meet the... Moscow Toy Terrier

Head

• General Appearance: Mesaticephalic, skull-type, moderate in size, wedge-shaped, and in proportion to the rest of the body. The head is lean, light, and clean-cut without excess skin or wrinkles. The topskull is only somewhat broad, fairly high, and rounded when viewed from the front or in profile. The occiput is smooth, and the cheekbones are never pronounced.
• Expression: Lively, alert, cheery, friendly, clever, and curious.
• Stop: The stop is definite and pronounced.
• Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is 2:3 to 4:5, with the topskull being just longer than the muzzle.
  The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is slightly convergent.
• Muzzle: The muzzle is overall lean, yet full and tapering towards the nose from a broad base to form a strong wedge. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight and level. It appears to be pointing towards the end. The upper and lower jaws are well developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never appearing snipey or weak.
• Lips or Flews: The lips are well pigmented, clean, and fit tightly over the teeth and jaws. They should never extend beyond the lower plane of the bottom jawline
• Nose: The nose is well-pigmented, black, or self-colored, according to the coat. The nostrils are well opened. The nose may protrude just slightly beyond the vertical line of the end of the muzzle.
• Cheeks: The cheeks are smoothly muscled, never appearing chiseled or coarse.
• Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth. The bite may be level or scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors.
• Eyes: Somewhat moderate to large in size, fairly round to opened-oval in shape, and preferably dark in color. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
• Ears: Fairly large in size. Set fairly high on the skull. Triangle in shape, specifically the shape of an isosceles triangle. Smooth-coated ears are oriented more upwards, while the longer coat’s ear tassels and fringe pull them slightly outward. They are firmly erect. They are never small or broken.

Body and Tail

• General Description: Lithe, refined, and of good substance. The body is never heavy and cloddy. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
• Neck: Moderately long length allows for a proud head carriage. It is strongly muscled with a good arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
• Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well developed without being excessively pronounced.
• Topline: Straight and level, or gently sloped from withers to back, gradually sloping from the lumbar/loin region to the croup. The back is broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut and gently and gracefully arched, yet supportive. The back is never elongated, swayed, or roached.
• Croup: Sufficiently long and gently and elegantly sloped.
• Underline: A moderate tuck-up is present. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
• Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
• Tail: Set moderately high on the croup. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, usually approximately level with, or just below or above, the level of the topline, never tucked or carried up over the back. The tail may be left natural (preferred) or docked short. Natural tails are of a moderately long length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be sabered or sickled. Docked tails are cut to where two to four tail vertebrae remain.

Forequarters and Hindquarters

• Forequarters: The forequarters are always balanced with the hindquarters and well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. The shoulder blades are long and approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
• Elbows: The elbows are close to the body. The distance from the ground to the elbows is slightly greater than the distance from the elbows to the withers.
• Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, somewhat refined, yet sturdy bone, and parallel to one another.
  Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
• Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
• Hindquarters: The upper and lower thighs are long, equal in length, strong, somewhat refined yet sturdy bone, and well-muscled.
  Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
  Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
• Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
• Stifle Joint: The angulation of the hindquarters is always in balance with the angulation of the forequarters.
• Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.

Coat

• Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
• Coat Type: The Moscow Toy Terrier breed comes in two coat varieties: the smooth coat and the long coat.
  
  Smooth-coat variety: The coat is short, smooth, and close to the body throughout. The texture is soft, glossy, and without undercoat. No fringe or feather is permissible.
  
  Long-coat variety: The coat is short on the face, forehead, and front of the forelimbs and hindlimbs. The coat is longer on the neck, rear of the forelimbs and hindlimbs, feet, and tail, forming well-developed fringe and furnishings. The ears, in particular, are furnished with thick, long hair, forming abundant fringing. The coat may be straight or slightly wavy.
• Coat Color or Pattern: Black, liver, blue, or Isabella (lilac) with tan points; Red with black, blue, liver, or Isabella overlay; red, tan, or cream; and black, liver, blue, or Isabella (lilac) fawn.

Movement

Smooth, flowing gait with graceful movements that are energetic, effortless, and efficient, the characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the center line of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.

Temperament

A true aristocrat in a small body, the Moscow Toy Terrier breed has it all. They are lively, affectionate, and engaging. Unlike many smaller dogs in their size range, they are neither timid nor aggressive but resilient and happy to accompany their people anywhere. To those who know them, they are loyal, intelligent, and adaptable. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.

Faults

All dogs should be in proper, healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.