GENERAL APPEARANCE 

Merry, sturdy, sporting, well balanced, compact.
Measuring approximately same from withers to ground as from withers to end of tail.

CHARACTERISTICS 

Merry nature with ever-wagging tail shows a typical bustling movement,
particularly when following scent, fearless of heavy cover.

TEMPERAMENT 

Gentle and affectionate, yet full of life and exuberance.

HEAD AND SKULL 

Square muzzle, with distant stop set midway between tip of nose and occiput.
Skull well developed, clearly chiselled, neither too fine, nor too course.
Cheek bones not prominent.
Nose sufficiently wide for acute scenting power.

EYES 

Full, but not prominent.
Dark brown or brown, never light.
In the case of liver, liver roan and liver & white, dark hazel to harmonise with coat.
With expression of intelligence and gentleness, but wide awake, bright and merry.
Rims tight.

EARS 

Lobular, set low on a level with eyes.
Fine leathers extending to nose tip.
Well clothed with long straight silky hair.

MOUTH 

Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite
i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

NECK 

Moderate in length, muscular.
Set neatly into fine sloping shoulders.
Clean throat.

FOREQUARTERS 

Shoulder sloping and fine.
Legs well boned, straight, sufficiently short for concentrated power.
Not too short to interfere with tremendous exertions expected from this grand, sporting dog.

BODY 

Strong, compact.
Chest well developed and brisket deep, neither too wide nor too narrow in front.
Ribs well sprung.
Loin short, wide with firm level topline gently sloping downward to tail from end of loin to set on of tail.

HINDQUARTERS 

Wide, well rounded, very muscular.
Legs well boned, good bend of stifle, short hock allowing for plenty of drive.

FEET 

Firm, thickly padded, cat-like.

TAIL 

Set on slightly lower than line of back.
Must be merry inaction and carried level, never cocked up.
Preferably docked but never too short to hide,
nor too long to interfere with the incessant merry action when working.

GAIT/MOVEMENT 

True through action with great drive covering ground well.

COAT 

Flat, silky in texture, never wiry or wavy, not too profuse and never curly.
Well feathered forelegs, body and hind legs above hocks.

COLOUR 

Various.
In self colours no white allowed except on chest.

SIZE

Weight

Dogs

approx 39 - 41 cms
approx 15.5 - 16 inches

12.7 - 14.5 kilos
28 - 32 pounds

Bitches

approx 38 - 39 cms
approx 15 - 15.5 inches

12.7 - 14.5 kilos
 28 - 32 pounds

FAULTS

Published with kind permission from The Kennel Club ©