FCI-Standard N° 141 / 15. 04. 2005 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)
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 used in the farms and pastures of the Pyrenees.
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 : Coming from humble beginnings, it was practically unknown to the official dog scene until the early 20th century. Its type varies considerably from one valley to the next, its shape, its coat can be very different, but its character and behaviour never vary. The first standard was drawn up between 1921 and 1925 and has hardly been amended since.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Dog displaying a maximum of nervous energy in a minimum of size and weight. An ever alert physiognomy, a knowing air combined with great liveliness of movement give this dog a characteristic appearance unlike any other.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :
· Skull is about as long as wide.
· Muzzle is shorter than skull in 1/3 to 2/3 ratio.
· Length of body is greater than height at withers.
· Distance from elbow to ground is greater than half height at withers.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : It is a courageous, resourceful little dog, showing initiative ant totally devoted to its master. It is headstrong by nature and firm control is usually needed to channel its energy and bring out the best of its intelligence liveliness. It is often wary of strangers.
HEAD : Triangular in shape.
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Moderately developed, almost flat, with a scarcely noticeable central furrow, harmoniously rounded on the sides, showing a very slight occipital protuberance. Approximately as long as it is wide. Front section slopes gently to the muzzle.
Stop : Scarcely discernible.
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Black.
Muzzle : Straight, a little shorter than the skull, tapering like a wedge but without a pointed tip.
Lips : Not very thick, covering the lower jaw completely and showing no apparent corners. Edges and palate are black or heavily marked with black.
Jaws/Teeth : Complete dentition. Strong canines. Scissor bite (upper incisors covering lower incisors without loss of contact). Pincer bite (edge to edge) is tolerated.
Eyes : Expressive, slightly almond-shaped and dark brown. Neither protruding nor sunken. Wall eyes are accepted in dogs with “harlequin” (blue-merle) or slate grey coats which they are almost always a characteristic. Eye rims are black whatever the coat colour.
Ears : They must be rather short, moderately broad at the base and not set too close to each other at the top of the skull, but not set too far apart either. They are usually cropped.
When not cropped, the lower part must be pricked and mobile. Ideally the top third or half of the ear should fall forward to the front or the side, symmetrically for both ears.
NECK : Rather long and muscled, springing well up from shoulders.
BODY : The bone structure is strong without heaviness, muscle is lean.
Topline : Well-supported.
Withers : Prominent.
Back : Rather long and strong.
Loins : Short, slightly arched, but seems more so because coat is often thicker on hindquarters and croup.
Croup : Fairly short and rather oblique.
Chest : Moderately developed, reaching to elbow. The ribs are slightly rounded.
Flank : Scarcely descending.
TAIL : Well fringed, not very long, set rather low and with a hooked tip. When the dog is alert, the tail should hardly rise above the line of the back. A lot of dogs are docked. Some have a rudimentary tail without ever having been docked.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS : Upright, lean, sinewy, well-fringed.
Shoulder : Rather long, moderately oblique.
Upper arm : Oblique and moderately long.
Forearm : Straight.
Carpus (carpal joint) : Noticeable wrist joint.
Metacarpus (pasterns) : Slightly oblique.
Forefeet : Lean, fairly flat, of a definite oval shape. Dark pads. Small hard nails covered by hair which is also found under the foot, between the pads.
HINDQUARTERS : Rather closed angulation. Semi-long coated dogs have no fringing on limbs.
Upper thigh : Not very long, moderately oblique, strong, well-defined muscle.
Stifle (knee) : Well-angulated and parallel to the body.
Lower thigh : Rather long and oblique.
Hock : Lean, set low, well angulated, hocks are sometimes a little close.
Metatarsus (Rear pastern) : Perpendicular to the ground or very slightly oblique from back to front.
Hind feet : Lean, fairly flat, of a definite oval shape. Dark pads. Small hard nails covered by hair which is also found under the foot, between the pads.
Dewclaws : Single or double dewclaws are acceptable on hind legs as is their absence.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : Walking, the Pyrenean Sheepdog has a rather short stride. The trot, preferred pace of the Pyrenean Sheepdog should be free and vigorous. At a gentle trot, the head is carried fairly high, when the speed increases, the head is in line with the back. The feet are never raised high, the movement is flowing, the dog skims over the ground.
SKIN : Thin, often rnarbled with dark patches, irrespective of coat-colour.
COAT
HAIR : Long, or semi-long, but always dense, almost flat or slightly wavy, thicker and woollier on the croup and thighs, texture somewhere between goat’s hair and sheep’s wool. In some dogs the mixture of coarse and woolly hair can produce sorts of strands or cords called “cadenettes" and sometimes matted or felted hair called “matelotes” which overlap like tiles on the croup. “Cadenettes” can be found on the chest and the forelegs at elbow level. The muzzle has shorter, less dense hair.
