TRANSLATION : Portuguese Kennel Club, Mrs. Peggy Davis.

ORIGIN : Portugal.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 19.09.1967.

UTILIZATION : A tenacious hunter and a good walker. He beats the ground with the perseverence of an experienced explorer, instantly looking for his prey, with all the attention required by his excellent subtle nose and his outstanding skill. A crafty worker and a faithful helpmate to the hunting sportsman. Alert and silent, raised head, open nostrils, by his demeaour, his look, the position of his tail or his gait, he conveys to his attentive companion the knowledge gained through his sense of smell. A good Portuguese Pointing Dog is always ready to help with intelligence, sometimes even with surprising cunning. The dog manages to stand still when the smell  of the game awakes his senses. He points firmly, in odd attitudes connected with his characteristic mental reflexes: Contracted face, glassy, fixed gaze, poised listening ears, immobile head, rigid horizontal tail, a foreleg raised; he is at times indifferent to what is going on around him, as soon as his olfactory senses feel the closeness of the game. Not selfish at all, he enjoys and shows his delight in sharing the hunter’s pleasure, no matter how hard the climate or rough the ground. His main interest is bringing down the quarry and his main reward to retrieve and hand it to his master. Both of which he does surprisingly well.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 7        Pointing Dogs.

                                              Section 1.1   Continental Pointing Dogs, type « Braque ».

                                              With working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : His remote origins are rather cloudy; we have good reason, however, to assume that he came from the Orient to the Iberian Penininsula in very early times; his presence in Portugal can be traced back to the late XIVth. century. It may be assumed that, with the years and owing to various influences, some of the mutations suffered by the original species became fixed in such a way, that they individualize the Portuguese Pointing Dog. In fact he should be considered as an autochthon, well defined breed, both in morphology and in psychological characteristics.

The Portuguese Pointing Dog can be found scattered all over the continental area of Portugal; mainly in towns where shooting is a favourite sport, as he is greatly appreciated as a gun dog.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Of medium proportions, bracoïd type dog, balanced in shape, showing a solid structure combined with great suppleness of movements.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Extremely affectionate; very submissive, the Portuguese Pointing Dog can go to extremes of affection, occasionally even embarrassing, when, through lack of training, the dog does not obey either any signals or vocal commands. He is quite sociable, although sometimes slightly frisky within his own kind. He is of graceful appareance, of calm but lively temperament and of an interesting variable expressiveness.

HEAD : Proportioned to size of the body. It gives, however, by its shape, the impression of being larger. Slightly heavy, but should not be too bony or fleshy. It should be covered with loose and fine skin without any wrinkles; if there are wrinkles, they should only be slightly developed. Seen from the front, the head seems to be square, from the side rectilinear. Head well set into the neck, allowing free and haughty carriage. Of good shape and well proportioned; seen from the front, the head shows a clear separation between the nasal bridge and the skull along an ideal line passing at the level of the internal eye angles.

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : Seen from the front, the forehead is almost flat, high, wide and symmetrical, from profile slightly arched. Occipital crest barely perceptible.

Stop : Well marked (skull-foreface angle about 100°), nearer to the tip of the nose than to the occiput.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : The nose forms a perfect right angle with the nasal bridge and the upper lip. Nostrils should be large, well shaped and well open. The nose should be black in chamois or similar coats; preferably light brown or dark brown in dogs of brown colours, the nose always lighter than the coat.

Muzzle : Nasal bridge straight, of adequate width in its whole length; should be flat over the entire length. The connection with the face should be well marked.

Lips : Of moderate size. Mucous membranes irregularly pigmented. The upper lip is pendulous, but not excessively so, only slightly fleshy, looking square in profile; falling naturally without folds and meeting with the lower lip in a loose and folded commissure, which results in slightly drooping corners of the mouth.

Jaws/Teeth : A normal dentition must always exist with regard to the position, constitution, shape and development of the teeth. Each time the dog closes its mouth, the jaws, well adapted and developed, must meet in a correct bite.

