“The head is proportionate to the dog. Viewed from above, the general shape of the head is that of a blunt wedge, large and broad.”
“Viewed from the side, the skull and muzzle are on parallel plains separated by a moderately deep stop. Arches over the eyes are well defined but not pronounced.”
“Muzzle: Slightly shorter in length to the skull. It is broad, deep and powerful with a slight taper to the nose and falls away slightly under the eyes.”
Skull: Large, fairly flat, broad and deep, slightly tapering towards the stop. There is a deep median furrow reducing in depth from stop to occiput. Cheek muscles are prominent but free of wrinkles.
“When the dog is alerted wrinkles will form on the forehead.”
“Lips: Clean and tight.”
“Teeth: Large and a complete scissor bite i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.”
“Nose: Large with wide open nostrils and may be of any colour.”
“Eyes: Medium in size, round in shape and set low in the head – not prominent. Eyes can be all colours except blue. The eye rims are the same colour as the skin colour.”
“Ears: The shape and carriage of the ears will vary from dog to dog. Generally they are set fairly high on the skull, not large and may be half pricked or rose shaped (i.e. folding backwards and exposing the inner burr of the ear).”
“NECK: Moderate length and with great strength, tapering from the head into the shoulders. A slight arch over the crest. The neck must be free from loose skin or dewlap (loose, pendulous skin under the throat).”
“FOREQUARTERS: Strong forelegs, well boned and muscular with elbows fitting close to the body. Viewed from the front the forelegs are set moderately well apart and in a straight line to the ground. The pasterns are short and fairly straight but with flexibility. Viewed from the side, the legs are straight with some flexibility in the pasterns.”
“BODY: Powerfully built with a deep chest of moderate width. Forechest should not extend far beyond the point of shoulder or below the elbow. Well ribbed back with moderate tuck up (concave underline of the body curving upwards from end of the ribs to waist). Back: Broad, strong, firm and level and with a slight incline at the withers. Loin: Short and deep with a slight slope to the croup.”
“HINDQUARTERS: Strong and muscular hindquarters that are in balance with the forequarters. Thighs are well developed and muscular. The hock joint should be well bent and the rear pasterns close to the ground, perpendicular and parallel to each other.”
“FEET: The feet are round and in balance with the size of the dog, well arched and tight. The pads are hard and well cushioned. Nails are strong. Dewclaws may be removed.”
“TAIL: The tail is set in line with the back and tapers to a point. At rest the tail is carried low and when excited may be carried raised but never curled over the back. The length of the tail should reach approximately to the hock joint.”
“COAT: The coat is short, smooth, glossy and of a harsh texture, free of undercoat. All colours and combination of colours are acceptable, with the exception of blue merle and pure white. White feet and a splash of white on the chest are not uncommon on solid coloured dogs.”
