FCI-Standard N° 137 / 31. 03. 2005 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

PYRENEAN MOUNTAIN DOG (Chien de Montagne des Pyrénées)     Foto

TRANSLATION : Mrs. Pamela Jeans-Brown, revised by Raymond Triquet and Alain Pécoult.

ORIGIN : France.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 13.03.2001.

UTILIZATION : Pastoral guardian in the mountains.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer type dogs, Molossoids and mountain dogs and Swiss mountain dogs.

                                            Section 2.2 Molossoids, mountain type.

                                            Without working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : Present in the Pyrenees from time immemorial, known in the Middle Ages and used as a guardian of castles, it is mentioned by Gaston Phoebus in the 14^th century. Already appreciated as a companion dog in the 17^th century, it reached glorious heights at the court of Louis XIV. The first detailed description of this breed dates from 1897 in the book by Count de Bylandt. Ten years later the first breed clubs were set up and in 1923 the Réunion of Pyrenean Dog Fanciers (Réunion des Amateurs de Chiens Pyrénées – R.A.C.P.), at the instigation of Mr Bernard Sénac-Lagrange, registered the official standard with the SCC (Société Centrale Canine, French K.C.) the current standard is still very close to the standard worked out in 1923, only a few clarifying amendments having been made.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Dog of great size, imposing and strongly built, but not without a certain elegance.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :

• The widest part of the skull is equal to its length.

• The muzzle is slightly Shorter than the skull.

• The length of the body from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock is slightly greater than the height of the dog at the withers.

• The depth of the chest is equal to, or slightly less than, half the height at the withers.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Used on its own to guarantee  the protection of flocks from attacks by  predators, its selection depended on its aptitude for guarding and dissuading as much as on its attachment to the flock. The resulting main qualities are strength and agility, allied to gentleness and attachment to those it is protecting. This protecting dog has a propensity for independence and a sense of initiative which demand a certain degree of authority from its owner.

HEAD : Not too large in comparison with the size of the dog.  Its sides are fairly flat.

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : The widest part of the skull is equal to its length. It is slightly rounded due to the sagittal crest being perceptible to the touch. Because the occipital protuberance is apparent,  the back of the skull has on ogival shape. Superciliary ridges are not pronounced. The median furrow is scarcely perceptible to the touch between the eyes.

Stop : Gentle slope.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Totally black.

Muzzle: Broad, slightly shorter than the skull, narrowing progressively towards the tip.  Seen from above it forms a blunt “V”. Well filled below the eyes.

Lips : Not very droopy, just enough to cover the lower jaw. Black or heavily marked with black, as is the palate.

Jaws/Teeth : Complete dentition with healthy, white teeth. Scissors bite (upper incisors overlapping lower incisors without losing contact). Pincer bite tolerated as are the two lower pincers tipping forward.

Eyes : Rather small, almond-shaped, set slightly obliquely, with intelligent and contemplative expression, of amber-brown colour. Eyelids never loose. Gentle, dreamy look.

Ears : Set on level with the eye, fairly small, triangular in shape and rounded at the tip. They fall flat against the head and are carried slightly raised when the dog is alert.

NECK : Strong, relatively short, with very little dewlap.

BODY : The length of the body from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock is slightly greater than the height of the dog at the withers. The distance between the sternum and the ground is approximately half the height at the withers, never less.

Topline : Well-supported.

Withers : Broad.

Back : Of good length and strong.

Loin : Of moderate length.

Croup : Slightly oblique with fairly prominent haunches.

Flank : Scarcely pronounced.

Chest : Not too low, but broad and long. Let down as far as the elbow but not lower. Its height is equal to or slightly less than half the height of the dog at the withers. The ribs are slightly rounded.

TAIL : It reaches at least as far as the point of the hock. It is bushy and forms a plume. Carried low in repose with its tip forming a hook for preference. When the dog is alert, the tail rises towards the back, forming a strong circle with only the tip touching the loins (making the wheel “arroundera” to quote the expression used by the people of the Pyrenees).

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS : Upright, strong.

Shoulders : Moderately oblique.

Upper arm : Well muscled and moderately long.

Forearm : Straight, strong and well-fringed.

Carpal joint (Carpus) : The wrist is in line with the forearm.

Pasterns (Metacarpus) : Slightly oglique.

Forefeet : Not long, compact, with slightly arched toes.

