FCI Standard 166

FCI-Standard N° 166 / 07. 08. 1996 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG (Deutscher Schäferhund) Foto

TRANSLATION : Mrs. C. Seidler and Mrs. I. Kincaid.

ORIGIN : Germany.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 23.03.91.

UTILIZATION : Versatile Utility, Herding, Guard and Service Dog.

CLASSIFICATION FCI : Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle dogs (except Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs).
Section 1 Sheepdogs.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY :
According to the official resolution, the Association for German Shepherd Dogs (Verein fur Deutsche Schaeferhunde) with seat in Augsburg, as a member of the German Kennel Club (Verband fur das Deutsche Hundewesen e.V., VDH). and as the founding association of the breed, is responsible for the Standard of the German Shepherd Dog. This standard was originally drawn up at the first membership meeting of the Association in Frankfurt/Maine on 20th September 1899, based on the proposals made by A. Meyer and Von Stephanitz. Amendments were made to the standard during the 6th membership meeting on 28th July 1901, during the 23rd Meeting in Cologne/ Rhine on the 17th September 1909, at the Board of Directors and Advisory Committee in Wiesbaden, Germany, on the 5th September, 1930, and at Board of Directors and the Breed Committee meeting on the 25th March 1961. The standard was revised and adopted by the World Union of German Shepherd Dogs (Weltunion fur Deutsche Schaferhunde, WUSV) on the 30th August 1976 and reviewed and catalogued following a resolution of the Board of Directors and Advisory Committee on the 23rd and 24th March 1991.
The German Shepherd Dog, whose planned breeding was begun in the year 1899, after the founding of the Association for German Shepherd Dogs, was originally developed on the breeding from then available Central and South German herding dogs with the final aim to create a dog highly suitable for the most demanding utility work. To achieve this aim, the breed standard of the German Shepherd Dog was developed, emphasizing correct physical structure and particularly a sound temperament and good character.

GENERAL APPEARANCE :
The German Shepherd Dog is of medium size, slightly elongated, strong and well muscled, with dry bone and of firm overall structure.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT :
The German Shepherd Dog must be even tempered, well balanced (with strong nerves), self assured, totally at ease (except when provoked), and good natured, as well as attentive and easy to train. He must poccess courage, combativity and toughness, in order to be suitable as companion, Guard, Service, herding dog and "Schutzhund".

HEAD :
The head is wedge shaped, and in proportion to body size, (length approximately 40% of height at withers) without being coarse or too elongated. Clean and dry in general appearance, moderately broad between the ears. The forehead seen from the front and side is only slightly rounded and without any, or only a slightly indicated, middle furrow. The proportion of the Cranial Region to the Facial Region is 50:50. The width of the Cranial Region corresponds approximately to the length. Seen from above, the skull, is tapering evenly from the ears to the nasal bridge and gradually sloping into the wedge-shaped foreface, with a slanting not too abrupt stop. Upper and lower jaws are strongly developed. The bridge of the nose is straight, and indentation or arch is undesirable. Lips tight, firmly fitted and dark in colour.

NOSE :
Must be black.

TEETH :
Must be strong and healthy; complete dentition (42 teeth according to the teeth formula). The German Shepherd Dog has a scissor bite, that is, the incisors must fit scissors-like to each other, so that the incisors of the upper jaw overlap those of the lower jaw in a scissor fashion. Level bite, over- or undershot bite are faults, as well as larger spaces between the teeth (gaps). Equally faulty is a straight alignment of the incisors. The jaw bones must be strongly developed so that the teeth are strongly embedded in the dental arch.

EYES :
Of medium size, almond shaped, slightly slanting, not protruding. The eye colour should be as dark as possible. Light, piercing eyes are undesirable since it affects the dog's expression.

EARS :
The German Shepherd Dog has erect ears of medium size, which are carried upright pointing in the same parallel direction (not inwardly constricted). They taper to a point and the auricle is open towards the front. Semi-drop ears or hanging ears are faulty. Ears carried laid back in movement or in repose are not faulty.

NECK :
The neck should be strong, well muscled and not throaty (no dewlap). Its angulation towards the body (horizontally) is approximately 45 degrees.

