STANDARD
OF BREED CAUCASIAN SHEPHERD DOG
FCI-Standard N° 328 / 22. 04. 1996 / GB
Original variant of the standard is found on official website
of FCI,
STANDARD OF BREED CAUCASIAN SHEPHERD DOG
FCI-Standard N° 328 / 22. 04. 1996 / GB
GENERAL APPERANCE: The shepherd
dogs from the Caucasus are dogs size to the average and large
size dogs, of robust even coarse constitution; by nature,
they are aggressive and distrustful of strangers. To these
peculiarities must be added the endurance, lack of demands
and the faculty of adaptation to varied thermal and climatic
conditions, allowing the use of the Caucasian Shepherd dog
in nearly all the regions of the former Soviet Union.
The principal regions of penetration of the Caucasian Sheepdog
are the Federal Republics of Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan,
the Kabardino-Balkaria, Dagestan and Kalmoukia, the regions
of the North Caucasus steppes and the surroundings areas of
Astrakhan. In the regions of the Transcaucasus the dogs are
of a more bulky type of constitution, whereas in the steppes
regions they are lighter, higher on the legs and often short-haired.
BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT: Type of
great alert activity, strong - balanced - calm. The reactions
of defense which manifest themselves in active form, are well
developed.
An aggressive disposition and distrust towards strangers are
characteristic.
TYPE OF CONSTITUTION: Robust,
even coarse, with a massive bone structure and strong musculature.
Skin is Thick but elastic.
INDEX OF BONE STRUCTURE: (Proportion
of the perimeter of the pastern vs. the height at the withers)
= Males 21-22; females 20-22.
INDEX OF THE FORMAT: The proportion
of the length of the body vs. the height at the withers is
100-108.
SEXUAL TYPE: Well accentuated.
The males are stronger and more massive. The females are a
bit smaller in size, of a little lighter constitution.
HEAD
CRANIAL REGION: Skull: Massive with a board skull
and strongly developed zygomatic arches. Broad forehead, flat,
divided in two halves by a slight furrow. Stop: The stop is not clearly marked.
FACIAL REGION: Nose: The nose is strong, broad,
black. In the white and the light straw colored dogs, a brown
(chestnut) colored nose is admissible. Muzzle: The muzzle is shorter than
the length of the skull, only lightly tapered. Lips: Strong lips, but lean and fitting
tightly. Teeth: White, strong, well developed,
close together, not showing gaps. Incisors aligned at the
base - Scissor bite. Eyes: Dark, small, oval shaped, deep
set. Ears: Hanging set high, cropped short.
NECK: Powerful, short. Carried
quite low so as to form an angle of 300 - 400
grad in relation to the line of the back.
BODY: Withers: broad, muscular, well detached
above the topline.
Back: Broad, straight, muscled. Loin: Short, broad, slightly arched. Rump: Broad, muscled, set almost
horizontal. Chest: Broad, deep, slightly rounded
in shape. Lower line of chest is at elbow level or lower.
Belly (abdomen): Moderately tucked up.
TAIL: High set, hanging down,
reaching the hock. In shape of sickle, hook or ring. Docked
tails are admitted.
LIMBS.
FOREQUARTERS:Seen from the front: straight and parallel. Angle of
the scapular-humeral articulation about 100 grad. Forearm: Short, strong, long without
excess. Pastern: Short, strong, placed on
the vertical or with an insignificant inclination.
Length of the legs up to the elbows a little superior to the
half of the height at the withers. Index of height of the
forequarters (proportion of the height of the forequarters
from the point of the elbow to the ground vs. height at the
withers) = 50-54.
HINDOQUARTERS: Seen from the
back: straight and parallel; in profile: slightly open at
level of stifle articulation. Legs: Short. Stifles: Strong, broad, angle slightly
open. Metatarsal: Thick, placed vertically.
Hindquarters not sloping from front to back. The vertical
line starting from the ischiatic tuberosity must pass in the
centre of the hockjoint and of the hock.
FEET:(front
and hind feet).
Big, oval shaped, compact and tight.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: Free swinging
stride; usually balanced. The characteristic gait is a short
trot, which in case of acceleration usually turns into a slightly
heavy gallop. On the move the legs must move in straight line,
the forelegs slightly converging towards the median line;
the articulations of the fore-and hindquarters function with
ease; the back and the loins work smoothly. The withers and
the rump should remain at the same level during the trot.
