TRANSLATOR : Mrs. C. Seidler.
ORIGIN : Switzerland.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF VALID ORIGINAL STANDARD : 01.01.1990
UTILIZATION : Hunting dog in the most specific meaning of the word; searching game; hunting while giving tongue; also tracking wounded game.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 6 (Scent Hounds).
Section 1.3. (Small sized hounds).
With Working Trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : At the turn of the century, the system of hunting in preserves was introduced into several Swiss Cantons. As the opinion was that the generally popular, medium sized Schweizer Laufhunde (Swiss Hounds) were too fast for enclosed preserves, it was decided to replace them with smaller short-legged scent hounds. The new smaller breed, bred through planned selection of stock and suitable crossing, was called "Niederlaufhund" ("Short-legged scent hound"). It was distinguished by the following qualities : Relatively low on leg, in attractive coat colours, similar to those of the medium-sized Swiss Hounds (Schweizer Laufhunde), melodious cry to scent and track and a very passionate desire to find game, to quarter and do track work.
The Schweizer Niederlaufhund Club, first known by the name "Schweizerischer Dachsbracken Club", was founded on June 1st 1905.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : "Hound" type, smaller in proportion than the Schweizerischer Laufhund, with height at withers 33-41 cm (ideal size 36-38 cm); rectangular in shape, moderately long, well built. Medium size, clean, noble head with friendly alert facial expression. Ears very long, set on low and carried well folded. Chest and ribcage moderately broad and deep, giving plenty of heart and lung room. Limbs lean and robust. When moving quietly, the tail is carried hanging down, in action it is curved slightly upwards.
BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT : Small, keen scent hound with excellent nose. Quick and tenacious, keeping firmly to the trail and hunting with melodious cry. Friendly in temperament, not nervous and never aggressive. In character calm to lively.
HEAD : General : Noble, clean. Seen from front, rather long and slender, gradually getting broader towards the cheeks.
CRANIAL REGION : Lightly arched, no wrinkle or furrow in forehead. Occiput protruding only slightly. Stop moderately developed. Line from occiput to stop of approximately same length and as near parallel as possible to the line from stop to nose.
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Dark colour, well developed nose leather.
Muzzle : Strong, fairly long, medium depth, never pointed.
Bridge of nose preferably straight or very slightly by convex . Rather slender.
Lips : Upper flews slightly overlapping, lightly rounded off in front, never pointed. Corner of mouth not visible.
Cheeks : Only slightly pronounced.
Teeth : Very strong, regular and complete scissor bite, the upper row of incisors closely overlapping the lower incisors and teeth set square to jaws. Pincer bite tolerated. Absence of one or two premolars (PM 1 or PM 2) tolerated.
Eyes : Oval, friendly in expression, dark. Neither deep set nor protruding. Lid aperture taut with close fitting lids. Lid rims well pigmented.
Ears (leathers) : Set on low and more towards rear of head, attached narrow; reaching in length at least to tip of nose. Carried well folded and close to cheeks, pendant; supple, with fine hair. Ear conch not protruding.
NECK : Moderately long, light and elegant, yet well muscled.
BODY : Topline harmonious from set on of neck to the gently sloping rump.
Back : Straight, firm, medium length.
Loins : Broad, strong and supple.
Rump : Sloping gently to tail. Hip bones should not protrude too much.
Tail : Set on low in harmonious continuation of croup. Medium length, reaching at least to the hock. Well coated, ending in an elegant point with no plume. In quiet situations and in movement it is carried hanging down with barely any curve. In action and when agitated, it is carried slightly upwards, never tilted over the back.
Chest : Broad and deep, reaching at least to the elbows. Point of sternum visible but not too protruding.
Ribs : Long, moderately rounded. Ribcage reaching well back.
Belly : Belly line slightly tucked up towards hindquarters. Flanks moderately filled in.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS :
General : Strongly muscled yet not giving a heavy overloaded impression. Seen from front, forelegs straight, vertically placed, with sufficiently strong bone. Tight feet pointing straight forward.
