FCI Standard 296

FCI-Standard N° 296 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

Collie (Smooth Coat) Foto

ORIGIN : Great-Britain.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 24.06.1987.

UTILIZATION : Sheepdog.

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

Section 1 Sheepdogs.

Without working trial.

CHARACTERISTICS: To enable the Collie to fulfil a natural bent for sheepdog work, its physical structure should be on the lines of strength and activity, free from cloddiness and without any trace of coarseness. Expression, one of the most important points in considering relative values, is obtained by the perfect balance and combination of skull and foreface, size, shape, colour and placement of eye, correct position and carriage of ears. Temperament should be gay and friendly, never nervous or aggressive.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: The Collie should instantly appear as gifted with intelligence, alertness and activity. He should stand with dignity, and his movements, governed by perfect anatomical formation, with no part out of proportion, should be smooth and graceful. He should give the appearance of a dog capable of working.

HEAD AND SKULL: The head properties are of great importance and must be considered in proportion to the size of the dog. When viewed from both front and profile the head should bear a general resemblance to a well-blunted, clean wedge, being smooth in outline. The skull should be flat. The sides should taper gradually and smoothly from the ears to the end of the black nose, without prominent cheek bones or pinched muzzle. Viewed in profile the top of the skull and the top of the muzzle should lie in two parallel, straight planes of equal length, divided by a slight but perceptible "stop" or break. A mid-point between the inside corners of the eyes (which is the centre of a correctly placed "stop") should be the centre of balance in length of head. The end of the smooth, well-rounded muzzle should be blunt, but not square. The underjaw should be strong, clean cut, and the depth of the skull from the brow to the underpart of the jaw should never be excessive (deep through). Whatever the colour of the dog, the nose must be black.

Eyes: Are a very important feature and should give a sweet expression to the dog. They should be of medium size, set somewhat obliquely, of almond shape and of dark brown colour, except in the case of blue merles when one or both eyes may be wall or jewelled. Expression full of intelligence with a quick, alert look when listening.

Ears: Should be moderately large, wider at the base, and placed not too close together nor too much on the side of the head. When in repose they should be carried thrown back, but when on the alert brought forward and carried semi-erect, that is, with approximately two-thirds of the ear standing erect, the top third tipping forward naturally, below the horizontal.

Mouth: The teeth should be of good size, with the lower incisors fitting closely behind the upper incisors; a very slight space not to be regarded as a serious fault.

NECK: Should be muscular, powerful, of fair length and well arched.

BODY: Should be a trifle long compared with the height, back level and firm with a slight rise over the loins; ribs well-sprung; chest deep and fairly broad behind the shoulders.

TAIL: Should be long with the bone reaching at least to the hock joint. To be carried low when the dog is quiet but with a slight upward swirl at the tip. It may be carried gaily when the dog is excited, but never over the back.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS: The shoulders should be sloped and well angulated. The forelegs should be straight and muscular, neither in nor out at the elbows, with a moderate amount of bone. The forearm somewhat fleshy with pasterns showing flexibility without weakness.

HINDQUARTERS: The hind legs should be muscular at the thighs, clean and sinewy below, with well bent stifles. Hocks well let-down and powerful.

FEET: Should be oval with soles well padded. Toes arched and close together. Hind feet slightly less arched.

GAIT: Movement is a distinct characteristic of the breed. A sound dog is never out at elbow, yet it moves with its front feet comparatively close together. Plaiting, crossing or rolling are highly undesirable. The hind legs, from the hock joint to the ground, when viewed from the rear, should be parallel, powerful and full of drive. Viewed from the side the action should be smooth. A reasonably long stride is desirable and this should be light and appear quite effortless.

COAT: A very important feature of the Smooth Collie is his short, flat top coat of harsh texture, with a very dense undercoat.

COLOUR: The three recognised colours are sable and white, tricolour and blue merle.