COAT
HAIR: Straight hair, coarse, with
a strongly developed undercoat of a lighter color. On the
head and front part of the limbs, hair shorter and lying well
flat against body. We distinguish 3 groups according to the
coat:
Long-haired: top coat longer. The long hairs on the neck
form a ruff, on the rear parts of the legs fringes and culottes.
The thick coat, which covers the whole of the tail, makes
it thick and bushy.
Short-haired: Covered with a thick coat, relatively short,
without a ruff, without fringes, without culottes nor feathering
on the tail.
Intermediate type: long-haired but without ruff, fringes,
culottes or feathering.
COLOUR:Banded
hair of grey, with varied shades, usually light with a tendency
towards ginger (rusty), straw color, white, reddish brown,
brindle and also pied coat and scattered with patches.
SIZE:
Height at the withers: For the males,
not less than 65 sm.; for the females, not less than 62 sm.
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.
Constitution a little weak of frail.
Slight deviation in relation of the format indicated.
Lack of gameness and energy, lack of distrust towards
strangers.
Slight deviation in relation to sexual type. Females of
male type.
Head insufficiently broad and massive.
Forehead too bulding, transition from forehead to muzzle
(stop) abrupt or too lightly marked.
Muzzle short or elongated.
Lips soft, loosely-hanging.
Teeth showing abnormal wear in relation to age. Presence
of broken teeth which do not harm the occlusion (bite).
Absence of at most two first premolars, or absence of one
the first and one of the second premolars. Slight yellowing
of the teeth.
Light eyes, lower eyelids slightly drooping. Presence
of milky white spots on the cornea.
Ears set low, not cropped.
Neck long, lacking power.
Weakly developed withers, standing out insufficiently
above the topline of the back.
Soft back, arched or narrow.
Longish loin, straight or too arched.
Rump insufficiently muscular or slightly sloping.
Chest slightly flattened. The lower region of the chest
not quite reaching the elbow line (insufficiently let down).
Belly too tucked up or too bulky (profile convex).
Forequarters: Small deviations in relation to angles of
shoulder articulations, forearm slightly shortened or lengthtened,
slight deviation of elbows, slight toeing out, pastern too
oblique.
Hindquarters: Seen from behind: small deviation in relation
to the parallelism (slight closeness or spreading of the
hocks). Legs a little wide apart or a little close together,
hindquarters too straight, hindquarters slightly overbuilt.
Feet: Soft or of elongated shape. Dewclaws present.
Movement: Deviations in relation to the normal movement
(the dog brings the legs in or puts them out). The articulations
do not function with sufficient ease. Lack of suppleness
of back and loins movement. Rump raised during the trotting
movement). Slight side-to-side swinging of the rump (rolling
of the hindquarters).
SERIOUS FAULT:
Constitution with strongly marked weakness or frailness.
Important deviation in relation to the format indicated.
Timid dog, strongly marked indifference; lack of aggressiveness.
Strong deviations in relation to sexual type. Males of
female type.
Light head, narrow, with pointed muzzle, not in proportion
with the general type of construction, turned up muzzle.
Incisors implanted in regular line. Teeth with badly damaged
enamel.
Eyes of different colours; lower eyelids drooping, showing
part of the schlerotica.
Back sagging or very arched.
Loin Long, sagging or too curved.
Rump narrow, short or distinctly falling away.
Chest flat, narrow, insufficiently developed.
Forequarters: Straight shoulders or angle of shoulder
too closed, forearm crooked or thin, marked deviation of
elbows, very weak pastern, distinctly toeing out, or both
feet pidgeon - toed (turned in).
Hindquarters: Strongly marked deviations in relation
to the parallelism. Hindquarters excessively straight. Legs
bowed. Hindquarters very overbuilt.
Feet very splayed or flat.
Soft coat, wavy, without undercoat.
Black, black with ginger (rusty) patches, chestnut in
varied combinations.
Restricted movement, heavy. Rump very much overbuilt,
when trotting, in relation to the withers. Marked vertical
movement of the rump. Ambling gait.
For the males a height at the withers less than 65 sm;
for the females, less than 62 sm.
ELIMINATING FAULTS:
All deviations in relation to the correct scissor bite.
Absence of one of the canines or one the incisors; absence
of one of the third or fourth premolars or of one molar.
Black and brown (chestnut) colour of the coat.
N.B.:Male
animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully
descended into the scrotum
STANDARD
OF BREED CAUCASIAN SHEPHERD DOG
