FCI Standard 251

FCI-Standard N° 251 / 07. 08. 1998 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

POLISH LOWLAND SHEEPDOG (Polski Owczarek Nizinny) Foto

TRANSLATION : Mrs. Peggy Davis.

ORIGIN : Poland.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 07.08.1998.

UTILIZATION : Easy to handle, he works like a sheepdog and guard dog. Moved to urban city life, he is a very good companion dog.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs).

Section 1 Sheepdogs.

Without working trial.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : The Polish Lowland sheepdog is a dog of medium size, compact, strong, muscular, with a thick long coat. His well groomed coat gives an attractive and interesting appearance.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : The proportions of height at withers to length of body is 9 : 10. The ratio length of muzzle to length of skull is 1 : 1; yet the muzzle can be a little shorter.

BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT : Of a lively but tempered disposition, vigilant, agile, intelligent, perceptive and gifted with a good memory. Resistant to unfavourable climatic conditions.

HEAD : Medium dimension, proportional, not too heavy. The thick fur on the forehead, the cheeks and the chin give the head a look of being heavier than it really is.

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : Not excessively broad, slightly rounded. Frontal furrow and occipital protuberance noticeable.

Stop : Well accentuated.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : As darks as possible in relation to the colour of the coat with large nostrils.

Muzzle : Strong, blunt. Nasal bridge straight.

Lips : Fitting well; their edges are of the same colour as the nose.

Jaw/Teeth : Strong jaws. Teeth strong, with scissor or pincer bite.

Eyes : Medium size, oval, not protruding, hazel colour, with lively and piercing look. The rims of the eyelids are dark.

Ears : Hanging, set rather high, of medium size, heart-shaped, wide at base; the fore edge is close against the cheeks; very mobile.

NECK : Of medium length, strong, muscled, without dewlap, carried rather horizontally.

BODY :

Out line : Rather rectangular than square.

Withers :Well accentuated.

Back : Flat, well muscled.

Loin : Broad, well fused.

Croup : Short, slightly truncated.

Chest : Deep, of medium width; ribs quite well sprung, neither flat nor barrel-shaped.

Underline and Belly : Outlining an elegant curve towards the hindquarters part.

TAIL :

· Short tail or stumpy-tail, very shortly docked tail.

· Undocked quite long and very hairy tail. At rest the tail is hanging; if the dog is alert, the tail is gaily curved over the back, never curled or lying on the back. Undocked tail of medium length, carried in different manners.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS : Seen in profile and from the front: Vertical and straight. Stance well balanced due to a strong skeleton (bone structure).

Shoulders : Broad, of medium length, oblique, clean cut, very muscular.

Pastern : Slightly slanting in relation to the forearm.

Forefeet : Oval, tight toes, slightly arched pads really hard. Nails short, as dark as possible.

HINDQUARTERS : Seen from behind: Vertical, well angulated.

Thigh : Broad, well muscled.

Hock : Well developped.

Hind feet : Compact, oval shape.

GAIT/ MOVEMENT : Easy and ground covering. Walk or trot smooth (whitout much vertical displacement). The dog often ambles when he walks slowly.

SKIN : Tight fitting, without any folds.

COAT

HAIR : The whole body covered with coarse hair, dense, thick, and profuse; soft undercoat. Straight or slightly wavy hair is acceptable. The hairs falling from the forehead cover the eyes in a characteristic manner.

COLOUR : All colours and patches are acceptable.

SIZE :

Height at the withers : Males : 45 - 50 cm.

Females : 42 - 47 cm.

The dog must retain the type of a working dog; consequently his size must not go down below the standard; he must neither be too weak nor delicate.

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.

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.

UTILIZATION : Herder and watchdog. Its imposing attitude and beautiful appearance make it a good companion dog.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Mountain-and Cattledogs).

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Of strong and compact build giving the impression of stamina and mobility.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : Rectangular in shape, the length of the body of males being a little shorter than that of bitches.

HEAD : Lean, in good proportion to the body, carried at medium height both in movement and standing.

Muzzle : Strong, gradually tapering; its length is slightly greater or equal to the length of the skull. The nasal bridge is broad.

Eyes : Medium size, expressive, set slightly slanting; the iris is dark brown; the eyelid rims are dark.