On the end of the muzzle, and sometimes along the whole muzzle, it is laid flat and set from front to back. On the sides as well as on the cheeks, the hair is longer and brushed up in a windswept way from front to back. Eyes must be clearly visible and not covered by hair.
COLOUR : Fawn, lighter or darker, with or without a mixture of black hairs and sometimes with a little white on the chest and on the limbs; grey, lighter or darker, often with some white on the head, chest and limbs; harlequin (blue flecked with black, blue-merle). There are also brindle, black coats and black with white markings. Solid colours are preferred.
SIZE :
Height at withers : Males from 40 cm to 48 cm.
Females from 38 cm to 46 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 :
· Heavy dog, lacking liveliness; thick muscle; lacklustre expression.
Head :
· Ogival skull, rounded forehead, stop too much pronounced or non existent.
Muzzle :
· Square or rectangular, lack of pigmentation on nose or lips.
Eyes :
· Light or of wild expression. Lack of pigmentation on the eyerims.
Ears :
· Thick, heavy, falling flat against the side of the head, carried asymmetrically.
Neck :
· Thick or weak, head sunk in shoulders.
Body :
· Sway or roach-backed, dipping, whippety or drooping belly.
· Heavy overall; dog which would fit into a square; horizontal topline; roach-backed; horizontal croup.
Tail :
· Lack of hook.
Forequarters :
· Double dewclaws, not upright.
Shoulders :
· Too straight or too short.
Hindquarters :
· Angle too open at the hocks; not upright.
Feet :
· Thick; cat feet; long nails; white nails.
Hair :
· Too abundant on the head, especially when it covers the eyes and on the muzzle when it looks like a griffon's moustache. Poor texture, soft, wiry, curly or frizzy. Coat lacking density or thickness.
Colour :
· White covering more than one third of the coat. Harlequin coat lacking contrast between grey and black or having fawn lights. Very diluted coat colour. Black coat with tan on head and on limbs (black marked with fawn).
Gait/Movement :
· Too short or choppy. Lifting the feet too high.
SERIOUS FAULTS :
Ears :
· Uncropped ears carried upright.
Tail :
· Tail carried curling over topline or tightly curled.
ELIMINATING FAULTS :
Behaviour / Temperament
· Aggressive or overly shy.
Colour :
· White coat or any colour not specified in the standard.
Nose :
· Not completely black.
Jaws :
· Over or under-shot, or any malformation of the jaws.
Eyes :
· Wall-eyes for any dogs other than “harlequin” (blue-merle) and slate-grey. Flesh colour on the eye-rims. Light yellow eyes.
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° 142 / 04. 06. 1996 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)
SLOVAKIAN CHUVACH (Slovensky Čuvač; Tchouvatch Slovaque; Slowakischer Tschuvatsch; Tchuvatch Eslovaco) Foto
TRANSLATION : Mrs. Chris Seidler.
ORIGIN Slovakian Republik.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 18.08.1965.
UTILIZATION This derives from his age old use as a shepherd and mountain dog in bare high mountain regions and as a guard dog for farms and borders.
FCI CLASSIFICATION Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs).
Section 1 Sheepdogs.
Without working trial.
GENERAL APPEARANCE The Tatra Chuvach's breed characteristics conform in type with those of a mountain dog of firm constitution, impressive appearance and thick white coat. He has strong bone, a lively temperament and is vigilant, fearless and alert. For centuries he has been accustomed to the harsh climate of the Slovakian mountains, especially the Tatra mountains. His format is well within the shape of a moderate rectangle, the body resting on strong rather high limbs. His vigilance and alertness helped to give him his name, as the Slovak word "Cuvat51 means to hear.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY The breed group of white mountain dogs is derived from Arctic wolves, whose remains from pre-ice age have been preserved in the mountainous regions of Europe to the edge of the glaciers. These are the north slopes of the Caucasus, the Balkans, specially the Rodope mountains, the Carpathians, specially the Tatra, the northern slopes of the Abruzzi and Alps and finally the Pyrenees. In these colder and damper areas, the alleged type of mountain dog is also accompanied by remains of flora and fauna whose nearest location were still found in Scandinavia by the Swedish explorer Wahlenberg. A similar connection with nordic domestic animals we can, for example, find in the Tatra and Carpathian region with the Huzul horse, whose nearest relation is the Gudbrandstal horse. So it is with the Tatra Chuvach, whose nordic analogy is the Pomeranian Shepherd dog (Pommernscher Hutehhund) and others. Slovak alpine farming has a very ancient tradition. The Tatra Chuvach, together with the mountain sheep, the Huzul horse and the typical mountain inhabitants, form the basis for an economy which assumes the utilization of the pastures through animal husbandry.