BODY :
The upper line runs, without any visible break, from the set-on of the neck over the well defined withers and over the back very slightly sloping to the horizontal line, onto the gradually slanting rump. The back is firm, strong and well muscled. The loin is broad, strongly developed and well muscled. The rump should be long, sloping slightly (about 23 degrees to the horizontal) and, without any break in the topline, merge with the tail set-on.

CHEST :
Moderately broad, lower chest as long as possible and well developed. Depth of chest should be about 45% to 48% of the height at the withers. Ribs should have moderate spring. Ribs, which are barrel-shaped or too flat are faulty.

TAIL :
Reaches at least to the hock joint, yet, not further than the middle of the metatarus. It has slightly longer hair on its underside, and is carried hanging in a gentle curve. When the dog is excited or in motion, the tail is raised and carried higher, but not above the horizontal line. Corrective surgery is forbidden.

FOREQUARTERS :
Seen from all sides, the forelegs are straight and seen from the front absolutely parallel. Shoulder-blade and upper arm are equal in length, well muscled and firmly attached to the body. The angle between the shoulder-blade and upper arm is idealy 90 degrees, but generally up to 110 degrees. The elbows must turn neither in nor out, while in repose or moving. Viewed from all sides, the forearm are straight, and absolutely parallel to each other, dry and firmly muscled. The pastern has a length of approximately 1/3 of the forearm; the angle between them is 20 to 22 degrees. A weak pastern (angle more than 22 degrees) or a steep pastern (angle less than 20 degrees) affect the dog's working suitability, especially his endurance.
Forefeet :
Rounded, tight with toes well arched; pads firm, but not brittle; the nails are strong and dark in colour.

HINDQUARTERS :
The hindlegs are placed slightly backwards; seen from the rear, they are parallel to each other. Upper and lower thighs are approximately of equal length and form an angle of about 120 degrees. The thighs are strong and well muscled. The hock joints are strong and firm. The metatarsus stands vertically under the hock joint.
Hindfeet :
Compact, slightly arched; the pads are hard and dark in colour; the nails are strong, arched and also dark in colour.

GAIT/MOVEMENT :
The German Shepherd Dog is a trotting dog. The limbs must be so coordinated in length and angulation that, without noticeable alteration of the topline, the rear legs can propel to the body while the forelegs extend to an equal distance. Any tendency to overangulation of the hindquarters reduces the firmness and endurance, and consequently the working ability. Correct body proportions and angulations result in a flat over the ground, far reaching, ground covering giat giving the impression of an effortless propulsion. The head pushed forward, and the tail slightly raised result in an even effortless trot showing a gental curved, uninterrupted upper line from the tips of the ears, over the neck and back, to the tip of the tail.

SKIN :
The skin is (loosely) fitting, but without any folds.

MAKE UP OF COAT :
The correct coat of the German Shepherd Dog is a double coat (Stockhaar) with outercoat and undercoat. The outercoat should be as dense as possible, straight, harsh and lying close to the body. On the head, inside ears, on the front side of the legs and on feet and toes, the hair is short; it is slightly longer and more dense on the neck. On the rearside of the legs the hair is longer, extending to the pastern and the hocks. It forms moderate "trousers" at the rear of the thighs.

COLOUR :
Black with reddish brown, brown, yellow to light grey markings. Solid black or solid grey. Greys with darker shading show a black saddle and mask. Unobtrusive, small white marks on chest as well as very light colour on insides permissible, but not desirable. Nose must be black in all colours. Dog with lack of mask, light to piercing eye colour, as well as with light to whitish markings on the chest and insides, pale nails and red tip of tail are considered to be lacking in pigmentation. The undercoat shows a light greyish tone. The colour white is not accepted.

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT :
Dogs: Height at withers 60-65 cm (23,5 - 25,5 ins)
Weight 30-40 kg (66-88 lbs)
Bitches: Height at withers 55-60 cm (21,5 - 23,5 ins)
Weight 22-32 kg (48-71 lbs).
The length of the body is approximately 10-17% longer than the height at the withers.

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.

SERIOUS FAULTS :
Any departure from the above described Breed characteristics which effects the working capability of the dog.
Faulty ears : Laterally too low set ears, tipped ears, inward constricted ears.
Ears not firm.
Severe lack of pigmentation.
Severe lack in general firmness.
Dental Faults : All departures from a scissor bite and the correct teeth formula, if not included in eliminating faults listed below.

