486 BRITISH DOGS 



manipulation with finger and thumb, which is legitimate, will bring 

 them all right. The fore legs are short, with great bone, and should 

 be as straight as possible. Many otherwise good dogs fail here, 

 having legs as crooked as a Basset-hound. Weak ankles are too 

 common. Dogs with faulty fronts have often good-shaped bodies, 

 as the drop at shoulders caused by the bad fore legs gives that 

 rise or arch that is so much desired but seldom seen. The coat 

 is a mixed one, but some of our best Dandies have a covering more 

 approaching a hard than a mixed coat. Soft, woolly coats are 

 objectionable, and lead to a lot of trimming." 



The following description of the general appearance and special 

 points of this dog were drawn up by Mr. Hugh Dalziel for the last 

 Edition of this work, and are so applicable to the dog of to-day 

 that they are retained in their entirety : 



In forming an opinion of a dog's merits, the general appearance (by which is 

 meant the impression which a dog makes, as a whole, on ,the eye of the judge) 

 should be first considered. Secondly should be noticed the dog's size, shape, 

 and make i.e. its proportions in the relation they bear to each other; no point 

 should be so much in excess of the others as to destroy the general symmetry, 

 and cause the dog to appear deformed or interfere with its usefulness in the 

 occupations for which it is specially adapted. Thirdly, the dog's style, carriage, 

 gait, temperament, and each of its other points, should be considered separately. 



General Appearance. The general appearance of the Dandie Dinmont 

 Terrier is that of a rough-coated, thickset dog, very low on its legs, and having 

 a body very flexible and long in proportion to its height, but broad, deep-chested, 

 and compact. The head very large, with broad and well-domed skull, covered 

 with light-coloured hair of a softer and silkier texture than that on the body. 

 This hairy scalp very often gives the head an appearance of being disproportionate 

 to the body, when such is not actually the case. Jaws long and slightly tapering 

 to the nose, which must be large and always black ; covered with shorter and 

 slightly harder hair than on the body. Neck thick and muscular ; shoulders low, 

 and back slightly curved down behind them, with a corresponding arch of the 

 loins, which are broad and strong. Ears pendulous, and bearing low. Legs 

 short, and very muscular. The Dandie carries in his countenance the appearance 

 of great determination, strength, and activity, with a constant and vigilant eager- 

 ness to be busy. In brief, he is an embodiment of docility, courage, strength, 

 intelligence, and alertness. 



Head. The head should be large, and rather heavy-looking in proportion to 

 the dog's size. Skull broad between the ears, with a very gradual and slight 

 taper towards the eyes. It should be long from back to front, with high forehead 

 and cranium conical and well domed, measuring about the same from the point 

 of the eye to back of skull as it does between the base of ears, and round the 

 largest part about a third more than the dog's height at the shoulder. The head 

 should always be covered with soft, silky hair, not curled, but slightly wavy, and 

 not confined to a mere top-knot ; it is also of a much lighter colour than that on 

 the body. The cheeks, starting from the ears, proportionately broad with the 

 skull, should, without any unsightly bulge, taper very gradually towards the 

 muzzle, the muscles showing extraordinary development, more especially those 

 that move the lower jaw. The head of the bitch, as in nearly every other breed 

 of dogs, is comparatively smaller, and lighter in proportion, than that of the dog. 



Muzzle. The muzzle should be long, deep, and very powerful, very slightly 

 tapering to the nose, which should be large, well formed, well spread over the 