The Slovak mountain people were largely free people, not suppressed by medieval forced labor, which protected the frontiers and paid its dues merely in the form of "sheep's cheese". Their organization was called "Wallachischer Bund (Union)" (Valasski Opasek), whose center (until the repeal of forced labor) was in Kaschau. The members of this, basically, herding and military organization, carried out their service on the mountain meadows, always together with their typical dogs, the watch dogs of the Tatra and they were always depicted with them.
As a good guard, watch dog and companion as well as guide for the shepherds, the Tatra Chuvach has also proved his worth in the guarding of cattle, driving poultry and other domestic animals to pasture, as well as guarding different objects. Holiday makers visiting the mountain farmers to buy cheese and other products found pleasure in the thickly coated puppies and so transferred the breed to the lowlands, where they were not seldom regarded as a luxury breed because of their unusual appearance.
On the Polish side of the Tatra, where a similar breed, the Coral Dogs (Mountain Dogs), are kept, specially powerful animals are called "Liptauer" by the people which points to the Slovak origin. So the breeding region of the Tatra Chuvach has a topographic boundary.
The Stud Book of the Tatra Chuvach in Czechoslovakia was founded more than thirty years ago by Professor Anton Hruza of the Brno Veterinary College. The basic material stemmed from the area of the places Liptovska Luzna, Kokava, Vychodna v. Tatrach and the neighbourhood of Rachovo in the Carpathians. The first breeding establishment had the name "Ze zlate studny" (of the Golden Fountain) and was founded in Svitavy and Brno. The Carpathian kennel had the prefix "Z Hoverla" (Of Hoverla). Since then the club for Tatra Chuvach breeders, with its headquarters in Bratislava, has kept exact records and held exhibitions, assessments, competitions and shows in all regions of the Republic. Further old blood lines stem from the places Liptovske Hole, Velky Choc, Zakopane, Martin, Jedlova and Jeseniky.
The widest spread lines are those of Topas, Uran, Simba, Hrdos, Ibro, Cuvo, Bundas, Dinar, Samko, Bojar, Olaf and others.
Genetically, the Tatra Chuvach can be characterised as a "leucistic" Mountain Dog with black muzzle and to a lesser part as "flavistic" dog with brown muzzle and paler eye. From the combination of the mentioned genetic types, of which the former is dominant, stems a certain difference in the shading of color, of the pigmentation of the eyelids, eyes, muzzle, lips and membranes.
Through strict selection favoring the first type, the judges and breeders achieved the type required by the following standard and its stabilizing by breeders.
The number of club members with breeding stock and kennels has recently been counted as towards 200. Living registered dogs, at present in the republic, number nearly 800.
The quality of our breeding of the Tatra Chuvach is confirmed by favorable assessment at international shows (Prague, Brno, Liberec, Bratislava, Leipzig and others) and this with strong foreign competition.
BEHAVIOR / CHARACTER He is boundlessly faithful and courageous, always ready to fight off any intruder, be it even bears and wolves. In order to distinguish him from wild beasts in the night, he is, according to ancient tradition, only bred in white.
HEAD
CRANIAL
REGION
Skull Strong, longish in shape, broad between the ears. The broad forehead
has a shallow furrow tapering away towards the rear. Superciliary ridges are in
proportion and slanted sideways. Top of head flat. Neck clearly defined from
strong, moderately protruding nape of neck. Top of head, in profile, slightly
domed compared to bridge of nose.
Stop : Moderate.
FACIAL
REGION
Nose Black, especially in summer.
Muzzle Straight in profile and about half length of head, fairly broad, tapering towards the front. Strong, of medium length, blunt.
Lips : Close fitting, corner of mouth closed. Mucous membranes black, forming a narrow, not overhanging frame to the mouth Medium thickness. Palate black.
Jaws Strong, always with complete scissor bite.
Eyes : Dark brown, oval shape, set in horizontally. Eyelids black, close fitting. Membrane in the inside corner of the eye dark, making the eye expressive.
Ears Set on high, mobile at set on. Of moderate length, hanging, lying close to head. Half way down, the ear has finer hair. When in repose, the rounded lower edge reaches to mouth level.
NECK Set on straight. Carried high when alert. In male dogs very powerful with good mane. No dewlap.
