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Interim

General Appearance
A sturdy, well built dog of mastiff type, conveying an impression of strength and vigour. Never cumbersome. Has distinctive small ears, folding backwards, and hook to tail.

Characteristics
A hardy guard dog, active and has considerable stamina.

Temperament
Loyal, affectionate to owners, aloof to others. Intelligent and alert. Self-willed yet trainable.

Head and Skull
Head long and powerful with broad, slightly rounded skull. Moderate stop set halfway between nose and slightly defined occiput. Muzzle moderately tapered. Topline of muzzle almost straight, with slightly aquiline nose. A narrow head and pointed muzzle undesirable. Large black nose with well-opened nostrils. Jaws well developed. Lips black, tightly closed and not pendulous. Roof of mouth black.

Eyes
Neither deep nor prominent, of medium size, oval in shape with calm and intelligent expression, preferably amber or darker. Black-rimmed eyelids closing well, with rather prominent eyebrows.

Ears
Small in relation to body, thin, triangular, rounded at tips. Moderately high set. Rose ear folding backwards, with inner edge apparent, carried close to skull.

Mouth
Teeth very strong. Jaw strong with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck
Short, muscular and well set on. A hard, thick tuft of hair under throat. Dewlap undesirable.

Forequarters
Forelegs straight, well muscled and with strong, round bone. Moderately sloping shoulders and upper arms. Short pasterns which appear nearly vertical when viewed from the side.

Body
Back preferably short, slightly higher at withers and almost level. Short coupled, broad, well muscled loin. Slightly sloping croup. Chest moderately deep and broad. Ribs well sprung. Underline very gently rising.

Hindquarters
Moderate angulation. Thighs well muscled. Hocks moderately well let down. Rear pasterns vertical.

Feet
Oval with thick, hard pads and tightly closed toes. Abundant hair between pads. Dark, or preferably black nails.

Tail
Set on slightly low. Reaching to the hock. Forming a distinctive, rigid hook at the tip. Well furnished and feathered. Carried low. On the move may be carried slightly higher than the level of the back.

Gait/Movement
Free and easy purposeful jog trot. Has a tendency to converge at a faster pace, without weakness. Should not be penalised for carrying the head level with the topline in motion.

Coat
Two types:
Long Coat: Outer coat thick and slightly coarse without being too harsh. Lying close over the body, flat or slightly waved, never curly. Undercoat very dense and normally lighter in colour than the outer coat. Short and smooth hair on head diminishing in length from base of ears to tip. Thick and abundant round the neck and chest forming a ruff, particularly in the male. Forearms, thighs, rear pasterns and tail abundantly feathered. Short, smooth hair on front of legs. A woolly or fluffy coat undesirable.
Short coat: Short, thick and slightly coarse, without being too harsh, with a shorter, dense undercoat. Any feathering should be in proportion.

Colour
Recognised colours are:
Fawn: which varies from burnt yellow through reddish gold to a deep red. With or without guard hairs. The fawn should never be so pale as to be a dirty white.
Brindle: any of the previous permitted colours with the addition of streaks or smudges of black or brown varying in intensity.
Wolf Grey. a mixture of grey and black hairs intermingled, with or without guard hairs.
Black muzzle or mask highly desirable. White markings on chest, underside, feet or tail are tolerated but undesirable.

Size
Height: dogs: 65-72 cms (25 & 1/2 - 28 & 1/2 ins); bitches: 62-68 cms (24 & 1/2 - 27 ins). A tolerance of 4 cms (11 & 1/2 ins) above these limits is allowed.

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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Last Updated - July 2003

Glossary of Canine Terms

Health Information

The Kennel Club operates health screening schemes with other organisations.  Some are clinical veterinary screening schemes and some are DNA screening schemes, which may be relevant to this breed.

The current health screening requirements and recommendations for Kennel Club Accredited Breeders of this breed show what is required and recommended for the sire and dam of any litter of this breed bred by an Accredited Breeder.

Breed specific summary results from the Purebred Dog Health Survey in 2004 are available.  Individual summaries are only available where the breed response rate was greater than 15%.

Recommended Reading

All the below publications are available to order from the Online Shop.

Kennel Club Breed Standards Kennel Club Breed Standards are available for most breeds indicating the qualities which competition judges normally take into account and the standard or model which breeders endeavour to achieve. The Breed Standards can be purchased by group.

The Kennel Club Illustrated Breed Standards Containing full descriptive standards for 192 breeds, as well as representation for the six Kennel Club recognised breeds that are currently without standards, this beautifully illustrated volume is a must for all dog enthusiasts. This third edition has been completely revised and updated by a panel of experts and incorporates the very latest standards for breeds in each group.

Breed Clubs and Societies

• ESTRELA MOUNTAIN DOG ASSOC. Sec. Mrs M Dovey. Tel No: 01495 224401

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