USA GERMAN
SHEPHERD DOG STANDARD
Introduction
The United
Schutzhund Clubs of America Inc. is a German Shepherd Dog Breed
Organization guided by the rules of the organization of origin of the
German Shepherd Dog, the "Verein für Deutsche Schäferhunde (SV)" in
Germany and is strongly devoted to create and promote the German
Shepherd Dog in its original breeding as a working dog. The United
Schutzhund Clubs of America Inc. is a member of the "World Union of
German Shepherd Dog Clubs" and accepts the bylaws of this
organization in regards to the breeding rules of German Shepherd Dogs.
The following
translation of the German Shepherd Dog F.C.I. Standard, MO.
166/23.03.1991/D translated from the SV publication 1998 has been
submitted by Johannes Grewe and is recommended by the 1998 Breed
Advisory Committee for approval by the Executive Board at their
meeting in 1998.
The "Standard" is
part of the USA Bylaws.
The following
"Standard" has been approved by the Executive Board at the meeting
inBangor, Maine, on May 6, 1998.
GERMAN SHEPHERD
F.C.I.-Standard-Mo. 166/23.03.1991/D
Edition 1993
Short
Historical Overview
In accordance
with the official provisions of the German Shepherd Dog Club (SV) e.V.,
located in Augsburg, a member of the Federation of Dog Clubs in
Germany (VDH) is the founding organization of the German Shepherd Dog
and therefore, responsible for the breed standard. Work on this
document was begun at the first membership meeting in Frankfurt/M on
September 20, 1899 and is based on proposals by A. Meyer and v.
Stephanitz. Additions and revisions to the standard were made as
follows: membership meeting on July 28, 1901; 23rd membership meeting
on September 17, 1909 in Koln; Board and Executive Committee Meeting
on September 5, 1930 in Wiesbaden, and the Breeders Committee and
Board Meeting on March 25, 1961 in conjunction with the WUSV (World
Union of German Shepherd Clubs) and during the WUSV Meeting on August
30, 1976 where the standard was agreed upon, revised, and approved by
the Board and Executive Committee on March 23 and 24, 1991.
Planned breeding
activities began after the inception of the SV in 1899. The German
Shepherd Dog was developed from herding dogs in service during that
time in Middle and Southern Germany. The goal was to produce a
high-performance working dog. To accomplish this goal, the Breed
Standard of the German Shepherd Dog was created. This document
addresses both physical qualities as well as character attributes.
General
Appearance
The German
Shepherd Dog is medium sized, slightly longer than tall, strong and
well muscled, bone is dry, the whole dog presenting a picture of
firmness.
Important
Measurements
Height at the
withers for males: 60 - 65 cm, bitches: 55 - 60 cm. Length of torso
exceeds height at the withers by 10 - 17%.
Character
The German
Shepherd should appear poised, calm, self confident, absolutely at
ease, and (except when agitated) good natured, but also attentive and
willing to serve. He must have courage, fighting drive, and hardness
in order to serve as companion, watchdog, protection dog, service dog,
and herding dog.
Head
The head is
wedge-shaped and in harmony with the dog’s size (length
app. 40% of height at the withers) without being coarse or overly
long. The head should appear dry, and moderately wide between the
ears. Seen from the front and side, the forehead is only slightly
domed, the center furrow is either absent or only slightly visible.
The length ratio of skull to face is 50 : 50%. Skull width
approximately equals skull length. Seen from above, the skull slopes
into a wedge-shaped muzzle. The stop should not be pronounced. Upper
and lower jaws are strong, the bridge of the nose should be straight,
not a Roman nose or dish-faced nose. Lips are taut, well closed and of
dark color.
The Nose
The nose should
be black.
Teeth
The teeth must be
strong and complete in number (42 teeth as per formula). The German
Shepherd has a scissor bite, where the upper incisors must meet the
lower incisors in a scissor grip. Level bite, overshot and undershot
teeth are faulty, as well as widely spaced teeth. A straight incisor
tooth line is also faulty. Jawbones must be well developed, to permit
deep rooting of the teeth in the gum.
The Eyes
The eyes are
medium sized, almond-shaped, set slightly oblique and not protruding.
The color should be as dark as possible
.
Ears
The German
Shepherd has medium-sized, upright ears which are carried erect and
perpendicular to one another, pointed and open to the front. Tipped
ears and hanging ears are faulty. Laid-back ears are not faulty when
the dog is in motion or resting.
Neck
The neck is
strong, well-muscled, and clean cut (without folds of loose skin). The
angle of neck to torso is approximately 45 degrees.
Body
The top line
extends from the point where the neck meets the skull past the well
developed withers and the gently downward sloping back to the slightly
sloping croup without a visible break. The back is firm, strong, and
well muscled. The loin is broad, well developed, and strongly muscled.
The croup should be long and have a slight downward slope
(approximately 23 degrees from horizontal) and should merge smoothly
into the tail set.
Chest
The chest should
be of moderate width, the underchest long and pronounced. Chest depth
should be approximately 45 to 48% of height at the withers. The ribs
should be moderately sprung. Barrel shaped or flat ribs are faulty.
