FOR
BREEDERS.
BREED STANDARD.
General Appearance: Symmetrical, balanced, active, powerful, level mover; sound with kindly expression.
Characteristics: Biddable, intelligent, and possessing natural working ability. Temperament: Kindly, friendly, and confident.
Head and Skull: Balanced and well chiselled, skull broad without coarseness: well set on neck, muzzle powerful, wide, and deep. Length of foreface approximately equals length from well-defined stop to occiput. Nose preferably black.
Eyes: Dark brown, set well apart, dark rims.
Ears: Moderate size, set on approximate level with eyes.
Mouth: Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular, and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set to the jaws.
Neck: Good length, clean and muscular.
Forequarters: Forelegs straight with good bone, shoulders
well laid back, long in blade with upper arm of equal length placing legs well under body. Elbows close fitting.
Body: Balanced short coupled, deep through heart. Ribs deep and well sprung. Level top-line.
Hindquarters: Loin and legs strong and muscular, good second thighs, well bent stifles. Hocks well let down, straight when viewed from rear, neither turning in nor out. Cow-hocks highly undesirable.
Feet: Round and cat-like.
Tail: Set on and carried level with back, reaching the hocks, without curl at tip.
Gait/Movement: Powerful with good drive. Straight and true in front and rear. Stride long and free with no sign of hackney action in front.
Coat: Flat or wavy with good feathering, dense water-resisting undercoat.
Colour: Any shade of gold or cream, neither red nor mahogany. A few white hairs on chest only, permissible.
Size: Height at withers: Dogs 56 – 61 cm (22 – 24”)
Bitches 51 – 56 cm (20 – 22‘’)
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. Note: Males should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Image by J Hodges.
