rianova Kennel

 

GENERAL APPEARANCE AND PERSONALITY

The Japanese Terrier is not only a highly intelligent little dog, but also mischievous and full of Terrier temperament, most affectionate, lively, playful, smart and clean. He has a personality and character all his own. Here is a toy dog who fairly radiates personality; to know him is to love him for his great sensitivity. He asks for so little and gives so much in return. He has a good sense of humour and will enter into games with enjoyment, understanding and delight. He is affectionate and loyal to his owner. He is a one-man-dog, whose devotion flatters his owner. He only lives to please his master. A keen, alert house-dog and determined guard, even when apparently sound asleep, he will hear the slightest noise and give warning of the approach of any stranger. He is not jealous of children and knows how to play. He is very easy to train and can be taught all sorts of tricks. As a sporting terrier, he has great ability and inborn instincts. He has an excellent sense of smell and good eye-sight. Never quarrelsome, he gets on well with other dogs, especially of his own breed. The Japanese Terrier is a sound dog, well-knit in frame. He should differ very little from the ]English Toy Terrier, his ancestor, except in colour, ear carriage, tail, etc. The chief features are an exceptionally proportional long head, level and clean, flat skull free from even the suspicion of cheekiness or lippiness, with small almond-shaped dark eyes, full of fire, set pretty close together in a slightly oblique position. The length of the head is set by the length of the muzzle in proportion to the length of the skull: they should be of the same length. The muzzle must be strong and the mouth neither over nor under-shot; the teeth are pure white and in a perfect scissors-bite. Any great amount of "stop" is not desirable. Ears should be small and hanging close to the head above the eyes in a "V" shape and although rose-ear carriage is also permitted, the former are more recommended for breeding purposes. This wedge-shaped head gives him a smart, sharp, alert and clever expression, which is most desirable in this breed. Unlike his ancestral big brother, the smooth fox terrier, the Japanese Terrier sports a slightly long body, ribs well-sprung and an even, level back, slightly decreasing into the loins, where a medium-low set root of tail starts, docked during puppy-hood (approximately in the fifth joint) and carried high, "pointing at the sky", as the Japanese describe it. The neck should be fairly long, like a swan neck and tapering from the shoulders to the head and slightly arched at the crest, free from throatiness. In proportion, the dog should be well-balanced, with substance and bone, neither too long nor too low on the leg, but showing the symmetry and harmony of the perfect, little, clever, sporting toy terrier. The forelegs should be straight and the feet more cat-like than hare-foot. it is in the forelegs where so many Japanese Terriers fail, out at elbows being a common defect even among the best dogs. The hind legs should be well bent at stifles and hocks well let-down, neither turning in nor out when viewed from the rear. He is a trim, close-coated dog, with around 2 millimetres of hair, whose texture feels like pure silk. It is said in Japan that: Wool is for the English smooth fox terrier Cotton is for the American toy fox terrier And silk is for the Japanese Terrier. In colour, he should have a mainly white body and legs, with a perfect black-and-tan mask in the head markings. This gives him that elegant and graceful "allure" of a smart little terrier. It is difficult to achieve those exact marks, as colours and markings are considered very important in the breed. He should not be taller than 30 cm at the withers and his weight not excelling 4 kg's. The smaller he is, the more cherished. It is said that they have the courage of the Fox Terrier and the joy of the American toy Terrier. The ideal forward movement is akin to the "extended trot", with easy precision combined with drive, indicating true soundness. The Japanese Terrier should not be cloddy nor coarse in any way; he should look like an Imari porcelain, giving the impression of a Meiji poem.

 

 

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