Norfolk Terrier Breed Standard
General Appearance
One of the smallest of terriers. Low, keen dog, compact and strong, short back, good substance and bone. Honourable scars from fair wear and tear permissible.
Behaviour and Temperament
A “demon” for its size. Lovable disposition, not quarrelsome, hardy constitution; alert and fearless.
Head
Skull: Broad, only slightly rounded, with good width between ears.
Stop: Well defined.
Muzzle: Wedge-shaped and strong; length of muzzle about one-third less than measurement from occiput to bottom of stop.
Lips: Tight lipped.
Jaws / Teeth: Strong jaw, teeth strong and rather large; perfect, scissor bite, i. e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Eyes: Oval-shaped, dark brown or black. Expression alert, keen and intelligent.
Ears: Medium size, V-shaped, slightly rounded at tip, dropping forward close to cheek.
Neck
Strong and of medium length.
Body
General Appearance: Compact.
Topline: Level.
Back: Short.
Chest: Well sprung ribs.
Tail
Docking of tail previously optional.
Docked: Medium docked, set level with topline and carried erect.
Undocked: Tail of moderate length to give a general balance to dog, thick at root and tapering towards the tip, as straight as possible, carried jauntily, not excessively gay.
Forequarters
General Appearance: Clean.
Shoulder: Well laid back, approximately in length to upper arm.
Forearm: Front legs short, powerful and straight.
Forefeet: Round with thick pads.
Hindquarters
General Appearance: Well muscled.
Stifle (Knee): Well turned.
Metatarsus (Rear pastern): Hocks well let down and straight when viewed from rear; great propulsion.
Hind feet: Round with thick pads.
Gait / Movement
True, low and driving. Moving straight forward from shoulder. Good rear angulation showing great powers of propulsion. Hindlegs follow track of forelegs, moving smoothly from hips. Flexing well at stifle and hock. Topline remaining level.
Coat
Hair: Hard, wiry, straight, lying close to body. Longer and rougher on neck and shoulders. Hair on head and ears short and smooth, except for slight whiskers and eyebrows. Excessive trimming undesirable.
Colour: All shades of red, wheaten, black and tan or grizzle. White marks or patches undesirable but permissible.
Size
Ideal height at the withers: 25 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.
Date of Publication
13.10.2010