Angulation
-
The angles formed by a meeting of the bones;
mainly the shoulder, upper arm, stifle and
hock.
Back - The
vertebrae between the withers and the loin.
Balance -
The
pleasing, harmonious, and well-proportioned
blend of an animal's parts and features. A
symmetrical appearance.
Coupling
- The
part of the body between the ribs and the
pelvis; the loin.
Coarse - Too
heavy or overdone with bone, lack of
refinement; lacking in quality.
Crossing
over - Unsound
gait which starts with twisting elbows and
ends with crisscrossing and toeing out. Also
called "knitting and purling" and
"weaving".
Croup - The
muscular area just in front of and around
the set-on of the tail. Rump.
Drive - A
solid thrusting of the hindquarters,
denoting sound locomotion.
East-West
front - Incorrectly
positioned pasterns that cause the feet to
turn outwards.
Even bite
- Meeting
of front teeth at edges with no overlap of
upper or lower teeth.
Ewe neck
- The
topline of the neck is concave rather than
convex.
Foreface
- That
portion of the head from the stop forward.
Muzzle.
Hock - The
joint of the hind leg between the lower
thigh and the rear pastern. The dogs true
heel.
Layback -
The
angle of the shoulder blade as compared with
the vertical.
Loaded
shoulders - Shoulder
blades shoved out from the body by overdevelopment
of the muscles.
Loin - The
lumbar area extending from the end of the
ribcage to the start of the pelvis.
Moving
straight - Balanced
gait in which angle of inclination begins at
the shoulder, or hip joint, and limbs remain
relatively straight from these points to the
pads of the feet, even as the legs flex or
extend in reaching or thrusting.
Muzzle - The
head in front of the eyes. Foreface.
Overshot
bite - A
bite in which the upper incisors (front
teeth) protrude over the lower.
Pastern -
Region
of the foreleg between the carpus (wrist)
and the digits.
Reach (of
front) - Length
of forward stride by forelegs without wasted
or excessive motion.
Roach
back - A
convex curvature of the back toward the
loin.
Scissors
bite - A
bite in which the outer side of the lower
incisors touch the inner side of the upper incisors.
Single
tracking - All
footprints falling on a single line of
travel; incorrect in the Pomeranian.
Snipy - A
pointed, weak muzzle.
Stifle - The
joint of the hind leg where the upper and
lower thighs meet. The dog's knee.
Stop - The
setup up from muzzle to skull; indentation
between the eyes where the nasal bone and
skull meet.
Straight
or steep shoulders - A
more upright placement of shoulder blades
than is preferred; as opposed to sloping or
"well laid back".
Swayback
- Back
line that sags or is concave between the
withers and the hipbones.
Topline -
The
dog's outline from just behind the withers
to the tail set.
Undershot
bite - A
bite in which the lower incisors (front
teeth) protrude over the upper.