HINDQUARTERS :  The hind legs have long, more abundant fringes than the forelegs. Seen from behind, they are perpendicular to the ground.

Thigh : Well muscled, not very long and moderately oblique, well-defined muscle.

Stifle (knee) : Moderately angulated and parallel to the body.

Lower thigh : Of moderate length, strong.

Hock : Broad, lean, moderately angulated.

Hind feet : Not long, compact, with slightly arched toes.

Dewclaws : The hind legs cach have double well-formed dewclaws. The front legs sometimes have single or double dewclaws.

GAIT / MOVEMENT  : The movement of the Pyrenean Mountain Dog is powerful and free, it is never ponderous, the movement is extended rather than fast, and not without a certain suppleness and elegance. The angulation of the dogs permits an unflagging gait.

SKIN : Thick and supple, often showing patches of pigmentation over the whole body.

COAT

HAIR : Well-furnished, flat, quite long and supple, rather crisp on the shoulders and back, longer on the tail and around the neck where it can be slightly wavy. The trouser hair, finer and woollier, is very thick. The undercoat is also thick.

COLOUR : White or white with patches appearing grey (badger or wolf) or pale yellow or orange (arrouye) on the head, ears, base of the tail and sometimes on the body. The most appreciated are badger grey patches.

SIZE:

Height at withers : Males :    from 70 cm to 80 cm.

                            Females : from 65 cm to 75 cm.

A tolerance of + 2 cm is allowed for perfectly typed specimens.

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

General appearance:

·         General appearance giving the impression of heaviness, without distinction. Flat, flabby, sluggish dog.

Head :

·         Too heavy, rectangular in shape.

·         Skull too broad, bulging forehead.

·         Stop too pronounced or non-existent.

·         Lips too pendulous forming flews.

·         Insufficient pigmentation on the nose; eye-rims and lips.

Eyes :

·         Round, light, deep-set or prominent, too large or too small, set too close together or too far apart. Third eyelid visible. Hard expression.

Ears :

·         Broad, long, curled, folded, carried too far back, set high.

Neck :

·         Slender, a little long or on the contrary, too short, giving the impression that the head is sunk into the shoulders. Too much dewlap.

Body :

·         Sway or roach-backed dipping, whippety or drooping belly.

Chest :

·         Too broad or too narrow, slab-sided or, on the contrary, barrel-chested.

Tail :

·         Not enough furnishing or carried badly, too short or too long, without a plume, not “making the wheel” in action, or making it continuously, even in repose.

Forequarters :

·         Turning out or turning in.

·         Too open a scapulo-humeral angle.

Hindquarters :

·         Turning out or in.

·         Hock too straight or too angulated.

Feet :

·         Long or splayed.

Coat :

·         Short or curly, silky, soft or lack of undercoat.

ELIMINATING FAULTS :

Behaviour / Temperament :

• Aggressive or overly shy.

Nose :

• Not completely black.

Jaws :

• Over or undershot, or any malformation of the jaws.

Eyes :

• Flesh colour on the eye-rims. Yellow eyes.

Dewclaws :

• No dewclaws or single dewclaw or atrophied double dewclaws on hind feet.

Colour :

• Any colour not specified in the standard.

Size :

• Outside the limits.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

FCI-Standard N° 138 / 15. 04. 2005 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

PYRENEAN SHEEPDOG, SMOOTH-FACED (Chien de berger des Pyrénées à face rase)     Foto

TRANSLATION : Mrs. Pamela Jeans-Brown revised by Alain Pécoult and Raymond Triquet.

ORIGIN : France.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 13.03.2001.

UTILIZATION : Sheepdog.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 1    Sheep and cattle dogs (excluding mountain dogs and Swiss cattle-dogs).

                                              Section 1  Sheepdogs.

                                              With working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : This variety of Pyrenean Sheepdog was principally found in the Pyrenean foot-hills where it was “much appreciated by horse-dealers and cattle-drovers” according to Bernard SÉNAC-LAGRANGE (1927 club’s yearbook). Its distinctive features compared with those of other types of Pyrenean Sheepdogs gained it an appendix in the breed standard from the 1920's.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Overall, the smooth-faced Pyrenean Sheepdog has the same characteristics as the long-coated Pyrenean Sheepdog.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :

·         The skull is approximately as wide as long.

·         The muzzle is slightly shorter than the skull, but longer than that of the long or semi-long coated varieties.

·         The length of the body is almost equals its height.