ELIMINATING FAULTS :
Weak temperament, and nerves, biters.
Dogs with deformed ears or tail.
Dog with malformations.
Dogs with missing teeth as follows;
1 Pre-Molar 3, plus one additional tooth, OR
1 Canine, OR
1 Pre-Molar 4, OR
1 Molar 1 or 2 OR
a total of 3 or more missing teeth.
Dogs with faulty jaws, Overshot by more than 2mm, Undershot; pincer bite formed by all 12 incisors.
Oversized or undersized dogs by more than 1 cm.
Albinos.
White coat colour (even with dark eyes and nails).
Long outercoat (long, soft, not flat top coat with undercoat feathers on ears and legs bushy "trousers" and bushy tail with plume underneath (Langstockhaar).
Longcoat (long, soft top coat without undercoat, mostly parted in middle of back, feathers on ears, legs and tail (Langhaar).

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

FCI-Standard N° 167 / 22. 01. 1999 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

AMERICAN COCKER SPANIEL Foto

GENERAL APPEARANCE : The American Cocker Spaniel is the smallest member of the Sporting Group. He has a sturdy, compact body and a cleanly chiselled and refined head, with the overall dog in complete balance and of ideal size. He stands well up at the shoulder on straight forelegs with a topline sloping slightly toward strong, moderately bent, muscular quarters. He is a dog capable of considerable speed, combined with great endurance. Above all, he must be free and merry, sound, well balanced throughout and in action show a keen inclination to work. A dog well balanced in all parts is more desirable than a dog with strongly contrasting good points and faults.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : The measurement from the breast bone to back of thigh is slightly longer than the measurement from the highest point of withers to the ground. The body must be of sufficient length to permit a straight and free stride; the dog never appears long and low.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Equable in temperament with no suggestion of timidity.

HEAD : To attain a well proportioned head, which must be in balance with the rest of the dog, it embodies an intelligent, alert, soft and appealing expression.

Skull : Rounded but not exaggerated with no tendency toward flatness; the eyebrows are clearly defined. The bony structure beneath the eyes is well chiselled.

Nose : Of sufficient size to balance the muzzle and foreface, with well developed nostrils typical of a sporting dog. It is black in colour in the blacks, black and tans and black and whites; in other colours it may be brown, liver or black, the darker the better. The colour of the nose harmonizes with the colour of the eye rim.

Muzzle : Broad and deep. To be in correct balance, the distance from the stop to the tip of nose is one half the distance from the stop up over the crown to the base of the skull.

Jaws/Teeth : Jaws square and even. Teeth strong and sound, not too small and meet in a scissor bite.

Eyes : Eyeballs are round and full and look directly forward. The shape of the eye rims gives a slightly almond-shaped appearance; the eye is not weak or goggled. The colour of the iris is dark brown and in general the darker the better.

Ears : Lobular, long, of fine leather, well feathered, and placed no higher than a line to the lower part of the eye.

NECK : The neck is sufficiently long to allow the nose to reach the ground easily, muscular and free from pendulous « throatiness ». It rises strongly from the shoulders and arches slightly as it tapers to join the head.

Back : Strong and sloping evenly and slightly downward from the shoulders to the set-on of the docked tail.

Chest : Deep, its lowest point no higher than the elbows, its front sufficiently wide for adequate heart and lung space, yet not so wide as to interfere with the straight forward movement of the forelegs. Ribs are deep and well sprung.

TAIL : The docked tail is set on and carried on a line with the topline of the back, or slightly higher; never straight up like a terrier and never so low as to indicate timidity. When the dog is in motion the tail action is merry.

FOREQUARTERS : Forelegs are parallel, straight, strongly boned, muscular and set close to the body well under the scapulae.

Shoulders : Well laid back forming an angle with the upper arm of approximately 90° which permits the dog to move his forelegs in an easy manner with forward reach. Shoulders are clean-cut and sloping without protrusion and so set that the upper points of the withers are at an angle which permits a wide spring of rib.

Elbows : When viewed from the side with the forelegs vertical, the elbow is directly below the highest point of the shoulder blade.

HINDQUARTERS : When viewed from behind, the hind legs are parallel when in motion and at rest. They are strongly boned and muscled.

