Anatomy of the Face and Nose

Head and Face Characteristics

• Bony lines on the head and face should be well-defined and visible, not hidden by skin and subcutaneous tissue.
• The face line should not be uniformly straight or convex, with Roman nose types having a convex line from forehead to nostril, and stage-faced or dish-faced types having a concave line.
• The nose should be of medium length, width, and rather short, directed frontally at a 45° angle with the axis of the head.
• The base of the nose should not be too far apart, with a tip that is neither rounded nor too pointed.

Ear Characteristics

• Lop ears, which are long and flap downwards, may indicate laziness.
• Erected and motionless ears can indicate defective hearing or total deafness.
• Ears carried forwards and backwards, with occasional shifting, may indicate a defect in the eyes.
• Ears directed backwards against the sides of the neck can indicate a kick or bite.
• Ears should be large and well-situated at the side of the head.

Eye Characteristics

• The eyeball should neither protrude nor be too deeply placed.
• The eyes should be correctly proportioned between the poll and the end of the muzzle.
• Eye lids should be thin and free from wrinkles.
• Hollows above the eyes can denote an old animal.
• Prominent white with a small, black eye is a characteristic of a "pig eye".
• A prominent back-eye can indicate short sight.