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A Plus Pet Goods - Glossary of dog terms Category: Animals and Nature > Glossary of dog terms Date & country: 12/11/2010, USA Words: 897

Rudder
The tail or stern.

Ruddy
A dark ginger red color.

Ruff
Thick, longer hair growing around the neck.

Rust
Used to describe several breeds, this color is a medium-brilliant reddish brown. Color definitions may vary by breed. Always check the breed standard for the definitive color description.

Saber Tail
Carried in a semicircle.

Sable
Coat color produced by black-tipped hairs on a background of silver, gold, gray, fawn, or brown.

Sacrum
The region of the vertebral column that consists of three fused vertebrae that articulate the pelvic girdle.

Saddle
Markings in the shape of a saddle over the back. Color definitions may vary by breed. Always check the breed standard for the definitive color description.

Saddle Back
Overlong back, with a dip behind the withers.

Saint Bernard
A breed of large strong dog developed in Switzerland, having a thick brown and white coat, originally used by monks of the hospice of Saint Bernard in the Swiss Alps to help patrol the snow-covered region.

Saline
A saline solution, especially one that is isotonic with blood and is used in medicine and surgery.

Saluki
An ancient breed of tall slender dog developed in Arabia and Egypt and having a smooth, silky, variously colored coat.

Samoyed
A breed of medium-sized dog originally developed in northern Eurasia, having a thick, long, white or cream-colored coat.

Sandy
Used to describe several breeds, this color is a dull, yellowish gray of medium saturation. Color definitions may vary by breed. Always check the breed standard for the definitive color description.

Scent
The odor left by an animal or bird on the trail (ground-scent) or wafted through the air (air-borne scent).

Scent Hound
A breed of hunting dog that tracks animals by smell.

Schipperke
A small stocky dog of a breed developed in Belgium, having dense long black fur and small pointed ears.

Scissors Bite
A bite in which the outer side of the lower incisors touches the inner side of the upper incisors.

Sclera
The tough white fibrous outer envelope of tissue covering all of the eyeball except the cornea.

Screw Tail
A naturally short tail twisted in more or less spiral formation

Seal
Used to describe Boston Terriers, this color appears black except that it has a red cast when viewed in the sun or bright light. Color definitions may vary by breed. Always check the breed standard for the definitive color description.

Season
The cyclical period in which a female dog becomes interested in mating and capable of becoming pregnant.

Second Thigh
That part of the hindquarters from the stifle to the hock, corresponding to the human shin and calf. Lower thigh, including the tibia and fibula.

Secondary Coat
The fine hairs which make up the undercoat.

Sedge
Used to describe Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, this color is similar to deadgrass, but it is more accurately a lightening of the chocolate hue. Color definitions may vary by breed. Always check the breed standard for the definitive color description.

Seeing Eye Dog
A dog trained as a guide dog for the blind.

Selective Breeding
Intentional mating two dogs in order to achieve or eliminate a specific trait.

Self Color
One color or whole color except for lighter shadings. Color definitions may vary by breed. Always check the breed standard for the definitive color description.

Semi-Prick Ears
Ears carried erect with just the tips leaning forward.

Senile Cataracts
Occurring in elderly animals, a lens opacity in the eye that does not interfere with vision.

Septum
The line extending vertically between the nostrils.

Service Dog
A dog trained to assist a person with a disability.

Setters
Any of several breeds of longhaired hunting dogs originally trained to indicate the presence of game by crouching in a set position.

Shar-Pei
A Chinese breed of medium-sized dog having loose wrinkled skin, a short rough coat, and a blue-black mouth and tongue. Also called Chinese Shar-Pei.

Shelly
A shallow, narrow body, lacking the correct amount of bone.

Shetland Sheepdog
A herding dog of a breed developed in the Shetland Islands, having a rough coat and resembling a small collie.

Shock
A generally temporary massive physiological reaction to severe physical or emotional trauma, usually characterized by marked loss of blood pressure and depression of vital processes.

Short Back
See Close-Coupled

Show Quality
A pedigreed dog meeting the official breed standard and thus able to compete in dog shows.

Siberian Husky
A breed of sled dog developed in northeastern Siberia and resembling the larger Alaskan malamutes.

Sickle Hocked
Inability to straighten the hock joint on the back reach of the hind leg.

Sickle Tail
A tail which is carried up and out in a semi-circle.

Sighthound
A hound that runs or courses game by sight rather than scent.

Silent Heat
An unnoticed heat period that can be due to little swelling of the vulva, little bleeding, no attraction of males or no behavior change.

Silky Coat
A topcoat composed of long, fine and soft hair.

