Posted by Jeanne on November 30, 2008
Briards are one of the oldest breeds of French dogs suitable to strenuous work. Their traditional use has been the division of flocks, although they have been of utility for draft purposes and for guarding property and as a general utility farm dog. They are very smart and teachable, good watch dogs and not vicious.
- General Appearance – A strong and substantially built dog, fitted for field work, lithe, muscular, and well proportioned, alert and active.
- Size – Height at shoulders: Dogs, 23 to 27 inches. Bitches, 22 to 25-1/2 inches. Young dogs may be below the minimum.
- Head – Large and rather long.
- Stop well marked and placed at equal distance from top of head and tip of nose.
- Forehead very slightly rounded.
- Line from stop to tip of nose straight.
- Teeth strong, white, and meeting exactly even.
- Muzzle neither narrow nor pointed.
- Nose rather square than rounded, always black.
- Hair heavy and long on top of head, the ears, and around the muzzle, forming eyebrows standing out and not veiling the eyes too much.
- Eyes horizontal, well opened, dark in color and rather large; intelligent and gentle in expression.
- Ears placed high, not too large and not carried too flat. In France the tips of the ears are generally cropped, causing the ear to be semi-erect.
- Conformation – Neck muscular and distinct from the shoulders. Chest broad and deep. Back straight.
Rump slightly sloped. Legs muscular with heavy bones.
- Hock not too near the ground, making a well-marked angle, the leg below the hock being not quite vertical.
- Tail – Uncut, well feathered, slightly curled at the end, carried low and twisted neither to the right nor to the left, the feather on lowest point reaching to point of hock.
- Feet – Strong, round, with toes close together and hard pads; nails black.
- Coat – Long, slightly wavy, stiff, and strong.
- Color – All solid colors are allowed except white. Dark colors are preferable.
- Usual Colors – Black, and black with some white hairs, dark and light gray, tawny, and combinations of two of these colors, provided there are no marked spots and the transition from one to the other takes place gradually and symmetrically.
- Dewclaws – Two dewclaws on each hindleg are required. A dog with only one cannot be given a prize.
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Posted by Jeanne on November 28, 2008
Bouvier des Flandres is a powerfully built Belgian dog. Dogs of this breed have rough coats that are capable of withstanding the hardest work and the most inclement weather encountered on farms. They make excellent sheep herders and have also come to be known as guardians and police dogs.
- General Appearance – A dog with a coat rough to the touch, rugged, noticeable, showing by the brightness of his eye action, vigor and energy.
- Head – Of medium length in proportion to the figure and the length of the body.
- Skull – Flat, not too wide between the ears, sloping gently toward the muzzle and slightly exceeding it in length. The silky coat on the head should be tousled.
- Stop – Hardly noticeable, more apparent by the growth of the coat than actual. The superciliary arches pronounced and covered by a tousled coat.
- Cheeks – Not prominent.
- Muzzle – Large and bony, well covered with a coat not silky and not flat.
- Lips – Dry and tight, well covered with a fairly long but not silky coat.
- Ears – Cropped to a triangle, covered with a short coat, carried very straight and set high on the head, but not too far back. The opening should be well protected by the coat.
- Nose – Black, well developed, not flat on top nor pinched at the nostrils.
- Eyes – The eyes should be clear, of medium size, dark, not prominent, neither too round nor too oval, nor should they be set too far forward but slightly slanting. Light or staring eyes should be disqualified.
- Teeth – Strong and well set. The canines should be set well apart.
- Neck – Well rounded at the shoulders, of moderate length and thickness, growing gradually larger toward the shoulders.
- Shoulders – Long, sloping and rough-coated.
- Brisket – It should be deep, reaching at least to the level of the elbow. The chest should not be too wide. The fore ribs should be well arched and the hind ones well sprung.
- Body, Back and Loins – They should be short, strong, straight, muscled and followed by broad, square hindquarters.
- Tail – Cropped to about 4 inches, set high and carried gaily.
- Foreguarters – The legs from the elbows to the feet should be dead straight, on all sides.
- Hindquarters – The hocks fairly large, but at the same time not much bent. The hams broad and well muscled.
- The front and hind legs should be parallel as seen from the front and rear.
- Feet – Round, firm, the toes close and arched, furnished with dark, well-set nails. Tough pads.
- Coat – Slightly tousled, harsh to the touch, neither silky nor long like that of the Briard. It should not be woolly, but a characteristic is seemingly badly groomed. The coat on the head is shorter, except over the eyes, on each side of the muzzle and under the chin, where it is more developed, forming thus eye brows, a mustache and a beard, which are features very characteristic of the breed.
- Color – From fawn to black, through pepper and salt, gray and brindle. Chocolate brown and too much white are not permissible. A white star on the chest is allowed.
- Height – Dogs, from 23-1/2 to 27-1/2 inches. Bitches, a minimum of 22-3/4 inches.
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