48 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM 



lip, but with no loose skin to hang down. Jaw The lower jaw should 

 be about level, or at any rate not project more than the sixteenth of an 

 inch. Nose and Nostrils The bridge of the nose should be very wide, 

 with a slight ridge where the cartilage joins the bone. (This is quite 

 a characteristic of the breed.) The nostrils should be large, wide, 

 and open, giving a blunt look to the nose. A butterfly or flesh-coloured 

 nose is not objected to in harlequins. Ears The ears should be small, 

 set high on the skull, and carried slightly erect, with the tips falling 

 forward. Neck Next to the head, the neck is one of the chief char- 

 acteristics. It should be long, well arched, and quite clean and free 

 from loose skin, held well up, snakelike in carriage, well set in the 

 shoulders, and the junction of head and neck well defined. Shoulders 

 The shoulders should be muscular but not loaded, and well sloped 

 back, with the elbows well under the body, so that, when viewed in 

 front, the dog does not stand too wide. Fore-legs and Feet The fore- 

 legs should be perfectly straight, with big flat bone. The feet large 

 and round, the toes well arched and close, the nails strong and curved. 

 Body The body is very deep, with ribs well sprung and belly well 

 drawn up. Back and Loins The back and loins are strong, the latter 

 slightly arched, as in the Greyhound. Hind-Quarters The hind-quar- 

 ters and thighs are extremely muscular, giving the idea of great strength 

 and galloping power. The second thigh is long and well developed 

 as in a Greyhound, and the hocks set low, turning neither out nor in. 

 Tall The tail is strong at the root and ends in a fine point, reaching to 

 or just below the hocks. It should be carried, when the dog is in 

 action, in a straight line level with the back, slightly curved towards 

 the end, but should not curl over the back. Coat The hair is short 

 and dense, and sleek-looking, and in no case should it incline to coarse- 

 ness. Gait or Action The gait should be lithe, springy, and free, 

 the action high. The hocks should move very freely, and the head 

 should be held well up. Colour The colours are brindle, fawn, blue, 

 black, and harlequin. The harlequin should have jet black patches 

 and spots on a pure white ground ; grey patches are admissible but 

 not desired ; but fawn or brindle shades are objectionable. 



