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Silky Terrier Toy Group
General Appearance
The Silky Terrier is a true "toy terrier". He is moderately low set, slightly
longer than tall, of refined bone structure, but of sufficient substance to suggest the
ability to hunt and kill domestic rodents. His coat is silky in texture, parted from the
stop to the tail and presents a well groomed but not sculptured appearance. His
inquisitive nature and joy of life make him an ideal companion.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Size Shoulder height from nine to ten inches. Deviation in either direction is
undesirable. Proportion The body is about one fifth longer than the dog's height at
the withers. Substance Lightly built with strong but rather fine bone.
Head
The head is strong, wedge-shaped, and moderately long. Expression piercingly keen, eyes
small, dark, almond shaped with dark rims. Light eyes are a serious fault. Ears are
small, V-shaped, set high and carried erect without any tendency to flare obliquely off
the skull. Skull flat, and not too wide between the ears. The skull is slightly
longer than the muzzle. Stop shallow. The nose is black. Teeth strong
and well aligned, scissors bite. An undershot or overshot bite is a serious fault.
Neck, Topline and Body
The neck fits gracefully into sloping shoulders. It is medium long, fine, and to
some degree crested. The topline is level. A topline showing a roach or dip is a
serious fault. Chest medium wide and deep enough to extend down to the elbows. The body
is moderately low set and about one fifth longer than the dog's height at the withers. The
body is measured from the point of the shoulder (or forechest) to the rearmost projection
of the upper thigh (or point of the buttocks). A body which is too short is a fault, as is
a body which is too long. The tail is docked, set high and carried at twelve to two
o'clock position.
Forequarters
Well laid back shoulders, together with proper angulation at the upper arm, set the
forelegs nicely under the body. Forelegs are strong, straight and rather fine-boned. Feet
small, catlike, round, compact. Pads are thick and springy while nails are strong and dark
colored. White or flesh-colored nails are a fault. The feet point straight ahead, with no
turning in or out. Dewclaws, if any, are removed.
Hindquarters
Thighs well muscled and strong, but not so developed as to appear heavy. Well angulated
stifles with low hocks which are parallel when viewed from behind. Feet as in
front.
Coat
Straight, single, glossy, silky in texture. On matured specimens the coat falls below and
follows the body outline. It should not approach floor length. On the top of the head, the
hair is so profuse as to form a topknot, but long hair on the face and ears is
objectionable. The hair is parted on the head and down over the back to the root of the
tail. The tail is well coated but devoid of plume. Legs should have short hair from the
pastern and hock joints to the feet. The feet should not be obscured by the leg
furnishings.
Color
Blue and tan. The blue may be silver blue, pigeon blue or slate blue, the tan deep and
rich. The blue extends from the base of the skull to the tip of the tail, down the
forelegs to the elbows, and half way down the outside of the thighs. On the tail the blue
should be very dark. Tan appears on muzzle and cheeks, around the base of the ears, on the
legs and feet and around the vent. The topknot should be silver or fawn which is lighter
than the tan points.
Gait
Should be free, light-footed, lively and straightforward. Hindquarters should have strong
propelling power. Toeing in or out is to be faulted.
Temperament
The keenly alert air of the terrier is characteristic, with shyness or excessive
nervousness to be faulted. The manner is quick, friendly, responsive.
Approved October 10, 1989
Effective November 30, 1989
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