BODY
Back Straight. Of medium length and strong.
Loin : Moderately arched. Well attached to the sacrum, muscular, very
strong and adequately long.
Rump : Strong, broad and slightly sloping.
Chest Broad. Sternum bone reaching up to the height of shoulder joints.
Ribcage Well sprung ribs. Sternum above half height at withers and
reaching lower than elbows. The length of the ribcage exceeds half the body
length; its breadth is a quarter of the height at withers. Ribs Arched,
inclined towards rear and forming a clear transition to the flanks.
Belly: Belly and flanks appropriate, moderate tuck up.
TAIL : Set on low. Standing and in repose hanging low, reaching to hock joints. Shape straight like a cigar, not curled at tip. When moving carried curled over loin.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS
Forelegs Position straight, pillar-like, with good angulation of upper arm
and elbow. Feet strong, round, tight. Legs generally rather long, specially in
males.
Shoulder Well laid back and long. Upper arm muscular and firmly attached
to the body, inclined towards elbow.
Forearm Vertical, strong, muscular and long.
Pastern joint : Bony and strong.
Pastern Short, strong and moderately inclined.
Front feet : Strong toes and nails, firmly arched and round in shape.
Well coated, with fleshy black pads.
HINDQUARTERS
Buttocks, together with upper thighs,
form a muscular whole, longish in shape and of considerable breadth.
Stifle Well muscled and well angulated. Second Thigh Sloping,
strong, well muscled.
Hockjoint : Strong, with blunt angle; rather low set but well defined and
large.
Hock Short and strong. Position vertical. There is no restriction at
transition to hock. Dewclaws undesired.
Hind feet Are slightly longer than front feet, otherwise same shape. Toes
somewhat stronger and more arched.
GAIT / MOVEMENT Surprisingly light footed in spite of his powerful build, agile and quick, in every terrain and in all weathers; with preference for trot.
SKIN : Loose on body, otherwise close fitting. Skin pink; black pigmentation only round the eyes, the neck and muzzle where it merges with the black mucous membranes. Pads also black.
COAT
HAIR With the exception on head and limbs, the hair form a dense coat
without a parting on the back and without feathering on tail and buttocks. Males
have a striking mane. Hair is short and close on head and legs, slightly longer
on rearside of legs. Short hair gradually merges from set-on of ears into the
mane. Undercoat is completely covered by long hair in top coat. The latter is 5
to 15 cm. Most wavy on mane, elsewhere moderately wavy, forming numerous waves
across the back which merge into each other. Single waves, not joined, are
undesired. Required is a light dense coat.
Undercoat hair fine and dense, in length up to half or two thirds of hair of top coat. The undercoat is shed during the summer, so the coat loses its density, but remains light throughout the year on account of the wavy topcoat which forms no parting on the back.
COLOR White. Yellowish shading at set on of ears permitted but not desired. Distinct yellow patches are not permitted.
HEIGHT Dogs 62 to 70 cm. Bitches 59 to 65 cm at withers.
MEASUREMENTS DOGS BITCHES
Dogs Bitches
Weight 36 to 44
kg 31 to 37 kg
Height at withers 62 to 70 cm 59 to 65 cm
Length of head (average) 25 to 28 cm 23 to 26 cm
Length of cranial region 13 to 15 cm 12 to 14 cm
Length of facial region 12 to 14 cm 11 to 13 cm
Height at Sternum Level 33 to 37 cm 20 to 35 cm
Depth of Chest 30 to 34 cm 25 to 30 cm
Length of Body 69 to 76 cm 60 to 72 cm
Length of ribcage 40 to 47 cm 37 to 44 cm
Girth of chest behind shoulder70 to 83 cm 68 to 72 cm
Girth of chest at last floating rib 60 to 70 cm 56 to 65 cm
Angulation of joints Shoulder Joint 107 degrees
Elbow Joint 145 degrees
Hip Joint 90 degrees
Stifle Joint 110 degrees
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.
- Pincer bite, missing teeth.
- Pendulous lips.
- Unsymmetric position of the ears.
- Flat, not sufficiently deep chest.
- Tail laterally deviated.
- Bear-like feet.
- Dewclaws.
- Close fitting fringy coat, also completely wavy coat.
- Lack of coat on belly, flanks and genitals.
- Results of tickets or distemper.
- Excessively nervous, unbalanced character.
ELIMINATING FAULTS
- Pink spots on nose leather, lips or
eyelids.
- Light eyes.
- Yellow patches in coat.
N.B. Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
TRANSLATION : Dobermann Council of K.U.S.A. (Kennel Union of Southern Africa).
