Physical Characteristics of the Scottish Terrier

(from the American Kennel Club breed standard)

Skull: Long and of medium width, slightly domed and covered with short, hard hair. In profile, the skull should appear flat. There should be a slight but definite stop between the skull and muzzle at eye level, allowing the eyes to be set in under the brow.

Ears: Small, prick, set well up on the skull and pointed, but never cut. From the front, the outer edge of the ear should form a straight line up from the side of the skull.

Head: Long in proportion to the overall length and size of the dog. In profile, the skull and muzzle should give the appearance of two parallel planes.

Eyes: Set wide apart and well in under the brow. They should be small, bright and piercing, and almond-shaped. The color should be dark brown or nearly black.

Nose: Black, regardless of coat color, and of good size, projecting somewhat over the mouth.

Neck: Moderately short, strong, thick and muscular, blending smoothly into well laid back shoulders.

Muzzle: Approximately equal to the length of skull with only a slight taper to the nose. A correct Scottish Terrier muzzle should fill an average man’s hand.

Teeth: Large and evenly spaced, having either a scissors or level bite, the former preferred.

Jaw: Square, level and powerful.

Chest: Broad, very deep and well let down between the forelegs. The forechest should extend well in front of the legs and drop well down into the brisket. The chest should not be flat or concave, and the brisket should nicely fill an average man's slightly-cupped hand.

Forequarters: The shoulders should be well laid back and moderately well knit at the withers. The forelegs should be very heavy in bone, straight or slightly bent with elbows close to the body, and set in under the shoulder blade with a definite forechest in front of them. The forefeet should be larger than the hind feet, round, thick and compact with strong nails. The front feet should point straight ahead, but a slight "toeing out" is acceptable.

Topline: Firm and level.

Tail: About seven inches long and never cut. It should be set on high and carried erectly, either vertical or with a slight curve forward. Thick at the base, tapering gradually to a point.

Body: Moderately short with ribs extending well back into a short, strong loin, deep flanks and very muscular hindquarters. The ribs should be well sprung out from the spine, forming a broad, strong back, then curving down and inward to form a deep body that would be nearly heart-shaped if viewed in cross-section.

Hindquarters: The thighs should be very muscular and powerful for the size of the dog with the stifles well bent and the legs straight from hock to heel. Hocks should be well let down and parallel to each other.

Coat: Broken coat. It is a hard, wiry outer coat with a soft, dense undercoat.

Size, Proportion, Substance: The Scottish Terrier should have a thick body and heavy bone. The principal objective must be symmetry and balance without exaggeration. Height at withers for either sex should be about 10 inches. The length of back from withers to set-on of tail should be approximately 11 inches. Generally, a well-balanced Scottish Terrier dog should weigh from 19 to 22 pounds and a bitch from 18 to 21 pounds.

Color: Black, wheaten or brindle of any color.