We are fond of sharing antiquated or seldom-used words we find in old breed standards, but it might be a good time to also cover words we all see a lot in our respective standards. They are words that matter: preferred, fault, major fault and disqualification.

Read enough breed standards and you notice how carefully their authors chose each word. “Preferred” is not a polite way of saying “required.” “Fault” does not mean “disqualification.” Each word tells judges, breeders and owners how far a dog may stray from the ideal, and how much that should matter.

The Border Terrier is a good example, and it starts at the end of the dog’s nose.

In the English-language FCI document for the breed dated just a few weeks ago —  October 6, 2026 — says: “Black nose preferable, but liver or flesh-coloured one not a serious fault and tolerated.” That one sentence works on three levels. Black is the preference. A liver or flesh-colored nose still departs from the ideal, but it is “not a serious fault,” and it is expressly “tolerated.”

The standard draws a firmer line at the mouth. It describes a scissor bite, calls a level bite “acceptable,” and calls an undershot or overshot bite “a major fault and highly undesirable.” It then says that any departure from the standard is a fault, and that its seriousness should be “in exact proportion to its degree and its effect on the terrier’s ability to work and on the health and welfare of the dog.” The standard’s section on disqualifying faults lists aggressive or overly shy dogs and any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities. The FCI’s general show regulations add further grounds that apply to every breed. Nose color is on neither list.

The AKC standard is shorter and firmer: “Nose black, and of a good size.” It does not say “preferable,” and it makes no allowance for a liver nose. Yet the AKC Border Terrier standard lists no disqualifications of its own. A liver nose falls short of what the AKC asks for, and a judge may penalize it. It is still a fault to be weighed, not grounds for disqualification.

So one nose, two standards, and four different meanings. A preference describes the ideal. A fault is a departure to be weighed. A major fault weighs heavily. A disqualification means the dog can receive no award at that show. The next time you read a breed standard, slow down at these words. They were chosen carefully, and reading each one exactly as written keeps the working terrier at the center of the judging.

Got it?

Image of Border Terrier by Bil Hinton/Pexels