ORIGIN : Germany.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 14.02.1994.
UTILIZATION : Companion, protection and working dog.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer type-Molossian type and Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs.
Section 1 Pinscher and Schnauzer type.
With working trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The Dobermann is the only German breed which bears the name of its original breeder, Friedrich Louis Dobermann (02.01.1834 – 09.06.1894).
He was believed to be a tax collector, offal abbatoir manager (knacker) and a part time dog catcher, legally able to catch all stray dogs. He bred with animals from this reservoir that were particularly sharp. The so called “butcher’s dogs” which were already considered a relatively pure breed at that time, played a most important role in the origination of the Dobermann breed. These dogs were an early type of Rottweiler, mixed with a type of shepherd which existed in “Thüringen” as a black dog with rust red markings. Herr Dobermann bred with this mixture of dogs in the Eighteen Seventies. Thus he obtained “his breed”: not only alert, but highly protective working and housedogs. They were often used as guard and police dogs. Their extensive use in police work led to the nickname “Gendarme dog”. They were used in hunting to control large vermin. In these circumstances it was a matter of course that the Dobermann was recognized officially as a Police Dog by the beginning of the century.
The Dobermann breed requires a medium sized, powerful, muscular dog. Despite his substance he shall be elegant and noble, which will be evident in his body line. He must be exceptionally suitable as a companion, protection and working dog and also as a family dog.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : The Dobermann is of medium size, strong and muscularly built. Through the elegant lines of its body, its proud stature, and its expression of determination, it conforms to the ideal picture of dog.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : The body of the Dobermann appears to be almost square, particularly in males. The length of the body measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock shall not be more than 5% longer than the height from the withers to the ground in males, and 10% in females.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : The disposition of the Dobermann is friendly and calm; very devoted to the family it loves children. Medium temperament and medium sharpness (alertness) is desired. A medium threshold of irritation is required with a good contact to the owner. Easy to train, The Dobermann enjoys working, and shall have good working ability, courage and hardness. The particular values of self confidence and intrepidness are requied, and also adaptability and attention to fit the social environment.
HEAD
CRANIAL REGION : Strong and in proportion to the body. Seen from the top the head is shaped in the form of a blunt wedge. Viewed form the front the crown line shall be almost level and not dropping off to the ears. The muzzle line extends almost straight to the top line of the skull which falls, gently rounded, into the neck line. The superciliary ridge is well developed without protruding. The forehead furrow is still visible. The occiput shall not be conspicuous. Seen from the front and the top the sides of the head must not bulge. The slight bulge between the rear of the upper jawbone and the cheek bone shall be in harmony with the total length of the head. The head muscles shall be well developed.
Stop : Shall be slight but visibly developed.
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Nostrils well developed, more broad than round, with large openings without overall protrusion. Black – on black dogs; on brown dogs, corresponding lighter shades.
Muzzle : The muzzle must be in the right proportion with the upper head and must be strongly developed. The muzzle shall have depth. The mouth opening shall be wide, reaching to the molars. A good muzzle width must also be present on the upper and lower incisor area.
Flews : They shall be tight and lie close to the jaw which will ensure a tight closure of the mouth. The pigment of the gum to be dark; on brown dogs a corresponding lighter shade.
Jaws/Teeth : Powerful broad upper and under jaw, scissor bite, 42 teeth correctly placed and normal size.
Eyes : Middle sized, oval and dark in colour. Lighter shades are permitted for brown dogs. Close lying eyelids. Eyelids shall be covered with hair. Baldness around the rim of the eye is highly undesirable.
Ears : The ear, which is set high, is carried erect and cropped to a length in proportion to the head. In a country where cropping is not permitted the uncropped ear is equally recognized. (Medium size preferred and with the front edge lying close to the cheeks).
NECK : The neck must have a good length and be in proportion to the body and the head. It is dry and muscular. Its outline rises gradually and is softly curved. Its carriage is upright and shows much nobility.
BODY :
Withers : Shall be pronounced in height and length, especially in males and thereby determine the slope of the topline rising from the croup to the withers.
Back : Short and tight, of good width and well muscled.
Loin : Of good width and well muscled. The bitch can be slightly longer in loin because she requires space for suckling.
Croup : It shall fall slightly, hardly perceptible from sacrum to the root of the tail, and appears well rounded, being neither straight nor noticeably sloping, of good width and well muscled.
Chest : Length and depth of chest must be in the right proportion to the body length. The depth with slightly arched ribs should be approximately 50% the height of the dog at the withers. The chest has got a good width with especially well developed forechest.
Underline and Belly : From the bottom of the breastbone to the pelvis the underline is noticeably tucked up.
