Dogs and All about Them

At a meeting of the first club--which went by the name of the Airedale Terrier Club--held in Manchester some eighteen or twenty years ago, the following standard of perfection and scale of points was drawn up and adopted:-- HEAD--Long, with flat skull, but not too broad between the ears, narrowing slightly to the eyes, free from wrinkle; stop hardly visible, and cheeks free from fullness; jaw deep and powerful, well filled up before the eyes; lips light; ears V-shaped with a side carriage, small but not out of proportion to the size of the dog; the nose black; the eyes small and dark in colour, not prominent, and full of terrier expression; the teeth strong and level. The neck should be of moderate length and thickness, gradually widening towards the shoulders and free from throatiness. SHOULDERS AND CHEST--Shoulders long and sloping well into the back, shoulder-blades flat, chest deep, but not broad. BODY--Back short, strong and straight; ribs well sprung. HIND-QUARTERS--Strong and muscular, with no drop; hocks well let down; the tail set on high and carried gaily, but not curled over the back. LEGS AND FEET--Legs perfectly straight, with plenty of bone; feet small and round with good depth of pad. COAT--Hard and wiry, and not so long as to appear ragged; it should also be straight and close, covering the dog well over the body and legs. COLOUR--The head and ears, with the exception of dark markings on each side of the skull, should be tan, the ears being a darker shade than the rest, the legs up to the thigh and elbows being also tan, the body black or dark grizzle. WEIGHT--Dogs 40 lb. to 45 lb., bitches slightly less.