CHARACTERISTICS: A tireless controlled hunter. Retrieves to hand, very kind, rather cautious with strangers, has the ability to jump great heights without take-off run. An agile hound.
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Tall, narrow, finely built, large erect ears.
Head and Skull: Fine, long flat skull with prominent occiputal bone. Stop not well defined, slightly convex muzzle, the length of which from the eyes to the tip of the nose should be equal to the length from the eyes to the occiput. Nose flesh coloured, should protrude beyond the teeth, jaw very strong and lean.
Eyes: Clear amber, expressive. Almond shaped; not prominent, large or round.
Ears: Large, thin, stiff, highly mobile, erect when dog is alert, in a continuous line with the arch of the neck when viewed in profile; base set on level with the eyes.
Mouth: Perfectly even white teeth; scissor bite; thin lips with no dew-lap.
Neck: Very lean, long, muscular and slightly arched.
Forequarters: Rather steep short shoulder blade, long straight legs, erect pasterns of good length.
Body: Level back sloping slightly from the pinbones to the rump. Long, flat ribcage. Short coupled with well tucked up waist, breast bone very prominent. Depth measured between the bottom of the ribcage and elbow 6.3 to 7.6 cm (2.5 to 3 in).
Hindquarters: Long, strong, straight and lean, no great angulation, long second thigh, turning neither in nor out .
Feet: Well arched toes, thick pads, light coloured claws. Front feet may turn slightly outwards. Dew claws should not be removed in front. No hind dew claws.
Gait: A suspended trot, which is a long far reaching stride, with a slight hover before placing the foot to the ground .
Tail: Long, thin, low set, reaching well below the hock, when passed between the legs and round the flank should reach the spine; may be carried high when excited but not curled within itself or low over the back.
Coat: Either smooth or rough, always hard, close, dense. Longer under the tail and at the back of the legs. Hunting scars should not be penalised.
Colour: White, Chestnut, or Lion solid colour, or any combination of these.
Weight and Size: The Standard in the country of origin varies between 56 and 74 cm (22 - 29 in), but balance is the over-riding factor.
Faults: Any departure from the foregoing, the degree of the departure stipulating the seriousness of the fault.
Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.