Breed Standard

BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT:

Powerful; enduring, active and reliable. High-spirited, alert and faithful

HEAD

CRANIAL REGION:

Skull: Skull large and square, viewed from every angle, fair wrinkle when interested, but not when in repose. Broad and deep.

Stop: Pronounced.

FACIAL REGION:

Nose: Well opened nostrils. Nose broad with widely spreading nostrils; flat neither pointed nor turned up in profile.

Muzzle: Muzzle short; distance from tip of nose to stop approximately one-third of length from tip of nose to centre of occiput, broad under eyes and sustaining nearly same width to end of nose; blunt an cut off square, forming right angle with upper line of face, and at same time proportionate with skull.

Lips: Flews not pendulous, never hanging below level of lower jaw.

Jaws / Teeth: Under-jaw broad to end. Level (Pincer bite, edge to edge) desired but slightly undershot allowed but not preferred. Canine teeth large and set wide apart, other teeth strong, even and well placed.

Cheeks: Well filled.

Eyes: Dark or hazel, of medium size, set apart the width of muzzle with furrow between. Light or yellow eyes highly undesirable.

Ears: V-shaped, folded back, set on wide and high, level of occiput giving square appearance to skull which is most important. Small and deeper in colour than body. Point of ear level with eye when alert. Rose ears highly undesirable.

NECK, TOPLINE, BODY

NECK: Well arched, moderate length, very muscular and almost equal to skull in circumference.

BODY:

Back: Short and straight, giving compact carriage, but not so short as to interfere with activity. Roach and sway backs highly undesirable.

Loin: Loins wide and muscular with fair depth of flank.

Chest: Chest, wide and deep, well let down between forelegs, with deep brisket.

TAIL: Set high, strong at root and tapering, reaching to hocks, carried straight or curved, but not hound fashion. Crank tails highly undesirable.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS:

Shoulders - muscular but not loaded, and slightly sloping.

Forelegs - straight, well boned, and set well apart; elbows turned neither in nor out.

Pasterns - straight, feet of medium size, with round toes well arched. Pads thick and tough, nails black.

HINDQUARTERS:

Broad and muscular, with well developed second thigh denoting power, but not cumbersome. Moderate angulation at hocks. Cowhocks and splay feet are serious faults.

COAT

Hair: Short and hard, weather-resistant, lying flat to body. Long, silky or woolly coats highly undesirable.

Colour: Any shade of brindle, fawn or red; colour to be pure and clear. A slight white marking on chest permissible. Other white markings undesirable. Black muzzle essential, toning off towards eyes, with dark markings around eyes contributing to expression.

GAIT

Movement indicates power and sense of purpose. When moving straight neither front nor hind legs should cross or plait, right front and left rear leg rising and falling at same time. A firm backline unimpaired by powerful thrust from hindlegs denoting a balanced and harmonious movement.

SIZE AND WEIGHT:

Height at the withers:

• Males:       64 - 69 cms.
• Females:    61 - 66 cms.

Weight:

• Males:       50 - 59 kgs.
• Females:    41 - 50 kgs.

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.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS

• Aggressive or overly shy.
• 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.

The latest amendments are in bold characters