·         The distance from the elbow to the ground is greater than half the height at the withers.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Lively, biddable dog, sometimes wary of strangers.

HEAD :  Furnished with short fine hair (hence the name “smooth-faced”). The muzzle is a little longer than that of the semi-long coated Pyrenean Sheepdogs.

BODY : A little shorter than that of the long-coated Pyrenean Sheepdog, it is a more square-shaped body.

LIMBS : Covered in smooth hair with a light fringe of hair on the front legs and breeches  on the hind legs. The foot is both  tighter and more arched than that of the long-coated sheepdog.

Angulations are more open in this variety.

GAIT / MOVEMENT  : On the move, the smooth-faced Pyrenean Sheepdog has a shorter stride than the long-coated variety.

COAT : On the body the hair is semi-long or less than semi-long. It reaches its longest length on the neck and withers (6-7 cm) and on the median line of the back (4-5 cm).

SIZE :

Height at withers : Males    40-54 cm.

                            Females 40-52 cm.

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

The faults and eliminating faults are the same as those indicated for the long-coated variety, except for those describing coat and proportions.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN : Ireland.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 13.03.2001.

UTILISATION : Versatile farmyard dog, family pet, guard dog with utter contempt for danger or hurt, hunter and gundog.

CLASSIFICATION FCI : Group 3    Terriers.

                                           Section 1  Large and medium-sized Terriers.

                                           Without working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : Ireland has produced four Terrier breeds, all of which are markedly different from terriers on the continent and in England. The dog now officially called Irish Terrier is possibly the oldest of the Irish terrier breeds but records are so scarce that it would be difficult to prove this conclusively. Before the 1880s the colour of the Irish Terrier had not been settled. Apart from red they were sometimes black and tan and sometimes brindle. At the end of the 19^th century efforts were made to breed out the black and tan and the brindles so that by the 20^th century all Irish Terriers showed the red coat. The red coated Irish Terrier soon made its appearance on show benches in England and in the United States where it was enthusiastically received. The Irish Terrier’s reputation was enhanced during the First World War when they were used as messenger dogs in the terrifying noise and confusion of trench warfare, thus proving both their intelligence and their fearlessness. The first breed club was set up in Dublin on March 31^st 1879 and the Irish Terrier was the first member of the terrier group to be recognised by the English Kennel Club in the late 19^th century as a native Irish Breed.

GENERAL APPEARANCE :  The dog must present an active, lively, lithe and wiry appearance; lots of substance, at the same time free of clumsiness, as speed and endurance as well as power is very essential. The Irish Terrier must be neither “cloddy nor cobby” but should be framed on the “lines of speed” showing a graceful racy outline.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : The Irish Terrier, while being game and capable of holding his own with other dogs, is remarkably loyal, good tempered and affectionate with mankind, but once he is attacked, he has the courage of a lion and will fight to the bitter end.The dog’s reputation for getting into scraps with others, sometimes even in the showring, is undeserved. Though the terrier may be fierce when the circumstances call for it, the Irish Terrier is easily trained and a gentle pet, living up to his early description as “the poor man’s sentinel, the farmer’s friend and the gentleman’s favourite”.

HEAD : Long, free from wrinkles.

CRANIAL REGION

Skull : Flat and rather narrow between the ears, getting slightly narrower towards the eyes.

Stop : Hardly visible except in profile.

FACIAL REGION

Nose:   Must be black.

Lips :  Should be well fitting and externally almost black in colour.

Jaw :   Must be strong and muscular, of good punishing length.

Teeth : Should be strong, level, free from canker and the top incisors slightly overlapping the lower.

Cheeks : Not too full.  There should be a slight falling away below the eye so as not to have a Greyhound appearance.

Eyes : Should be dark in colour, small, not prominent and full of life, fire and intelligence. A yellow or light eye is most objectionable.

Ears : Small and V-shaped, of moderate thickness, set well on the head and dropping forward closely to the cheek. The top line of the folded ear should be well above the level of the head. An ear hanging by the side of the head, like a hound’s, is not characteristic of the Terrier, while an ear which is semi-erect, is even more undesirable. The hair on the ear should be short and darker in colour than that on the body.

NECK : Should be of a fair length and gradually widening towards the shoulders, well carried and free from throatiness. There is generally a slight sort of frill visible at each side of the neck, running nearly to the ear.

BODY : Should be symmetrical, neither too long nor too short.

