GENERAL APPEARANCE: Strong, active, smart upstanding, with distinctive coat.
CHARACTERISTICS: Intelligent with endurance.
TEMPERAMENT: Friendly and confident.
HEAD & SKULL: Long, well-proportioned flat skull, jaws strong and long without snipiness or coarseness. Wide nostrils, black or liver pigment.
EYES: Black or dark brown, large but not prominent.
EARS: Rather small, set on low, lying close to head, covered with short curls.
MOUTH: Jaws strong and level with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite. i.e. Upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
NECK: Moderately long, free from throatiness.
FOREQUARTERS: Shoulders very deep, muscular, well laid back.
BODY: Well-sprung ribs, good depth of brisket, not long in loin or tucked up.
HINDQUARTERS: Strong, muscular, hock low to ground with stifle and well bent.
FEET: Round, compact, toes well-arched.
TAIL: Moderately short, carried straight, covered with curls, tapering towards point, never gay or curled.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: Covering plenty of ground with drive.
COAT: Mass of crisp, small curls all over, the main characteristic of the breed and of supreme importance.
COLOR: Black or liver.
SIZE: Desirable height at withers: dogs 68,58 (27 ins) ; bitches 63,50 (25 ins).
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.
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