The Apso should give the appearance of a well-balanced, solid dog.  Gay and assertive, but chary of strangers.  Free and jaunty in movement.

HEAD AND SKULL:

Heavy head furnishings with good fall over the eyes, good whiskers and beard.   Skull moderately narrow, falling away behind the eyes in a marked degree: not quite flat, but not domed or apple-shaped.  Straight foreface with medium stop.  Nose black.  Muzzle about 11/2 inches long, but not square; the length from the tip of nose to be roughly 1/3 the total length from nose to back of skull.

EYES:

Dark, medium sized eyes to be frontally placed, not large or full, or small and sunk.  No white showing at base or top of eye.

EARS:

Pendant, heavily feathered.  Dark tips an asset.

MOUTH:

Upper incisors should close just inside the lower, ie. a reverse scissor bite.   Incisors should be nearly in a straight line.  Full dentition is desirable.

NECK:

Strong, well covered with a dense mane which is more pronounced in dogs than in bitches.

FOREQUARTERS:

Shoulders should be well laid back.  Forelegs straight, heavily furnished with hair.

BODY:

The length from point of shoulders to point of buttocks greater than height at withers. Well ribbed up.  Level topline.  Strong loin.  Well balanced and compact.

HINDQUARTERS:

Well developed with good muscle.  Good angulation.  Heavily furnished.  The hocks when viewed from behind should be parallel and not too close together.

FEET:

Round and cat-like, with good pads.  Well feathered.

TAIL:

High set, carried well over back but not like a pot-hook.  There is oftern a kink at the end, well feathered.

COAT:

Top coat heavy, straight and hard, not woolly or silky , of good length.   Dense undercoat.

COLOURS:

Golden, sandy, honey, dark grizzle, slate or smoke, parti-colour, black, white or brown.

SIZE:

Ideal height: 25.4 cm ( 10 inches) at shoulder for dogs; bitches slightly smaller.

NOTE:

Male animals should have 2 apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

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