MUZZLE Long and fine. See “Head” and “Skull” descriptions. NOSE Dark. It may be black or brown or in keeping with the col- or of the dog. A light or partially pigmented nose is a fault. “Blue” IGs are actually shades of grey and almost always have a blue/grey nose. As long as that nose is in keeping with the coat color or darker (occasionally a blue IG will have a black nose) it’s all right. TEETH Scissors bite. A badly undershot or overshot mouth is a fault. Undershot bites are extremely rare, but overshot is common. Depending on the degree, it’s preferable to judge the dog on its good qualities. EYES Dark, bright, intelligent, medium in size. Very light eyes are a fault. Much of this breed’s charm and charisma comes from the sweet, loving, intelligent expression. The eyes, both size and color, have a great deal to do with this. The “bug-eyed” look of the old toy type heads still appears occasionally. EARS Small, fine in texture, thrown back and folded except when alerted, then carried folded at right angles to the head. Erect or button ears severely penalized. Ears should never be erect, even on high alert. The most inept amateur handler should know how to get his/her dog to alert the ears properly. It should not be necessary for the judge to do this, but if you choose to do so, it’s best tomake an interesting sound at the dog’s eye level or above. This is to check if the ears respond properly, not to animate the dog. Alerting each dog once during the class is sufficient. NECK Long, slender and gracefully arched. “Ewe” necks with an inelegant bulge at the front of the throat are not desir- able. Although the standard calls for a long and slender neck, this doesn’t mean the longer and/or thinner the better. Everything should be in proper balance. BODY Of medium length, short-coupled, high at withers, back curved and drooping at hindquarters, the highest point of curve at start of loin, creating a definite tuck-up at flanks. This often gives new judges some trouble. “Me- dium length” is not “square.” This being a running dog that needs as much lung capacity as possible, the rib cage area is elongated whereas the loin is short. An IG with a short rib cage and long loin looks out of proportion. Fa- miliarity with the terms of canine anatomy is important, and the IG is no exception. Compared tomost breeds, the IG is “curvy,” but the topline should not be exaggerated to
the point of appearing roached. The curves should be smooth, gentle, and flowing. Remember that the standard states “high at withers.” An IG that is down at the shoulder and high in the rear is definitely incorrect. SHOULDERS Long and sloping. Although the shoulders should not be up- right, shoulder layback of the IG is not as extreme as that of many other breeds. Correct layback is part of the necessary elements that enable the breed’s unique gait. (See “Action.”) CHEST Deep and narrow. To the elbow, with some rib spring and not so narrow that both front legs appear to be coming from the same hole. FORELEGS Long, straight, set well under the shoulder; strong pas- terns, fine bone. The front legs should be set well under the dog, never at the corners like the legs of a card table. The pasterns are shock absorbers and, although strong, should have some give to them; so they should not be completely upright.
50 • T op N otch T oys , N ovember /D ecember 2020
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