Eyes : Looking straight, perfectly alike and symmetrical; large, in different shades of brown, preferably dark. Oval shaped, horizontal, set even with the head, filling the socket well. Thin wide opened lids, moving easily and closing well. Both with black or brown rims according to the nose pigmentation. Bright, expressive look, especially in adults. Prominent superciliary arches, but without excess, which would make the head look bony.

Leathers : The ears of medium length (15 cm in length-11 cm in width) must be thin, supple, covered with fine, dense, short hair; much wider at the base than at the tip, in approximative proportion of 1 : 2,5; with a rounded tip and looking like, because of the shape of the auricles, a triangle of superior base. The ears are hanging, of almost flat surface; set high, falling well and parallel; on the outside they show, when the dog is attentive, one or two small lengthwise furrows of variable depth and width, but never very accentuated.

NECK : Straight, upper third slightly arched, not very thick, rather long with a short dewlap along the underside. The neck should meet the head gracefully at an inclination of approximately 90°; it should join the thorax without a substantial transition, thus achieving a perfect and harmonious junction.

BODY :

Withers : Moderately high and slightly thick.

Back : Short, straight, broad, perfectly horizontal; smoothly connected with the loins.

Loins : Short, rather wide, well muscled, a little arched and merging well with the croup.

Croup : Of harmonious shape, in good proportional width to the loins. Its longitudinal axis is slightly oblique, thus giving a slightly sloping shape.

Chest : Deep and wide, brisket revealing a good thoracic capacity; should be more developed in length and depth than in width and should reach down to the elbows. Ribs very well sprung and noticeably wide in their upper section. Considering the girth and the crossection, the chest and its bordering ribs appear as a forefoot horseshoe, with both ends meeting.

Lower profile and Belly : From sternum to groin the line which follows the lower part of the thorax and belly is noticeably oblique, from bottom to top and from front to back; it follows the natural outline of the abdomen and shows, together with the upper line of the body, a certain elegance to which contributes a belly of moderate volume as well as the short distance with separates the hips from the last ribs, giving the flank a short and well filled out appearance.

TAIL : Generally docked by one third; the tail when undocked, must not go beyond the hock, or even preferably not reach it. Straight, set on at moderate height, strong at the root, tapering gradually, but not too much, towards the tip; well attached, well grown, in perfect continuity with the line of the croup; the line of the tail must contribute to the gracefulness of the body outline. When at rests, the dog carries the tail fallling naturally along the limbs but never between the legs; in action, the tail rises to the horizontal or even a little higher, but never to the vertical and never bending as a sickle. On the point of dynamic view, the dog when hunting moves the tail or the stump from side to side perfectly synchronised with his pace.

LIMBS : At rest, the forelimbs seen from the front are vertical. Seen from the rear the hindquarters are also vertical. Both fore-and hind limbs, either seen from front or in profile, should be placed perfectly parallel with the median plane of the body, which gives the dog a great stability and a great natural smoothness of movement.

FOREQUARTERS :

Shoulder : Long, well set, a little loaded, evenly sloping.

Upper arm : Close to the thorax, as the shoulder; length in proportion with the distance between withers and the point of the shoulder; its obliquity is in proportion with the degree of slope of the shoulder blade.

Elbows : Separated from the chest by the armpit; clean, well let down, neither turned in nor out.

Forearm : Set off from the body; long, straight and perpendicular, seen from the front and in profile.

Pastern joint : In perfect line with the forearm.

Pastern : Broad, slightly sloping, well proportioned in length.

HINDQUARTERS :

Upper thigh : Preferably long, broad, well muscled.

Buttock : The buttocks show a more or less accentuated curve from the base of the tail to the tendon of the hock; their length depends on the length and the slant of the thighs; preferably long and with a slightly plastic musculature.

Stifle : Placed slightly below the abdomen, but not too far away from it; slightly prominent and slightly turned outward.

Second Thigh : In good direction; length in proportion with the upper thigh, its obliquity in proportion to the slope of the croup.

Hock joint : Normally angulated and well placed; clean, broad and thick.

Hock : Short, upright, almost cylindrical, of even thickness, but lean.