Back :  Should be strong and straight, with no appearance of slackness behind the shoulders.

Loin : Muscular and very slightly arched. A bitch may be slightly longer in couplings than a dog.

Chest : Deep and muscular but neither full nor wide. Ribs fairly sprung, rather deep than round and well-ribbed back.

TAIL : Should be set on rather high, carried gaily but not over the back or curled. It should be of good strength and substance and fairly long. Customarily the tail is docked so that two-thirds of its original length remains. The tail should be well covered with rough hair and free from fringe or feather. Only a natural tail (undocked) is allowed in countries where docking is banned by law.

LIMBS : Both fore and hind legs should be moved straight forward.

FOREQUARTERS

Shoulders : Must be fine, long and sloping.

Elbows : Working freely clear of the sides.

Forearm : Moderately long perfectly straight with plenty of bone and muscle.

Pasterns : Short and straight, hardly noticeable.

HINDQUARTERS : Should be strong and muscular.

Thighs : Powerful.

Stifles : Moderately bent.

Hocks : Near ground

Feet  : Should be strong, tolerably round and moderately small, toes arched and neither turned out nor in, black toenails most desirable. Pads sound and free from cracks or corny excrescence.

GAIT /MOVEMENT : Fore and hindlegs carried straight forward and parallel, elbows move parallel to the axis of the body, working free of sides, stifles neither turning  in nor out. 

COAT

HAIR : Should be dense and wiry in texture, having a broken appearance but still lying flat, the hairs growing so closely and strongly together that when parted with the fingers, the skin cannot be seen, free of softness and silkiness and not so long as to hide the outlines of the body, particularly in the hindquarters and free of lock or curl. Hair on face of same description as on body but short (about three-quarters of a centimetre long), almost smooth and straight, a slight beard is the only long hair (and it is only long in comparison with the rest) that is permissible and is  characteristic. A “goats” beard is suggestive of there being silky and bad hair running through the coat generally.

Legs : Free of feather and covered, like the head, with as hard a texture of coat as body but not so long.

COLOUR : Should be “whole coloured” being red, red-wheaten or  yellow-red. White sometimes on the chest. A small amount of white is frequently to be seen in all self coloured breeds.

SIZE AND WEIGHT :

Height at the withers : Approximately 18 inches (45.5cm).

Weight : Dogs    27lbs (12,25kg).

             Bitches 25lbs (11,4kg).

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

ELIMINATING FAULTS : 

·         Nose : Any colour other than black.

·         Jaws : Decidedly undershot or overshot.

·         Colour : Any other than red, yellow red or red wheaten. A small patch of white on chest is permissible as in other whole-coloured breeds.

·         Feet : Corny excrescence or cracks on pads.

N.B. Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

ORIGIN : U.S.A.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 02.02.1995.

UTILIZATION : Companion.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 9       Companion and Toy Dogs.

                                              Section 11   Small Molossian Dogs.

                                              Without working trial.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : The Boston Terrier is a lively, highly intelligent, smooth coated, short-headed, compactly built, short-tailed, well balanced dog, brindle, seal or black in color and evenly marked with white. The head is in proportion to the size of the dog and the expression indicates a high degree of intelligence. The body is rather short and well knit, the limbs strong and neatly turned, the tail is short and no feature is so prominent that the dog appears badly proportioned. The dog conveys an impression of determination, strength and activity, with style of a high order; carriage easy and graceful. A proportionate combination of « Color and White Markings » is a particularly distinctive feature of a representative specimen.

« Balance, Expression, Colour and White Markings » should be given particular consideration in determining the relative value of general appearance to other points. The clean-cut short backed body of the Boston Terrier coupled with the unique characteristics of his square head and jaw, and his striking markings have resulted in a most dapper and charming American original: The Boston Terrier.

In a comparison of specimens of each sex, the only evident difference is a slight refinement in the bitch’s conformation.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : The length of leg must balance with the length of body to give the Boston Terrier its striking square appearance. The Boston Terrier is a sturdy dog and must not appear to be either spindly or coarse. The bone and muscle must be in proportion as well as an enhancement to the dog’s weight and structure.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : The Boston Terrier is a friendly and lively dog. The breed has an excellent disposition and a high degree of intelligence, which makes the Boston Terrier an incomparable companion.

HEAD

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : Square, flat on top, free from wrinkles; brow abrupt.

Stop : Well defined.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Black and wide, with a well defined line between the nostrils.

