The Manchester Terrier
An Analysis of the Breed Standard (Part II)By Rodney Herner
The Ratter's Review, May 2004Hello again. In the last issue, I discussed the General Appearance, Size, Proportion, and Substance sections of the Manchester Terrier standard of perfection. This time I will focus on the sections describing the Head, Neck, Topline and Body.
Head
The AKC Standard calls for a keen and alert expression. This expression exists only if the eyes are dark, almost-shaped and set moderately close together, slanting upwards on the outside. Excessive white showing in the eye, lack of eye rim pigment, or eyes that are light in colour would certainly detract from a keen and alert expression, as would eyes that were too round or protruding.
The AKC standard allows three ear types for the Standard variety of the Manchester Terrier--the naturally erect ear, the cropped ear, and the button ear. No preference should be given to any ear type. The naturally erect ear and the button are described as wider at the base tapering o pointed tips and carried well up on the skull. Wide, flaring, blunt-tipped or "bell" ears are a serious fault. Cropped ears should be long, pointed and carried erect.
The cropped ear is the most prevalent in the show ring in the USA. Ears that are cropped too short can destroy the elegant appearance, but remember to consider the entire package before completing your evaluation. The naturally erect ear and the cropped ear must both be totally erect, with enough thickness to the leather to prevent them from tipping or flapping during movement. Ears that have been torn due to altercations should not be faulted.
In England, or any other country that bans ear cropping, the only acceptable ear is the button ear. A correct button ear, in my mind, is the most striking. To be correct they must break evenly above the skull creating a small V-shaped ear that hangs close to the skull above the eyes, pointing to the outside corner of the eye. Button ears that appear "houndy" with tips that hang below the eye level are not correct.
The AKC Standard calls for only one correct ear type for the Toy--the natural erect ear. Cropped ears disqualify in Toys. Ears that do not stand erect and ears that flap in the breeze are faulty.
The AKC standard describes the head as follows: The head should be long, narrow, tight=skinned and almost flat with a slight indentation up the forehead. I should resemble a blunted wedge in frontal and profile views. There should be a visual effect of a slight stop. The muzzle and skull are equal in length with the muzzle well-filled under the eyes and no visible cheek muscles. The underjaw is full and well-defined and the nose is black. Tight black lips lie close to the jaw, which should e full and powerful with full and proper dentition. The teeth are white and strongly developed with a true scissors bite. Level bite is acceptable.
The full underjaw is important, for it provides the strength to kill vermin. Unfortunately, this requirement is missing from many of today's exhibits. The teeth, which should appear large for the size of the dog, should meet in a scissors bite, which enables the dog to more firmly grasp and hold their prey. Although the level bite is acceptable, the scissor bite is definitely more functional. Although the standard calls for full dentition, a large majority of Manchesters do have missing premolars. this should not be considered a serious fault, however I do fault missing incisors and, unfortunately, there are many Toys being shown today with two or more missing incisors.
Neck
The AKC standard calls for a slightly arched neck of moderate length that is slim and graceful. It gradually becomes larger as it approaches and blends smoothly with the sloping shoulders. throatiness is undesirable.
The neck should certainly have enough arch to appear graceful, adding to the picture of elegance. It should blend, without interruption, into the properly sloping shoulders. A neck that is too short, too long, too think or ewe necked should be faulted. Throatiness would certainly detract from the elegant look.
Topline
The AKC standard calls for the topline to show a slight arch over robust loins, falling slightly to the tail set. A flat back or roached back is to be severely penalized.
The slight arch over the robust loins is in the lumbar area extending from the end of the rib cage to the start of the pelvis, the upper section of the coupling region. A arched loin is symptomatic of strength and agility in that area. This is due to the muscular development over the spine and minor differences in the angles of lumbar vertebrae and pelvis. If the rise is forward of the loin area, a roached topline exists. If the rise is behind the loin area, a topline that is high in the rear exists. Both of these toplines are faulty as is a topline that is level. The true topline shows itself when the dog is in motion. It should be judged only during gaiting, never during examination on the table.
Body
The AKC standard calls for the chest to be narrow between the legs and deep in the brisket. The forechest is moderately defined. The ribs are well sprung, but flattened in the lower ed to permit clearance of the foreleg. The abdomen should be tucked up extending in an arched line from the deep brisket.
Manchesters are "diggers" who work the soil. Accordingly, they were bred with generally narrow fronts and straight legs placed relatively close together s that when digging, the loose earth could be propelled between their spread rear legs. Spring of rib is a reference to the shape of ribs after their emergence from where they join with the thoracic vertebrae. The spring of ribs has a direct influence upon chest capacity. The more pronounced the arch or spring (within reason), the greater the restriction of lung and heart development and consequently, the less the anticipated stamina. A dog with correct rib curvature and development is said to be well-sprung, rounded, or arched in rib. The tuck-up is the appearance produced by the abdomen's underline as it sweeps upwards into the flank or hindquarters.
Tail
The AKC standard calls for a taper style tail which is moderately short reaching no further than the hock joint. It is set on at the end of the croup. Being thicker where it joins the body, the tail tapers to a point. The tail is carried in a slight upward curve, but never over the back.
The tail is set on at the end of a slightly sloping croup, which is the muscular area just above and around the set on of the tail. This slope occurs just behind the slight rise over the loin. Faults include a tail set on at the end of a flat croup resulting in high carriage like a Min Pin or Fox Terrier or tails carried up over the back like a tea pot handle. The tail may be carried in an upward curve which can rise higher than the topline level when the dog is very attentive or while in motion. It should never curve over the back. The tail should be covered with thick black hair.
Part three of this discussion will include the forequarters, the hindquarters, coat, colour, gait and temperament.