Articulations and angles : Apparently well developed in width and in thickness, formed in such a way as to allow great facility and scope of locomotion movements. The direction of the bony segments must be in correlation with the bony bases of the bordering regions, forming angles of variable opening, but never hindering the regularity of the gait.

FEET : In proportion with the length of the legs and the size of the dog; the feet must have tendency to be rather round than long without however looking like cat-feet. Well formed toes, tight and solid in bearing the weight of the dog, thus contributing to the uniformity of the whole of the feet. Pads thick, well developed and detached, covered with blackish skin, sufficiently rough, hard and wear resistant. Nails well embedded, hard and preferably black.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Normal movements of locomotion. At work, the typical gait is the trot, extended, easy, rhythmic, lifting well the legs and posing rhythmically and alternatively the diagonal limbs right and left; first the right foreleg and the left hind leg, the other two remaining suspended; then the left foreleg and the right hind leg while the other two remain suspended.

COAT

HAIR : Must be short, strong, close, not very soft and dense; almost uniformly covering the body, except in the armpits, groins, perianal and genital regions where it becomes thinner and softer. On the head, specially on the leathers, where it has a velvety touch, the hair is shorter and smoother. No undercoat.

COLOUR : Yellow and brown, unicoloured or with white markings.

SIZE AND WEIGHT  :

Height at the withers for males 56 cm.

Height at the withers for females 52 cm.

With an allowance of 4 cm, above or below the standard.

Weight :

Medium weight of a full-grown male in good condition about 23,5 kg (20 - 27 kg).

Medium weight of a full-grown female in good condition about 19 kg (16 - 22 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.

ELIMINATING FAULTS :

• Aggresive or overly shy.

• Head: Atypical.

• Nose: Unpigmented, irregular flecked appearance.

• Jaws: Under- or overshot mouth.

• Eyes: Wall eye, eyes different in size or shape; blindness.

• Leathers: Atypical, incorrectly inserted, too large, fleshy, too folded or curling ear; deafness.

• Tail: Non existant at birth, very rudimentary, completely docked, or of uncharacteristic carriage when natural.

• Dewclaws: Presence of dewclaws, even only rudimentary.

• Coat: Different from the standard, albinism.

• Height: Gigantism, dwarfism, dog much above or below the standard.

SCALE OF POINTS :

                                                                                      Males   Females

General appearance: Conformation, movement,                  

size and substance, sex specific characteristics.......            25            25       

Head: Carriage, skull, stop, nose, muzzle, eyes, ears..          25            25

Neck, withers, shoulders, forequarters....................            10            10

Chest, loins, topline, underline of body...................              15            10

Croup, pelvis, hindquarters......................................           10            15

Tail: carriage, shape, set-on..................................               3             3

Feet, toes, nails........................................................           5             5

Coat: texture colour, denseness.............................               7             7

                                                                                       -----          ------

                                                                                       100           100

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

TRANSLATION : Mrs. Moreau-Sipiere and Prof. R. Triquet, brought up to date by Dr. Paschoud.

ORIGIN : Morocco.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 08.01.1998.

UTILIZATION : Sighthound.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 10   Sighthounds.

                                              Section 3   Short-haired Sighthounds.

                                              Without working trial, racing licence.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The Sloughi has existed for many centuries in North Africa. Nowadays most Sloughis are to be found in Morocco which is responsible for the standard. The Sloughi exists only in a single short-haired variety.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : By demeanour, by delicacy of tissue and by muscular leanness, his general appearance is that of a very racy and elegant dog.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : For a male with an ideal size of 27,5 inches (70 cm), the length of the body from point of shoulders to point of buttock should be 26-27 inches (67-68 cm). For a female with an ideal size of 26 inches (65 cm), the length of the body from point of shoulders to point of buttock should be 24-25 inches (62-63 cm). 

The ratio between length of body (from point of shoulder to point of buttock) and height at withers should be 0,96 (9,6 : 10).

The ratio between depth of chest and height at withers should be 0,4 (4 : 10).

The ratio between length of foreface and total length of head should be 0,5 (1 : 2).

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Although noble and haughty, he is very attached to his master and defends him in case of need. With an instinct of hunter, capable of sustained effort, he also appreciates the home conforts.

