^© The Kennel Club

 General Appearance
 Great nobility, smooth-coated, medium-sized, square build, strong bone and evident, well developed muscles.

 Characteristics
 Lively, strong, loyal to owner and family, but distrustful of strangers. Obedient, friendly at play, but with guarding instinct.

 Temperament
 Equable, biddable, fearless, self-assured.

 Head and Skull
 Head imparts its unique individual stamp and is in proportion to body, appearing neither light nor too heavy. Skull lean without exaggerated cheek muscles. Muzzle broad, deep and powerful, never narrow, pointed, short or shallow. Balance of skull and muzzle essential, with muzzle never appearing small, viewed from any angle. Skull cleanly covered, showing no wrinkle, except when alerted. Creases present from root of nose running down sides of muzzle. Dark mask confined to muzzle, distinctly   contrasting with colour of head, even when white is present. Lower jaw undershot, curving slightly upward. Upper jaw broad where attached to skull, tapering very slightly to front. Muzzle shape completed by upper lips, thick and well padded, supported by well separated canine teeth of lower jaw. Lower edge of upper lip rests on edge of lower lip, so that chin is     clearly perceptible when viewed from front or side. Lower jaw never to obscure front of upper lip, neither should teeth nor  tongue be visible when mouth closed. Top of skull slightly arched, not rounded, nor too flat and broad. Occiput not too    pronounced. Distinct stop, bridge of nose never forced back into forehead, nor should it be downfaced. Length of muzzle  measured from tip of nose to inside corner of eye is one-third length of head measured from tip of nose to occiput. Nose broad, black, slightly turned up, wide nostrils with well defined line between. Tip of nose set slightly higher than root of muzzle.  Cheeks powerfully developed, never bulging.

 Eyes
 Dark brown, forward looking, not too small, protruding or deeply set. Showing lively, intelligent expression. Dark rims with       good pigmentation showing no haw.

 Ears
 Moderate size, thin, set wide apart on highest part of skull lying flat and close to cheek in repose, but falling forward with         definite crease when alert.

 Mouth
 Undershot jaw, canines set wide apart with incisors (six) in straight line in lower jaw. In upper jaw set in line curving slightly     forward. Bite powerful and sound, with teeth set in normal arrangement.

 Neck
 Round, of ample length, strong, muscular, clean cut, no dewlap. Distinctly marked nape and elegant arch down to withers.

 Forequarters
 Shoulders long and sloping, close lying, not excessively covered with muscle. Upper arm long, making right angle to                    shoulderblade. Forelegs seen from front, straight, parallel, with strong bone. Elbows not too close or standing too far from          chest wall. Forearms perpendicular, long and firmly muscled. Pasterns short, clearly defined, but not distended, slightly slanted.

 Body
 In profile square, length from forechest to rear of upper thigh equal to height at withers. Chest deep, reaching to elbows.        Depth of chest half height at withers. Ribs well arched, not barrel-shaped, extending well to rear. Withers clearly defined.        Back short, straight, slightly sloping, broad and strongly muscled. Loin short, well tucked up and taut. Lower abdominal line         blends into curve to rear.

 Hindquarters
 Very strong with muscles hard and standing out noticeably under skin. Thighs broad and curved. Broad croup slightly sloped,        with flat, broad arch. Pelvis long and broad. Upper and lower thigh long. Good hind angulation; when standing, the stifle is        directly under the hip protuberance. Seen from side, leg from hock joint to foot not quite vertical. Seen from behind, legs         straight, hock joints clean, with powerful rear pads.

 Feet
 Front feet small and cat-like, with well arched toes, and hard pads; hind feet slightly longer.

 Tail
 Previously customarily docked.
 Docked: Set on high and carried upward.
 Undocked: Set on high and carried gaily, not curled over back. Of moderate thickness. In overall balance to the rest of dog.

 Gait/Movement
 Strong, powerful with noble bearing, reaching well forward, and with driving action of hindquarters. In profile, stride free and   ground covering.

 Coat
 Short, glossy, smooth and tight to body.

 Colour
 Fawn or brindle. White markings acceptable not exceeding one-third of ground colour.
 Fawn: Various shades from dark deer red to light fawn.
 Brindle: Black stripes on previously described fawn shades, running parallel to ribs all over body. Stripes contrast distinctly to      ground colour, neither too close not too thinly dispersed. Ground colour clear, not intermingling with stripes.

 Size
 Height: dogs: 57-63 cms (221/2-25 ins); bitches: 53-59 cms (21-23 ins). Weight: dogs: approximately 30-32 kgs (66-70 lbs);           bitches: approximately 25-27 kgs (55-60 lbs).

 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.

 Standard Last Updated - September 2007