Judging the SILKY TERRIER by diane nachman
Important Breed CharaCterIstICs T Terrier temperament is very impor- tant to the Silky Terrier. If the dog is nervous or fearful, it does not have the correct temperament. You want a dog that says, ‘Look at me. Here I am.’ The color of the Silky Terrier is blue and tan. The blue may range from light to dark blue, but must be a blue; the tan should be deep and rich. You do not want a dog that is too light or one that is too dark. Silky Terriers are born black and tan. The darker the tan in the dog, the longer it will take for the coat to break color. Also, the slower maturing dog generally holds its color better than one who breaks color at a very young age. Gold in the coat is not a desirable trait. The topknot should be silver or fawn, which is lighter than the tan points. The Silky Terrier should be a three-color dog. Sometimes when the dog is very young, the tan is very light. You can check at the root to see if the deeper tan is coming in from under- neath. If that is true, then the tan will be fine as the dog gets older. he Silky Terrier is a true Ter- rier that was originally bred to hunt and kill domestic rodents in Australia. Unfortunately, the breed is losing the lighter topknot. Too many of the Silky Terriers in the ring do not have a differ- ence between the color of the topknot and the tan on the face and ears. If the dog is very dark, you can look through the coat to see if the dog is breaking color. A silver blue coat must be dark at the roots, which is easily seen when the coat is parted on the back. A silver coat without dark roots is not silver blue and is an unacceptable color. The topline should be level and the tail should be set high and carried between twelve o’clock to two o’clock. The standard calls for a dog that is docked; however,
today are of the correct height and length; however, you will see some that are too small or too large. This is not desirable. Is the standard adequate? I believe that the current standard for Silky Terriers is, over all, a good standard. The original standard had a weight range of 8 to 10 pounds. There was some discussion about putting in a disqualification on weight because
on occasion, you will see some dogs that do not have a docked tail. This is called a natural tail. This is a fault, and it should be penalized to the extent of the deviation. Consider also, this is man-made; it is not structural. Too many dogs in the ring do not have a level topline. You will see some with dips in the shoulder area and some with roached backs. You can feel the topline on the table to see if it feels like it looks, but you should judge the topline while the dog is moving. You cannot hide
“unfortunately, the breed is LOSING THE LIGHTER TOPKNOT. too many of the silky terriers in the ring do not have a difference between the color of the topknot and the tan on the face and ears.”
so many Silky Terriers were over 10 pounds, but when the standard was restructured, the weight range was dropped. If it had not been, too many outstanding dogs of the breed would not have been able to be shown. Also, the original standard was a little confus- ing as to topline. It stated that the back line is straight, with a just perceptible rounding over the loins. A lot of people felt that this meant that the dog should be roached. The current standard says that the topline is level. This allevi- ates the confusion. Recently, a petition
the topline on the floor. Also, there are a number of Silky Terriers in the ring with too low tailsets or over-gay tails. The coat, of course, should be silky and straight. Texture is very important in the breed. You do not want a coat that is wooly or cottony. sIze BeIng shown The standard says that the Silky Terrier is 9" to 10" at the shoulder and that the body is about one-fifth longer than the dog’s height at the withers. Most of the Silky Terriers in the ring
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