ACTION The way a dog moves
ANAL SAC Paired glands on either side of the anus
that produce material, deposited on passed faeces,
that identifies the depositor to other dogs
BASSET Any low-set, smooth-haired breed of scent
hound with short, strong legs and long, pendulous
ears. Also known as a basset hound
BAT EAR An erect ear, broad at the base, and
rounded at the top
BLENHEIM Chestnut-and-white coat colour
BLUE MERLE Marbled blue-and-grey coat colour
mixed with black
BLUETICK A speckled coat colour of a mixture
of black hairs on a white background
BRACHYCEPHALIC HEAD A short, flattened, and
rather broad head
BREED A grouping of pure-bred dogs that are
to a great extent uniform in size and appearance
BREED STANDARDS Description of breeds 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 Wire-haired coat
BULLDOG Any breed of dog originally bred for
bull baiting, having a sturdy, thickset physique with
a broad head, muscular body, and undershot jaw.
BUTTON EAR An ear in which the flap folds
forwards, with the tip close to the skull
CANIDAE The family of carnivores to which dogs,
wolves, foxes, and jackals belong
CANINE TEETH The two upper and lower long teeth
lateral to the incisors
CARNASSIAL TEETH The first lower-molar and the
last upper-premolar teeth, enlarged and modified
for slicing flesh
CARPALS The wrist bones
CAT FEET Short, round, compact feet resembling
those of a cat
CEREBRAL CORTEX Region of the brain responsible
for hosting complex functions, such as thought
and memory
COBBY Short, compact body
COCHLEA Spiral tube forming part of the inner ear
COCKERPOO A cross between a Miniature Poodle
and a Cocker Spaniel
COLLIE A silky-coated, often long-haired dog bred
for herding sheep and cattle
COONHOUND A hound bred to track and tree
raccoon or opossum for hunters
CORDED COAT Coat consisting of separate,
rope-like twists of hair formed from intertwined
topcoat and undercoat
CORKSCREW TAIL A twisted tail
CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; a life-saving
technique involving heart massage to stimulate
circulation and artificial respiration to supply air
to the lungs
CROPPING The amputation of the ears to enable
the remaining part to stand erect. Illegal in the EU
CROSSBREED The progeny of parents of two
different breeds
CROUP The part of the back above the hips
extending to the root of the tail
CULOTTE Long hair on thighs
DANDER Flakes of skin that are shed naturally
when skin renews itself
DEWCLAW The fifth digit (thumb) on the inside
of the leg. Sometimes double dewclaws are present
DEWLAP The loose, pendulous skin under the throat
DIAPHRAGM Thin sheet of muscle separating the
chest cavity from the abdomen
DISH-FACE A type of face with an upwards slanting,
or concave, nasal bone
DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid; a complex molecule
in cell nuclei that is the basic structure of genes
DOCKING Amputating the tail. Illegal in most
regions of the EU
DOUBLE COAT Warm, waterproof undercoat and
weather-resistant topcoat
DROP EAR A folded, drooping ear
DWARF A short-legged dog, originally bred for
reduced running speed
DWARFISM A naturally occurring genetic mutation,
perpetuated through selective breeding, in which
long limb bones shorten and joints thicken
DYSPLASIA, HIP An abnormal development
of hip joint tissue, usually leading to arthritis.
