“ManchesteRs use theiR eaRs as a MaJoR indicatoR of theiR Mood; theRefoRe, we cannot expect to always see the tRue eaRs shape and caRRiage on the table.”
With the shoulders well laid back, ideal angulation of these bones would put the elbow directly under the withers. When the humerus is shorter than the scapula—a condition that is present in many breeds today—the front stride is shortened and the swing of the upper arm is restricted resulting in shorter steps. Likewise, in the rear, inadequate angulation (bend of stifle) would pre- vent the strong driving power needed to match the front reach. During movement, the judge will also look for head carriage that is up and out, the slight rise over the loin must be evident and the tail should be carried in a slight upward curve, but never over the back. So before the dog even gets on the table, all of the above should have been noted. Some judges prefer to place the dog on the table first thing. I feel it is much better to let the dog loosen up a bit before the table examination. A true outline of the dog is not always appar- ent on the table. I never judge toplines on the table. Exactly what breed features are the judge’s eyes and hands searching for during the table examination? As the dog is set up on the table, the judge should be a distance away taking a profile look. He/she will be looking for a slightly longer than tall silhou- ette. The judge will also check to see if the distance from withers to elbow and elbow to ground is equal. The table view of these points is more accurate at an outdoor show, as grass length can obscure the true proportions. From this profile view, the judge can determine whether or not the Toy or Standard is within the size range called for in the standard. If any entry appears to be oversized, the judge will call for a scale and weigh the exhibit. If the Toy is over 12 lbs., the judge will excuse the exhibit and mark it weighed out/excused. This is not a disqualifica- tion for the “oversized Toy” could be entered as a Standard in the future. If the Standard weighs over 22 lbs.,
the judge will mark his/her book dis- qualified—weighed out. Next the judge will approach the dog from the front and check to see that the front is not too wide and that the shoulders appear well laid back. A convex or bulging line, seen from the front would indicate loaded shoulders. The dog’s chest should be well coated. Judges should fault a thin or sparse coat on the chest. From this view check to see that bone is adequate, being nei- ther too coarse nor too fine. Remember, this breed should appear elegant while being sturdy. Straight front legs with upright pasterns and a tight cat foot, with the two middle toes being longer, can be checked next. Examination of the head comes next. The judge should approach the head with an outstretched hand, palm up, offering a gentle, non-menacing ges- ture. From a frontal view, the judge is looking for dark almond shaped eyes, a flat skull that is not too wide, and a well filled muzzle with strong underjaw, giving a blunted wedge appearance to the head. The bite is checked next and, as the standard states, either a level or scis- sor bite is correct. Although our stan- dard calls for full dentition, I would advise all judges NOT to pry open the jaw and count teeth, as you would for a Doberman. A simple raising of the lips to check the bite and to check for pre- molars will suffice. I do not penalize a missing pre-molar or two, but I do think that any missing incisors are a much more serious fault. The full front group- ing of teeth are an integral part of the grabbing and holding of vermin, which is the breed’s primary function. Manchesters use their ears as a major indicator of their mood; there- fore, we cannot expect to always see the true ears shape and carriage on the table. Of course, the judge will note that the Toy’s ears must be natu- rally erect and set well up on the head. Any other ear on the Toy disqualifies. The Standards ears are naturally erect,
button, or cropped, with no preference among them. The last check point for the head should be done from the side. Equal length of skull and muzzle with a slight stop and parallel lines of both should be found. The judge should now move to the side and run a hand down over the neck, checking for a nice arch that blends smoothly into well laid back shoulders. Any abrupt angle here would indicate a steep shoulder angle, which could adversely affect the appearance of neck length and, of course, will cer- tainly affect the front movement, as mentioned. The coat should be short, dense, glossy, but not soft. We check to see that the forelegs are well under the brisket. Next, the length of the shoul- der blade and the upper arm should be measured. These two bones should be equal in length. Next, both hands should be gently smoothed over the ribs, checking to find a good spring of ribs that flatten in the lower end. At this point, elbows should be checked for tightness to the chest. The ribs should extend well back. A well arched tuck up should be evident starting at the deep brisket. Although the breed should be slightly longer Manchester terriers Disqualifications
Toy Variety s #ROPPED OR CUT EARS
Standard Variety s 7EIGHT OVER LBS
Both Varieties s 7HITE ON ANY PART OF THE COAT whenever the white shall form a patch or stripe measuring as much as one half inch at its longest dimension.
s !NY COLOR OTHER THAN black & tan.
5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 4 &15&.#&3 t
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