FCI-Standard N° 85
WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER
ORIGIN: Great Britain
UTILIZATION: Terrier
FCI-CLASSIFICATION: Group 3 Terriers
Section 2 Small-sized Terriers
Without working trial
GENERAL APPEARANCE
Strongly built; deep in chest and back ribs; level back and powerful quarters on muscular legs and
exhibiting in a marked degree a great combination of strength and activity.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT
Small, active, game, hardly, possessed of no small amount of self-esteem with a varminty appearance. Alert, gay, courageous, self-reliant but friendly.
HEAD
Distance from occiput to eyes slightly greater than length of foreface. Head thickly coated with hair and carried at right angle or
less, to axis of neck. Head not to be carried in extended position.
CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: Slightly domed; when handled across forehead presents a smooth contour. Tapering very slightly from skull at level of ears to
eyes.
Stop: Distinct stop, formed by heavy, bony ridges immediately above and slightly overhanging eye, and slight indentation between
eyes.
FACIAL REGION:
Nose: Black and fairly large, forming smooth contour with rest of muzzle. Nose not projecting forward.
Muzzle: Foreface gradually tapering from eye to muzzle; not dished nor falling away quickly below eyes, where it is well made up.
Jaws / Teeth: Jaws strong and level. As broad between canine teeth as is consistent with varminty expression required. Teeth large for
size of dog, with regular scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
EYES: Set wide apart, medium in size, not full, as dark as possible and set well under heavy eyebrows which gives the dog a sharp
and intelligent piercing expression. Light coloured eyes highly undesirable.
EARS: Small, erect and carried firmly, terminating in sharp point, set neither too wide nor too close. Hair short and smooth (velvety),
should not be cut. Free from any fringe at top. Round-pointed, broad, large or thick ears or too heavily coated with hair most undesirable.
NECK: Sufficiently long to allow proper set on of head required, muscular and gradually thickening towards base allowing neck to
merge into nicely sloping shoulders.
BODY
Compact.
Back: Level.
Loin: Broad and strong.
Chest: Deep and ribs well arched in upper half presenting a flattish side appearance. Back ribs of considerable depth and distance from
last rib of quarters as short as compatible with free movement of body.
TAIL
13 -15 cms long, covered with harsh hair, no feathering, as straight as possible, carried jauntily, not gay or carried over back. A
long tail undesirable, and on no account should tails be docked.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS:
Shoulder: Sloping backwards. Shoulder-blades broad and lying close to chest wall. Shoulder joint placed forward.
Elbow: Well in, allowing foreleg to move freely, parallel to axis of body.
Forearm: Forelegs short and muscular, straight and thickly covered with short, hard hair.
Forefeet: Larger than hind feet, round, proportionate in size, strong, thickly padded and covered with short harsh hair. Under surface of
pads and all nails preferably black.
HINDQUARTERS:
General appearance: Strong, muscular and wide across top. Legs short, muscular and sinewy.
Thigh: Very muscular and not too wide apart.
Stifle (Knee): Well bent.
Hock joint: Bent and well set in under body so as to be fairly close to each other when standing or moving. Straight or weak hocks most
undesirable.
Hind feet: Smaller than forefeet and thickly padded, round, proportionate in size, strong, thickly padded and covered with short
harsh hair. Under surface of pads and all nails preferably black.
GAIT/MOVEMENT
Free, straight and easy all round. In front, legs freely extended forward from shoulder. Hind movement free,
strong and close. Stifle and hocks well flexed and hocks drawn under body giving drive. Stiff, stilted movement behind and
cowhocks highly undesirable.
COAT
SKIN: Free from obvious skin problems.
Hair: Double coated. Outer coat consists of harsh hair, about 5 cms long, free from any curl. Undercoat, which resembles fur, short, soft
and close. Open coats most undesirable.
Colour: White.
SIZE
Height at the withers: Approximately 28 cms.
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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS
• Aggressive or overly shy dogs.
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities.
N.B:
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation, should be used for breeding.
Source: www.fci.be/en/
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