AKC (American
Kennel Club) Breed Standard
General Appearance
The dog must present a generally gay, lively and active appearance;
bone and strength in a small compass are essentials; but
this must not be taken to mean that a Fox Terrier should
be cloddy, or in any way coarse--speed and endurance must
be looked to as well as power, and the symmetry of the Foxhound
taken as a model. The Terrier, like the Hound, must on no
account be leggy, nor must he be too short in the leg. He
should stand like a cleverly made hunter, covering a lot
of ground, yet with a short back, as stated below. He will
then attain the highest degree of propelling power, together
with the greatest length of stride that is compatible with
the length of his body. Weight is not a certain criterion
of a Terrier's fitness for his work-general shape, size and
contour are the main points; and if a dog can gallop and
stay, and follow his fox up a drain, it matters little what
his weight is to a pound or so.
N.B. Old scars or injuries, the result of work or accident,
should not be allowed to prejudice a Terrier's chance in
the show ring, unless they interfere with its movement or
with its utility for work or stud.
Size, Proportion, Substance
According to present-day requirements, a full-sized, well
balanced dog should not exceed 15½ inches at the withers--the
bitch being proportionately lower--nor should the length
of back from withers to root of tail exceed 12 inches, while
to maintain the relative proportions, the head should not
exceed 7¼ inches or be less than 7 inches. A dog with
these measurements should scale 18 pounds in show condition
- a bitch weighing some two pounds less-with a margin of
one pound either way.
Balance
This may be defined as the correct proportions of a certain
point, or points, when considered in relation to a certain
other point or points. It is the keystone of the Terrier's
anatomy. The chief points for consideration are the relative
proportions of skull and foreface; head and back; height
at withers and length of body from shoulder point to buttock-the
ideal of proportion being reached when the last two measurements
are the same. It should be added that, although the head
measurements can be taken with absolute accuracy, the height
at withers and length of back and coat are approximate, and
are inserted for the information of breeders and exhibitors
rather than as a hard-and-fast rule.
Head
Eyes and rims
Eyes and rims should be dark in color, moderately small and
rather deep set, full of fire, life and intelligence and
as nearly possible circular in shape. Anything approaching
a yellow eye is most objectionable. Ears should be V-shaped
and small, of moderate thickness, and dropping forward close
to the cheek, not hanging by the side of the head like a
Foxhound. The topline of the folded ear should be well above
the level of the skull.
Disqualifications
Ears prick, tulip or rose.
Skull
The skull should be flat and moderately narrow, gradually
decreasing in width to the eyes. Not much "stop" should be
apparent, but there should be more dip in the profile between
the forehead and the top jaw than is seen in the case of
a Greyhound. It should be noticed that although the foreface
should gradually taper from eye to muzzle and should tip
slightly at its junction with the forehead, it should not
"dish" or fall away quickly below the eyes, where it should
be full and well made up, but relieved from "wedginess" by
a little delicate chiseling. There should be apparent little
difference in length between the skull and foreface of a
well balanced head. Cheeks must not be full.
Jaws
Jaws, upper and lower, should be strong and muscular and
of fair punishing strength, but not so as in any way to resemble
the Greyhound or modern English Terrier. There should not
be much falling away below the eyes. This part of the head
should, however, be moderately chiseled out, so as not to
go down in a straight slope like a wedge.
Nose
The nose, toward which the muzzle must gradually taper, should
be black.
Disqualifications
Nose white, cherry or spotted to a considerable extent with
either of these colors.
teeth
The teeth should be as nearly as possible together, i.e.,
the points of the upper (incisors) teeth on the outside of
or slightly overlapping the lower teeth.
Disqualifications
Much undershot, or much overshot.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck should be clean and muscular, without throatiness, of
fair length, and gradually widening to the shoulders.
Back should be short, straight (i.e., level), and strong,
with no appearance of slackness. Chest deep and not broad.
Brisket should be deep, yet not exaggerated. The foreribs
should be moderately arched, the back ribs deep and well
sprung, and the dog should be well ribbed up. Loin should
be very powerful, muscular and very slightly arched.
Stern should be set on rather high, and carried gaily, but
not over the back or curled. It should be of good strength,
anything approaching a "Pipestopper" tail being especially
objectionable.
Forequarters
Shoulders should be long and sloping, well laid back, fine
at the points, and clearly cut at the withers. The elbows
should hang perpendicular to the body, working free of the
sides. The forelegs viewed from any direction must be straight
with bone strong right down to the feet, showing little or
no appearance of ankle in front, and being short and straight
in pastern. Both fore and hind legs should be carried straight
forward in traveling.
Feet should be round, compact, and not large; the soles hard
and tough; the toes moderately arched, and turned neither
in nor out.
Hindquarters
Should be strong and muscular, quite free from droop or crouch;
the thighs long and powerful, stifles well curved and turned
neither in nor out; hocks well bent and near the ground should
be perfectly upright and parallel each with the other when
viewed from behind, the dog standing well up on them like
a Foxhound, and not straight in the stifle. The worst possible
form of hindquarters consists of a short second thigh and
a straight stifle. Both fore and hind legs should be carried
straight forward in traveling, the stifles not turning outward.
Feet as in front.
Coat
Should be smooth, flat, but hard, dense and abundant. The
belly and underside of the thighs should not be bare.
Color
White should predominate; brindle, red or liver markings
are objectionable. Otherwise this point is of little or no
importance.
Gait
Movement, or action, is the crucial test of conformation.
The Terrier's legs should be carried straight forward while
traveling, the forelegs hanging perpendicular and swinging
parallel with the sides, like the pendulum of a clock. The
principal propulsive power is furnished by the hind legs,
perfection of action being found in the Terrier possessing
long thighs and muscular second thighs well bent at the stifles,
which admit of a strong forward thrust or "snatch" of the
hocks. When approaching, the forelegs should form a continuation
of the straight line of the front, the feet being the same
distance apart as the elbows. When stationary it is often
difficult to determine whether a dog is slightly out at shoulder,
but, directly he moves, the defect--if it exists--becomes
more apparent, the forefeet having a tendency to cross, "weave,"
or "dish." When, on the contrary, the dog is tied at the
shoulder, the tendency of the feet is to move wider apart,
with a sort of paddling action. When the hocks are turned
in-cow-hocks-the stifles and feet are turned outwards, resulting
in a serious loss of propulsive power. When the hocks are
turned outward the tendency of the hind feet is to cross,
resulting in an ungainly waddle.
Temperament
The dog must present a generally gay, lively and active appearance.
Disqualifications
Ears prick, tulip or rose.
Nose white, cherry or spotted to a considerable extent with
either of these colors.
Mouth much undershot, or much overshot. | 
Active
and lively, bone and strength in small compass, never cloddy
nor coarse. Neither leggy nor too short in the leg,
standing like a well made, short backed hunter, covering
a lot of ground.
