Breed Standard
General Appearance
Large, powerful, alert, with much substance and heavy bone.
Characteristic
Large, broad head, with relatively small eyes and erect ears carried forward in line with back of neck; large, curled tail, in balance with head.
Temperament
Dignified, courageous, aloof; tends to show dominance over other dogs.
Head and Skull
Large, in balance with body, skull flat, forehead broad, defined stop and clear furrow. Head forms blunt triangle when viewed from above, free from wrinkle. Muzzle broad and strong, cheeks well developed. Nose large and black, bridge straight. Lips tight and black. In white dogs flesh colour pigmentation is permissible on nose and lips. Length from nose to stop is to length from stop to occiput as 2 is to 3.
Eyes
Relatively small, almond-shaped, clean, moderately set apart and dark brown. Eye rims dark and tight.
Ears
Relatively small, thick, triangular, not low set, carried forward over eyes in line with back of neck, firmly erect. Moderately set apart; slightly rounded at tips.
Mouth
Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck
Thick and muscular, comparatively short, widening gradually toward shoulders. Pronounced crest blends with back of skull.
Forequarters
Shoulders strong and powerful, moderately laid back. Elbows very tight. Forelegs well boned and straight when viewed from front. Pasterns inclining at approximately 15 degrees.
Body
Longer than high, as 10 is to 9 in males, 11 to 9 in bitches. Chest wide and deep, depth of brisket is one-half height of dog at shoulder. Well developed forechest. Level back, firmly muscled loin, moderate tuck up. Skin pliant but not loose.
Hindquarters
Strong and muscular, well developed thighs, moderate turn of stifle. Strong hocks, with only moderate angulation, well let down, turning neither in nor out.
Feet
Thick, well-knuckled, very tight, turning neither in nor out. Pads hard. Nails hard. Dewclaws on hind legs customarily removed.
Tail
Large and full, set high, carried over back, full or double curl, always dipping to or below level of back. On a three-quarter curl tail, tip dips down flank. Root large and strong. Hair coarse, straight and full with no appearance of a plume. Sickle or uncurled tail highly undesirable.
Gait/Movement
Resilient and vigorous with strides of moderate length. Back remains firm and level. Hindlegs move in line with front legs, whilst gaiting will single track.
Coat
Outer coat coarse, straight, and standing off body. Undercoat soft and dense. Coat at withers and rump is approximately 5 cms (2 ins), slightly longer than on rest of body more profuse on tail. No indication of ruff or feathering.
Colour
Any colour including white brindle or pinto. Colours are brilliant and clear. Markings are well defined with or without mask or blaze.
Size
Height at withers: dogs: 66-71 cms (26-28 ins); bitches: 61-66 cms (24-26 ins).
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.
Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
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Hip Dysplasia
The hip, or coxofemoral joint, is a ball-andsocket joint comprising a cup-shaped socket and the head of the thigh bone or femur, which is roughly spherical. These are held in place by soft tissues and, to some extent, the surrounding muscles. The term ‘hip dysplasia’ is used to describe hip joints which are loose and/or ill-fitting, many of which will develope steoarthritis as the dog ages. In the young puppy, the skeleton is fairly soft and any laxity or incongruity of the hip joint will result in an abnormal conformation. As the animal matures, this abnormality becomes permanent as the skeleton hardens. Even following skeletal maturity (at about one year of age) abnormal stresses on the bones and soft tissues cancontinue to cause bony remodelling and the production of arthritic new bone.
How can hip dysplasia be diagnosed?
Certain clinical signs such as pain on rising or abnormal gait can lead to a suspicion of hip dsyplasia but it must be confirmed with an Xray. However, many dogs with hip dysplasia show no clinical signs until later in life, when arthritisas developed. If they have been used for breeding, hip dysplasia genes will have been passed to their offspring. The condition is a disease which is governed partly by genetic features and partly by environmental f actors such as nutrition, bodyweight and exercise. Therefore, the radiograph simply records the physical end-result of a variety of causes and, at present, this is the best tool for screening dogs for hip dsyplasia. Although different assessment criteria are used in different countries, discussions between interested parties are ongoingin an attempt to provide some international standardisation.
How are hip radiographs taken?
Radiographs are taken when the dog is lying on its back with its hind legs extended and rotated inwards so that the thigh bones are parallel. The advantage of this position is that it can be reproduced consistently on different occasions, although a number of other projections may be employed to provide supplementary information. Sedation or general anaesthesia are necessary to allow accurate positioning without the need for the animal to be held. The radiographs must be identified accurately with the dog’s Kennel Club registration number, the date and a right/left marker.
What is the Kennel Club Hip Dysplasia Scoring Scheme?
In the UK an assessment scheme is run under the joint auspices of the Kennel Club and the British Veterinary Association (BVA). Dogs are radiographed by the owner’s veterinary surgeon and the radiographs are submitted to the BVA where each film is examined by 2 veterinary surgeons from its panel of expert s crutineers. Nine anatomical parameters are examined from each hip joint and allocated a score, ranging from 0 (perfect) to 112 (worst). The scoringscheme allows dogs within a breed to be compared with each other, and dogs should only be used for breeding if their hip score is well below the average score for that breed. It is also helpful to consider the hip scores of the parents, grandparents and siblings when selecting a dog or bitch for breeding. Dogsshould only be used for breeding if their hip score is well below the average score for that breed. Ruth Dennis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
