SMOOTH FOX TERRIER STANDARD
AKC Smooth Fox Terrier
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 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
Effective August 28, 2002