|
 Breed
Standard
- General Appearance
A strong, compact, square, balanced dog. Taking him all
around, he is profusely, but not excessively coated ,
thickset, muscular and able-bodied. These qualities, combined with
his agility, fit him for the demanding tasks required of a
shepherd's or drover's dog. Therefore, soundness is of the
greatest importance. His bark is loud with a distinctive
"pot-casse" ring in it.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Type, character and balance are of greater importance and are on no
account to be sacrificed to size alone.
Size-- Height (measured from top of withers to the ground),
Dogs: 22 inches (55.8 cm) and upward.
Bitches: 21 inches (53.3 cm) and upward.
Proportion-- Length (measured from point of shoulder to point
of ischium [tuberosity]) practically the same as the height.
Absolutely free from legginess or weaselness.
Substance-- Well muscled with plenty of bone.
 Head-- A most intelligent expression.
Eyes-- Brown, blue or one of each. If brown, very dark is
preferred. If blue, a pearl, china or wall-eye is considered
typical. An amber or yellow eye is most objectionable.
Ears-- Medium sized and carried flat to the side of the head.
Skull-- Capacious and rather squarely formed giving plenty of
room for brain power. The parts over the eyes (supra-orbital ridges)
are well arched. The whole well covered with hair.
Stop-- Well defined.
Jaw Fairly long, strong, square and truncated. Attention
is particularly called to the above properties as a long, narrow
head or snipy muzzle is a deformity.
Nose-- Always black, large and capacious.
Teeth-- Strong, large and evenly placed. The bite is level or
tight scissors.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck-- Fairly long and arched gracefully.
Topline-- Stands lower at the withers than at the loin with
no indication of softness or weakness. Attention is particularly
called to this topline as it is a distinguishing characteristic of
the breed.
Body-- Rather short and very compact, broader at the rump
than at the shoulders, ribs well sprung and brisket deep and
capacious. Neither slab-sided nor barrel-chested. The loin is very
stout and gently arched.
Tail-- Docked close to the body, when not naturally bob
tailed.
 Forequarters
Shoulders well laid back and narrow at the points. The forelegs dead
straight with plenty of bone. The measurements from the withers to
the elbow and from the elbow to the ground are practically the same.
Hindquarters
Round and muscular with well let down hocks. When
standing, the metatarses are perpendicular to the ground when viewed
from any angle.
Feet
Small and round, toes well arched, pads thick and hard, feet
pointing straight ahead.
Coat
Profuse, but not so excessive as to give the impression of the dog
being overly fat, and of a good hard texture; not straight, but
shaggy and free from curl. Quality and texture of coat to be
considered above mere profuseness. Softness or flatness of coat
to be considered a fault. The undercoat is a waterproof pile when
not removed by grooming or season. Ears coated moderately. The whole
skull well covered with hair. The neck well coated with hair. The
forelegs well coated all around. The hams densely coated with a
thick, long jacket in excess of any other part. Neither the natural
outline nor the natural texture of the coat may be changed by any
artificial means except that the feet and rear may be trimmed for
cleanliness.
Color
Any shade of gray, grizzle, blue or blue merle with or without white
markings or in reverse. Any shade of  brown
or fawn to be considered distinctly objectionable and not to be
encouraged.
Gait
When trotting, movement is free and powerful, seemingly effortless,
with good reach and drive, and covering maximum ground with minimum
steps. Very elastic at a gallop. May amble or pace at slower speeds.
Temperament
An adaptable, intelligent dog of even disposition, with no sign of
aggression, shyness or nervousness.
Approved February 10, 1990
Effective March 28, 1990
|
