Breed Standard |
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GENERAL APPEARANCE
Head, in general outline, giving a square appearance when viewed
from any point. Breadth greatly desired: in ratio to length of whole
head and face as 2/3. Body massive, broad, deep, long, powerfully
built, on legs wide apart and squarely set. Muscles sharply defined.
Size a great desideratum, if combined with quality. Height and
substance important if both points are proportionately combined.
CHARACTERISTICS
Large, massive, powerful, symmetrical and well knit frame. A
combination of grandeur and, courage.
TEMPERAMENT
Calm, affectionate to owners, but capable of guarding.
HEAD AND SKULL
Skull broad between ears, forehead flat, but wrinkled when attention
is excited. Brows [superciliary ridges] slightly raised. Muscles of
temples and cheeks [temporal and masseter] well developed. Arch
across skull of a rounded, flattened curve, with a depression up
centre of forehead from median line between eyes, to half way up
sagittal suture. Face or muzzle, short, broad under eyes and keeping
nearly parallel in width to end of nose; Truncated, i.e., blunt and
cut off squarely, thus forming a right-angle with upper line of
face, of great depth from point of nose to under-jaw. Under jaw
broad to end. Nose broad, with widely spreading nostrils when viewed
from front, flat [not pointed or turned up] in profile. Lips
diverging at obtuse angles with septum, and slightly pendulous so as
to show a square profile. Length of muzzle to whole head and face as
1/3. Circumference of muzzle [measured mid-way between eyes and
nose] to that of head [measured before the ears] as 3/5.
EYES
Small, wide apart, divided by at least space of two eyes. Stop
between eyes well marked but not too abrupt. Coloured hazel brown,
darker the better, showing no haw.
EARS
Small, thin to touch, wide apart, set on at highest points of sides
of skull, so as to continue outline across summit, and laying flat
and close to cheeks when in repose.
MOUTH
Canine teeth healthy, powerful and wide apart; incisors level, or
lower projecting beyond upper but never so much as to become visible
when mouth is closed.
NECK
Slightly arched, moderately long, very muscular, and measuring in
circumference about one or two inches less than skull before ears.
FOREQUARTERS
Shoulder and arm slightly sloping, heavy and Muscular. Legs
straight, strong and set wide apart; bones being large. Elbows
square. Pasterns upright.
BODY
Chest wide, deep and well let down between forelegs. Ribs arched and
well rounded. False ribs deep and well set back to hips. Girth
one-third more than height at shoulder. Back and loins wide and
muscular; flat and very wide in bitch slightly arched in a dog.
Great depth of flanks.
HINDQUARTERS
Broad, wide and muscular, with well-developed second thighs, hocks
bent, wide apart, and quite squarely set when standing or walking.
FEET
Large and round. Toes well arched up. Nails black.
TAIL
Set on high, and reaching to hocks, or a little below them, wide at
its root and tapering to end, hanging straight in repose, but
forming a curve with end pointing upwards, but not over back, when
dog is excited.
GAIT/MOVEMENT
Powerful, easy extension.
COAT
Short and close lying, but not too fine over shoulders, neck and
back.
COLORS
Apricot-fawn silver-fawn, fawn or dark fawn-brindle. In any case,
muzzle ears and nose should be black with black around the orbits,
and extending upwards between them.
FAULTS
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault
and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded in exact
proportion to its degree.
Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully
descended into the scrotum
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