HEAD : Seen from the side, the head is longish, refined, delicate but rather strong. Seen from above, it has the shape of a very long wedge, the skull being the widest part, tapering to the tip of the nose.

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : Rather broad, seen from aside flat; from one ear to the other the skull measures 4-6 inches (12 to 14 cm). The skull is distinctly rounded at the back and curving harmoniously on the sides. The superciliary ridges are scarcely projecting, the frontal groove hardly marked and the occipital crest and protuberance barely visible.

Stop : Hardly pronounced.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Black.  Strong enough to avoid being pinched. Nostrils well opened. The nose leather not being held up by a skeletal structure is very slightly inclined.

Muzzle : It has the shape of a, without exaggeration, elongated wedge and is perceptibly as long as the skull. The bridge of the nose is straight from its root.

Lips : Thin and supple, just covering the lower jaw; the corner of the mouth must be as little visible as possible.

Jaws/Teeth : Teeth normal, jaws strong and regular. Scissor bite.

Eyes : Large, dark, well-set in their sockets, sometimes just covered by a slight obliquity of the eyelids. The expression is gentle, a little sad, the look like nostalgic. With a light coat, the eye can be amber-coloured. The eye rims are pigmented.

Ears : Set high slightly above the eye line, drooping, close to the head, not too large, triangular and slightly rounded at the tips.

NECK : Long, well set off from the shoulders and with the topline (crest) slightly arched. The length is perceptibly equal to the length of the head. The skin is fine, tight, without any dewlap; the hair is very smooth.

BODY :

Topline : Gently and harmoniously curved with prominent haunch bones equal in height or slightly higher than the withers.

Withers : Well projecting.

Back : Short, almost horizontal.

Loin : Short, lean, wide and slightly arched.

Croup : Bony, wide and oblique, but not falling strongly away.

Chest : Not too wide; in depth it hardly reaches the level of the elbow. Well developed in length. The ribs are flat.

Underline and Belly : Sternum long and raised, belly and flanks well tucked up. The underline is evenly curved, neither abruptly cut up nor whippety.

TAIL : Thin, lean, set-on in line with the croup and carried below the line of the back. It should be, at least, long enough to reach the point of hocks. At rest, the tip is forming an accentuated curve.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS :

Generally: Forelegs vertical and parallel.

Shoulder : Long and oblique.

Upper arm : Strong.

Forearm : Bony and muscular.

Pastern joint and pastern : Supple and strong.

HINDQUARTERS :

Generally : Viewed from behind, hindlegs vertical and parallel; muscles flat, tendons well chiselled.

Upper thigh : Flat and muscular.

Second thigh : Long and well muscled.

Hock : Strong, well bent.

Rear pastern : Strong, without dewclaws.

FEET : Lean, in the shape of an elongated oval. In many lightly built Sloughis the foot assumes the shape of a harefoot. The two middle toes are distinctly longer than the others. The nails are black or coloured.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Walk, trot, gallop. Gait supple, smooth and with long strides, covering plenty of ground.

SKIN : Very fine, close fitting to the body, without folds or dewlap.

COAT

HAIR : Very short, dense, fine.

COLOUR : The colour reaches from light sand through all possible different shades to red sand (fawn), with or without black mask, with or without black mantle, with or without black brindling, with or without black overlay.

SIZE   :

Height at the withers : for males    : 26-29 inches (66-72 cm),                              

                                  for females : 24-27 inches (61-68 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.

·      Bad ratio between length of body and height at withers.

·      Head and body slightly too heavy.

·      Stop too much or insufficiently pronounced.

·      Too light coloured eyes.

·      Top line not horizontal.

·      Croup narrow, too or insufficiently oblique.

·      Belly not enough tucked up.

·      Rounded ribs.

·      Chest not long enough, seen from the side cut up or very arched.

·      Tail too short, with too much hair, badly carried.

·      Muscles round and protruding.

·      Hair hard and coarse.

·      Small white mark on the chest.

ELIMINATING FAULTS :

• Aggresive or overly shy.

• Body clearly longer than high, haunch bones lower than withers.

• Depigmented areas on the mucous membranes.

