Pet Care
Your dog and.....A-Z Glossary
Angulation - The angle at which the bones meet at the joint.
B..........
Blenheim - Chesnut and white.
Blue Merle - Marbled blue and grey mixed with black.
Brachycephalic head - A short, flattened head rather than a broad head.
Breed standard - Description of breed against which dogs are judged at shows.
Brindle - A mixture of black hairs with lighter gold, brown, red or grey hairs.
Brisket - The part of the body below the chest and between the forelegs.
Broken coat - A wire hair coat.
Button ear - An ear where the flap folds forward and the tip is close to skull.
C..........
Canine tooth - The two upper and lower long pointed teeth.
Carpals - The wrist bones.
Cat feet - Round, short, compact feet, similar to those of a cat.
Cobby - Compact, short body.
Corded coat - Coat that has separate, rope-like twists of hair.
Corkscrew tail - A twisted tail.
Cropping - Amputation of the ears to enable the remaining part to stand erect.
Cross breed - A dog with parents of two different breeds.
Croup - The part of the back above the hips extending to the root of the tail.
Cryptorchid dog - A dog whose testicles have not descended to the scrotum.
D..........
Dew claw - The fifth digit on the inside of the leg.
Dewlap - The loose skin under the throat.
Dish face - A type of face with an upwards slanting or concave, nasal face.
Docking - Amputation of the tail.
Double coat - Consists of waterproof undercoat and and weather resistant topcoat.
Drop ear - A folded, drooping ear.
E..........
Ectropion - A condition in which the lower eyelid hangs loosely, exposing the inner lining.
Eye teeth - The upper canine teeth.
F..........
Feathering - The long fringes of hair on the ears, legs, tails or body.
Femur - The thigh bone that lies between the hip and knee.
Flank - The sides of the body between the last rib and the hip.
Flews - Pendulous upper lips
G..........
GAIT - The pattern of stride GUARD HAIRS - The thick, long, heavy hair that makes up the topcoat H.......... HACKLES - The hair on the back and the neck that can be raised involuntarily HARLEQUIN - Patched colours of black or blue on white HAUNCH - The region directly above the hips HAW - The inner lining of the lower eyelid HEAT - The female dog's oestrus period HOCK - The tarsal bones forming the joint between the knee and the toes HORMONES - The chemical substances produced by the endocrine glands that circulate in the blood HUMERUS - The bone of the upper arm I.......... ILIUM - The part of the pelvis, into the cavity of which the head of the femur sits IN-BREEDING - Mating of closely related dogs ISCHIUM - The hind portion of the floor of the pelvis L.......... LINE-BREEDING - Mating of related dogs within a family or to a common ancestor LIVER - A brown or chocolate coat colour LOINS - The anterior thigh muscles M.......... MANDIBLE - The lower jaw bone MAXILLA - The upper jaw bone MERLE - Blue-Grey colour with flecks of black MERLE EYE - Flecked blue or brown eye witha black iris METATARSALS - The bones between the hock and the foot MONORCHID - A dog with only one testicle descended into the scrotum MOULT - The sheeding of the coat MUZZLE - The head in fron of the eyes O.......... OCCIPUT - The highest, upper-back point of the skull OESTRUS - The period during which a female ovulates and mates OVERSHOT JAW - A jaw where the upper teeth overlap and don't touch the teeth of the lower jaw P.......... PADS - The thick cushions between the toes and on the soles of the feet PARTI-COLOUR - two colours that are in variegated patches PASTERN - The region between the wrist and the toes PATELLA - The kneecap PEDIGREE - A record of a dog's ancestory PRE-MOLAR TEETH - The teeth situated between the canine and the molar teeth PRICK EAR - A pointed, erect ear PURE-BRED DOG - A dog whose parents both belong to the same breed R.......... RADIUS - The second bone of the foreleg lying parallel to the ulna ROSE EAR - A small, drop ear folding over and back S.......... SABLE - Black-tipped hairs on a background of gold, silver, grey or tan SABRE TAIL - Tail carried in a curve SACRUM - A mass of fused vertebrae situated between the lumbar vertebrae and the bones of the tail SCAPULA - The shoulder blade SCENT HOUND - A hound that hunts by ground scent SEASON - A bitch's heat or oestrus period SEMI-PRICK EARS - Erect ears, with tips breaking forwards SEPTUM - The division between the nostrils SICKLE TAIL - Tail carried out and up in a semicircle SIGHT HOUND - A dog that hunts by sight, rather than scent STIFLE - The joint between the thigh and secon thigh STOP - The depression before the eyes between the skull and the muzzle T.......... TAIL SET - The position of the tail THICK SET - Solid and broad THIGH - The region from th hip to the stifle TOPCOAT - Heavy, primary or guard hair TOPKNOT - The long, fluffy hair on the crown of the head TRICOLOUR - Three colours - black, white and tan TUCKED-UP - The line of the abdomen is drawn up at the loins U.......... ULNA - The larger of the lower-foreleg bones, the point of which is the elbow UNDERCOAT - The dense, soft, short hair closest to the skin UNDERSHOT JAW - Jaw in which the lower-front teeth stick out beyond the upper front teeth W.......... WELL-DROPPED THIGHS - Back thigh muscles in good proportion to the front thigh muscles WHEATEN - Pale yellow or fawn colour WITHERS - The highest point on the body just behaind the neck WRINKLES - The loose folds of skin around the skull