Dogs and All about Them eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 437 pages of information about Dogs and All about Them.

Dogs and All about Them eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 437 pages of information about Dogs and All about Them.
nose, which should be fairly wide, and should not project forward beyond the upper jaw.  The jaws level and powerful, and teeth square or evenly met, well set, and large for the size of the dog.  The nose and roof of mouth should be distinctly black in colour.  EARS—­Small, carried erect or semi-erect, but never drop, and should be carried tightly up.  The semi-erect ear should drop nicely over at the tips, the break being about three-quarters up the ear, and both forms of ears should terminate in a sharp point.  The hair on them should be short, smooth (velvety), and they should not be cut.  The ears should be free from any fringe at the top.  Round, pointed, broad and large ears are very objectionable, also ears too heavily covered with hair.  NECK—­Muscular, and nicely set on sloping shoulders.  CHEST—­Very deep, with breadth in proportion to the size of the dog.  BODY—­Compact, straight back, ribs deep and well arched in the upper half of rib, presenting a flattish side appearance.  Loins broad and strong.  Hind-quarters strong, muscular, and wide across the top.  LEGS AND FEET—­Both fore and hind legs should be short and muscular.  The shoulder blades should be comparatively broad, and well-sloped backwards.  The points of the shoulder blades should be closely knit into the backbone, so that very little movement of them should be noticeable when the dog is walking.  The elbow should be close in to the body both when moving or standing, thus causing the fore-leg to be well placed in under the shoulder.  The fore-legs should be straight and thickly covered with short hard hair.  The hind-legs should be short and sinewy.  The thighs very muscular and not too wide apart.  The hocks bent and well set in under the body, so as to be fairly close to each other either when standing, walking, or running (trotting); and, when standing, the hind-legs, from the point of the hock down to fetlock joint, should be straight or perpendicular and not far apart.  The fore-feet are larger than the hind ones, are round, proportionate in size, strong, thickly padded, and covered with short hard hair.  The foot must point straight forward.  The hind-feet are smaller, not quite as round as fore-feet, and thickly padded.  The under surface of the pads of feet and all the nails should be distinctly black in colour.  Hocks too much bent (cow hocks) detract from the general appearance.  Straight hocks are weak.  Both kinds are undesirable, and should be guarded against.  TAIL—­Six or seven inches long, covered with hard hairs, no feathers, as straight as possible; carried gaily, but not curled over back.  A long tail is objectionable.  MOVEMENT—­Should be free, straight, and easy all round.  In front, the leg should be freely extended forward by the shoulder.  The hind movement should be free, strong, and close.  The hocks should be freely flexed and drawn close in under the body, so that, when moving off the foot, the body is thrown or pushed forward with some force.  Stiff, stilty movement behind is very objectionable.

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Dogs and All about Them from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.