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side of the body, nor does it snap flat against the back. A trailing tail is normal for the dog when in repose. Hair on the tail is of medium length and approximately the same length on top, sides and bottom, giving the appearance of a round brush. Faults - A snapped or tightly curled tail; highly plumed tail; tail set too low or too high. Forequarters : Shoulders - The shoulder blade is well laid back. The upper arm angles slightly backward from point of shoulder to elbow, and is never perpendicular to the ground. The muscles and ligaments holding the shoulder to the rib cage are firm and well developed. Faults - Straight shoulders; loose shoulders. Forelegs - When standing and viewed from the front, the legs are moderately spaced, parallel and straight, with the elbows close to the body and turned neither in nor out. Viewed from the side, pasterns are slightly slanted, with the pastern joint strong, but flexible. Bone is substantial but never heavy. Length of the leg from elbow to ground is slightly more than the distance from the elbow to the top of withers. Dewclaws on forelegs may be removed. Faults - Weak pasterns; too heavy bone; too narrow or too wide in the front; out at the elbows. Feet oval in shape but not long. The paws are medium in size, compact and well furred between the toes and pads. The pads are tough and thickly cushioned. The paws neither turn in nor out when the dog is in natural stance. Faults - Soft or splayed toes; paws too large and clumsy; paws too small and delicate; toeing in or out. Hindquarters : When standing and viewed from the rear, the hind legs are moderately spaced and parallel. The upper thighs are well muscled and powerful, the stifles well bent, the hock joint well-defined and set low to the ground. Dewclaws, if any, are to be removed. Faults - Straight stifles, cow-hocks, too narrow or too wide in the rear. Coat : The coat of the Siberian Husky is double and medium in length, giving a well furred appearance, but is never so long as to obscure the clean-cut outline of the dog. The undercoat is soft and dense and of sufficient length to support the outer coat. The guard hairs of the outer coat are straight and somewhat smooth lying, never harsh nor standing straight off from the body. It should be noted that the absence of the undercoat during the shedding season is normal. Trimming of whiskers and fur between the toes and around the feet to present a neater appearance is permissible. Trimming the fur on any other part of the dog is not to be condoned and should be severely penalized. Faults - Long, rough, or shaggy coat; texture too harsh or too silky; trimming of the coat, except as permitted above. Color, Patterns and Markings: Color, Patterns and Markings. All ranges of the allowable colors which are black, gray, agouti, sable, red, and white. May be solid colored. May have multiple shades. May have white markings. A variety of symmetrical or asymmetrical markings and patterns are common, including piebald. No preference should be given to any allowable color, marking or pattern. Merle or Brindle patterns are not allowable and are to be disqualified. Merle is defined as a marbling effect of dark patches against a lighter background of the same color and is not to be confused with a color patch of banded guard hairs amid white, as is seen in dogs with allowable piebald. Brindle is defined as darker and lighter single-colored guard hairs producing a vertical tiger striping, not to be confused with banded guard hairs and a different color undercoat, which may produce some apparent horizontal striping. Gait : The Siberian Husky's characteristic gait is smooth and seemingly effortless. He is quick and light on his feet, and when in the show ring should be gaited on a loose lead at a moderately fast trot, exhibiting good reach in the forequarters and good drive in the hindquarters. When viewed from the front to rear while moving at a walk the Siberian Husky does not single-track, but as the speed increases the legs gradually angle inward until the pads are falling on a line
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