Ears : Set on at the height of the external angle of the eyes or a little higher, medium length, rather thick, triangular, well furnished with hair; the front edge of the ear is in slight touch with the head; auricle mobile.

NECK : Of medium length, muscular, without any dewlap, with a profuse mane; the upper line of the neck is higher than the topline of the body.

TAIL : Set on not too high, carried below the topline; when excited carried above the topline, but not curved; hanging, it reaches the hock; the tip of the tail may be slightly curved.

FOREQUARTERS : Forelegs muscular, with plenty of bone, but not too heavy; seen from front straight and parallel.

Feet : Compact, oval in shape like a relatively big fist. With hairs between the toes. Pads strong, hard and dark; nails strong, blunt and dark.

HINDQUARTERS : Viewed from the rear hind legs vertical; seen from the side slightly set backwards, moderately angulated.

HAIR : On head, muzzle, frontpart of forelegs and on the hindlegs from the hock downward the hair is short and dense. The neck and the body are covered with long, thick, straight or slightly wavy hair, hard to the touch. Undercoat profuse. On the neck a rich ruff; the thighs are covered with profuse, long hair; on the tail hair also profuse, forming a flag.

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.

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° 253 / 11. 05. 1998 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

PUG Foto

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Decidedly square and cobby, it is « multum in parvo » shown in compactness of form, well knit proportions and hardness of muscle.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Great charm, dignity and intelligence. Even-tempered, happy and lively disposition.

Jaws/Teeth : Slightly undershot. Wry mouth, teeth or tongue showing all highly undesirable. Wide lower jaw with incisors almost in a straight line.

Eyes : Dark, very large, globular in shape, soft and solicitous in expression, very lustrous, and when excited, full of fire.

Ears : Thin, small, soft like black velvet. Two kinds - « Rose ear » - small drop ear which folds over and back to reveal the burr. « Button ear » - ear flap folding forward, tip lying close to skull to cover orifice, and pointing toward eye. Preference given to latter.

NECK : Slightly arched to resemble a crest, strong, thick with enough length to carry head proudly.

TAIL (Twist) : High set, curled as tightly as possible over hip. Double curl highly desirable.

FOREQUARTERS : Legs very strong, straight, of moderate length, and well under body.

HINDQUARTERS : Legs very strong, of moderate length, well under body, straight and parallel when viewed from rear.

FEET : Neither so long as the foot of the hare, nor so round as that of the cat; well split toes; the nails black.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Viewed from in front should rise and fall with legs well under shoulder, feet keeping directly to front, not turning in or out. From behind action just as true. Using forelegs strongly putting them well forward with hindlegs moving freely and using stifles well. A slight roll of hindquarters typifies gait.

COLOUR : Silver, apricot, fawn or black. Each clearly defined, to make contrast complete between colour, trace (black line extending from occiput to twist) and mask. Markings clearly defined. Muzzle or mask, ears, moles on cheeks, thumb mark or diamond on forehead and trace as black as possible.

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° 254 / 18. 06. 1996 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

ALPINE DACHSBRACKE (Alpenländische Dachsbracke) Foto

UTILIZATION : A robust, weather resistant working dog used by the mountain huntsman. The Alpine Dachsbracke is used as a tracking hound for wounded deer and as scenthound for hare and fox.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : Already in ancient times, a hunting/shooting dog was used which bore a remarkable resemblance in appearance to the Alpine Dachsbracke. Crown Prince Rudolf of Habsburg in 1881 and 1885 made his gamekeepers from Mursteg and Ischl include Alpine Dachsbracken on his hunting trips to Turkey and to Egypt. In 1932 the “Alpine- Erzgebirgs- Dachsbracke” was recognized by the top canine organisations in Austria as the third Scenthound breed. In 1975 the name was altered to “Alpenländische Dachsbracke” and the F.C.I. declared Austria as the country of origin. In 1991 the Alpenländische Dachsbracke was included in Section 2 of Scenthounds in the FCI nomenclature.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : A short legged, sturdy hunting dog with a robust, strong boned body structure, dense coat, firm muscles.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Expression intelligent and friendly. Fearless personality.

Skull : Lightly arched. Well defined furrow in fore-head, lightly emphasized occiput.