TAIL : It is high set and docked short whereby approximately two tail vertebrae remain visible. In countries where docking is legally not permitted the tail may remain natural.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS :
General : The front legs as seen from all sides are almost straight, vertical to the ground and strongly developed.
Shoulders : The shoulder-blade lies close against the chest, and both sides of the shoulder-blade edge are well muscled and reach over the top of the thoracic vertebra, slanting as much as possible and well set back. The angle to the horizontal is approximately 50%.
Upper arm : Good length, well muscled, the angle to the shoulder-blade is approximately 105° to 110°.
Elbow : Close in, not turned out.
Lower arm : Strong and straight. Well muscled. Length in harmony with the whole body.
Carpus (Carpal joint) : Strong.
Metacarpus (Pastern) : Bones strong. Straight seen from the front. Seen from the side, only slightly sloping, maximum 10°.
Forefeet : The feet are short and tight. The toes are arched towards the top (cat like). Nails short and black.
HINDQUARTERS :
General : Seen from the back the Dobermann looks, because of his well developed pelvic muscles in hips and croup, wide and rounded off. The muscles running from the pelvic towards the upper and lower thigh result in good width development, as well as in the upper thigh area, in the knee joint area and at the lower thigh. The strong hind legs are straight and stand parallel.
Upper thigh : Good length and width, well muscled. Good angulation to the hip joint. Angulation to the horizontal approximately between 80° to 85°.
Knee : The knee joint is strong and is formed by the upper and lower thigh as well as the knee cap. The knee angulation is approximately 130°.
Lower thigh : Medium length and in harmony with the total length of the hindquarter.
Hock joint : Medium strength and parallel. The lower thigh bone is joined to the metatarsal at the hock joint (angle about 140°).
Metatarsus (Rear pastern) : It is short and stands vertical to the ground.
Hind feet : Like the front feet, the toes of the back feet are short, arched and closed. Nails are short and black.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : The gait is of special importance to both the working ability as well as the exterior appearance. The gait is elastic, elegant, agile, free and ground covering. The front legs reach out as far as possible. The hind quarter gives far reaching and necessary elastic drive. The front leg of one side and back leg of the other side move forward at the same time. There should be good stability of the back, the ligaments and the joints.
SKIN : The skin fits closely all over and is of good pigment.
COAT
HAIR : The hair is short, hard and thick. It lies tight and smooth and is equally distributed over the whole surface. Undercoat is not allowed.
COLOUR : The colour is black or brown, with rust red clearly defined and clean markings. Markings on the muzzle, as a spot on the cheeks and the top of the eyebrow, on the throat, two spots on the forechest, on the metacarpus, metatarsus and feet, on the inside of the back thigh, on the arms and below the tail.
SIZE AND WEIGHT :
Height at withers : Males : 68 – 72 cm.
Bitches : 63 – 68 cm.
Medium size desirable.
Weight : Males : about 40 – 45 kg.
Bitches : about 32 – 35 kg.
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 : Reversal of sexual impression; little substance; too light; too heavy; too leggy; weak bones.
Head : Too heavy, too narrow, too short, too long, too much or too little stop; Roman nose, bad slope of the top line of the skull; weak underjaw; round or slit eyes; light eye; cheeks too heavy; loose flews; eyes too open or too deepset; ear set too high or too low; open mouth angle.
Neck : Slightly short; too short; loose skin around the throat; dewlap; too long (not in harmony); ewe neck.
Body : Black not tight; sloping croup; sway back; roach back; insufficient or too much spring of rib; insufficient depth or width of chest; back too long overall; too little forechest; tail set too high or too low; too little or too much tuck up.
Limbs : Too little or too much angulation front or hindquarters; loose elbow; deviations from the standard position and length of bones and joints; feet too close together or too wide apart; cow-hocks, spread hocks, close hocks; open or soft paws, crooked toes; pale nails.
Coat : Markings too light or not sharply defined; smudged markings; mask too dark; big black spot on the legs; chest markings hardly visible or too large; hair long, soft, curly or dull. Thin coat; bald patches; large tufts of hair particularly on the body; visible undercoat.
Character : Inadequate self confidence; temperament too high; sharpness too high; too high or too low a threshold of irritation.
Size : Deviation of size up to two centimetres from the standard should result in a lowering of the quality grading.
Gait : Wobbly; restricted or stiff gait; pacing.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS :
Character : Fearful, nervous and aggressive animals.
General : Pronounced reversal of sexual impressions.
Eyes : Yellow eyes (bird of prey eye); wall eye.
