General Appearance: Smooth-coated, well balanced, of great strength for his size. Muscular, active and agile.
Characteristics: Traditionally of indomitable courage and tenacity. Highly intelligent and affectionate, especially with children.
Temperament: Bold, fearless and totally reliable
Head and Skull: Short, deep through with broad skull. Very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop, short fore face, nose black.
Eyes: Dark preferred but may bear some relation to coat colour. Round, of medium size, and set to look straight ahead. Eye rims dark.
Ears: Rose or half pricked, not large or heavy. Full, drop or pricked ears highly undesirable.
Mouth: Lips tight and clean. Jaws strong, teeth large, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck: Muscular, rather short, clean in outline gradually widening towards shoulders.
Forequarters: Legs straight and well boned, set rather wide apart, showing no weakness at the pasterns, from which point feet turn out a little. Shoulders well laid back with no looseness at elbow.
Body: Close - coupled, with level topline, wide front, deep brisket, well sprung ribs, muscular and well defined.
Hindquarters: Well muscled, hocks well let down with stifles well bent. Legs parallel when viewed from behind.
Feet: Well padded, strong and of medium size. Nails black in solid coloured dogs.
Tail: Medium length, low set, tapering to a point and carried rather low. Should not curl much and may be likened to an old fashioned pump handle.
Gait / Movement: Free, powerful and agile with economy of effort. Legs moving parallel when viewed from front or rear. Discernible drive from hind legs.
Coat: Smooth, short and close.
Colour: Red, fawn, white, black or blue, or any of these colours with white. Any shade of brindle with white. Black and tan or liver colour highly undesirable.
Size: Desirable height at withers 35.5 - 40.5 cms (14 - 16 ins.), these heights being related to the weights.
Weight: dogs: 12.7 - 17 kgs (28 - 38 lbs); bitches 11- 15.4 kgs (24 - 34 lbs)
Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