Stifle : Moderate angulation of the stifle. Strong and there is no slippage of it in motion or when standing.

FEET : Compact, large, round and firm with horny pads; they turn neither in nor out.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : The American Cocker Spaniel, though the smallest of the sporting dogs, possesses a typical sporting dog gait. Prerequisite to good movement is balance between the front and the rear assemblies. He drives with strong, powerful rear quarters and is properly constructed in the shoulders and forelegs so that he can reach forward without constriction in a full stride to counterbalance the driving force from the rear. Above all, his gait is coordinated, smooth and effortless. The dog must cover ground with his action; excessive animation should not be mistaken for proper gait.

HAIR : On the head, short and fine; on body, medium length, with enough undercoating to give protection. The ears, chest, abdomen and legs are well feathered, but not so excessively as to hide the Cocker Spaniel’s true lines and movement or affect his appearance and function as a moderately coated sporting dog. The texture is most important. The coat is silky, flat or slightly wavy and of a texture which permits easy care. Excessive coat or curly or cottony textured coat shall be severely penalized. Use of electric clippers on the back coat is not desirable. Trimming to enhance the dog’s true lines should be done to appear as natural as possible.

· Black variety : Solid colour black, to include black with tan points. The black should be jet; shadings of brown or liver in the coat are not desirable. A small amount of white on the chest and/or throat is allowed; white in any other location shall disqualify.

· Any Solid Colour Other Than Black (ASCOB) : Any solid colour other than black, ranging from the lightest cream to darkest red, including brown and brown with tan points. The colour shall be of a uniform shade, but lighter colour of the feathering is permissible. A small amount of white on the chest and/or throat is allowed; white in any other location shall disqualify.

· Parti-Colour variety : Two or more solid, well broken colours, one of which must be white; black and white, red and white (the red may range from lightest cream to darkest red), brown and white, and roans, to include any such colour combination with tan points. It is preferable that the tan markings be located in the same pattern as for the tan points in the Black and ASCOB varieties. Roans are classified as Parti-Colours and may be of any of the usual roaning patterns. Primary colour which is ninety percent (90%) or more shall disqualify.

· Tan points : The colour of the tan may be from the lightest cream to the darkest red and is restricted to ten percent (10%) or less of the colour of the specimen; tan markings in excess of that amount shall disqualify. In the case of tan points in the Black or ASCOB variety, the markings shall be located as follows:

Tan markings which are not readily visible or which amount only to traces, shall be penalized. Tan on the muzzle which extends upward, over and joins shall also be penalized. The absence of tan markings in the Black or ASCOB variety in any of the specified locations in any otherwise tan-pointed dog shall disqualify.

The ideal height at the withers for an adult dog is 15 inches and for an adult bitch, 14 inches. Height may vary one half inch above or below this ideal. A dog whose height exceeds 15,5 inches or a bitch whose height exceeds 14,5 inches shall be disqualified. An adult dog whose height is less than 14,5 inches and an adult bitch whose height is less than 13,5 inches shall be penalized. Height is determined by a line perpendicular to the ground from the top of the shoulder blades, the dog standing naturally with its forelegs and lower hind legs parallel to the line of measurement.

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.

· Colour and markings: The aforementioned colours are the only acceptable colours or combination of colours. Any other colours or combination of colours to disqualify.

· Any Solid Colour Other Than Black variety: White markings except on chest and throat.

(2) Absence of tan markings in Black or ASCOB variety in any of the specified locations in an otherwise tan-pointed dog.

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

FCI-Standard N° 168 / 01. 12. 1997 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

DANDIE DINMONT TERRIER Foto

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Distinctive head with beautiful silky covering, with large, wise intelligent eyes offsetting long, low weaselly body. Short, strong legs; weatherproof coat.

BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT : Game, workmanlike Terrier. Independant, highly intelligent, determined, persistent, sensitive, affectionate and dignified.

HEAD : Head strongly made, large but in proportion to dog’s size, muscles showing extraordinary development, especially the maxillary.

Skull : Broad, narrowing torwards eye, measuring about the same from inner corner of eye to back of skull, as from ear to ear. Forehead well domed; head covered with very soft, silky hair not confined to mere « topknot ».