Sable: Any shade from light gold to rich mahogany or shaded sable. Light straw or cream colour is highly undesirable.
Tricolour: Predominantly black with rich tan markings about the legs and head. A rusty tinge in the top coat is highly undesirable.
Blue Merle: Predominantly clear, silvery blue, splashed and marbled with black. Rich tan markings to be preferred, but their absence should not be counted as a fault. Large black markings, slate colour, or a rusty tinge either of the top or undercoat are highly undesirable.
White Markings: All the above may carry the typical white Collie markings to a greater or lesser degree. The following markings are favourable - White collar, full or part; white shirt, legs and feet; white tail tip. A blaze may be carried on muzzle or skull or both. All white or predominantly white is most undesirable.

WEIGHT AND SIZE:

Dogs: 55,8 - 60,9 cm (22-24 in) at shoulder.
Bitches: 50,8 - 55,8 cm (20-22 in) at shoulder.
Dogs: 20,4 - 29,4 kg (45-65 lb).
Bitches: 18,1 - 24,9 kg (40-55 lb).

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

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

ORIGIN : Great-Britain.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 08.09.1988.

UTILIZATION : Sheepdog.

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

Section 1 Sheepdogs.

With working trial.

GENERAL APPEARANCE :
Well proportioned, smooth outline showing quality, gracefulness and perfect balance, combined with sufficient substance to give impression of endurance. Any tendency to coarseness or weediness undesirable.

CHARACTERISTICS :
Tenatious, hardworking sheepdog, of great tractability.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT :
Keen, alert, responsive and intelligent. Neither nervous nor aggressive.

HEAD & SKULL :
Skull fairly broad, occiput not pronounced. Cheeks not full or rounded. Muzzle tapering to nose, moderately short and strong. Skull and foreface approximately equal in length. Stop very distinct. Nose black, except in brown or chocolate colour when it may be brown. In blues, nose should be slate colour. Nostrils well developed.

MOUTH :
Teeth and jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaw.

EYES :
Set wide apart, oval shaped of moderate size, Brown in colour except in merles where one or both or part of one or both may be blue. Expression mild, keen, alert and intelligent.

EARS :
Medium size and texture, set well apart. Carried erect or semi-erect and sensitive in use.

NECK :
Of good length, strong and muscular, slightly arched and broadening to shoulders.

BODY :
Athletic in appearance, ribs well sprung, chest deep and rather broad, loins deep and muscular, but not tucked up. Body slightly longer than height at shoulder.

TAIL :
Moderately long, the bone reaching at least to hock, set on low, well furnished and with an upward swirl towards the end, completing the graceful contour and balance of dog. The tail may be raised in excitement, never carried over the back.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS :
Front legs parallel when viewed from front, pasterns slightly sloping when viewed from side. Bone strong but not heavy. Shoulders well laid back, elbows close to body.

HINDQUARTERS :
Broad, muscular, in profile sloping gracefully to set on of tail. Thighs long, deep and muscular with well turned stifles and strong well let down hocks. From hock to ground, hindlegs well boned and parallel when viewed from rear.

FEET :
Oval in shape, pads deep, strong and sound, toes arched close together. Nails short and strong.

GAIT/MOVEMENT :
Free, smooth and tireless, with minimum lift of the feet, conveying the impression of the ability to move with great stealth and speed.

BODY :
Athletic in appearance, ribs well sprung, chest deep and rather broad, loins deep and muscular, but not tucked up. Body slightly longer than height at shoulder.

COAT :

Two varieties : 1) Moderately long; 2) Smooth.

In both, topcoat dense and medium textured, undercoat soft and dense, giving good weather resistance. In moderate long coat variety, abundant coat forms mane, breeching and brush. On face, ears, forelegs (except for feather), hindlegs from hock to ground, the hair is short and smooth.

COLOUR :
Variety of colours permissible. White should never predominate.

SIZE :

Dogs: 53 cm (21 ins); bitches: slightly less.

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 proportions to its degree.