Muzzle : Short, square, wide and deep and in proportion to the skull. It is free from wrinkles, shorter in length than in width or depth; not exceeding in length approximately one-third of the length of the skull. The muzzle from stop to end of the nose is parallel to the top of the skull.

Lips : The chops are of good depth, but not pendulous, completely covering the teeth when the mouth is closed.

Jaws/Teeth : Jaws broad and square with short, regular teeth. The bite is even or sufficiently undershot to square the muzzle.

Cheeks : Flat.

Eyes : Wide apart, large, round and dark in color. Set square in the skull and the outside corners are on a line with the cheeks as viewed from the front.

Expression : Alert and kind, indicating a high degree of intelligence. This is a most important characteristic of the breed.

Ears : Small, carried erect, either natural or cropped to conform to the shape of the head and situated as near to the corners of the skull as possible.

NECK : The length of the neck must display an image of balance to the total dog. It is slightly arched, carrying the head gracefully and setting neatly into the shoulders.

BODY : The body should appear short.

Top line : Level.

Back : Just short enough to square the body.

Croup : Curves slightly to the set-on of the tail.

Chest : Deep with good width; ribs well sprung and carried well back to the loins.

TAIL :  Set-on low, short, fine and tapering, straight or screw and must not be carried above the horizontal. (Note: The preferred tail does not exceed in length more than one quarter the distance from set-on to hock).

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS : Forelegs set moderately wide apart and on a line with the upper tip of the shoulder-blades; straight in bone.

Shoulders : Sloping and well laid back, which allows for the Boston Terrier’s stylish movement.

Elbows : Stand neither in nor out.

Pasterns : Short, strong. The dewclaws may be removed.

Forefeet : Small, round and compact, turned neither in nor out, with well arched toes and short nails.

HINDQUARTERS :

Thighs : Strong, well muscled,  and set true.

Stifles : Well bent.

Hocks : Short to the feet, turning neither in nor out, with a well defined hock joint.

Hind feet : Small and compact with short nails.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : The gait of the Boston Terrier is that of a sure footed, straight gaited dog, forelegs and hind legs moving straight ahead in line with perfect rhythm, each step indicating grace and power.

COAT

HAIR : Short, smooth, bright and fine in texture.

COLOR : Brindle, seal or black with white markings. Brindle is preferred only if all other qualities are equal. (Note: Seal defined: Seal appears black except it has a red cast when viewed in the sun or bright light).

Required markings : White muzzle band, white blaze between the eyes, white forechest.

Desired markings : White muzzle band, even white blaze between the eyes and over the head, white collar, white forechest, white on part or whole of forelegs and hind legs below the hocks. (Note : a representative specimen should not be penalized for not possessing « Desired Markings ».)

A dog with a preponderance of white on the head or body must possess sufficient merit otherwise to counteract its deficiencies.

WEIGHT :

Weight is divided by classes as follows :

·      under 15 pounds (6,8 kg),

·      15 pounds and under 20 pounds (6,8 to 9 kg),

·      20 pounds and not to exceed 25 pounds (9 to 11,35 kg).

SCALE OF POINTS

General Appearance                                   10

Expression                                                  10

Head (Muzzle, Jaw, Bite, Skull & Stop)        15

Eyes                                                            5

Ears                                                             5

Neck, Topline, Body & Tail                          15

Forequarters                                                10

Hindquarters                                                10

Feet                                                              5

Colour, Coat & Markings                               5

Gait                                                             10

                                                                --------

TOTAL                                                      100

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

·      Blocky or chunky in appearance.

·      Pinched or wide nostrils.

·      Eyes showing too much white or haw.

·      Size of ears out of proportion to size of head.

·      Gaily carried tail.

·      Legs lacking in substance.

·      Straight in stifle.

·      Splay feet.

·      Gait rolling, paddling or weaving; hackney gait.

SERIOUS FAULTS :

·      Wry mouth.

·      Any showing of the tongue or teeth when the mouth is closed.

·      Roach back or sway back.

·      Ribcage slab-sided.

·      Gait: Any crossing movement, either front or rear.

ELIMINATING FAULTS :

·      Aggresive or overly shy

·      Dudley nose.

·      Eyes blue in color or any trace of blue.

·      Docked tail.

·      Solid black, solid brindle, or solid seal without required white markings.

·      Grey or liver colors.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

© Copyright by Yvonne Soomers-Marell