harold Nedell, Arden
Ross
and Winnie Stout
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