Dentition : Overshot; level bite; undershot; missing teeth.
Coat : White spots; pronounced long and wavy hair; pronounced thin coat or large bald patches.
Size : Dogs which deviate more than two centimetres over or under the standard.
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.
TRANSLATION : Mrs. C. Seidler, revised by Mrs Sporre-Willes and R. Triquet.
ORIGIN : Germany.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 13.03.2001.
UTILIZATION : Companion, Guard and Working Dog.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer- Molossoid breeds- Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs and other breeds.
Section 2.1 Molossoid breeds, mastiff type.
With working trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The small, so called Brabant Bullenbeisser is regarded as the immediate ancestor of the Boxer. In the past, the breeding of these Bullenbeissers was in the hands of the huntsmen, whom they assisted during the chase. Their task was to seize the game put up by chasing hounds and hold it firmly until the huntsman arrived and put an end to the prey. For this job the dog had to have as wide jaws as possible with broadly spaced teeth, in order to bite firmly and hold on tightly. A Bullenbeisser which had these characteristics was best suited to this job and was used for breeding. Previously only the ability to work and utilization were considered. Selective breeding was carried out which produced a dog with a wide muzzle and an upturned nose.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : The Boxer is a medium sized, smooth coated, sturdy dog of compact square build and strong bone. His muscles are taut, strongly developed and moulded in appearance. His movement is lively, powerful with noble bearing. The Boxer must be neither cumbersome or heavy, nor light or lacking in body substance.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :
a) Length of body / Height at withers: Square build, which means that the horizontal line of the back is perpendicular to the vertical line passing through the point of shoulder and to the other vertical line passing through the point of buttock, thus defining a square outline.
b) Depth of brisket / Height at withers: The chest reaches to the elbows. Depth of chest is half the height at withers.
c) Length of nose bridge / Length of head: Length of nose bridge in relation to skull should be 1 : 2 (measured from tip of nose to inner corner of eye or, respectively, inner corner of eye to occiput).
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : The Boxer should be fearless self-confident, calm and equable. Temperament is of the utmost importance and requires careful attention. Devotion and loyalty towards his master and his entire household, his watchfulness and self-assured courage as a defender are famous. He is harmless with his family but distrustful of strangers. Happy and friendly in play, yet fearless in a serious situation. Easy to train on account of his willingness to obey, his pluck and courage, natural keenness and scent capability. Undemanding and clean, he is just as agreeable and appreciated in the family circle as he is as a guard, companion and working dog. His character is trustworthy, with no guile or cunning, even in old age.
HEAD : This gives the Boxer his characteristic look. Must be in good proportion to the body and appear neither too light nor too heavy. Muzzle should be as broad and powerful as possible. The harmony of the head depends on the balance between muzzle and skull. From whichever direction the head is viewed, from front above or sideways, the muzzle must always be in the right proportion to the skull i.e. it must never appear too small. It should be clean, not showing any wrinkle. However natural folds are formed in the cranial region when alerted. From root of nose, folds are always indicated running in a downward direction on both sides. The dark mask is confined to the muzzle and must be in sharp contrast to the colour of the head so that the face does not appear sombre.
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : The cranial region should be as lean and angular as possible. It is slightly arched, neither round and short nor flat; neither should it be too broad. Occiput not too pronounced. Furrow in forehead only slightly marked, must not be too deep, especially between the eyes.
Stop : The forehead forms a distinct stop towards bridge of nose. Bridge of nose must not be forced back into the forehead as in the Bulldog, nor should it be downfaced.
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Nose is broad and black and only slightly turned up with wide nostrils. Tip of nose is placed slightly higher than root of nose.
Muzzle : The muzzle is powerfully developed in three dimensional volume, neither pointed or narrow, nor short or shallow. Its appearance is influenced by:
a) Shape of jaw. b) Position of canine teeth. c) Shape of lips. The canines must be placed as far apart as possible and must be of good length, making the front of the muzzle broad, almost square and forming a blunt angle with bridge of nose.
In front, the edge of the upper lip rests on the edge of the lower lip. The part of the lower jaw with lower lip curved upwards, called the chin, must not markedly protrude over upper lip, seen from front. Nor should it be hidden by the lip but should be well defined from front and side.
The canines and incisors of the lower jaw must not be visible when mouth is closed, neither should the tongue show. Median groove in the upper lip (philtrum) is clearly visible.
Lips : The lips complete the shape of the muzzle. The upper lip is thick and padded and fills the space formed by the undershot lower jaw; it is supported by the lower canines.
