Breed Standard

Kennel Club Breed Standard

The Breed Standard is the formal description of a pedigree dog. It describes the ‘perfect’ example of that breed. The Breed Standard is the basis for comparison used at Dog Shows. The Judge compares the competing dogs with the standard, the closest to the ‘perfect’ example of the breed should win.

Breed Standard of the Manchester Terrier
Approved by the (British) Kennel Club 2000 changed 2009 (interim)

GENERAL APPEARANCE
Compact, elegant and sound with substance.

CHARACTERISTICS
Keen, alert, gay and sporting.

TEMPERAMENT
Discerning and devoted.

HEAD AND SKULL
Long skull, flat and narrow, level and wedge shaped without showing cheek muscles, well filled up under eyes, with tapering, tight lipped mouth.

EYES
Relatively small, dark and sparkling. Almond shaped, not prominent.

EARS
Small and ‘V’ shaped, carried well above top line of head and hanging close to head above eyes.

MOUTH
Jaws level with perfect scissor bite (i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to jaws).

NECK
Fairly long and tapering from shoulder to head, slightly arched at crest, free from throatiness.

FOREQUARTERS
Shoulders clean and well sloped. Front narrow and deep. Forelegs quite straight, set on well under dog and of proportionate length to body.

BODY
Short with well sprung ribs, slightly arched over the loin and cut up behind ribs.

HINDQUARTERS
Strong and muscular, well bent at stifle. Hind legs neither cow hocked nor with feet turned in.

FEET
Small, semi-hare footed and strong with well arched toes.

TAIL
Short and set on where arch of back ends, thick where it joins body, tapering to a point, carried not higher than level of back.

GAIT / MOVEMENT
Straight, free and balanced with good-reaching forequarters and driving power in hindquarters.

COAT
Close, smooth and glossy, of firm texture.

COLOUR
Jet black and rich mahogany tan, distributed as follows: on Head; Muzzle tanned to nose, nose and nasal bone jet black. Small tan spot on each cheek and above each eye, under jaw and throat tanned with distinct tanned ‘V’. Legs from knee downward tanned, with the exception of toes, which shall be pencilled with black, and a distinct mark (thumb mark) immediately above feet. Inside hind legs tanned but divided with black at stifle joint. Under Tail tanned, vent tanned by marking as narrow as possible so that it is covered by tail. A slight tan mark on each side of chest. Tan on outside hind legs, commonly called breeching is undesireable. In all cases black should not run into tan and vice versa, but division between colours clearly defined.

SIZE
Ideal height at shoulder: Dogs 41 cm (16 inches) Bitches 38 cm (15 inches).

FAULTS
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

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

© Copyright the KC 2000

Breed Standards for all Kennel Club recognised pedigree dogs can be found on their Discover Dogs Web Site.

For breed standards of other Kennel Clubs contact the National Breed Club or National Kennel Club of the country concerned. Internet addresses of a number of these organisations can be found on our Web Links page.