Brazilian Terrier

American Rare Breed Association

FCI‑Standard N° 341 / 06.06.2007/ GB

BRAZILIAN TERRIER

(Terrier Brasileiro)

TRANSLATION : Ursula Santos, Prof. W. Brass, Prof. R. Triquet and Dr. J.‑ M. Paschoud.

ORIGIN : Brazil.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 21.05.2007.

UTILIZATION : Hunting dog for small game, guard dog and companion.

FCI‑CLASSIFICATION : Group 3 Terriers.  Section 1  Large and medium‑sized Terriers.  Without working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The ancestors of the Brazilian Terrier do not originate from Brazil.  In the last century and in the beginning of the present, many young Brazilians studied in the European universities, especially in France and England.  These young people often returned married and their wives brought with them a small Terrier type dog. The young Brazilians and their families went back to the farms they had left. The little dog adapted to farm life and crossed with local dogs and bitches.  Thus, a new model was shaped and the phenotype was fixed within a few generations.

With the development of big cities, the farmers, with their families and employees were attracted by the great urban centres.  In this way the little dog suffered another change in his surroundings.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Medium‑sized dog, slender, well balanced, with firm but not too heavy structure, body of square appearance with clean curved lines that distinguish him from the smooth Fox Terrier with square lines.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Restless, alert, active and keen; friendly and gentle to friends.

HEAD

Viewed from the top, the head is triangular in shape, broad at its base, with ears well apart, narrowing notably from the eyes to the nose tip.  Viewed in profile, the upper line rises slightly from the tip of the nose to the stop, sharply between the eyes and continues to the occipital bone with a slight convexity.

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : Rounded with moderately flat forehead.  Its side lines, seen from the top, converge to the eyes.  The distance from the external eye‑corner to the attachment of the ears is equal to the distance between the two external eye‑corners.  Mediofrontal groove well developed.

Stop : Pronounced.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Moderately developed, dark coloured with wide nostrils.

Muzzle : Viewed from the top, it describes an equilateral triangle from both external eye‑corners to the tip of the nose; strong and well chiselled under the eyes with a sloping root of muzzle, accentuating the stop.

Lips : Dry, tight, the upper lip just over the lower, covering the teeth, allowing to close the mouth completely.

Cheek : Dry, well developed.

Teeth : 42 teeth, regularly set and well developed, scissors bite.

Eyes : Set halfway from the occipital protuberance to the nose tip, well apart, the distance between the two external eye‑corners being equal to the distance from the external eye‑corner to the nose tip. Looking straight forward, moderately prominent, large with slightly accentuated eyebrows.  Roundish, well opened, alive, with a keen expression; as dark as possible.  The blue variety has bluish gray, the brown variety brown, green or blue eyes.

Ears : Set on laterally, in line with the eyes, well apart from each other and leaving good space for the skull.  Triangular shaped with pointed tips; carried half‑pricked, with the folded tip falling down and pointing to the external eye‑corner.  Ears are not cropped.

NECK : Of moderate length, well balanced in relation with the head, harmoniously set to head and trunk.  Clean, dry; upper line slightly curved.

BODY : Well balanced, not too heavy, square appearance with clean curved lines.

Withers : Well pronounced and harmoniously connected to the front legs.

Topline : Firm and straight, going slightly downwards from the withers to the croup.

Back : Relatively short and well muscled.

Loin : Short and firm, harmoniously connected to the croup.

Croup : Slightly sloping, low set tail.  Well developed and muscled.

Forechest : Not very pronounced, moderately broad, allowing free movement of the forelegs.

Chest : Long, deep, reaching to the level of the elbows.  Sternum long with well arched oval ribs; being horizontal, the sternum is moderately curved.

Underline and belly : Slightly curved, rising to the rear but no whippet‑like tuck up.

TAIL :  In the country of origin customarily docked but it can be naturally short or long; in the latter case, it does not reach below the hock.  Low set, short, docked at the joint between the second and the third caudal vertebra.

Natural tail : Short, not reaching to hocks, low set, of good strength, carried gaily, not curled over the back.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS : Viewed from the front straight, moderately apart, but in line with the hind legs, which are also straight, but more apart.

Shoulders : Long, bent in a 110° to 120 ° angle.

Upper arms : Approximately the same length as the shoulder‑blade.

Elbows : Set tightly to the body, at the same level as the chest underline.

Forerarms : Straight, thin and dry.

Carpal joints (Carpi, wrists) : Open angle.

Pasterns : Straight, thin.

Forefeet : Tight, neither turned in nor out; hare feet; the two median toes are longer.

HINDQUARTERS : Strongly muscled, well developed thighs, legs in proportion to the thighs.  High set hocks with obtuse angle.

Upper thighs : Well developed and muscled.

Stifles : Obtuse angulation.

Lower thighs : In proportion to the size of the upper thighs.

Hocks : High, obtuse angulation.

Metatarsi (Rear pasterns) : Straight.

Hind feet : Tight, longer than the forefeet.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Elegant, free, short and quick movement.

SKIN : Well applied, not loose.  Dry.

COAT

HAIR : Short‑haired, smooth, fine but not soft, laid close to the skin, in the type of rat's hair.  One cannot see the skin through it. Finer on the head, ears, under the neck, on inner and lower parts of forequarters and backside of the thighs.

COLOUR : Ground colour predominant white with black, brown or blue markings; the following typical and characteristic markings must always be present : tan markings above the eyes, on both sides of the muzzle and inside and on edge of ears.  These tan markings may extend to other body regions bordering markings.  The head must always present black, brown or blue markings in the frontal region and ears; there may be a white blaze and white marks preferably on the frontal groove and lateral parts of the muzzle, distributed as harmoniously as possible.

SIZE AND WEIGHT :

Height at the withers : males: from 35 to 40 cm - bitches from 33 to 38 cm

Weight : Maximum 10 kg.

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Lack in structure.

Legs not upright.

Long or atypical hair.

Faults in the typical characteristic markings.

Fully erect ear.

Too heavy or too loose shoulders.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS :

Viciousness or shyness.

Croup not slightly sloping.

Overshot or undershot bite.

Lack of harmony, atypical build.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.