Shoulders : With strong muscles. Shoulder-blades well attached to the chest wall. Relatively long and well laid back. Good angulation of shoulder joint.
Upper arm : About same length as shoulder blade, sloping.
Elbows : Naturally placed against the chest.
Forearm : Strong, lean, very straight, barely shorter than upper arm.
Pastern joint : Strong.
Pastern : Short. Seen from front : in vertical line of the forearm, never turned outwards. Seen from side : never quite upright, but slightly sloping towards the ground. Weak pasterns (down on pasterns) are a fault.
Front feet : Roundish, firm, tight. Toes short and well knuckled. Pads coarse and hard. Strong nails. Fine hair between toes.
HINDQUARTERS :
General : Very muscular, in good proportion to forehand. Stifle and hock joints well angulated. Hind legs parallel, standing neither narrow nor wide. In natural stance, they should be placed slightly backwards.
Upper thigh : Of good length, strong, well musculed.
Lower thigh : Relatively long, sloping. Bone not quite as strong as in forehand.
Hockjoint : Strong, well angulated, set low.
Hock : Short. Seen from behind : straight and parallel.
Hind feet : Fairly round, firm and tight. Short toes. Pads rough and hard. Solid nails. Fine hair between toes. No dewclaws.
MOVEMENT : Preferred natural gait : ground covering trot or gallop.
General : Movement when trotting should be free and easy, striding out well in front and good strong drive behind.
Front Action : Neither moving close nor paddling; neither toeing out nor out at elbows.
Hind Action : Practically parallel with definite drive, neither too wide nor too close. Neither cow hocked nor bow legged.
SKIN : Well fitting and taut. No folds.
COAT :
Make up of Coat : Short, smooth, close fitting, finer on head and ears.
Exceptions : The rough coated "Berner Nieder-laufhund" has hard, springy, close fitting coat with little undercoat.
The "Jura Niederlaufhund" may occasionally have a double coat (Stockhaar = Short harsh coat with undercoat).
COLOUR OF COAT : There are four varieties of colour.
Berner Niederlaufhund
Always tricolour, with white, black, and fawn (tan). Basic colour white with large black patches. A few black mottles permitted. Fawn markings above eyes, on cheeks, on inside and upper part of leathers and round the anus.
Jura Niederlaufhund
Preferably deep black with fawn markings above the eyes, on cheeks, on chest and / or on legs. Alternately fawn with black "blanket" or saddle. Not too large patch of white on chest tolerated.
Luzerner Niederlaufhund
Basic colour dense gray-white or black-white, haevily speckled with larger dark or black patches. Fawn markings above eyes. Fawn marking or shading on cheeks, on chest, on the limbs and round the anus.
Schwyzer Niederlaufhund
Basic colour white with larger or smaller orange fawn or lighter fawn patches. A few fawn spots (mottles) are not a fault.
Fawn "blanket" permissible.
HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
Height for dogs and bitches : 33 - 41 cm
Ideal height : 36 - 38 cm
Weight : Approximately : 8 - 15 kg
FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered as a fault. It should be penalized according to its seriousness and importance.
Slight faults :
- Slight dewlap.
- Schwyzer Niederlaufhund : hint of black shading ("soot") on ears, tail set on or on patches.
Severe faults :
- Lack of substance.
- Too fine or too coarse in bone.
- Coarse, unbalanced head.
- Too short or pointed in muzzle.
- Light eye; hard, staring expression.
- Leathers flat, thick or too short.
- Exaggerated dewlap.
- Crooked, turned out front legs.
- Insufficient angulations of hindquarters.
- Anxious or aggressive behaviour.
Disqualifying faults :
- Lack of breed type.
- Size under 33 cm or over 41 cm.
- Completely flesh-coloured nose (depigmented).
- Over-or undershot mouth.
- Absence of more than 2 premolars (PM 1 or PM 2).
- Excessively sharp tuck-up at end of sternum.
- Ring tail or kink tail.
- All colour combinations which depart from the four colour varieties described in the standard.
- White patches on leathers.
N.B. : Male dogs should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.