• Over-or undershot mouth.

• Ears erect, or raised with tips drooping, too long, folding backwards (rose ear).

• Hair semi-long.

• Fringes on legs or tail.

• White stockings, larger white markings.

• Colour not in accordance with 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 : Finnish Kennel Club.

ORIGIN : Finland.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 12.03.1999.

UTILIZATION : Originally a herder and watch dog used in work of keeping reindeer. Today also popular as a companion dog.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 5     Spitz and primitive type.

                                              Section 3   Nordic Watchdogs and Herders.

                                              Without working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : For hundreds of years the Lapps have used dogs of the same type as Finnish Lapphund as reindeer herders and watchdogs in Fennoscandia and in the northern parts of Russia. Due to these dogs the first standard of the Lapponian Herder was established by the Finnish Kennel Club in 1945. The breed’s name was changed into Lapphund in 1967. In the 1970:s the type and picture of the breed became fixed and the standard has been specified several times. The breed name was again changed into Finnish Lapphund in 1993. The breed type has become stable in a short time and today the breed is very popular mainly as a house and hobby dog in the whole of Finland.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Smaller than medium sized, the conformation is strong for the size, slightly longer than the height at the withers. Long and thick coated dog with pricked ears.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : The depth of the body is slightly less than the half of the height at the withers. The muzzle is slightly shorter than the skull. The skull is slightly longer than broad, the depth is the same as the breadth.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Keen, courageous, calm and willing to learn. Friendly and faithful.

HEAD : Strong in outline, rather broad.

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : Broad, slightly convex. The forehead is rather domed. The frontal furrow is clearly defined.

Stop : Clearly defined.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Preferably black, yet harmonizing with the coat colour.

Muzzle : Strong, broad and straight; viewed from above and in profile evenly, but only slightly tapering.

Lips : Tight.

Jaws/Teeth : The jaws are strong. Scissor bite.

Cheeks : The zygomatic arches are clearly marked.

Eyes : Dark brown in colour, yet harmonizing with the coat colour; oval shaped. The expression is soft and friendly.

Ears : Medium sized, carried erect or semi-erect, set rather apart, rather broad at the base, triangular in shape and very mobile.

NECK : Medium in length, strong and covered with profuse hair.

BODY :

Withers : Muscular and broad, slightly marked.

Back : Strong and straight.

Loin : Short and muscular.

Croup :  Of medium length, well developed, only slightly oblique.

Chest : Deep, rather long, reaching almost to the elbows, not very broad. The ribs are slightly arched; the forechest clearly visible, not very strong.

Underline : Slightly tucked up.

TAIL : Set rather high, medium in length, covered with profuse and long hair. The tip of the tail may have a J-formed hook. In movement the tail is curved over the back or side, in rest it may hang.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS :

General appearance : Powerful with strong bones. Viewed from the front straight and parallel.

Shoulders : Slightly oblique.

Upper arm : As long as the shoulder blade. The angle between shoulder and upper arm is rather open.

Elbows : Placed slightly lower than the lower edge of the ribcage, pointing straight backwards.

Forearm : Rather strong, vertical.

Carpus : Flexible.

Pastern : Of medium length, slightly oblique.

Fore feet : Well arched, oval rather than round, covered with dense hair. The pads are elastic with the sides covered with dense hair.

HINDQUARTERS :

General appearance : Strong boned, powerful, viewed from behind straight and parallel. The angulation is clearly marked but not too strongly.

Upper thigh : Of medium length, rather broad with well developed muscles.

Stifle : Pointed forward, the angulation is rather clearly marked.

Second thigh : Relatively long and sinewy.

Hock joint : Moderately low set; the angulation is clearly marked but not too strongly.

Metatarsus : Rather short, strong and vertical.

Hindfeet : As front feet. Dewclaws are not desirable.

GAIT/MOVEMENT  : Effortless. Changes easily from trot to gallop, which is the most natural style of movement. The legs move parallel. When working agile and fast.

SKIN : Tight overall without wrinkles.

COAT

HAIR : Profuse, especially the males have an abundant mane. The outer coat is long, straight and harsh. On the head and on the frontside of the legs the coat is shorter. There has to be an undercoat that is soft and dense.