In part a hereditary condition
ECTROPION A condition in which the lower eyelid
hangs loosely, exposing the inner lining, or haw
ELIMINATION The act of urinating or defecating
ENTROPION A condition in which the eyelids turn
in, causing the lashes to contact the eye
EPIDIDYMIS A sperm-carrying tube situated at
the back of the testis
EPIGLOTTIS A flap of cartilage at the back of the
tongue which closes after swallowing to cover the
larynx and thus prevent food from entering the lungs
EYE TEETH The upper canines
FEATHERING The long fringe of hair on the
ears, legs, tail, or body
FEMUR The thigh bone that lies between the hip
and the knee
FIBULA The outer, thinner of the two bones in the
leg, between the stifle and the hock
FLANK The sides of the body between the last rib
and the hip
FLEWS Pendulous upper lips
FLUSHING The act of driving game from cover,
forcing it to take flight
FLYBALL A sport in which teams of dogs race
against each other, stopping to press spring-loaded
pads that release tennis balls, before running back
to their handlers while carrying the balls
FREE RADICALS Atoms or molecules in the body
that destroy cell membranes
FRONTAL BONE The skull bone over the eye
FRONTAL SINUS An air-filled cavity in the forehead,
connecting to the nose
GAIT The pattern of leg movements, such as
walking, trotting, or running, by which a dog
moves forward, often specified in breed standards
GASTROINTESTINAL Of, or relating to, the stomach
and intestines
GENETIC Concerned with hereditary factors (genes)
GREYHOUND A tall, slender dog of an ancient
breed, capable of great speed, which hunts by sight
GRIFFON A type of wire-haired scent hound
GUARD HAIRS The long, thick, heavy hair that
creates the topcoat
GUNDOG Any breed of dog bred and trained
to work with a hunter or shooting party, especially
at pointing, flushing, or retrieving
HACKLES The hair on the back and the neck that
can be raised involuntarily
HARE FOOT A long, narrow foot, with middle toes
longer than the outer toes, and not too arched
HARLEQUIN Patched colours of black or blue
on a white coat
HAUNCH The region that is directly above the hips
HEAD HALTER An arrangement of canvas or
webbing straps that fits onto a dog’s head, with
a lead attached, used to discourage a dog from
pulling. When the dog pulls forward, the momentum
pulls his head down and shuts the jaws
HEAT The female dog’s oestrus period
HEELER A dog that herds cattle by biting or nipping
at their heels
HEIGHT The distance from the top of the withers
to the ground
HOCK The leg region, formed by the tarsal bones,
between the knee and the toes
HORMONES The chemical substances that circulate
in the blood, produced by endocrine glands
HOUND Any breed of dog used for hunting
HOUSELINE A long, light leash that can be used
around the house to keep control of a dog
HUMERUS The bone of the upper arm
ILIUM The part of the pelvis into the cavity
of which the head of the femur fits
IN-BREEDING Mating of closely related dogs
ISCHIUM The hind portion of the floor of the pelvis
LABRADOODLE A cross between a Labrador
Retriever and a Standard Poodle
LACRIMAL GLAND A gland that secretes tears. It is
found in the upper, outer part of each eye socket
LAUFHUND Any breed of Swiss walking dog,
developed to accompany hunters on foot
LEARNING CENTRE Part of the brain that
has the capacity to develop consistent responses
to situations and stimuli
LENTICULAR SCLEROSIS An eye condition
in elderly dogs in which the lenses go cloudy,
impairing vision
LIVER A coat colour of brown, bronze, or reddish
brown shades – also called chocolate or brown
LOINS The front thigh muscles
MANDIBLE The lower-jaw bone
MASTIFF Any of a group of large, powerful,
short-haired dogs related to an ancient breed
originally bred for guarding, fighting, and herding.
Also known as Molossoid
MAXILLA The upper-jaw bone
MERLE EYE Flecked brown or blue eye, with
black iris
METATARSALS The bones between the hock and
the foot
MINIATURIZATION A natural genetic mutation,
perpetuated by selective breeding, in which all
parts of the skeleton are equally reduced in size
MOULT The shedding of the coat
MUTT see random-bred dog
MUZZLE The foreface – the head in front
of the eyes
NEUTERING Removing the sex hormone-producing
apparatus from the male or female. In males, the
testicles are removed. In females, the ovaries and
uterus are removed
NIEDERLAUFHUND Any of the short-legged breeds
of Swiss walking dogs, developed to accompany
hunters on foot in mountainous terrain
OESOPHAGUS The tube in the body which takes
food from the pharynx (throat) to the stomach
OESTRUS The period during which a female
ovulates and mates willingly
OVERSHOT JAW A jaw in which the front teeth
