Australian Terrier Breed Magazine - Showsight

“CORRECT COLORS ARE BLUE & TAN, SOLID SANDY AND SOLID RED.”

Aussie chest which drops below the elbow. It is not a reference to short legs but rather to the chest in relation to the ground. It doesn’t translate into shortness of leg. Th e Standard calls for a height at the withers of 10 " to 11 " . Th e back is slightly longer than the dog is tall (1 " -1 ½" ). Th e loin is fairly short, no more than four fi ngers in width with slight tuck-up. “Faults: Cobbiness, too long in loin.”* Run your hand along the back; check for a level backline, correct length of loin and high tail set. Th e docked tail is carried at a 12 to 1 o’clock position. Place your hand on the back of the tail and lower the hand. Th e point of the buttocks should stop it. Th e buttocks should fi ll the hand. Artful grooming in this area can dis- guise the lack of rear angulation. Th e sti fl es should be well turned; the hocks and rear pasterns behind the rear end of the body. Th e hocks should be well let down and the rear pasterns perpendicular to the ground. From the rear, feel the upper and lower thighs which should be fi rmly muscled. Rear legs should be straight from the hips joints to the ground. “Faults: Lack of muscu- lar development or excessive muscularity.”* Aussies are double coated with a short, soft undercoat and harsh 2 ½" outer coat. Climate and living conditions a ff ect the

amount of undercoat present. Correct col- ors are blue & tan, solid sandy and solid red. Th e color of B & T’s can range from dark blue, steel blue, dark grey blue, to sil- ver blue. Tan should be rich in color but not red. Any shade of solid red or solid sandy is correct. “Faults: All black body coat in the adult dog. Tan smut in the blue portion of the coat, or dark smut in sandy/ red coated dogs. In any color, white mark- ings on chest or feet are to be penalized.”* Th e reference to ”all black body coat” is reference to solid black where the coat should be blue and not to a coat lacking tan markings. Th e topknot should be silver or a lighter shade than head color.* When the dog is sent around the ring, it should move freely with good reach and drive. Th e front leg reaches well in front of the dog’s body. Th e rear foot steps into the spot just left by the front foot; while this is happening, the other rear leg is extended back behind the body. Seen from the front and rear, the legs are straight from the shoulder and hip joints to the pads, and move in parallel planes to the centerline of travel. Th e rear legs move in the same planes as the front legs. As the dog moves at a faster trot, the front and rear legs may tend to converge

toward the centerline of travel, but the legs remain straight even as they fl ex or extend.* Th ere should be no wasted motion and no bounce to the backline when moving. Aus- tralian Terriers should move with a ground covering stride. Th ey were bred to be tire- less workers able to cover rough terrain and great distances. Th is athletic ability is as important today as it was in the past. In summary, the distinctive features of the Australian Terrier are: • Proportions: Back slightly longer than the dog’s height from withers to ground; body long, distinctive keel, prominent forechest and buttocks. • Head: Long with fl at skull slightly lon- ger than wide, slight stop and muzzle of equal length. • Coat: Soft silky topknot of silver or lighter color than the head, ru ff and apron. • Colors: Blue & Tan, Solid Red and Solid Sandy. Blue: silver blue, dark gray-blue, steel-blue, dark blue. Solid Red: any color from light to dark red. Solid Sandy. • Gait: Smooth and free with reach and drive. *Australian Terrier Standard, approved by the American Kennel Club 8/9/88

“The stifles should be well turned; the hocks and rear pasterns behind the rear end of the body. THE HOCKS SHOULD BE WELL LET DOWN AND THE REAR PASTERNS PERPENDICULAR TO THE GROUND.”

188 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , F EBRUARY 2014

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