COLOUR : All colours are permitted. The basic colour must be dominant. Colours other than the basic colour can occur on head, neck, chest, underside of the body, on legs and tail.

SIZE :

Height at withers : Ideal height for  males 49 cm,

                            Ideal height for females 44 cm.

                            With a tolerance of ± 3 cm.

                            The type is more important than the size.

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.

·      Males not masculine and females not feminine.

·      Light head.

·      Insufficient stop.

·      Drop-ears.

·      Tail carriage continuously lower than the topline.

·      Over angulated or too straight rear angulation.

·      Lack of under coat.

·      Flat coat.

·      Curly outer coat.

·      Basic colour indistinct.

ELIMINATING FAULTS :

·      Aggresive or overly shy.

·      Overshot or undershot mouth.

·      Kinky tail.

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° 190 / 25. 09. 1998 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

HOVAWART     Foto

TRANSLATION : Mrs. R. Binder-Gresly.

ORIGIN : Germany.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 12.01.1998.

UTILIZATION : Working Dog.

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

                                              Section 2.2  Molossoid breeds, Mountain type.

                                              With working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The Hovawart is a very old German working dog breed. The name’s origin stems from Middle High German (an old form of German); Hova = Hof (= yard, farm) and wart = Wächter (= watchman). Since 1922 the breeding of this breed, by using dogs similar in type still found on farms, has been restored. Apart from this, in the early years of breeding, crosses with German Shepherd Dogs, Newfoundlands, Leonbergers and other breeds were admitted. Due to the strict measurements taken in selecting the breeding stock, the original working type was attained again.

In the country of origin very great importance is attached to the health of the Hovawart. Especially the presence of hip dysplasia has been reduced to a small percentage by selecting, for decades, breeding stock free from dysplasia. It is to be expected that all other Hovawart breed clubs will aim for this exemplary goal.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : The Hovawart is a powerful, medium size, slightly elongated, long-haired working dog. Difference between sexes is clearly recognizable, specially in shape of head and build of body.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :  Length of body comprises at least 110 to 115 % of height at withers.

BEHAVIOUR  / TEMPERAMENT : Recognized working dog with versatile usage. Kind and even disposition. Has protective instinct, fighting instinct, self-confidence and ability to take stress; of medium temperament; combined with a very good nose. His balanced body proportions and special devotion to his family make him an outstanding companion, watch, guard, tracking and rescue-dog.

HEAD : The nasal bridge is straight and parallel to the skull. Muzzle and skull are of about the same length. The skin of the head fits tightly.

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : The powerful head has a broad, rounded forehead.

Stop : Well visible.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Nostrils well developed. In black/gold and black dogs pigmentation is black; in blond dogs it is black; « snow nose » (temporary loss of pigmentation) accepted.

Muzzle : Strong, tapering only slightly when seen from above and in profile.

Lips : Fit tightly.

Jaws/Teeth : Strong complete scissor bite with 42 teeth according to tooth formula. Teeth set square to the jaws. Pincer bite accepted.

Eyes : Oval, neither protruding nor deep set. Colour: dark to medium brown. Eyelids fit tightly.

Ears : The loosely fitting triangular drop ears are set on high and wide apart, thus giving the optical illusion of broadening the skull. They reach in length to the corners of the mouth (labial commisure). Their tip is slightly rounded. When the dog is at ease they are kept hanging flat, when alert they may be carried directed slightly forward. Their front edge lies approximately halfway between eye and occiput.

NECK : Strong, of medium length. Skin tightly fitting.

BODY :

Back : Straight and firm.

Loin : Strong, slightly longer than rump.

Croup : Medium long and slightly sloping.

Chest : Broad, deep and strong.

TAIL : Bushy, reaching to below the hocks, but not to the ground. According to the dog’s mood it is carried high and curved over the back or hanging down.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS :  Forelegs strong, straight and vertical, seen from the front and side.

Shoulders : Very well muscled. Shoulder-blade long and well laid back.

Upper arm : Long, closely fitting to body.

Elbows : Fitting well to chest.