Muzzle : In proportion to skull as three is to five. Top of muzzle has triangular bare patch pointing backwards to eyes from nose about 2,5 cm (1 in.) broad.

Jaws/Teeth : Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Any deviation highly undesirable. Teeth very strong, especially canines which are extraordinary in size for a small dog. Canines fit well against each other, to give greatest available holding and punishing power. Inside of mouth black or dark coloured.

Eyes : Rich dark hazel; set wide apart and low, large, bright, full and round but not protruding.

Ears : Pendulous, set well back, wide apart, low on skull, hanging close to cheek with very slight projection at base; broad at junction of head and tapering almost to a point, fore part of ear coming almost straight down from its junction with head to tip. Cartilage and skin of ear very thin. Length of ear, from 7½ -10 cm (3-4 ins). Ears harmonise in colour with body colour. In a pepper dog, covered with soft, straight, dark hair (in some cases almost black).

In a mustard dog, hair mustard in colour, a shade darker than body but not black. Both should have a thin feather of light hair starting about 5 cm (2 ins) from the tip, and of nearly the same colour and texture as « topknot », giving ear appearance of a distinct point. This may not appear until after age of two years.

NECK : Very muscular, well developed and strong, showing great power. Well set into shoulders.

Back : Rather low at shoulders having slight downward curve and corresponding arch over loins, slight gradual drop from top of loin to root of tail. Backbone well muscled.

TAIL : Rather short from 20-25 cm (8-10 ins), rather thick at root, getting thicker for about 10 cm (4 ins) and tapering off to a point. Not twisted or curled in any way but with a curve like a scimitar, the tip when excited being in a perpendicular line with root of tail, set neither too high nor too low. When not excited carried gaily a little above body level.

FOREQUARTERS : Forelegs short with immense muscular development and bone, set wide apart and chest coming well down between them. Bandy legs highly undesirable.

HINDQUARTERS : Hindlegs a little longer than forelegs; set rather wide apart, but not spread out in an unnatural manner.

Hindfeet : Round and well padded. Hindfeet smaller than forefeet. Nails dark but varying in shade according to colour of body. Flat or open feet highly undesirable.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Strong, straight impulsion from rear, giving a fluent free and easy stride, reaching forward at the front. A stiff, stilted, hopping or weaving gait highly undesirable.

HAIR : Very important feature of the breed. Double coat with a soft linty undercoat and a harder topcoat, not wiry but giving crisp feel to the hand. The coat should not « shed » down the back, but should lie in pencils caused by the harder hair coming through the softer undercoat. The forelegs have feather about 5 cm (2 ins) long. Upper side of tail covered with wiry hair, underside not so wiry with neat feathering of softer hair.

· Pepper : Ranges from dark bluish black to light silvery grey, intermediate shades preferred. Body colour coming well down shoulder and hips gradually merging into colour of legs and feet which varies according to body colour from rich tan to pale fawn. Profuse silvery white « topknot ».

· Mustard : Varies from reddish brown to pale fawn. Profuse creamy white « topknot », legs and feet of a darker shade than head.

In both colours feather on forelegs rather lighter than hair on fore part of leg. Some white hair on chest and white nails permissible. White feet undesirable. Hair on underside of tail lighter than on upperside which should be darker colour than body.

WEIGHT : 8-11 kg ( 18-24 lbs) for dogs in good working condition. The lower weights preferred.

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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

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° 169 / 28. 11. 2003 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

FOX TERRIER (WIRE) Foto

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Active and lively, bone and strength in small compass, never cloddy or coarse. Conformation to show perfect balance; in particular this applies to the relative proportions of skull and foreface, and similarly height at withers and length of body from shoulder point to buttocks appear approximately equal. Standing like a short-backed hunter covering a lot of ground.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Alert, quick of movement, keen of expression, on tiptoe of expectation at slightest provocation. Friendly, forthcoming and fearless.

Skull : Topline of skull almost flat, sloping slightly and gradually decreasing in width towards eyes.

Muzzle : Little difference in length between skull and foreface. If foreface is noticeably shorter head looks weak and unfinished.

Foreface gradually tapering from eye to muzzle and dipping slightly at its juncture with forehead but not dished or falling away quickly below eyes where it should be full and well made up. Full and rounded contour of cheeks undesirable.

