FCI-Standard N° 264 / 24. 06. 1987 / GB
MASTIFF
ORIGIN : Great-Britain.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD :
24.06.1987.
UTILIZATION : Watch and security dog.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer-Molossoid
breeds-Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs and other breeds.
Section 2.1 Molossoid breeds, Mastiff type.
Without working trial.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Head, in general outline, giving
a square appearance when viewed from any point. Breadth greatly desired;
in ratio to length of whole head and face as 2/3. Body massive, broad,
deep, long, powerfully built, on legs wide apart and squarely set. Muscles
sharply defined. Size a great desideratum, if combined with quality. Height
and substance important if both points are proportionately combined. Large,
massive, powerful, symmetrical, well-knit frame.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : A combination of grandeur
and courage. Calm, affectionate to owners, but capable of guarding.
HEAD
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Skull broad between ears, forehead flat, but wrinkled when attention
is excited. Brows (superciliary ridges) slightly raised. Muscles of temples
and cheeks (temporal and masseter) well developed. Arch across skull of
a rounded, flattened curve, with depression up centre of forehead from
median line between eyes, to halfway up saggital suture.
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Nose broad, with widely spreading nostrils when viewed from front,
flat (not pointed or turned up) in profile.
Muzzle : Face or muzzle short, broad under eyes, and keeping nearly parallel
in width to end of nose; truncated, i.e. blunt and cut off squarely, thus
forming a right-angle with upper line of face, of great depth from point
of nose to under jaw. Length of muzzle to whole head and face as 1/3.
Circumference of muzzle (measured mid-way between eyes and nose) to that
of head (measured before the ears) as 3/5.
Lips: Lips diverging at obtuse angles with septum, and slightly pendulous
so as to show a square profile.
Jaws/Teeth : Under jaw broad to end. Canine teeth healthy; powerful and
wide apart; incisors level or lower projecting beyond upper but never
so much as to become visible when mouth is closed.
Eyes : Small, wide apart, divided by at least space of two eyes. Stop
between eyes well marked but not too abrupt. Colour hazel brown, darker
the better, showing no haw.
Ears : Small, thin to touch, wide apart, set on at highest points of sides
of skull, so as to continue outline across summit, and lying flat and
close to cheeks when in repose.
NECK : Slightly arched, moderately long, very muscular,
and measuring in circumference about one or two inches less than skull
before ears.
BODY :
Back and loins : Back and loins wide and muscular; flat and very wide
in bitch, slightly arched in dog.
Chest : Chest wide, deep and well let down between forelegs. Ribs arched
and well rounded. False ribs deep and well set back to hips. Girth one-third
more than height at shoulder.
Belly : Great depth of flanks.
TAIL : Set on high, and reaching to hocks, or a little
below them, wide at its root and tapering to end, hanging straight in
repose, but forming a curve with end pointing upwards, but not over back,
when dog is excited.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS : Legs straight, strong and set wide apart; bones being
large.
Shoulder and arm : Shoulder and arm slightly sloping, heavy and muscular.
Elbows : Elbows square.
Pasterns : Pasterns upright.
HINDQUARTERS : Broad, wide and muscular.
Second thigh : Well-developed second thighs.
Hock : Hocks bent, wide apart, and quite squarely set when standing or
walking.
FEET : Large and round. Toes well arched. Nails black.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : Powerful, easy extension.
COAT
HAIR : Short and close-lying, but not too fine over
shoulders, neck and back.
COLOUR : Apricot-fawn, silver-fawn, fawn, or dark fawn-brindle.
In any case, muzzle, ears and nose should be black round orbits, and extending
upwards between them.
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.
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal
testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
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