A |
Angulation |
Angulation refers
to the angles created by bones meeting at various joints
(articulations), especially at the shoulder, stifle and hock; the
pastern and pelvic areas may also be involved. |
APT |
Aptitude Test |
Almond
eyes |
Basically of oval
shape, bluntly pointed at both corners. |
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B |
BA |
Breed Assessment. |
Back |
In anatomical
terms, the back is that portion of the topline commencing from a point
just behind the withers and ending at the loins/croup junction, i.e.,
the combined thoracic and lumbar vertebral regions of the spine. |
Backline |
That portion of
the entire topline of a dog, beginning at the rear end of the withers
and ending at the tail. |
Bitch |
A female of the
canine species. |
BST |
Breed Suitability
Test |
Bite |
The name given to
the position of the upper and lower teeth in relation to each other when
the mouth is closed. |
Breastbone |
syn. Sternum |
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C |
Carpal
joint |
The joint between
the forearm and the pastern on the front leg |
Character |
Used in reference
to temperament. Dogs, mentally equipped to perform those functions for
which they were designed originally, are referred to as being 'true in
character' for that particular breed. |
Cheeks |
The fleshy regions
at the sides of the head, commencing at the lip junction, and extending
backwards into the masseter muscles area, a little below the eyes. |
Chest |
That section of
the body between the neck in front and the abdomen behind. |
Coat |
The hairy outer
covering of the skin. The majority of canine breeds possess two coats:
an outer coat and an undercoat. The under coat is normally short, soft
and dense. It assists as a support for the outer coat as well as acting
as a weatherproofing blanket. The outer or top coat tends to be longer,
harsher and often stand-offish. |
Conformation |
Overall appearance
and structure determined by the physical development of an animal's
individual parts as well as the combined relationship and outlines of
such. |
Croup |
The Muscular area
just above and around the set-on of the tail. It merges into the
rump in front and technically overlies the lower half of the pelvic
region, i.e., from the hip joints to the buttocks. |
Cryptorchid |
A male dog in
which one or both testicles has/have not descended properly into the
scrotum. |
Crabbing |
Forward movement
in which the spinal column is not not pointed in the direction of
travel, rather it deviates at an angle so that one rear leg passes on
the inside of the front foot, while the other does so on the outside of
its partner, instead of traveling in line with them. |
Cow
hocks |
In a soundly
constructed dog, standing naturally and viewed from the rear, an
imaginary plumb line drawn through the pelvic tubers should bisect both
the upper and lower thighs, pass through the point of the hock, and then
continue along the center of the rear pastern into the foot. A hock
turning inwards from such a line, depending upon the degree, may be
taken as 'cow hocked' |
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D |
Dip |
Hollow back |
Depth
of chest |
Depth of chest is
measured from the withers to the lowest point of the sternum. |
Dewclaws |
The rather
under-developed, degenerate first metacarpal bone and associated phalanges,
located on the inner surface of the pastern region. |
Dock |
To cut or adjust
tail length, normally at between four to five days of age. |
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E |
Ectropion |
The scientific
term for exceedingly loose lower eyelids or "Haw-eyedness" |
Entropion |
An anatomical
abnormality due to spasm and contraction of the muscles controlling the eye rims.
This, in consequence, causes the affected eyelids to turn and roll in
towards the eyeball. |
Entire |
A reference to
testicular normality. A dog with two normal testes, fully descended into
the scrotum, is said to be entire. |
East-West
feet |
Front feet, the
toes of which turn outwards, away from the center line; often associated
with narrow fronts and/ or chests of inadequate depths. |
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F |
Flying
ears |
Terminology
applied to normally drop ears, one or both of which, instead of hanging
correctly close to the cheek as required by the breed standard, tend to
stick out or "fly away" from the sides of the face. |
Flank |
The fleshy portion
on the lower border of the couplings region, i.e., the fleshy area near
the junction of abdominal floor and hindquarters |
Flews |
The fleshy,
sometimes pendulous, upper lips of some breeds. |
Forequarters |
The combined front
assembly from its uppermost component, the shoulder blade, right down to
the feet. |
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G |
Gait |
syn. action,
motion, movement. A most important consideration in dog appraisal,
especially the evaluation of working and sporting breeds. Not only are
some dog breeds required to move an a characteristic, individualistic fashion,
but sound, balanced gait in all but the rarest instances, also indicates
correct physical construction. Anatomically incorrect specimens are
rarely, if ever, capable of sound movement. |
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H |
HD |
Hip Displasia |
Hip
Displasia |
A developmental
disease of the canine hip joint, occurring primarily in larger breeds.