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

TRANSLATION : Antonio Morsiani, Renée Sporre-Willes, Dr. J.-M. Paschoud and Prof. R. Triquet.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : Ancient breed of retrieving water dogs in the lowlands of Comacchio and marshlands of Ravenna. During the centuries, the great marshlands were drained and turned into arable land. Subsequently the Lagotto changed from being a water dog to an excellent dog for searching truffles in the flat open country and in the hills of Romagna.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Small to medium-sized dog, well proportioned, powerfully built, of a rustic appearance, with a dense, curly coat of woolly texture.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : The length of the head is 4/10 of the height at the withers. The dog is nearly as high as long (square).

The length of the skull should be slightly more than 50% of the total length of the head.

The depth of the chest is less than 50 % (about 44%) of the height at the withers.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : A natural gift for searching and its very good nose has made the breed very efficient in truffle searching. The former hunting instinct has been eliminated, hence his work is not distracted by the scent of game. The Lagotto is tractable, undemanding, keen, affectionate, very attached to his owner and easy to train. He is also a very good companion and an excellent watch-dog.

HEAD : Viewed from above trapezoidal in shape and moderately broad; the upper longitudinal axes of the skull and the muzzle diverge slightly.

Skull : Wide at the level of the zygomatic arches, and as long as wide. Viewed from the side, from occiput to stop, the skull should be longer than the muzzle. It is slightly convex and tends to flatten out at the back skull. Frontal sinuses well developed, superciliary arches marked, medio-frontal furrow pronounced, occipital crest short and not very developed, supraorbital fossae slightly marked.

Nose : Large with wide open and mobile nostrils. Naso-labial line strongly pronounced. Viewed in profile, the nose continues on the same level as the muzzle and protrudes very slightly from the front edge of the lips. The colour ranges from light to dark brown, depending on the colour of the coat.

Muzzle : Fairly broad, a little shorter than the skull (ratio: skull 56%, muzzle 44%), its depth being only slightly less than the length. It is slightly wedge shaped, with a moderately flat front face. The nasal bridge has a straight profile.

Lips : The lips are not too thick, they are rather tight, so that the lower profile of the muzzle is determined by the mandible. They are covered with a long and rather bristly moustache. Viewed from the front, the lips form a wide semi-circle. The colour of the edges ranges from light to dark brown.

Jaws/Teeth : Jaws strong with almost straight branches and a relatively large mandibular body. Complete scissor or pincer bite with white and well developed teeth. Slightly undershot mouth acceptable.

Eyes : Fairly large, rounded, filling the socket, set fairly apart. The colour of the iris ranges from ochre to hazel and dark brown depending on the colour of the coat. Close fitting eyelids; the colour of the eye-rims ranges from light to dark brown. Eyelashes very well developed. Look alert, expression keen and lively.

Ears : Medium-sized in proportion to the head, triangular with rounded tips; their base is rather wide; they are set just above the zygomatic arches. Hanging at rest or slightly raised when the dog is attentive. If pulled towards the nose they should reach the muzzle at 1/4 of its length. On the ears, the hair tends to show looser curls, but remains very wavy. No short hair on the ears. The inner part of the auricle is also covered with hair.

NECK : Strong, muscular, lean, of oval cross section; well set off from the nape and absolutely free from dewlap. Topline slightly arched. In males the perimeter of the neck can reach the double of its length. The length of the neck is a little less than the total length of the head.

Withers : They rise above the level of the croup; the highest points of the shoulder blades are not too close, but quite high set and well laid back.

Loin : Short coupled, very strong, in profile slightly arched. Width is equal or exceeds their length.

Croup : Long, wide, muscular, slightly sloping (coxal inclination ranges from 25° to 30°).

Chest : Well developed, reaching down to the elbows. Although fairly narrow in front, from the sixth rib the chest widens backwards.

Underline and belly : Long sternal section in form of a straight line; the following tuck-up is only slight.