Jaws/Teeth : The lower jaw exceeds the upper jaw and is slightly curved upwards. The Boxer is undershot. The upper jaw is broad where it joins the cranial region, tapering only slightly towards the front. The teeth are strong and healthy. The incisors are as even as possible, set in a straight line. Canines wide apart and of good size.
Cheeks : Cheeks are developed in proportion with the strong jaws without markedly bulging. They merge with the muzzle in a slight curve.
Eyes : The dark eyes are neither too small nor protruding or deep set. Their expression conveys energy and intelligence and must not be threatening or piercing. Eye rims must be dark.
Ears : The natural ears are of appropriate size. They are set on wide apart on highest part of skull. In repose they lie close to the cheeks and turn forward with a definite crease especially when the dog is alert.
NECK : Topline runs in an elegant arch from the clearly marked nape to the withers. It should be of ample length, round, strong and muscular.
BODY : Square body resting on sturdy straight legs.
Withers : Should be marked.
Back : Including loin should be short, firm, straight, broad and muscular.
Croup : Slightly sloping, broad and only slightly arched. Pelvis should be long and broad, especially in bitches.
Chest : Deep, reaching to elbows. Depth of chest is half the height at withers. Well formed forechest.
Underline : Running towards rear in elegant line. Short taut flanks slightly tucked up.
TAIL : Set on high rather than low. Tail is left natural.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS : Front legs seen from front must stand parallel and have strong bone.
Shoulders : Long and sloping, connected firmly to body. Should not be too loaded.
Upper arm : Long, making a right angle to shoulder blade.
Elbows : Neither too close to side of chest nor turned out.
Forearm : Vertical, long, clean muscles.
Carpus (wrist) : Strong, well defined, but not exaggerated.
Metacarpus (Pastern) : Short, almost perpendicular to ground.
Front feet : Small, round, tight, well cushioned and hard pads.
HINDQUARTERS : Very muscular, the muscles brick hard and visible under the skin.
Hindlegs : Seen from rear straight.
Thigh : Long and broad. Angles of hip and knee are open but as little as possible.
Knee (Stifle) : When dog is standing, should reach so far forward that it would touch a vertical line from point of hip to ground.
Lower thigh : Very muscular.
Hock : Strong and well defined but not exaggerated. Angle approximately 140 degrees.
Metatarsus (Rear Pastern) : Short with slight inclination, 95-100 degrees to the ground.
Hind feet : Slightly longer than front feet, tight; well cushioned and hard pads.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : Lively, full of strength and nobility.
SKY : Dry, elastic without any wrinkles.
COAT
HAIR : Short, hard, glossy and close fitting.
COLOUR : Fawn or brindle: Fawn comes in various shades from light fawn to dark deer red but the most attractive shades are in the middle range (red fawn). Black mask. The brindle variety: fawn background of varying shades has dark or black stripes running parallel to ribs. Stripes must contrast distinctly to ground colour. White markings should not be discarded. They can be quite pleasant.
SIZE AND WEIGHT :
Height at the withers : Dogs: 57-63 cm.
Females: 53-59 cm.
Weight : Dogs: over 30 kg when height at withers is ca 60 cm.
Bitches: about 25 kg when height at withers is ca 56 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.
Behaviour / Temperament : Aggressive, vicious, cunning, untrustworthy, lack of spirit, overly shy.
Head : Lack of nobility and typical expression, sombre face, Pinscher or Bulldog type head. Dribbling, showing of teeth or tongue. Muzzle too pointed or slight. Bridge of nose falling away. Leather or weather nose, pale nose leather. So called, “hawk eye”, lack of pigment in haw. In uncropped ears: Flapping, half erect or erect ears, rose ears.
Wry jaw, slanting teeth, incorrect position of teeth, poorly developed teeth and unsound teeth due to illness.
Neck : Short, thick and throaty.
Body : Front too broad and low to the ground. Sagging body, roach or sway back. Lean, long, narrow, sagging loin, loosely coupled body. Arched loin, croup falling away. Narrow pelvis, hollow flanks, pendulous belly.
Tail : Low set on, kink tail.
Forehand : French front, loose shoulders, loose elbows, weak pastern, hare foot, flat, splayed feet.
Hindquarters : Weak muscles. Too much or too little angulation, down on hocks, barrel hocks, cow hocks, narrow hocks, dewclaws, hare foot, flat, splayed feet.
Movement : Waddling, insufficient reach, pacing, stilted gait.
Colour of coat : Mask extending beyond muzzle. Stripes (brindling) too close together or too sparse. Sooty ground colour. Mingled colours. Unattractive white markings such as a whole white head or white on one side of the head. Other colours and white markings exceeding one third of the ground colour.
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.