Jaws/Teeth : Jaws strong with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Excessive bony or muscular development of jaws undesirable and unsightly.

Eyes : Dark, full of fire and intelligence, moderately small, not prominent. As near circular in shape as possible. Not too far apart nor too high in skull nor too near ears. Light eyes highly undesirable.

Ears : Small, V-shaped, of moderate thickness, flaps neatly folded over and dropping forward close the cheeks. Top line of folded ears well above level of skull. Prick, tulip or rose ears highly undesirable.

NECK : Clean, muscular, of fair length, free from throatiness, broadening to shoulders, presenting a graceful curve when viewed from side.

Chest : Brisket deep; front ribs moderately arched; rear ribs deep, well sprung.

Docked : Set high. Carried erect, not over back or curled. Of good strength and fair length.

Undocked : Set high. Carried erect, not over back or curled. Of good strength and fair length to maintain a balanced appearance.

FOREQUARTERS : Seen from front, shoulders slope steeply down from junction with neck towards points which should be fine; viewed from side, long and well laid back and sloping obliquely backwards. Withers always clean cut. Chest deep, not broad. Viewed from any direction, legs straight, bone strong right down to feet. Elbows perpendicular to body, working free of sides, carried straight when moving.

HINDQUARTERS : Strong, muscular and free from droop or crouch. Combination of short second thigh and straight stifle highly undesirable.

FEET : Round, compact with small, tough and well cushioned pads, toes moderately arched. Turning neither in nor out.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Fore- and hindlegs move straight forward and parallel. Elbows move perpendicular to body, working free of sides. Stifles turning neither in nor out. Good drive coming from well flexing hindquarters.

HAIR : Dense, very wiry texture, 2 cm (3/4 in) on shoulder to 4 cm (1½ ins) on withers, back, ribs and quarters with undercoat of short, softer hair. Back and quarters harsher than sides. Hair on jaws crisp and of sufficient length to impart appearance of strength to foreface. Leg hair dense and crisp.

COLOUR : White predominates with black, black and tan or tan markings. Brindle, red, liver or slate-blue markings undesirable.

Height at the withers not exceeding 39 cm (15 ½ ins) in dogs, bitches slightly less.

Ideal weight in show condition 8,25 kg (18 lbs) for dogs, bitches slightly less.

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° 170 / 24. 08. 1995 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

CASTRO LABOREIRO DOG (Cão de Castro Laboreiro) Foto

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer- Molossoid Breeds- Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs and other breeds.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : With his name closely linked to a small village in the mountains, Castro Laboreiro, where he is mostly found nowadays, this dog has been known since very remote times. Although there is no definite proof to ascertain his origin, as it happens with the Serra da Estrela dog, he must belong to one of the most ancient breeds in the Iberian Peninsula.

He appears mainly in a zone limited by the mountains of Peneda and Suajo and the rivers Minho and Lima, at variable altitudes, up to about 1400 m.

Some specimens of this breed can also be found scattered in other places alongside the Minho and in the Province Douro. He spreads seldom in the Center and the South of the country, where he passes unnoticed.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : A mastiff type lupoïd dog with rather rectangular lines. A strong dog, of pleasant appearance and often of striking coat. His gait is free, easy and full of nerve. His bark is quite characteristic, very loud, starting in variable, generally low tones and ending up in prolonged high-pitched sounds similar to howling.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : A loyal companion, obedient to his own family, absolutely necessary as defender of the herds against the wolf which still abounds in the neighbourhood; he is the ideal guard dog for the places entrusted to his protection. Noble carriage, with a strong and severe expression, hardy as a mountaineer. He sometimes takes a hostile attitude, but he is not quarrelsome.

HEAD : Even in size, showing lightness rather than coarseness; dry but not too lean; skin well developed, but without wrinkles; slightly long head, rather rectangular and well set.

Skull : Fairly developed and seen from front slightly salient. Profile almost straight. Frontal furrow hardly noticeable. Occipital crest hardly marked.

Stop : Not very marked, nearer to the tip of the nose than to the top of the skull.

Muzzle : Nasal bridge long, strong, straight throughout its whole length muzzle tapering towards the tip of the nose, without however being narrow or pointed. Mouth well cut.

