GENERAL APPEARANCE - Smart, workmanlike, well balanced and compact.
CHARACTERISTICS - Gay, fearless demeanour, keen of expression, quick of movement, on the tip-toe of expectation.
TEMPERAMENT - Bold, friendly and self-confident.
HEAD AND SKULL - Well-balanced. Skull flat and refined. Jaws powerful and muzzle broad but not too long. Length of head from stop to tip of nose not exceeding that from occiput to stop. Nose black, except in liver-coated dogs when the nose will be liver.
EYES - Dark or hazel. Slanting eyes undesirable.
EARS - Moderately small, V-shaped and carried alertly. Set neither too high nor too low on head.
MOUTH - Teeth even with perfect, regular scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
NECK - Reachy, slightly arched, free from throatiness.
FOREQUARTERS - Shoulders well laid back. Forelegs straight, well boned.
BODY - Chest reasonably narrow. Back strong, moderately short and well coupled.
HINDQUARTERS - Strong and muscular. Thighs long and powerful with well turned stifles. Hocks low to ground and straight.
FEET - Small, compact, round and well padded.
TAIL - Preferably docked. Well set on, carried gaily but not over back nor curled.
GAIT/MOVEMENT - Fore and hindlegs carried straight forward and parallel. Elbows move perpendicular to body, working free of sides, stifles turning neither in nor out. Good drive coming from well flexing hindquarters.
COAT - Dense, harsh and weather resisting with good undercoat.
COLOUR - Black and tan, blue and tan, red, wheaten, red grizzle, liver, blue or black. Small tips of white on feet and chest undesirable but permissible. Mahogany or deep tan not typical.
SIZE - Average Weight: Dogs 7.7 kg (17 lbs)
Bitches 6.8 kg (15 lbs)
Height: not exceeding 37 cms (14 ins) at shoulder.
FAULTS - Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
NOTE - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.