GENERAL APPEARANCE: Smooth coated, well balanced, of great strength for his size. Muscular, active and agile. CHARACTERISTICS: Traditionally of indomitable courage and tenacity. Highly intelligent and affectionate, especially with children. TEMPERAMENT: Bold, fearless and totally reliable. HEAD AND SKULL: Short, deep through with a broad skull. Very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop, short fore face, nose black. EYES: Dark preferred but may bear some relation to coat colour. Round, of medium size, and set to look straight ahead. Eye rims dark. MOUTH: Lips tight and clean. Jaws strong, teeth large, with a perfect regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws. EARS: Rose or half pricked, not large or heavy. Full drop or pricked ears highly undesirable. NECK: Muscular, rather short, clean in outline and gradually widening towards the shoulders. FOREQUARTERS: Legs straight and well boned, set rather wide apart, showing no weakness at the pasterns, from which point feet turn out a little. Shoulders well laid back with no looseness at elbow. BODY: Close coupled, with level topline, wide front, deep brisket, well sprung ribs: muscular and well defined. HINDQUARTERS: Well muscled, hocks well let down and stifles well bent. Legs parallel when viewed from behind. FEET: Well padded, strong and of medium size. Nails black in solid coloured dogs. TAIL: Medium length, low set, tapering to a point and carried rather low. Should not curl much and may be likened to an old fashioned pump handle. GAIT/MOVEMENT: Free, powerful and agile with economy of effort. Legs moving parallel when viewed from front or rear. Discernable drive from hind legs. COAT: Short, smooth and close. COLOUR: Red, fawn, white, black or blue, or any of these colours with white. Any shade of brindle or any shade of brindle with white. Black and tan or liver colour highly undesirable. SIZE: Weight- Dogs- 12.7-17kgs (28-38 pounds). Bitches 11-15.4kgs (24-34 pounds). Desirable height (at withers) 14 - 16 inches, these heights being related to weights. 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.