General Appearance
Small, well balanced, thick-set dog of dignity and quality.
Characteristics
Leonine in appearance with alert and intelligent expression.
Temperament
Fearless, loyal, aloof but not timid or aggressive.
Head and Skull
Head large, proportionately wider than deep. Skull broad, wide and flat between ears; not domed; wide between eyes. Nose short and broad, nostrils large, open and black; muzzle wide, well wrinkled with firm under-jaw. Profile flat with nose well set between eyes. Pronounced stop. Black pigment essential on nose, lips and eye rims.
Eyes
Large, clear, round, dark and lustrous.
Ears
Heart-shaped, set level with the skull and carried close to the head, with long profuse feathering. Leathers not to come below line of muzzle.
Mouth
Level lips, must not show teeth or tongue. Firm under-jaw essential.
Neck
Very short and thick.
Forequarters
Short, thick, heavily boned forelegs; bones of forelegs slightly bowed, firm at shoulder. Soundness essential.
Body
Short, broad chest and good spring of ribs, well slung between forelegs with distinct waist, level back. |
Hindquarters
Hindlegs lighter than forelegs but firm and well shaped. Close behind but not cow-hocked. Soundness essential.
Feet
Large and flat, not round. Standing well up on feet, not on pasterns. Front feet slightly turned out.
Tail
Set high, carried tightly, slightly curved over back to either side. Long feathering.
Gait/Movement
Slow dignified rolling gait in front. Typical movement not to be confused with a roll caused by slackness of shoulders. Close action behind. Absolute soundness essential.
Coat
Long, straight with profuse mane extending beyond shoulders forming a cape round neck; top coat coarse with thick undercoat. Profuse feathering on ears, back of legs, tail and toes.
Colour
All colours and markings are permissible and of equal merit, except albino or liver. Parti-colours evenly broken.
Size
Ideal weight not exceeding 5 kgs (11 lbs) for dogs and 5.4 kgs (12 lbs) for bitches. Dogs should look small but be surprisingly heavy when picked up; heavy bone and a sturdy well-built body are essentials of the breed.
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.
Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. |
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