GENERAL APPEARANCE - Long, low and profusely coated, twice as long as high. Moves with seemingly effortless gait. Strong in quarters, body and jaw.
CHARACTERISTICS - Elegant and dignified.
TEMPERAMENT - A 'one-man' dog, distrustful of strangers, never vicious.
HEAD AND SKULL - Long and powerful, strength not sacrificed for extreme length. Moderate width at back of skull, tapering gradually with slight stop to strong muzzle. Nose black.
EYES - Brown, preferably dark brown, medium in size, close set and full of expression.
EARS - Prick or drop. When prick, gracefully feathered, not large, erect at outer edges and slanting towards each other at inner edge, from peak to skull. When drop, larger, hanging straight, lying flat and close at front.
MOUTH - Jaws strong and level with perfect, regular scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
NECK - Long and slightly crested.
FOREQUARTERS - Shoulders broad, close to body, chest deep, legs short and muscular.
BODY - Long and low, back level. Ribcage oval, deep and long. Short loin. Sides appear flattish due to straight falling coat.
HINDQUARTERS - Strong, full, well developed and well angulated. Legs short, muscular and straight when viewed from behind. No dew claws.
FEET - Forefeet larger than hind, pointing truly forward. Pads thick, nails strong.
TAIL - When hanging, upper part pendulous and lower half thrown back in a curve. When raised, a prolongation of incline of back, not rising higher nor curling up. Gracefully feathered.
GAIT/MOVEMENT - Legs proceed straight forward when travelling. When approaching, forelegs form a continuation of straight line of front, feet being same distance apart as elbows. Principal propelling power is furnished by hind legs which travel straight forward. Forelegs moving well forward, without too much lift. Whole movement termed free, active and effortless and gives a more or less fluid picture.
COAT - Double. Undercoat short, close, soft and woolly. Outercoat long, hard, straight, flat and free from curl. Hair on head shorter, softer, veiling forehead and eyes. Mingling with side locks, surrounding ears like a fringe and allowing their shape to appear.
COLOUR - Black, dark or light grey, fawn, cream, all with black points. Any self colour allowing shading of same colour and lighter undercoat, so long as nose and ears are black. A small white spot on chest permissible.
SIZE -
Height: Dogs 25-26 cms (10 ins)
Length from tip of nose to tip of tail 103 cms (41? ins). Bitches slightly smaller in same proportions.
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.