General appearance
A balanced dog of
medium proportions , harmoniously proportioned , intelligent ,
rustic , accustomed to open-air life
, built to resist the bad weather of the seasons and
the atmospheric variations so frequent to the
Belgian climate . By the harmony of his
shape and the proud carriage of his head , the
Belgian Shepherd Dog must give the
impression of that robust elegance which has
become the heritage of the selected
representatives of a working breed .
In addition to this inborn aptitude for guarding
flocks , he has the precious qualities to be
the best guard dog for the property .
When necessary he is , without hesitation , a
tenacious and ardent defender of his
master . He is vigilant and is alert
and inquiring , denoting his intelligence .
Head
The head is well
chiseled , long without exaggeration , dry . The skull and the muzzle
are of sensible equal length , with at most a
very slight advantage for the muzzle , which
gives an impression of perfect finish to the
whole .
Nose
Black , well open nostrils .
Muzzle
Of medium length
, tapering
gradually towards the nose , the bridge of the nose is straight ,
in profile parallel to the imaginary
line extending from the skull . Mouth well split .
Lips
Of thin tissue ,
closing thigtly , strongly pigmented , not showing the red of the mucous
membranes .
Cheeks
Dry , quite flat , although muscled .
Dentition
Strong , white ,
regular teeth firmly set in well developed jaws ."Scissors bite", i.e.
the
upper jaw fitting closely over those
of the lower jaw , extending slightly beyond them
without loosing contact with them .
Super-position of the incisors is tolerated : in fact it
is this bite , named "pincer bite", which is
preferred by drivers of sheep and cattle .
Stop
Moderate , but marked .
Superciliary ridges
Not prominent , muzzle well chiseled below the eyes .
Skull
Of medium width ,
in proportion to lenght of the head , with forehead rather flat than
rounded , with median line little pronounced .
Seen in profile its extension is parallel
to the bridge of the nose .
Eyes
Of medium size ,
not prominent nor sunken slightly almond shaped , of brownish color-
preferably black ; black rimmed eyelids .
Direct look , lively , intelligent and inquisitive
expression .
Ears
Of definite
triangular appearance , stiff and erect , set high , proportioned in
lenght ,the
lobe edges well rounded at the base .
Neck
Reach , slightly
elongated ,well muscled , without dewlap , brooding gradually towards
the shoulders . Very slightly arched
.
Forequarters
Solid bone structure all over , muscles dry and strong .
Shoulders
The shoulder
blades are long , sloping and flat , sufficiently angulated with
humorous to
give the elbows easy play .
Upper arms
Should move in a direction strictly parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body .
Fore arms
Long and well muscled .
Front pasterns
Strong and short . Pastern joints clean without traces of rickets.
Feet
Rather round .
The toes
arches and well closed . The pads thick and elastic .
Nails dark and strong.
Body
The body is
powerful without heaviness . Lenght from point of shoulders to point of
buttocks approximately equal to the height at
withers in the dog . May be slightly
longer in the bitch .
Chest
Not much
broad , but deep and well let down , as in all animals of great
endurance .
The rib cage is constructed of ribs arched in
their upper parts .
Withers
Pronounced .
Top line
(Back and loin) : straight , broad and powerfully muscled .
Belly
Moderately
developed , neither drooping nor tucked up , continuing underline of
the chest
in a harmonious curve .
Croup
Very slightly sloping , broad without execs .
Hindquarters
Powerful ,
without heaviness
, moving in the same planes as the forequarters . In stance
perpendicular to the ground .
Upper thighs(First thighs)
Broad and strongly muscled . The stifle nearly perpendicular to the pelvis .
Lower thighs(Second thighs)
Long , broad ,
muscled and sufficiently bent at the hocks without excess. Hocks well
let
down , broad and muscled . Seen from
behind they should be perfectly parallel .
Rear pasterns
Solid and short . Dew claws not desirable .
Feet
Slightly oval . Toes arched and well closed . Pads thick and elastic . Nails dark and strong .
Tail
The tail is well
set on , strong at the base and of medium lenght . At rest the dog
carries
it hanging down , the tip bent slightly
backwards at the level of the hock .
On the move he lifts it , accentuating the
curve towards the tip , but at no time forming
a hook or deviation .
Coat:
Mask
The mask must
tend to
include the upper and lower lips , the corner of the mouth and
the eyelids in a single black area .
Color
The fawn color
with black overlay being the most natural , remains the preferred one .
The fawn should be warm , neither light nor
washed out . Any dog whose color does
not correspond to the desired intensity ,
cannot be awarded the qualification "excellent"
and even less receive a proposal for
CAC , CACIB or the "reserves".
Coat
The coat must
always be abundant , close and of good texture , forming with the woody
undercoat an excellent protective covering .
Skin
Elastic but well tight over the whole body. External mucous membranes strongly pigmented .
SIZE
Male 62-66 CM
Female 58-62 CM
Gait
The movement is
brisk and free , covering a maximum of ground . Always on the move ,
the Belgian Shepherd Dog seems tireless ,
because of his exuberant temperament , he has a
marked tendency to move in circles rather than
in a straight line .