Head:
Shape: A slightly rounded wedge without flat planes, medium in
length. Not full cheeked. Profile showing a gentle contour with slight
rise from the bridge of the nose to the forehead. Entire length of nose
even in width when viewed from the front. Muzzle: Neither short
nor pointed. Allowance to be made for jowls in adult males. Ears: Medium,
alert and moderately pointed, continuing the planes of the head. Ample
width between ears. Hair on ears short and close lying. Inner ear a
delicate, almost transparent, shell pink. May be tufted. Eyes: Large
and alert, almond shaped with a slight slant toward the ears. Skull
aperture neither round nor Oriental. Eye color is light green
"Gooseberry green". Amber cast is acceptable only in young
adults up to 1 ½ years of age.
Body and Tail:
Shape/Size: Medium long and graceful, showing well developed
muscular strength. General balance is more to be desired than size
alone. Allowance to be made for muscular necks and shoulders in adult
males. Legs/Feet: In proportion to body. Hind legs slightly
longer than front legs, giving the appearance of being on tip-toe when
standing upright. Feet small and dainty, almost round in shape. Toes,
five in front and four behind. Tail: Medium long, thick at base,
with slight taper.
Coat:
Texture: Silky and fine but dense and resilient to the touch with
a lustrous sheen. Length: Medium but long enough to accommodate
two or more bands of ticking, separated by lighter bands.
Accepted Colors:
Accepted colors – Silver, Bronze and Smoke.
Silver: Pale silver ground color across the head,
shoulder, outer legs, back and tail. Underside fades to a brilliant pale
silver. All markings charcoal color, showing good contrast against
lighter ground colors. Back of ears grayish-pink and tipped in black.
Nose, lips and eyes outlined in black. Upper throat area, chin and
around nostrils pale clear silver, appearing white. Nose leather, brick
red; paw pads, black with black between the toes and extending beyond
the paws of the hind legs.
Bronze: Light bronze ground color across head, shoulders,
outer legs, back and tail, being darkest on the saddle and lightening to
a tawny-buff on the sides. Underside fades to a creamy ivory. All
markings dark brown, showing good contrast against the lighter ground
color. Back of ears tawny-pink and tipped in dark brown. Nose, lips and
eyes outlined in dark brown, with bridge of nose ocher. Upper throat
area, chin and around nostrils pale creamy white. Nose leather, brick
red; paw pads black or dark brown with the same color between toes and
extending beyond the paws of the hind legs.
Smoke: Charcoal gray color with silver undercoat across
head, shoulders, legs, tail and underside. All markings jet black, with
sufficient contrast against ground color for pattern to be plainly
visible. Nose, lips and eyes outlined in jet black. Upper throat area,
chin and around nostrils lightest in color. Nose leather, black; paw
pads, black with black between the toes and extending beyond the paws of
the hind legs.
Pattern:
Good contrast between pale ground color and deeper markings. Forehead
barred with characteristic "M" and frown marks, forming lines
between the ears which continue down the back of the neck, ideally
breaking into elongated spots, along the spine. As the lines reach the
rear haunches they meld together to form a dorsal stripe which continues
along the top of the tail to its tip. The tail is heavily banded and has
a dark tip. The cheeks are barred with "mascara" lines, the
first starts at the outer corner of the eye and continues along the
contour of the cheek, with a second line, which starts at the center of
the cheek and curves upwards, almost meeting below the base of the ear.
On the upper chest there are one or more broken necklaces. The shoulder
markings are a transition between stripes and spots. The upper front
legs are heavily barred but do not necessarily match. Markings on torso
are to be randomly spotted with variance in size and shape. Spotting
pattern on each side of the torso need not match. Haunches and upper
hind legs to be transition of spots and stripes, breaking into bars on
the lower leg. Underside of body to have "vest button" spots;
dark in color against the corresponding pale ground color.