Lips : Regular, neither pendulous nor fleshy, close fitting, with labial corners hardly visible. Mucous membranes of the mouth, the hard palate and the edges of the lips strongly pigmented with black.

Jaws/Teeth : Jaws powerful with good occlusion. Set of teeth whole, teeth strong, white and well set into well muscled jaws. Normal bite.

Eyes : Slanting, even with the socket, tonsil shaped, medium sized, perfectly equal and well open. Severe and hard expression. Different shades of brown, from hazel in dogs with a light coat too very deep brown, almost black in dogs with darker coats.

Ears : Of medium size (12/12 cm), moderately thick, almost triangular with a rounded tip; fairly high set, hanging, falling naturally close and flat to the head, parallel to each other. When the dog is attentive, the ear turns forward, its outer surface remaining in forward position.

NECK : Straight, well shaped, short, well set to head and body, of well proportioned thickness. Proud carriage. No dewlap.

Underline : Rather flat belly, even somewhat narrow, with distinct difference in level between the xyphoid and the groin, forming a noticeably rising underline.

TAIL : Entire, not docked. At rest the tail should reach the hock. Nicely dressed sabre tail, long and thick at the set on, very hairy on the underside, well attached to the croup; set higher than usual. At rest, it falls down naturally to the buttocks which should be covered with abundant hair, yet not between them. When the dog is excited, the tail is carried above the topline bending upward, forward and slightly sideways, but never carried downward like a hunting-horn.

FORE- AND HINDQUARTERS : Both fore-and hindquarters very correctly vertical, either seen from the front or from the rear; seen from side, the forelegs still appear upright whilst in the hindlegs the line of the rearpastern below the hock joint to the ground slopes a little forward, off the vertical (dog standing too far under). Well developed bone, well covered with powerful muscles especially on the upperarms and on the thighs, the latter showing distinct muscular masses, easily seen from the rear. Forearm rather cylindrical, straight, slimming gradually down to the pastern which should be neither too long nor too bent (not down in pastern). Joints and articular angulations well developed; medium open angles (shoulder-upperarm almost straight, tibio-tarsical angle medium blunt).

FEET : Well proportioned to the size, rather rounded than long, almost cat feet. Large toes, naturally arched, neither turned outwards (splay feet) nor inwards (bow feet), and well connected. Thick, tough pads. Well grown nails, black or dark grey, strong, smooth and regularly worn. Single or double dewclaws acceptable.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Easy rhythmical gait, the legs moving parallel to the median plane of the body. This dog normally moves at a natural walk or sometimes in an easy amble, unless a strong reason urges him to trot or even to gallop.

HAIR : Thick, resistant, rather rough to the touch, slightly dull, smooth, very close over the entire body and very dense. Short hair (about 5 cm) is the usual, longer or shorter hair is exceptional. Generally the hair is thicker and shorter on the head and the ears where it is softer and finer as well as on the lower parts of the fore-and hindlegs. It is thicker and longer on the tail, especially on the underside, making it appear heavier in the middle part. Very hairy thighs. No undercoat.

COLOUR : Wolf colours in all shades from very light to medium and dark shades, the latter being more usual. Exceptionally all 3 shades may be present on different parts of the same dog: dark wolf colour on the head back and shoulders, medium shade on the chest, rump and thighs, light colour on the belly and the lower parts of the limbs. The most preferred, however, is the locally called “mountain colour” considered by the breeders in Castro-Laboreiro as a characteristical ethnic trait: a mixed coat, similar to the coat of a wolf, greyish, in lighter or darker shades, not black, with brown (pine-seed colour) or reddish (mahogany colour) hairs interspersed on parts or over the whole body.

Upper line

Length

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.

SCALE OF POINTS

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

	Males	Females
Head : carriage, skull, nostrils, muzzle, stop, eyes, ears	20	20
Neck, withers, shoulders, forequarters	15	13
Chest, loins, upper- and underline	15	15
Croup, pelvis, hindquarters	13	15
Tail : carriage, shape, set on	5	5
Feet, toes, nails	5	5
Coat : texture, colour, density	7	7
General appearance : harmony of build, gait, size + substance,gender characteristics	20	20
	100	100

Upper line

Length

SCALE OF POINTS

Males

Females