Breed Standard

General Appearance

A dog of medium build, athletic but not racy. Slightly longer than tall (as 10-9), with leg length slightly longer than overall depth of body . Oval bone is neither too heavy nor too light.

Head

Not too broad, skull slightly domed. Muzzle slightly longer than skull, strong and gentle tapering. Lips close fitting and always black. Cheeks flat. Nose black (winter noses acceptable) and nostrils large. Scissor bite.

Eyes

Oval, forward facing and set at a slightly oblique angle. Any colour or colour combination permitted.

Ears

Set fairly high, not too large and carried erect.

Neck

Strong and muscular with a well defined nape.

Shoulders

Moderately sloping. Elbows fitting close to chest, which must not be too broad.

Body

Topline level, ribs well back. Loin short and deep with no exaggerated tuck up. Croup broad and fairly short but not steep. Tail set fairly high and reaching to the hock, carried down when standing, may be lifted when exicted. Good rear angulation. Short hocks.

Hind Feet

Oval, may have five toes, dewclaws permitted.

Fore Feet

Round, pasterns upright but flexible. Pads black and well cuishioned with hair.

Coat

Dense double coat, slightly harsh in texture, well defined ruff and breeches. Tail bushy.

Gait 

Easy and far reaching covers the ground

Size

Bitches 22 " minimum, dogs 24" minimum. - Overall balance more important than size.

Colour

Pure White or any shade of Grey and Sable through to pure Black. White faces and dark masks are comitted but any colour change should be subtle.

Temperament

Friendly and placid, never aggressive or showing any guarding tendancies. Will submt when challenged.

Faults

Gay tails (curly), long soft silk coats, patchy/pinto or Black and Tan colours.

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