Pastern joint : Strong.

Pastern : Moderately sloping.

HINDQUARTERS : Hindlegs strong and vertical when seen from behind. Hindquarters are well angulated.

Upper and lower thigh : Very well muscled.

Hock joint : Strong, well let down.

FEET : Roundish, strong and compact. Toes arched and tight. Dewclaws to be removed except in those countries where this is prohibited by law. Nails with black pigmentation in black/gold and black dogs; in blond dogs there may be less pigmentation.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : In all gaits the movement of the Hovawart is on a straight line and covering the ground well. The trot is very extended, with powerful drive from the hindquarters.

SKIN : Tightly fitting all over. With a bluish sheen in black/gold and black dogs, with a mostly pink sheen in blond dogs.

COAT

HAIR : The strong long-haired coat is lightly waved and lying close, with only little undercoat. It is longer on chest, belly, rearside of forelegs, rearside of thighs and tail. It is short on head and at the front side of the fore- and hindlegs. The coat is dense.

COLOUR : There are 3 colour varieties: black/gold, black, blond.

Black/gold :

The coat is black and shiny, the colour of the markings medium blond. On the head the markings begin below the nasal bridge and extend round the corners of the mouth into the marking of the throat. The point-shaped markings above the eyes are clearly visible. The chest markings consist of two adjacent patches which may be connected. On the forelegs, the marking, seen from the side, extends from the toes to about the pastern and tapers off on the rearside at about elbow level. On the hindlegs, seen from the side, the marking below the hock is seen as a broad stripe, above the hock only as a narrow stripe which extends on the front side of the hindleg up to the level of the belly. A marking is also present beneath the set on of the tail. The markings are distinct in outline everywhere. Single small white spots on the chest as well as some single white hairs on toes and tip of tail are permissible. Black pigmentation on eyelids, lips and pads.

Black :

The coat is black and shiny. Some single white spots on the chest as well as some single white hairs on toes and tip of tail are permissible. Black pigmentation on eyelids, lips and pads.

Blond : The coat is medium blond, shiny and becomes lighter towards legs and belly. Single small white spots on the chest as well as some single white hairs on toes and tip of tail are permissible. Black pigmentation on eyelids, lips and pads.

SIZE  :

Height at the withers :

For dogs     : 63 - 70 cm.

For bitches : 58 - 65 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.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS :

GENERAL APPEARANCE :

·      Dogs which do not conform to the impression of original breed type.

·      Distinctly « doggy » bitches.

·      Distinctly « bitchy » dogs.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :

·      Distinctly differing body proportions than those quoted in the standard.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT :

·      Aggressive, anxious, gunshy or lethargic dogs.

HEAD :

·      Lacking stop.

·      Blue eye or wall eye.

·      Erect, tipped ears, rose ear; off-standing ears.

·      Undershot, overshot or wry mouth.

·      Absence of more than 2 of the 4 PM1 or the 2 M3, or absence of any other tooth.

NECK :

·      Distinct dewlap or very throaty.

BODY :

·      Pronounced sway or roach back.

·      Narrow or barrel shaped chest.

·      Abnormal tail; tail much too short; pronounced ring tail.

LIMBS:

·      Much too high in hindquarters (overbuilt).

COAT

HAIR :

·      Predominantly curly coat (ring curls).

COLOUR :

In general :

·      All colours not conforming to the standard, e.g. blue-grey, deer colour, brown, white, patched, blond with smutty touch or predominantly banded hair.

·      White patches. Single white hairs on the inside of the upper thighs are not a disqualifying fault.

Black/Gold dogs :

·      Grey or brown patches other than the correct markings.

·      Undercoat predominantly of another colour than black.

·      Predominantly grey or whitish markings.

Black dogs :

·      Grey or brown patches.

·      Undercoat predominantly of another colour than black.

Blond dogs :

·      Some single white hairs on the nasal bridge are not a disqualifying fault.

·      Red-blond colour throughout without getting lighter.

·      Whitish-blond colour, also on ears.

·      Distinctly white markings.

·      Dark patches or dark mask.

Size :

·      Undersize.

·      Oversize by more than 3 cm.

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