TAIL : Set on neither too high nor too low; tapering towards the end. When hanging, it should barely reach the hocks. At rest carried scimitar like; when attentive decidedly raised. When working or excited can be carried over the back, but never curled.

Shoulder : Shoulder blades long (30% of the height at withers), well laid back (52-55°), muscular, strong and closely attached to the chest, but moving freely. The scapulo-humeral angle ranges from 110° to 115°.

Upper arm : Muscular, of thin bone structure, as long as the shoulder blade; its inclination to the horizontal ranges from 58-60°.

Elbows : Well attached to the chest wall, but not too tightly; covered with thin skin; parallel to the median sagittal plane of the body as are the upper arms. The point of the elbow is located on a vertical line lowered from the back end of the scapula to the ground.

Forearm : Perfectly vertical, long (36 % of the height at withers), with compact, strong bone of oval cross-section).

Carpus : Viewed from the front in a vertical line with the forearm; fine, robust and mobile; pisiform bone markedly protruding.

Pastern : Rather less thick and of finer bone compared with the forearm, mobile; seen in profile, it forms an angle of 75° to 80° with the ground.

Forefeet : Slightly rounded, compact, with arched and tight toes. Nails strong and curved. Pads well pigmented. Interdigital membranes very well developed.

Generally : Vertical and parallel, powerful, well proportioned to the size of the dog.

Upper thigh : Long (35% of the height at withers), with clearly separated and visible muscles. The axis of the femur has a distinct inclination of 80° to the horizontal line. The coxo-femoral angle ranges from 105° to 110°. The thigh is paralell to the median plane of the body.

Lower thigh : Slightly longer than the upper thigh (36% of the height at withers), well boned and muscled, with marked muscular groove. Its inclination to the horizontal ranges from 50° to 55°.

Hock joint : Wide, thick, lean, with clear-cut bone; parallel to the medium plane of the body; the tibio-metatarsal angle is ca. 140°.

Hindfeet : Slightly more oval-shaped than forefeet and toes slightly less arched.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Walk regular, trot energetic and brisk, gallop for short periods.

SKIN : Close fitting all over the body, without wrinkles, thin, with sparse subcutaneous tissue. Pigmentation of mucous membranes and of pads ranges from light to dark and very dark brown.

HAIR : Of woolly texture, somewhat rough in surface, forming tightly curled, ring shaped curls with the undercoat shining through. Curls must be evenly distributed all over the body, except on the head, where the curls are less tight, forming well-furnished eyebrows, whiskers and beard. Even the cheeks are covered with dense hair. The topcoat and specially the undercoat are water-proof. If not clipped, the hair tends to become felted; therefore a complete clipping must be performed at least once a year. Felted topcoat and undercoat must be removed periodically.

COLOUR : Off-white solid colour, white with brown or orange patches, brown roan, brown solid colour (in different shades), or orange solid colour. A brown to dark brown mask acceptable.

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.

COLOUR: Tricolour; tan with black saddle; white limited to blaze, neck ring, chest and belly, feet, and tail tip.

Most German hounds are sturdily boned and a bit low-stationed, with the large but stiff-carti-laged ear that lies flat and wide instead of folding. They tend also to have the "ram's nose" profile with little stop.

The Deutsche Bracke evolved from generic all-purpose, hot-trailing Celtic hounds of varying type used for German forest work. Some earlier types were the Westphalian Bracke and the Sauerlander Holzbracke. These brackes were mainly promoted in the Sauerland and all of Westphalia, which are located in western Germany. For a while, there was some attempt to support the Steinbracke (or in Holland Steen-brack), a slightly smaller version of the bracke. Stein, meaning stone, was an old German weight designation, one stone being about 22 pounds.

All of these fragmented varieties were finally gathered under one breed title, and the Deutsche Bracke is the only official Bracke now recognized in Germany. A club has fostered the type since 1896, although a written standard was not drawn up by the Deutsche Bracken Club until 1955.

