This section is from the book "The Dogs Of The British Islands", by J. H. Walsh. Also available from Amazon: The Dogs Of The British Islands.
Strongly made and large, not out of proportion to the dog's size, the muscles showing extraordinary development, more especially the maxillary. Skull broad between the ears, getting gradually less towards the eyes, and measuring about the same from the inner corner of the eye to back of skull as it does from ear to ear. The forehead is well domed. The head is covered with very soft silky hair, which should not be confined to a mere topknot, and the lighter in colour and silkier it is the better. The cheeks, starting from the ears proportionately with the skull, have a gradual taper towards the muzzle, which is deep and strongly made, and measures about three inches in length, or in proportion to skull as three is to five. The muzzle is covered with hair of a little darker shade than the topknot, and of the same texture as the feather of the fore legs. The top of the muzzle is generally bare for about an inch from the black part of the nose, the bareness coming to a point towards the eye, and being about one inch broad at the nose. The nose and inside of mouth black or dark coloured. The teeth very strong, especially the canine, which are of extraordinary size for such a small dog.
The canines fit well into each other, so as to give the greatest available holding and punishing power, and the teeth are level in front, the upper ones very slightly overlapping the under ones. [Many of the finest specimens have a " swine mouth," which is very objectionable; but it is not so great an objection as the protrusion of the under jaw.]
Set wide apart, large, full round, bright, expressive of great determination, intelligence, and dignity; set low and prominent in front of the head; colour a rich dark hazel.
Large and pendulous, set well back, wide apart and low on the skull, hanging close to the check, with a very slight projection at the base, broad at the junction of the head, and tapering almost to a point, the fore part of the ear tapering very little - the taper being mostly on the back part, the fore part of the ear coming almost straight down from its junction with the head to the tip. They are covered with a soft, straight brown hair (in some cases almost black), and have a thin feather of light hair starting about two inches from the tip, and of nearly the same colour and texture as the topknot, which gives the ear the appearance of a distinct point. The animal is often one or two years old before the feather is shown. The cartilage and skin of the ear should not be thick, but rather thin. Length of ear, from three to four inches.
Very muscular, well developed, and strong, showing great power of resistance, being well set into the shoulders.
Long, strong, and flexible; ribs well sprung and round, chest well developed and let well down between the fore legs; the back rather low at the shoulder, having a slight downward curve and a corresponding arch over the loins, with a very slight gradual droop from top of loins to root of tail; both sides of backbone well supplied with muscle.
Rather short, say from 8in. to 10in., and covered on the upper side with wiry hair of darker colour than that of the body, the hair on the under side being lighter in colour, and not so wiry, with a nice feather about two inches long, getting shorter as it nears the tip; rather thick at the root, getting thicker for about four inches, then tapering off to a point. It should not be twisted or curled in any way, but should come up with a regular curve like a scimitar, the tip when excited being in a perpendicular line with the root of the tail. It should neither be set on too high nor too low. When not excited it is carried gaily, and a little above the level of the body.
The forelegs short, with immense muscular development and bone, set wide apart, the chest coming well down between them. The feet well formed, and not flat, with very strong brown or dark-coloured claws. Bandy legs and flat feet are objectionable, but may be avoided - the bandy legs by the use of splints when first noticed, and the flat feet by exercise, and a dry bed and floor to kennel. The hair on the forelegs and feet of a blue dog should be tan, varying according to the body colour from a rich tan to a pale fawn; of a mustard dog they are of a darker shade than its head, which is a creamy white. In both colours there is a nice feather, about two inches long, rather lighter in colour than the hair on the fore part of the leg. The hind legs are a little longer than the fore ones, and are set rather wide apart, but not spread out in an unnatural manner, while the feet are much smaller; the thighs are well developed, and the hair of the same colour and texture as the fore ones, but having no feather or dew claws; the whole claws should be dark; but the claws of all vary in shade according to the colour of the dog's body.
This is a very important point; the hair should be about two inches long, that from skull to root of tail a mixture of hardish and soft hair, which gives a sort of crisp feel to the hand. The hard should not be wiry; the coat is what is termed pily or pencilled. The hair on the under part of the body is lighter in colour and softer than that on the top. The skin on the belly accords with the colour of dog.
The colour is pepper or mustard. The pepper colour ranges from a dark bluish black to a light silvery grey, the intermediate shades being preferred, the body colour coming well down the shoulder and hips, gradually merging into the leg colour. The mustards vary from a reddish-brown to a pale fawn, the head being a creamy white, the legs and feet of a shade darker than the head. The claws are dark, as in other colours. [Nearly all Dandie Dinmont terriers have some white on the chest, and some have also white claws].
The height should be from 8in. to 11m. at the top of shoulder. Length from top of shoulder to root of tail should not be more than twice the dog's height, but, preferably, one or two inches less. Weight from 141b. to 241b.; the best weight as near 181b. as possible. These weights are for dogs in good working order.
Doctor and Tib Mumps, the originals of the accompanying excellent portraits. are the property of that well-known judge of the breed, Mr. Jas. Locke, of Selkirk. Doctor, who has won ten first prizes besides sundry seconds and h.c's., is certainly the most perfect Dandie I have ever seen, and richly deserves the high position he has obtained. Fully equal to Mr. Mosse's Shamrock in body and legs, he beats him completely in head and jaw; being, in my opinion, absolutely perfect according to the above standard of points wherein the full-sized ear, to which I have alluded in them, is recognised as correct. He is by Mr. Locke's Sporran (son of Mr. Nicol Milne's Tug), out of Ailie by Shamrock.
Tib Mumps is almost equally neat with Doctor, and exactly like him in colour and appearance. She took the first prize at the Crystal Palace in 1876, Nell Gwynne being second; but at the following show at Birmingham their positions were reversed. She is by Mr. Jas. Locke's Dandie ILL out of Mr. Patterson's Old Miss.
 
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