FCI-Standard
N° 236 / 09. 08. 1999 / GB
AUSTRALIAN SILKY TERRIER
ORIGIN : Australia.
DATE
OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 11.09.1989.
UTILIZATION : Terrier.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 3 Terriers.
Section 4 Toy
Terriers.
Without
working trial.
GENERAL
APPEARANCE : The dog is compact, moderately low set, of medium length with a
refined structure but of sufficient substance to suggest the ability to hunt
and kill domestic rodents. It should
display Terrier characteristics, embodying keen alterness, activity and
soundness. The parted, straight silky
hair presents a well-groomed appearance.
HEAD
: Of moderate length, slightly shorter from
the tip of the nose to between the eyes than from the same position to the
occiput. The head must be strong and of
Terrier character, being moderately broad between the ears.
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Flat and without
fullness between the eyes, with fine silky top-knot, not falling over the eyes,
(a long fall of hair on the foreface or cheeks is very objectionable).
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Black.
Lips : Tight and clean.
Jaws/Teeth : Strong jaws,
teeth even and not cramped, the upper incisors fitting closely over the lower
(scissor bite).
Eyes : Shall be small,
round, not prominent, dark as possible in colour with a keen intelligent
expression.
Ears : Should be small,
V-shaped with fine leather, set high on the skull, pricked, and entirely free
from long hair.
NECK : Medium length,
refined and slightly crested, fitting gracefully into the shoulders. Well covered with long silky hair.
BODY : Should be
moderately long in proportion to the height of the dog.
Topline : Level. A topline showing a roach or dip is a serious
fault.
Loin : Strong.
Chest : Of moderate depth
and breath.
Ribs : Extending back to
loins.
TAIL : Preferably
docked, set on high and carried erect
but not over-gay. Should be free of
feathering.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS :
The forlegs have refined, round bone and are
straight and set well under the body with no weakness in the pasterns.
Shoulders : Fine and well
laid back, fitting with well angulated upper arms snugly to the ribs.
Elbows : Turned neither in
nor out.
HINDQUARTERS :
Thighs : Must be well
developed.
Stifles : Should be well
turned.
Hocks : Well bent. When viewed from the behind the hocks should
be well let down and parallel with each other.
FEET : Small, well
padded, cat-like with closely knit toes, the toenails must be black or very
dark.
GAIT
/ MOVEMENT : The movement should be free and true without slackness at shoulders
or elbows, there should be no turning in or out of the feet or pasterns. The hindquarters should have strong
propelling power with ample flexibility at stifles and hocks. Viewed from behind the movement should be
neither too close nor too wide.
COAT
HAIR : Must be flat,
fine and glossy and of a silky texture with a length of coat from 13 to 15
centimetres (5 to 6 inches) from behind the ears to the set on of the tail, but
must not impede the dog’s action. The
legs from pasterns and hocks to feet free from long hair.
COLOUR : Blue and tan or
grey-blue and tan, the richer the colour the better. Blue on the tail to be very dark. Silver blue or fawn top-knot desirable. Distribution of blue and tan as follows : tan
around the base of the ears, muzzle and on the sides of the cheeks; blue from
the base of the skull to tip of tail, running down the forelegs to near the
pasterns and down the thighs to the hocks; tan line showing down the stifles
and from the pasterns and hocks to the toes and around the vent. The body colour must be free from smut or
dark shading. Black colouring is
permissible in puppies, blue colour must be established by 18 months of age.
SIZE :
Height : approximately 23 centimetres
(approx. 9 inches) at the withers, bitches slightly less.
Weight : desirable weight from 3.5 to 4.5
kilograms (approx.8-10 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.
N.B. : Male animals
should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.