^© The Kennel Club - Unauthorised Reproduction of Text and Images Prohibited

The Kennel Club Picture Library - © Susan Medhurst

Interim

General Appearance
Complete or almost complete lack of hair, with a smooth and soft skin. Body slightly longer than high. Females may be slightly longer than males.

Characteristics
A quiet and tranquil dog.                       

Temperament
Happy, alert and intelligent, a good companion. Aloof with strangers.

Head and Skull
Viewed from above the skull is wide, strong and clean with a slightly defined occipital crest. Slight but definite stop and tapering straight muzzle with moderately developed cheeks. Nose dark in dark coloured dogs, brown or rose in blonde and bronze coloured dogs and spotted in spotted dogs. Lips tight.

Eyes
Medium sized and almond shaped. Colour varies according to skin colour, ranging from black, through shades of brown, to amber and yellow, but as dark as possible preferred.

Ears
Always erect, carried obliquely. Long, large, of delicate texture and very elegant.

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
Rather long, slightly arched and very elegant. Skin tight and firm.

Forequarters
Shoulders well laid back with flat muscles.  Good angulation between shoulder and upper arm. Elbows strong and held close to the chest, never turning outward. Straight legs of good length.

Body
Strong build. Back level and perfectly straight with strong, well muscled loin. Chest deep and long reaching to the elbows. Moderately arched ribs carried well back. Gentle tuck up.

Hindquarters
Sloping croup with rounded rump which is solid and muscular. Well angulated. Hindlegs well muscled and straight, set apart.

Feet
Long and compact with tufted hair. Pads strong and resilient. Nails black in black dogs, lighter coloured in bronze or blonde dogs.

Tail
Long, thin and tapering from the base to the tip. When moving, held in a curve but never touching the back. At rest, hangs with a hook at the end.

Gait/Movement
Moves with long, free and elegant strides. At a fast trot, the head and tail held high.

Coat
Hairless although there are some tufts of harsh hair on the forehead and back of the neck that may be any colour but should not reach great length. It is common to find hairs on the feet and end of the tail.

Colour
Solid, uniform and dark colours are preferable. Black, dark grey, red, liver, bronze and blonde. There are also spotted dogs of any colour including white spots.

Size
Miniature: 25-35cms (9.75-13.75ins)
Intermediate: 36-45cms (14.25-17.75ins)
Standard: 46-60cms (18-23.5ins)

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.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Last Updated - January 2007

Glossary of Canine Terms

Health Information

The Kennel Club operates health screening schemes with other organisations.  Some are clinical veterinary screening schemes and some are DNA screening schemes, which may be relevant to this breed.

The current health screening requirements and recommendations for Kennel Club Accredited Breeders of this breed show what is required and recommended for the sire and dam of any litter of this breed bred by an Accredited Breeder.

Breed specific summary results from the Purebred Dog Health Survey in 2004 are available.  Individual summaries are only available where the breed response rate was greater than 15%.

Recommended Reading

All the below publications are available to order from the Online Shop.

Kennel Club Breed Standards Kennel Club Breed Standards are available for most breeds indicating the qualities which competition judges normally take into account and the standard or model which breeders endeavour to achieve. The Breed Standards can be purchased by group.

The Kennel Club Illustrated Breed Standards Containing full descriptive standards for 192 breeds, as well as representation for the six Kennel Club recognised breeds that are currently without standards, this beautifully illustrated volume is a must for all dog enthusiasts. This third edition has been completely revised and updated by a panel of experts and incorporates the very latest standards for breeds in each group.

Breed Clubs and Societies

There are no clubs or societies at present for this breed.

Date:

Last updated on:

Categories:

Utility Group 

This article has been read 11148 times.