overlap and do not touch the teeth of the lower jaw
PADS The thickened cushion beneath the toes and
on the soles of the feet
PARIAH DOG Another name for a street dog
PARTI-COLOUR Two colours in variegated patches
PASTERN The region between the hock, or
wrist, and the toes
PATELLA The kneecap
PEDIGREE A record of a dog’s ancestry
PINNA The ear flap
PINSCHER German for “terrier” or “biter”
POINTER One of many breeds of dog used in
hunting, which points to indicate the position
of game to the hunter
POINTING Freezing on sight of game and pointing
in direction of game
PREMOLAR TEETH The teeth situated between the
canines and the molars
PRICK EAR An erect, pointed ear
PRIMITIVE BREED Arbitrary label applied to breeds
of dog belonging to a group of breeds that
are genetically closest to the wolf
PROSTATE GLAND A gland in males at the neck
of the bladder that secretes a liquid that acts as
transport medium for sperm
PUREBRED DOG A dog whose parents both belong
to the same breed
QUICK The area of living tissue inside a toenail,
particularly sensitive to pain
RADIUS The second bone of the foreleg lying
parallel to the ulna
RANDOM-BRED DOG A dog whose parents do not
both belong to recognized breeds. Also called a mutt
RECYCLED DOG A dog obtained from a rescue centre
REDTICK A speckled coat colour of a mixture
of red hairs on a white background
RETRIEVER Any breed of dog bred and trained
to retrieve game
ROSE EAR A small, drop ear folding over and back
SABLE Coat colour featuring 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 primarily
by ground scent
SCISSOR BITE A bite in which the upper teeth
closely overlap the lower teeth
SCLERA The white outer layer of the eyeball that
surrounds the eye from the cornea at the front to
the optic nerve at the back
SEASON A bitch’s heat or oestrus period
SEBACEOUS GLAND An oil-producing skin
gland that adds waterproofing to the coat
SECOND THIGH The region of the hindquarters
from the stifle to the hock
SEMI-PRICK EARS Erect ears, which have tips
that break forwards
SEPTUM The division between the nostrils
SETTER One of several breeds of dog developed to
freeze on sighting game, indicating the position
SETTING Freezing on sight of game and flushing
game upon command
SICKLE TAIL Tail carried out and up in a semicircle
SIGHT HOUND A dog that hunts more by sight than
by scent
SOUND Term generally used to describe ease
of movement
SPANIEL One of several breeds of usually
silky-coated gundogs with long, pendant ears,
used for flushing and retrieving
SPECIES A group of individuals sharing common
characteristics, with the capacity to interbreed
SPITZ A variety of curly-tailed dog, resembling
a wolf, that developed in Arctic regions
STIFLE The joint between the thigh and the
second thigh
STOP The depression before the eyes between the
skull and the muzzle
STREET DOG A stray dog, without an owner, which
survives through scavenging
STRIPPING A COAT The removal by hand
of old hair from a wire-haired coat
TAIL SET The position of the tail
TERRIER One of many breeds of small dog,
originally used to follow prey underground
THICK-SET Broad and solid
THIGH The region from the hip to the stifle
THYROID GLAND The largest endocrine
glands in the dog’s body, producing hormones
vital for growth and metabolism
TIBIA The inner bone between the stifle and the hock
TICKING Non-solid coat colour, a mixture
of coloured hairs on a white background
TOLL To lure (for example, a duck tolling retriever
entices ducks to come ashore, capering and leaping
in a fox-like manner)
TOPCOAT Coat of heavy, primary (guard) hairs
TOPKNOT The long, fluffy hair that grows on
the crown of the head
TOY The smallest size classification of dogs
TREEING Tracking or driving prey into a tree, and
then alerting the human hunter
TRICOLOUR Three-coloured – black, white, and tan
ULNA The larger of the lower-foreleg bones
UNDERCOAT The dense, usually short, soft coat
closest to the skin
UNDERSHOT JAW A jaw in which the lower-front
teeth stick out beyond the upper-front teeth
UVEA The middle layer of the eye, made up of
the iris, the ciliary body, and the choroid
VESTIGIAL A part of the body whose original
function has been lost or superseded during
evolution. For example, the dewclaw
VOMERONASAL ORGAN A sensory organ found in
the nose that recognizes specific pheromones
WATER DOG A dog bred and trained to hunt in,
or retrieve from, water
WELL-BONED Showing good thickness, quality, and
strength in the legs, especially the forelegs
WELL-SPRUNG RIBS Rounded, as opposed
to flattened, ribs
WHEATEN Pale yellow or fawn coat colour
WITHERS The highest point on the trunk
of a dog’s body just behind the neck
WRINKLES The loose folds of skin around
the skull