Silky Terrier
A toy terrier of a breed developed from a cross between the Australian terrier and the Yorkshire terrier, characterized by long, silky, bluish-gray hair, tan markings, and erect ears.

Single Coat
A dog with only one type of coat, typically the topcoat or guard hairs, without the downy undercoat.

Single Tracking
All footprints falling on a single line of travel. When a dog breaks into a trot, his body is supported by only two legs at a time, which move as alternating diagonal pairs. To achieve balance, his legs angle inward toward a center line beneath his body, and the greater the speed, the closer they come to tracking on a single line.

Sire
The male parent.

Skeleton
Descriptively divided into axial (skull, vertebrae column, chest) and appendicular (forequarters, hindquarters) portions or the hard framework of the body; the bones of the body collectively.

Skull
The bony or cartilaginous framework of the head of vertebrates, made up of the bones of the braincase and face; cranium.

Skully
Thick and course through the skull.

Slab-Sided
Flat ribs with too little spring from the spinal column.

Sled Dogs
Dogs worked, usually in teams, to pull sleds.

Slew Feet
Feet turned out.

Sloping Shoulder
The shoulder blade set obliquely or laid back.

Smooth Coat
Short, close-lying hair.

Snatching Hocks
A gait fault indicated by a quick outward snatching of the hock as it passes the supporting leg and twists the rear pastern far in beneath the body. The action causes noticeable rocking in the rear quarters.

Snippy
A pointed, weak muzzle, lacking breadth and depth.

Snow Nose
Nose normally solid black, but acquires pink streak in winter. Also called winter nose.

Solid
A dog of only one color.

Soundness
The state of mental and physical health when all organs and faculties are complete and functioning normally, each in its rightful relation to the other.

Spaniels
Any of several breeds of small-sized to medium-sized dogs, usually having drooping ears, short legs, and a wavy, silky coat.

Spay
To remove a bitch's ovaries to prevent conception.

Speak
To bark.

Spectacles
Shadings or dark markings over or around the eyes or from eyes to ears.

Spike Tail
Straight, short tail that tapers rapidly along its length.

Splashed
Irregularly patched, color on white or white on color.

Splayfoot
A flat foot with toes spreading. Open foot, open-toed.

Spontaneous Mutation
A genetic accident which permanently alters certain genetic characteristics.

Sporting Group
Group of dogs who were originally bred to assist the hunter to hunt game birds, both on land and in the water.

Spread
Width between the forelegs when accentuated.

Spread Hocks
Hocks pointing outward.

Spring
See Flush

Spring of Ribs
Curvature of ribs for heart and lung capacity.

Square Body
A dog whose measurements from withers to ground equals that from forechest to rump.

Squirrel Tail
Carried up and curving more or less forward.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier
A small, stocky, powerful dog of a breed developed in England by crossing bulldogs and terriers, having a short, variously colored coat, a broad head with dropped ears, a short muscular neck, and widely set forelegs.

Stag Red
Deep red (almost brown) with intermingling of black hairs (Miniature Pinscher). Color definitions may vary by breed. Always check the breed standard for the definitive color description.

Stance
Manner of standing.

Stand Away Coat
See Standoff Coat

Standard
See Breed Standard

Standing Heat
The point during which a female in heat will accept breeding and can become pregnant.

Standoff Coat
A long or heavy coat that stands off from the body. Also called stand away coat.

Staring Coat
The hair dry, harsh, and sometimes curling at the tips.

Station
Comparative height from the ground, as high-stationed, low-stationed.

Steep
Used to denote incorrect angles of articulation. For example, a steep front describes a more upright shoulder placement than is preferred.

Stern
Tail.

Stern Tail
A tail found in a sporting dog or hound that is generally carried straight out.

Sternum
A row of eight bones that form the floor of the chest.

Stifle
The joint of the hind leg between the thigh and the second thigh. The dog's knee.

Stilted
The choppy, up-and-down gait of the straight-hocked dog.

Stop
The step up from muzzle to back skull; indentation between the eyes where the nasal bones and cranium meet.

Straight In Pastern
Little or no bend at the wrist.

Straight Shoulders
The shoulder blades rather straight up and down, as opposed to sloping or well laid back.

Straight-Hocked
Lacking appreciable angulation at the hock joints.

Stud Book
Monthly publication of the AKC. A listing of dogs that have sired or whelped a litter for the first time that has been registered with the AKC. With this information, a person can use Stud Book volumes to trace a dog's lineage and to produce pedigrees.

Stud Dog
A male dog used for breeding purposes.

Stud Fee
Payment made for the services of a stud dog.

Substance
Bone.