CLASSIFICATION FCI: Group 1. Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs)
Section 1. Sheepdogs
Without working trial
GENERAL APPEARANCE - Well proportioned, smooth outline showing quality, gracefulness and perfect balance, combined with sufficient substance to give impression of endurance. Any tendency to coarseness or weediness undesirable.
CHARACTERISTICS - Tenacious, hard-working sheepdog, of great tractability.
TEMPERAMENT - Keen, alert, responsive and intelligent. Neither nervous nor aggressive.
HEAD AND SKULL - Skull fairly broad, occiput not pronounced. Cheeks not full or rounded. Muzzle, tapering to nose, moderately short and strong. Skull and foreface approximately equal in length. Stop very distinct. Nose black, except in brown or chocolate colour when it may be brown, in blues nose should be slate colour. Nostrils well developed.
EYES - Set well apart, oval shaped, of moderated size, brown colour except merles where one or part of one or both may be blue. Expression mild, keen, alert and intelligent.
EARS - Medium size and texture, set well apart. Carried erect or semi-erect and sensitive in use.
MOUTH - Teeth and jaws strong, with a perfect and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
NECK - Of good length, strong and muscular, slightly arched and broadening to shoulders. Topline is level, with slight arch over the loins.
FOREQUARTERS - Front legs parallel when viewed from front, pasterns slightly sloping when viewed from the side.Bone strong but not heavy. Shoulders well laid back, elbows close to body.
BODY - Athletic in appearance, ribs well sprung, chest deep ans rather broad, loins deep and muscular, but not tucked up. Body slightly longer than height at shoulder.
HINDQUARTERS - Broad, muscular and in profile sloping gracefully to set of tail. Thighs long, deep and muscular with well turned stifles and strong well let down hocks.From hock to ground, hind legs well boned and parallel when viewed from the rear.
FEET - Oval in shape, pads deep, strong and sound, toes arched and close together. Nails short and strong.
TAIL - Moderately long, the bone reaching at least to the hock, set on low, well furnished and with an upward swirl towards the end, completing graceful contour and balance of dog. Tail may be raised in excitement, never carried over back.
GAIT/MOVEMENT - Free, smooth and tireless, with minimum lift of feet, conveying impression of ability to move with great stealth and speed.
COAT - Two varieties: 1) Moderately long; 2) Smooth. In both, topcoat dense, and medium textured, undercoat soft and dense giving good weather resistance. In moderately long coat variety, abundant coat forms mane, breeching and brush. On face, ears, forelegs (except for feather), hindlegs from hock to ground, hair should be short and smooth.
COLOUR - Variety of colours permissible. White should never predominate.
SIZE - Ideal height: dogs 53 cms (21'' ); bitches slightly less.
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 - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.