Westphalian Dachsbracke

FCI-Standard N°100  / 06.05.1997  / GB

WESTPHALIAN DACHSBRACKE

(Westphälische Dachsbracke)

TRANSLATION : C.Seilder.

ORIGIN : Germany.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 24.06.1987.

UTILIZATION : Hound.

CLASSIFICATION FCI : Group 6 Scenthounds and related breeds. Section 1.3 Small sized hounds.  With working trial.           

GENERAL APPEARANCE : The Westphalian Dachsbracke is the short-legged variety of the German Hound (Bracke).  It corresponds in essential points with the longlegged variety, but gives a compacter, more powerful impression than the former. The Westphalian Dachsbracke is a moderately long, sturdily built, hunting dog, standing 30-38 cm high, with noble head of medium size andwell set on tail which, in quiet movement, is carried upwards in sabre shape or pendant with slight curve at the tip.  Facial expression is faithful, friendly, serious and alert.

HEAD : Seen from the front, the head appears, as with the German Hound,  narrow  and elongated.  The occiput protrudes only slightly. 

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : The skull is only marginally broader than the cheeks.

Stop : Minimal.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : The leather has a light, almost flesh coloured strip over the center, while the nose wings have more or less dark pigment.

Muzzle : Bridge of nose slightly arched.

Lips : Moderately overlapping.

Jaws/Teeth : Dentition extremely strong and even.  Incisors are either level (level bite) or the inside of the upper incisors may rub against the outside of the lower incisors (scissor bite).  The canines are specially strongly developed.  The fold of the mouth is small.

Eye : Dark, clear, with friendly expression.

Leathers : Medium length, broad, close fitting, blunty rounded at tips. 

NECK : Moderately long.  Rather thick in relation to the head but getting gradually finer towards head.  The skin of the neck is loose but without forming a dewlap.

BODY :

Back : Slightly arched, medium length, with slight dip behind shoulders.

Loin : Broad, strongly developed.

Croup : Falls away obliquely.

Chest : Narrower than with the Dachshund, strongly supported by the forelegs; should not too much let down between these.  Ribcage long.

Belly : Slight tuck up in belly towards hindquarters.

TAIL : Set on relatively high.  The set of merges with the spine without forming any sharp angle.  Very thick at root.  The underside is bristly, the upper side has smooth hair and comes to a bristly tip without any tuft.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS :  Well developed, clean, heavy boned and sinewy.  Front legs seen from front not bowed but straight with feet pointing forward.

Elbows : Close fitting. 

HINDQUARTERS :

Straighter than with most other breeds. Hind legs are far more strongly developed in relation to forelegs than with the Dachshound.

Upper Thighs : They have strong pronounced muscles, and, seen both from side and rear, stand almost straight. 

FEET : Sturdy with tight short toes.

COAT

HAIR : The whole body, including the underside, with a very dense and coarse coat.  Short on head, leathers and lower part of legs, longer over back, neck and underside of tail.

COLOUR : Red to yellow with black saddle or mantle and the white « Bracken » markings : Blaze or snip, white muzzle and white collar, white chest, legs and tip of tail .  Undesirable are bicoloured dogs as well as dogs with black markings on head.  Chocolate brown is a fault.  

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.

N.B. : Male animals must have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

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