In Germany, the Bracke is a dog promoted in the hills and low mountains for hare, fox, rabbit and boar. He is best on the hot scent, giving tongue with his melodious, bell-like voice. His long legs allow him to work quickly and cover a lot of territory.

A superb nose makes him capable of schweiss-hund work as well, working cold trails of wounded animals. This ability is required more and more, and at this he works silently. Old-time bracken hunters often feared that the use of a dog to trail the wounded deer would make him want to chase healthy ones. This has been proven to be untrue. With quality training methods, the Bracke quickly understands the difference between the hot track and the cold bloodtrail. Modern breeders say that it takes a good deal of patience to teach him to retrieve, but once he is trained, he is reliable.

BLACK AND TAN COONHOUND Foto

GENERAL APPEARANCE : The Black and Tan Coonhound is first and fundamentally a working dog, a trail and tree hound, capable of withstanding the rigors of winter, the heat of summer, and the difficult terrain over which he is called upon to work. Used principally for trailing and treeing raccoon, the Black and Tan Coonhound runs his game entirely by scent. The characteristics and courage of the Coonhound also make him proficient on the hunt for deer, bear, mountain lion and other big game. Judges are asked by the club sponsoring the breed to place great emphasis upon these facts when evaluating the merits of the dog. The general impression is that of power, agility and alertness. He immediately impresses one with his ability to cover the ground with powerful rhythmic strides. Considering their job as a hunting dog, the individual should exhibit moderate bone and good muscle tone. Males are heavier in bone and muscle tone than females.

· Measured from the point of shoulder to the buttocks and from withers to ground the length of body is equal to or slightly greater than the height of the dog at the withers.

· Height is in proportion to general conformation so that the dog appears neither leggy nor close to the ground.

BEHAVIOUR/ TEMPERAMENT : Even temperament, outgoing and friendly. As a working scent hound, must be able to work in close contact with other hounds. Some may be reserved but never shy or vicious. Aggression toward people or other dogs is most undesirable.

HEAD : The head is cleanly modeled. From the back of the skull to the nose the head measures from 9 to 10 inches in males and from 8 to 9 inches in females.

Skull : Tends toward oval outline. Viewed from profile the line of the skull is on a practically parallel plane to the foreface or muzzle.

Ears : Are low set and well back. They hang in graceful folds, giving the dog a majestic appearance. In length they extend naturally well beyond the tip of the nose and are set at eye level or lower.

NECK : The neck is muscular, sloping, medium length. The skin is devoid of excess dewlap.

TAIL : Is strong, with base slightly below level of backline, carried free and when in action at approximately right angle to back.

HINDQUARTERS : Quarters are well boned and muscled. From hip to hock long and sinewy, hock to pad short and strong. When standing on a level surface, the hind feet are set back from under the body and the leg from pad to hock is at right angles to the ground.

FEET : Are compact, with well knuckled, strongly arched toes and thick, strong pads.

GAIT : When viewed from the side, the stride of the Black and Tan Coonhound is easy and graceful with plenty of reach in front and drive behind. When viewed from the front the forelegs, which are in line with the width of the body, move forward in an effortless manner, but never cross. Viewed from the rear the hocks follow on a line with the forelegs, being neither too widely nor too closely spaced, and as the speed of the trot increases the feet tend to converge toward a center line or single track indicating soundness, balance and stamina. When in action, his head and tail carriage is proud and alert; the topline remains level.

COLOUR : As the name implies, the colour is coal black with rich tan markings above eyes, on sides of muzzle, chest, legs and breeching, with black pencil markings on toes.

Oversized dogs should not be penalized when general soundness and proportion are in favor.

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.

· Ears: Ears that do not reach the tip of nose and are set too high on the head.

· Colour: lack of rich tan markings, excessive areas of tan markings, excessive black coloration. White on chest or other parts of body is highly undesirable.

Note : Inasmuch as this is a hunting breed, scars from honorable wounds shall not be considered faults.

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