Dogs and All about Them

FORE-QUARTERS--His work underground demands strength and compactness, and, therefore, the chest and shoulder regions should be deep, long, and wide. The shoulder blade should be long, and set on very sloping, the upper arm of equal length with, and at right angles to, the shoulder blade, strong-boned and well-muscled, and lying close to ribs, but moving freely. The lower arm is slightly bent inwards, and the feet should be turned slightly outwards, giving an appearance of "crooked" legs approximating to the cabriole of a Chippendale chair. Straight, narrow, short shoulders are always accompanied by straight, short, upper arms, forming an obtuse angle, badly developed brisket and "keel" or chicken breast, and the upper arm being thrown forward by the weight of the body behind causes the legs to knuckle over at the "knees." Broad, sloping shoulders, on the other hand, insure soundness of the fore-legs and feet. LEGS AND FEET--Fore-legs very short and strong in bone, slightly bent inwards; seen in profile, moderately straight and never bending forward or knuckling over. Feet large, round, and strong, with thick pads, compact and well-arched toes, nails strong and black. The dog must stand equally on all parts of the foot. BODY--Should be long and muscular, the chest very oval, rather than very narrow and deep, to allow ample room for heart and lungs, hanging low between front legs, the brisket point should be high and very prominent, the ribs well sprung out towards the loins (not flat-sided). Loins short and strong.