Tail
The tail reaches
at least to the hock joint, but not past the halfway point of the hock
itself. The coat is slightly longer on the underside of the tail. The
tail hangs in a soft, saber-like curve. When the dog is excited or in
motion, the tail is somewhat raised, but should not reach past the
horizontal line. Surgical corrections are not permitted.
Limbs
Forelegs
Seen from all
sides, the forelegs are straight and absolutely parallel when viewed
from the front.
Shoulder and
upper arms are of equal length. Both are held snugly to the body by
strong muscles. Angulation of shoulder blade to the upper arm ideally
is 90 degrees, but up to 110 degrees is permissible.
Elbows may not
turn out when the dog is standing or in motion or be pinched inward.
The lower legs viewed from all sides are straight and absolutely
parallel, dry, and well muscled. The pastern measures about 1/3 of the
forearm length and is angled 20-22 degrees to the foreleg. Pasterns
with an angle of more than 22 degrees or very steep pasterns (less
than 20 degrees) reduce working capability especially, endurance.
Paws
The paws are
rounded, tight, and arched. The soles are hard, but not brittle. The
nails are strong and dark.
Hind Legs
The rear legs
have a pronounced rounded knee or turn of stifle which projects the
dog's rear quarter well behind the point of the pelvis. Seen from the
rear, the hind legs are parallel to one another. Upper and lower
thighs are of approximately the same length and form an angle of 120
degrees. Thighs are strong and well muscled.
The hock joint is
strong and dry and the hock stands upright under the joint.
Paws
The paws are
tight, slightly arched, the balls of the feet are hard and dark, nails
strong, arched, and dark.
Gait
The German
Shepherd is a trotting dog. Length and angulation of front and rear
legs must be in proper proportion to one another to permit the dog to
move the rear leg underneath the body, matching the reach of the rear
legs with that of the front legs and at the same time, keeping the
topline over the back relatively undisturbed. Any tendency for over-angulation
of the rear reduces firmness and endurance of the dog and therefore,
working capability. Correct body proportions and angulation result in
a ground-covering gait which moves close to the ground and conveys the
impression of effortless movement. With the head held slightly forward
and the tail slightly lifted, the dog trotting evenly and smoothly, we
see a softly moving topline which flows without interruption from neck
to tail tip.
Skin
The skin covers
the body loosely, but without folds.
Coat
Coat
Characteristics
The correct coat
for the German Shepherd is a stock coat (outer and under coat). The
top coat should be as tight as possible, straight, coarse, and
clinging closely to the undercoat. The head, including the inside of
the ears, the front of the legs, the paws, and toes have short hair.
Neck hair is longer and thicker. On the rear side of the legs, hair
length increases downward to the pastern and hock. The rear of the
thighs is covered show moderate "pants".
Pigment
Black with
reddish brown, brown, tan to light-grey markings. Solid black, grey
with darker overcast, black saddle and mask. Inconspicuous small white
chest markings, as well as lighter pigment on the inside of the legs
is permitted, but not desirable. All dogs, no matter what their color,
must have black noses.
Missing mask,
light to white markings on the chest and inner leg sides, light
toenails, and a red tail tip are signs of faulty pigmentation.
Undercoat has a slight grey cast. White is not permissible.
Size/Weight
Males: Height at
the wither 60 cm to 65 cm
Weight 30 kg to 40 kg.
Females: Height
at the wither 55 cm to 60 cm
Weight 22 kg - 32 kg
Testicles
Visual inspection
must show two normally developed testicles fully descended into the
scrotum.
Faults
Any deviations
from the above listed points are considered faults. Points deducted
must be in accordance with severity of the deviation.
Severe
Faults
Deviations from
the breed characteristics described above which compromise the working
ability of the animal.
Ear Faults: ears
set too low, tipped ears, overset ears, and soft ears.
Considerable lack
of pigment.
Firmness strongly
compromised.
Faults of
Dentition:
All deviation
from scissor bite and number of teeth, unless they are disqualifying
faults.
Disqualifying Faults
a) Character weakness, nervous biters,
and dogs with a weak nervous system;
b) Dogs with documented "severe hip
dysplasia";
c) Monorchids and cryptorchids as well
as dogs with testicles of visibly uneven size or shrunken testicles;
d) Dogs with disfiguring ears and/or
tails;
e) Malformed dogs;
f) Tooth faults as follows:
1. Missing 1 #3 premolar and one
additional tooth;
2. Missing 1 canine tooth or
3. Missing 1 #4 premolar, or
4. Missing 1 molar #1 or #2 or
5. Missing a total number of 3 teeth
and/or more;
g) Dogs with bite faults: overbite of
2 mm or more, or undershot; level bite;
h) Dogs that measure more than 1 cm
over or under regulation size;
i) Albinism;
j) White coat (incl. those with dark
eyes and nails);
k) Long stock coat (long, soft loosely
fitting outer coat with undercoat, flags on ears and legs, bushy pants
and bushy tail with flag on underside);
l) Long coat
(long, soft outer coat without undercoat). This coat type frequently
is parted along the center line of the back, has flags on ears, legs,
and tail. |