Jaws/Teeth : Strong complete teeth with scissor or pincer bite. A complete set with 42 teeth is sought after; the absence of totally two PM1 or PM2 (premolar 1 or 2) is tolerated; the M3 (molar 3) are not taken into account.

Eye : With dark brown iris. Eyelids close fitting to eyeballs with black pigment.

Leathers : Set on high without folds, hanging broad and smooth, medium length (should reach to the canines), well rounded at tips.

Chest : Deep and broad with pronounced forechest. Depth of chest should be about half the height at shoulder.

TAIL : Set on high, thick at root. Longer hair on underside (brush tail); reaching barely to ground, carried slightly downward.

FOREQUARTERS : Front legs are straight and strong; they appear short in relation to the body.

HINDQUARTERS : Muscular, strong and well angulated. Seen from the rear, the axis of the legs is straight.

FEET : Front and hind feet strong, round, toes tight against each other. Strong pads and black nails.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Movement is ground covering, not tripping. Preferred gait: Trot.

HAIR : The double coat consists of very thick top coat and a dense undercoat, which covers the whole body and is close fitting.

COLOUR : The ideal colour is dark deer red with or without black hairs lightly interspersed. Also black with clearly defined red-brown markings on head (Vieräugl), chest, legs, feet and underside of tail. White star on chest permitted.

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.

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

FCI-Standard N° 255 / 02. 04. 2001 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

AKITA Foto

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : Originally Japanese dogs were small to medium in size and no large breeds existed. Since 1603 in the Akita region, Akita Matagis (medium-sized bear-hunting dogs) were used as fighting dogs. From 1868 Akita Matagis were crossed with Tosas and Mastiffs. Consequently, the size of this breed increased but characteristics associated with Spitz type were lost.

In 1908 dog fighting was prohibited, but this breed was nevertheless preserved and improved as a large Japanese breed. As a result, nine superior examples of this breed were designated as « Natural Monuments » in 1931.

During World War II (1939-1945), it was common to use dogs as a source of fur for military garments. The police ordered the capture and confiscation of all dogs other than German Shepherd Dogs used for military purposes. Some fanciers tried to circumvent the order by crossbreeding their dogs with German Shepherd Dogs.

When World War II ended, Akitas had been drastically reduced in number and existed as three distinct types; 1) Matagi Akitas, 2) fighting Akitas, and 3) Shepherd Akitas. This created a very confusing situation in the breed.

During the restoration process of the pure breed after the war, Kongo-go, a dog of the Dewa line, which exhibited characteristics of the Mastiff and German Shepherd Dog influence, enjoyed a temporary but tremendous popularity. However, sensible learned fanciers did not approve of this type as a proper Japanese breed, so they made efforts to eliminate the strain old foreign breeds by crossbreeding with Matagi Akitas for the purpose of restoring the original pure breed. They succeeded in stabilizing the pure strain of large sized breed as known today.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Large-sized dog, sturdily built, well balanced and with much substance; secondary sex characteristics strongly marked, with high nobility and dignity in modesty; constitution tough.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : The ratio of height at withers to length of body (from the point of the shoulders to the point of the buttock) is 10 : 11, but the body is slightly longer in bitches than in dogs.

BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT : The temperament is composed, faithful, docile and receptive.

Skull : The size is in proportion to the body. The forehead is broad, with distinct furrow. No wrinkle.

Nose : Large and black. Slight and diffuse lack of pigment accepted in white dogs only, but black is always preferred.

Muzzle : Moderately long and strong with broad base, tapering but not pointed. Nasal bridge straight.

Eyes : Relatively small, almost triangular in shape due to the rising of the outer eye corner, set moderately apart, dark brown: the darker, the better.

Ears : Relatively small, thick, triangular, slightly rounded at tips, set moderately apart, pricked and inclining forward.

TAIL : Set on high, thick, carried vigorously curled over back; the tip nearly reaching hocks when let down.

HAIR : Outer coat harsh and straight, undercoat soft and dense; the withers and the rump are covered with slightly longer hair; the hair on tail is longer than on the rest of the body.

COLOUR : Red fawn, sesame (red fawn hairs with black tips), brindle and white. All the above mentioned colours except white must have « urajiro ». (Urajiro = whitish coat on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, on the underside of jaw, neck, chest, body and tail and on the inside of the legs).

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.

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