It is caused by increased joint laxity, abnormal contours of one or both
hip joint components, or a combination of both. |
Hackles |
The name given to
the outer coat's guard hairs on the neck and back region when raised
during fright or anger; basically, a protective mechanism to impress
and/or scare away adversaries. |
Height |
Correctly measured
as the distance from the withers to the ground when the animal is
standing normally. |
Hindquarters |
These commence
with the pelvic girdle, consisting of two fused halves attached to the
sides of he sacral vertebrae of the spinal column. |
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I |
IPO |
Internazionale
Profung Ordnung (the old IWT) |
IWT |
International
Working Trials (replaced by IPO) |
ITT |
International
Tracking Trials (replaced by TT) |
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J |
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K |
KUSA |
Kennel Union of
Southern Africa |
Kink
tail |
One that is
sharply bent, acutely angled or broken somewhere along its length. |
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L |
Level
bite |
The upper and
lower jaws are of equal length. Similar to Pincer bite |
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M |
Markings |
Generally used in
reference to white areas distributed on a coloured background. Many such
markings occur in dogs. |
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N |
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O |
Overshot |
A receding, often
weakly constructed lower jaw. In this form of bite the lower incisors
are situated some distance behind their upper counterparts. |
Occiput |
syn. occipital
bone, peak, apex. The occipital crest is the ridge formed by the
occipital bone at the back of the skull where it joins with the parietal
bones on either side. Its function is to serve as an area for muscle
attachment. |
Oestrus |
syn. season, heat.
That portion of the reproductive cycle during which a bitch exhibits
sexual interest in male partners. |
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P |
Pincer
bite |
One in which the
horizontal or cutting surfaces of the upper and lower incisor teeth meet
edge to edge when the mouth is shut. |
Pace |
A two-time gait
with a pattern of two right feet on the ground and two left feet in the
air and two left feet on the ground and two right feet in the air, i.e.,
both right legs move forwards, simultaneously followed by both left
legs. |
Pastern |
The metacarpus,
i.e., the region between the carpus (wrist) above, and the digits (foot)
below. |
Pure
Bred |
A dog whose
parents are of the same breed and who are themselves from parents of the
same breed and so on. |
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Q |
|
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R |
Reach |
Refers to the
distance covered with each stride, i.e., a dog said to have plenty of
reach or lots of reach is one with maximal stride length. |
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S |
Soft
back |
A mild form of
hollow back; one showing only a slight tendency to sag or bend |
Scissors
bite |
By far the most
common arrangement, this is defined as one in which the outer surface of
the lower incisor teeth engage with the inner surfaces of the upper
incisors when the mouth is shut. |
Splay
feet |
Feet, irrespective of shape,
with toes set rather far apart from one another, i.e., not tightly knit.
The term 'splayed' is normally applied to indicate a defect. |
Stifle |
syn. knee joint,
stifle joint. A joint in the hind leg, formed by the articulation of
upper and lower thighs. The canine stifle joint is an area of special
importance to dog fanciers in that 'hindquarter angulation', often
mention in breed standards, relates directly to the angle formed at this
joint, determining such angulation or turn. |
Stop |
A depression or
step down in the top-line of the head, situated almost centrally between
the eyes, at the junction of the frontal bones of the skull with
those of the upper jaw (maxilla) and nose (nasal bones) in front. Its shape,
depth, width and extent vary according to the structure of the
surrounding bones plus the size and position of the frontal
sinuses. |
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T |
Throatiness;
Throaty |
A reference to
loose, pendulous folds of skin under the throat and underside of the
neck. |
Topline |
Normally taken as
a dog's entire upper outline seen in profile, starting at the ears and
ending at the tail. |
TT |
Tracking Trials. |
Tuck-up |
The appearance
produced by the abdomen's underline as it sweeps upwards into the flank
and/or hindquarters region. |
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U |
Undershot |
An under jaw
appreciably longer than the upper one and frequently turned up as well
eg. British Bulldog |
Under
coat |
See coat |
Underline |
The combined contours
of the brisket and abdominal floor. |
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V |
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W |
Wry
mouth |
A type of mouth in
which the lower jaw is twisted to one side, placing the upper and lower
jaws out of line with another. |
Withers |
Anatomically, the
region of union between the upper portion of the shoulder blade on the
one hand and the spinous processes of the first and second thoracic
vertebrae on the other. Topographically, the withers are located just
behind the base of the neck at the neck / back junction; a significant
area, as a dog's height is measured from this location. |
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X |
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Y |
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Z |
Zygomatic
arch |
The bony ridge
forming the lower border of the eye socket |