Dutch Shepherd

FEDERATION CYNOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE
SECRETARIAT GENERAL: 13, Place Albert I B6530 THUIN (Belg.)
FCI Standard No 223

Dutch Shepherd
Country of Origin: Holland

GENERAL APPEARANCE
A medium sized, middleweight, proportioned, well muscled dog of powerful, "all balanced structure, with intelligent expression and lively temperament.

CHARACTERIZATION
Affectionate, obedient, tractable, alert very faithful and reliable, undemanding, with plenty of stamina, vigilant, active and gifted with the true shepherd temperament.

SIZE
The length of the body exceeds the height at the withers in a ratio of ten to nine. Size: Dogs 57-62 cm, Bitches 55-60 cm.

VARATIONS
According to the coat, variations are divided into a) Short Coat, b) Long Coat, c) Rough Coat

GAIT/MOVEMENT
Smooth, supple, true. The movement should be neither constrained nor rolling nor too far reaching.

HEAD
In good proportion to the body, more long than massive, without wrinkles and dry. The muzzle is slightly longer than the skull, which should be flat. The topline of the muzzle is straight and runs parallel with the skull topline, slight stop.

Lips
Tight In the rough coated variety, the head appears more square, but this is an illusion.

Ears
Rather small than large. When the dog is alert, they are carried rather forward. The are, set high. Not spoon shaped.

Eye
Dark, medium sized, almond shaped, placed somewhat obliquely, not round or bulging.

Nose
Always black.

Teeth
Powerful and regular. Scissor bite, i.e. when the mouth is shut, the incisors of the upper jaw closely overlapping the incisors or the lower jaw.

NECK
The neck should not be too short It is dry, i.e. without dewlap, and flowing gently into the topline of the body.

BODY
Firm; slightly spring of ribs. Chest deep but not narrow. Brisket flowing gently into the underline. Back short, straight and powerful. Loin firm, not long or narrow. The croup must not be short or too sloping.

F0REQUARTERS
Powerful, well muscled and with good bone. Overall straight, but with sufficient spring of pastern. Well laid back should lie close to the rib cage. Upper arm of good length

HINDQUARTERS
Powerful, well muscled and with good bone, forming a normal angle at the stifle joint; thus the thigh is not excessively out of the perpendicular. In the hock a moderate angle is desired so that the hock is perpendicularly below the ischium.

FEET
Well arched toes, closely knit, which avoid long feet Black nails; elastic dark pads.

TAIL
At rest, the tail should hang straight, or gently curved, rushing the hock In action, carried gracefully upwards, never curled nor falling sideways.

PARTICULARS FOR THE COAT-VARIETIES

SHORT COAT
All over the body a quite hard coat, not too short, with a wooly undercoat Ruff, trousers and feathered tail must be apparent. Color, more or less pronounced brindle on a brown ground (gold brindle) or on a gray ground (silver brindle). Brindle All over the body, also in ruff, trousers and tail. Much black in the upper coat is undesirable. A black mark preferred.

LONG COAT
All over the body a long, straight close lying coat harsh to the touch, without curls or waves, with a wooly undercoat Head, ears, feet and the hind legs below the hocks should be covered with short, dense hair. The back of forelegs shows strongly developed coat, which becomes shorter towards the feet (feathers). The tall is heavily coated All over. No feathering on ears. Color; Same colors as for the short coat

ROUGH COAT
All over the body, a thick, rough, harsh, tousled coat with a dense, wooly undercoat The coat should be dense. Lower lip and upper lip should be well furnished with hair, not soft but off standing (whiskers and beard). Eyebrows are shaggy and overhanging. The hair on the skull and on the cheeks and ears is less strongly developed. Tail heavily coated. Well developed culottes are required (breaching). Color. Blue-gray and peppering salt, silver or gold-brindle Brindle less pronounced in the topcoat compared to the other variations.

FAULTS
Too much white on chest or on feet; white stripes or spots in any other part of the body. Nose other than black, drop ears or spoon shaped ears. Wrong color, mismarking. Too much black in the topcoat. Overshot or undershot mouth. Cropped ears. Docked tail. Curled tail.

NOTE
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Printed with permission from the FCI