A round eye completely ruins expression. It is impossible to get the breed's individual expression in a dog with a round eye and the first consideration in breeding is to conserve the individuality of the breed. W. L. McCandlish |
The placement and shape of the eyes are based on function, but color is strictly based on aesthetic values. Correct eyes are dark, almond-shaped, set wide apart and deeply under the brow, giving a keen, penetrating look. Of course, all eyeballs are round, so the almond shape is really created by correct placement of the eye in the skull. The best written description of an almond-shaped eye appears in Dorothy Caspersz' book, The Scottish Terrier. Look at the picture below as you read her description:
Another key element in determining correct expression is the distance between the eyes. Small eyes set too closely together give an unpleasant "piggy" expression. The inner corners of the eyes should be between 1 1/2 and 2 inches apart, depending on the length of the head. Above all, the eyes must be deeply set in under the brow. This is more than an aesthetic requirement. When digging or fighting, the Scottie's deep-set eye is protected by his bony skull. Eye color, on the other hand, is purely aesthetic. Until 1925 in the United States and 1933 in England, the Standard allowed for dark brown or hazel eyes. Dark eyes came to be preferred (in part because of the rising popularity of the black coat color) and, eventually, required by the standards in the U.S. and England.
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