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Interim

General Appearance
Energetic, small sheepdog. Medium or long coated with windswept appearance. Alert, lean and racy outline. Mischievous, inquiring.

Characteristics
Highly intelligent, strong herding instinct. Tremendous energy and stamina for size.

Temperament
Alert, lively, wary of strangers.

Head and Skull
Head almost triangular when viewed from above, length of skull equal to its widest point, flat on top with central furrow, showing slight occiput, side of skull slightly rounded. Muzzle slightly shorter in length than skull; tapering evenly to nose with no apparent stop; well filled below eyes. Toplines of nose and skull parallel. Nostrils well open. Well pigmented on nose, lips and in roof of mouth.

Eyes
Expressive, almond, wide open, not bulging or sunken. Dark brown, but one or both may be blue or flecked with blue in merle or slate coloured animals. Eye rims black. Never obscured by head coat.

Ears
Fairly short, moderately wide at base, placed on top of head but neither too close nor wide apart. Bottom part of ear erect and mobile, with top ideally hanging forward or to side when alert, but laid back in repose.

Mouth
Strong teeth, scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck
Rather long, muscular, and set well into shoulder.

Forequarters
Forelegs lean, sinewy and straight when seen from front, with single dewclaws. From side, pasterns slope gently and are flexible. Shoulder fairly long and well angulated, with upper arm joining shoulder blade at right angles. Withers prominently visible.

Body
Lean, strong. Ribs slightly rounded and extending well back. Brisket reaching to elbow. Loins strong and slightly arched.

Hindquarters
Short, sloping croup; fairly low set tail. Strong, well muscled thigh, second thigh well developed and long. Well angulated stifle. Hocks lean, low set and well angulated. Single or double dewclaws on rear.

Feet
Lean, rather flat, oval shape. Dark pads and nails, well furred between pads.

Tail
Previously customarily docked or sometimes born with short or stump tail.
Docked: Set low and well covered with hair.
Undocked: Set low. Not too long, reaching to hock with upward hook at end. Well covered with hair. Never carried above topline.

Gait/Movement
Walks with fairly short strides, trots freely with vigour. Smooth gait, feet never raised very high. Head carried high with slow action, tending to drop with faster action. Good angulations ensure effortless gait. Pacing should not be penalised.

Coat
Long or semi-long. Fairly harsh; dense, almost flat or slightly wavy; denser and more woolly on rump and thighs. Hair on muzzle short. Longer on face and cheeks, where it grows away from the nose and eyes.
Semi-long coats: Short hair with fringing on forelegs and short hair below hocks.
Long coats: Long hair on legs to cover toes.

Colour
Various shades of fawn, with or without black hairs there may be a little white on chest and feet. Light to dark grey, often with white on head, chest and legs. Blue merle, slate blue or brindle. Black or black and white. Unmixed colours preferred. Large areas of white, predominance of white, or black and tan undesirable.

Size
Height: dogs: 40-48 cms (16-19 ins); bitches: 38-46 cms (15-18 ins).

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 - September 2007

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

• PYRENEAN SHEEPDOG CLUB OF GB. Sec: Mrs Lewis. Tel No: 0116 2881174

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