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General Appearance
Low set with moderately heavy bone and deep chest. Overall silhouette long
in proportion to height, culminating in a low tail set and fox-like brush.
General Impression-A handsome, powerful, small dog, capable of both speed
and endurance, intelligent, sturdily built but not coarse.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Overall balance is more important than absolute size. Dogs and bitches
should be from 10.5 to 12.5 inches at the withers when standing naturally.
The ideal length/height ratio is 1.8:1 when measuring from the point of the
breast bone (prosternum) to the rear of the hip (ischial tuberosity) and
measuring from the ground to the point of the withers. Ideally, dogs should
be from 30 to 38 pounds; bitches from 25 to 34 pounds. Lack of overall
balance, oversized or undersized are serious faults.
Head
The head should be refined in accordance with the sex and substance of the
dog. It should never appear so large and heavy nor so small and fine as to
be out of balance with the rest of the dog. Expression- alert and gentle,
watchful, yet friendly. Eyes- medium to large, not bulging, with dark rims
and distinct corners. Widely set. Clear and dark in harmony with coat color.
Blue eyes (including partially blue eyes), or one dark and one blue eye
permissible in blue merles, and in any other coat color than blue merle are
a disqualification. Ears large and prominent in proportion to size of dog.
Slightly rounded at the tip, and of good strong leather. Moderately wide at
the base, carried erect and sloping slightly forward when alert. When erect,
tips are slightly wide of a straight line drawn from the tip of the nose
through the center of the eye. Small and/or pointed ears are serious faults.
Drop ears are a disqualification. Skull-Top moderately wide and flat between
the ears, showing no prominence of occiput, tapering towards the eyes.
Slight depression between the eyes. Cheeks -flat with some chiseling where
the cheek meets the foreface and under the eye. There should be no
prominence of cheekbone. Muzzle- from the tip of the nose to the base of the
stop should be shorter than the length of the skull from the base of the
stop to the high point of the occiput, the proportion being about three
parts muzzle to five parts skull; rounded but not blunt; tapered but not
pointed. In profile the plane of the muzzle should parallel that of the
skull, but on a lower level due to a definite but moderate stop. Nose
-black, except in blue merles where black noses are preferred but butterfly
noses are tolerated. A nose other than solid black in any other color is a
disqualification. Lips- fit cleanly and evenly together all around. Jaws-
strong and clean. Underjaw moderately deep and well formed, reaching to the
base of the nose and rounded at the chin. Teeth strong and regular. Scissors
bite preferred; i.e., inner side of upper incisors fitting closely over
outer side of lower incisors. Overshot, undershot, or wry bite are serious
faults.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck- moderately long and muscular without throatiness. Well developed,
especially in males, and in proportion to the dog's build. Neck well set on;
fits into strong, well shaped shoulders. Topline- level. Body- long and
strong. Chest- moderately broad with prominent breastbone. Deep brisket,
with well sprung ribs to allow for good lungs. Ribs extending well back.
Loin- short, strong, moderately tucked up. Waist well defined. Croup-Slight
downward slope to the tail set. Tail- set fairly low on body line and
reaching well below hock. Carried low when standing or moving slowly,
streaming out parallel to ground when at a dead run, lifted when excited,
but never curled over the back. High tail set is a serious fault.
Forequarters
The moderately broad chest tapers to a deep brisket, well let down between
the forelegs. Shoulders -slope downward and outward from the withers
sufficiently to accommodate desired rib-spring. Shoulder blade (scapula)
long and well laid back, meeting upper arm (humerus) at close to a right
angle. Humerus nearly as long as scapula. Elbows -should fit close, being
neither loose nor tied. The forearms- (ulna and radius) should be curved to
fit spring of ribs. The curve in the forearm makes the wrists (carpal
joints) somewhat closer together than the elbows. The pasterns- are strong
and flexible. Dewclaws -removed. The feet- are relatively large and rounded,
with well filled pads. They point slightly outward from a straight-ahead
position to balance the width of the shoulders. This outward point is not to
be more than 30 degrees from center line when viewed from above. The toes
should not be splayed. The correct Cardigan front- is neither straight nor
so crooked as to appear unsound. Overall, the bone should be heavy for a dog
of this size, but not so heavy as to appear coarse or reduce agility.
Knuckling over, straight front, fiddle front are serious faults.
Hindquarters
Well muscled and strong, but slightly less wide than shoulders. Hipbone
(pelvis) slopes downward with the croup, forming a right angle with the
femur at the hip socket. There should be moderate angulation at stifle and
hock. Hocks well let down. Metatarsi perpendicular to the ground and
parallel to each other. Dewclaws removed. Feet- point straight ahead and are
slightly smaller and more oval than front. Toes arched. Pads well filled.
Overall, the hindquarters must denote sufficient power to propel this low,
relatively heavy herding dog efficiently over rough terrain.
Coat
Medium length but dense as it is double. Outer hairs slightly harsh in
texture; never wiry, curly or silky. Lies relatively smooth and is weather
resistant. The insulating undercoat is short, soft and thick. A correct coat
has short hair on ears, head, the legs; medium hair on body; and slightly
longer, thicker hair in ruff, on the backs of the thighs to form "pants,"
and on the underside of the tail. The coat should not be so exaggerated as
to appear fluffy. This breed has a shedding coat, and seasonal lack of
undercoat should not be too severely penalized, providing the hair is
healthy. Trimming is not allowed except to tidy feet and, if desired, remove
whiskers. Soft guard hairs, uniform length, wiry, curly, silky, overly short
and/or flat coats are not desired. A distinctly long or fluffy coat is an
extremely serious fault.
Color
All shades of red, sable and brindle. Black with or without tan or brindle
points. Blue merle (black and gray; marbled) with or without tan or brindle
points. There is no color preference. White flashings are usual on the neck
(either in part or as a collar), chest, legs, muzzle, underparts, tip of
tail and as a blaze on head. White on the head should not predominate and
should never surround the eyes. Any color other than specified and/or body
color predominantly white are disqualifications.
Gait
Free and smooth. Effortless. Viewed from the side, forelegs should reach
well forward when moving at a trot, without much lift, in unison with
driving action of hind legs. The correct shoulder assembly and well fitted
elbows allow for a long free stride in front. Viewed from the front, legs do
not move in exact parallel planes, but incline slightly inward to compensate
for shortness of leg and width of chest. Hind legs, when trotting, should
reach well under body, move on a line with the forelegs, with the hocks
turning neither in nor out, and in one continuous motion drive powerfully
behind, well beyond the set of the tail. Feet must travel parallel to the
line of motion with no tendency to swing out, cross over, or interfere with
each other. Short choppy movement, rolling or high-stepping gait, close or
overly wide coming or going, are incorrect. This is a herding dog which must
have the agility, freedom of movement, and endurance to do the work for
which he was developed.
Temperament
Even-tempered, loyal, affectionate, and adaptable. Never shy nor vicious.
Disqualifications
Blue eyes, or partially blue eyes, in any coat color other than blue merle.
Drop ears.
Nose other than solid black except in blue merles.
Any color other than specified.
Body color predominantly white.
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