South russian shepherd dog (Dog standard)

South russian shepherd dog is a robust, lean, with massive bone structure and a strongly developed musculature.

FCI-Standard N° 326 / 16. 09. 1996

SOUTH RUSSIAN SHEPHERD DOG (Ioujnorousskaïa Ovtcharka)

TRANSLATION : Mrs. Peggy Davis.

ORIGIN : Russia.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 30.09.1983.

UTILIZATION : Sheepdog.

The Ovtcharka of meridional Russia is a dog of robust constitution, of above average SIZE; he is fierce and distrustful of strangers, not very demanding and adapts easily to diverse climatic conditions and temperatures.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. :
Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs).
Section 1 Sheepdogs.
Without working trial.


GENERAL APPEARANCE: Robust, lean, with massive bone structure and a strongly developed musculature.
FAULTS: Frail constitution, bones too light, insufficient musculature; constitution of coarse or gross appearance.
Sexual type: Well evident according to sex. The males are courageous, stronger and more massive than the females.
FAULTS: Females of male type.
Severe FAULTS: Effeminate type male.


IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:
- Index of bone structure: Males 17 - 19; Females 16 - 18
- Length index (Format): 108 - 110.
FAULTS: Slight divergences of the given norm.
Severe FAULTS: Accentuated divergences of the given norms (square shape or very elongated).


BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT: Type of highly nervous activity, strong, balanced, lively. Dominant action active way of defense.
FAULTS: Excessive excitability, timidity, laziness.
Severe FAULTS: Uncontrolled excitability, cowardice.


HEAD: Elongated shape with a moderately broad foreHEAD; the occipital crest and the zygomatic arches are strongly pronounced.

The stop is barely visible.

The nose is big, black.
FAULTS: Coarse HEAD, accentuated stop, superciliary arches prominent, muzzle too short or too elongated, gray lips; nose gray or brown.

Severe FAULTS: Narrow muzzle, weak, turned up, of truncated shape. Pink nose.
Teeth: White, big, fitting closely. The incisors are set regularly and close in scissor bite.
FAULTS: Teeth too small and spaced, yellow or prematurely worn. Broken teeth but not impeding a correct closure of the jaws.
Lack of premolars.
Severe FAULTS: Everything which does not correspond to a perfect closure of the teeth In scissor bite. Decayed teeth. Incisors set Irregularly.
Ears: Relatively small, of triangular shape, hanging.
FAULTS: Detached ears.
Eyes: Oval shape, set horizontally, dark; the eyelids lean, tight.
FAULTS: Light eyes.
Severe FAULTS: Eyes of different colors, pink eyelids.


NECK: Lean, muscular, of moderate length, set high. FAULTS: NECK too short, set low.


BODY:
Withers: Apparent but not high.
Back: Straight and strong.
FAULTS: Weak back or roach-back.
Severe FAULTS: Saddle back or humped.
Loin: Short, broad, rounded.
FAULTS: Slightly elongated, straight or too rounded.
Severe FAULTS: Long, narrow, drooping.
Chest: Reasonably broad, slightly flattened, deep.
FAULTS: Chest insufficiently let down (above the elbow).
Severe FAULTS: Narrow chest, too small, barrel shaped.
Belly: Moderately tucked up.
FAULTS: Excessively whippety or sagging.


FEET: (Front and back): oval shaped, strong, well arched, covered with long HAIR.
FAULTS: Flat FEET, splayed FEET.


GAIT / MOVEMENT: The GAITs are free and extended. The natural GAITs of this dog are the heavy trot and the gallop. At the trot, the legs move in a straight line with a slight convergence to the median line. The articulations of the fore- and HINDQUARTERS straightening up freely.
FAULTS: Slight lateral deviation in the MOVEMENT of the legs. Insufficient straightening up of the articulations.
Severe FAULTS: Restrained GAIT, lack in action.

COAT


HAIR: Long (10-15 cm), coarse, thick, dense, of equal length on HEAD, chest, legs and TAIL, with a well developed underCOAT.
FAULTS: Straight HAIR.
Severe FAULTS: Short HAIR, soft texture.


COLOUR: Most often white, but also white and yellow, straw color, grayish (ashen gray) and other shades of gray; white lightly marked with gray; gray speckled.
Severe FAULTS: Black, rushy or brown COAT; strongly speckled.


HEIGHT AT WITHERS: Males a minimum of 65 cm. Females: a minimum of 62 cm.
FAULTS: SIZE of less than 65 cm for the males, less than 62 cm for the females.
Severe FAULTS: SIZE of less than 60 cm for the males, less than 58 cm for the females.


FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault is regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.


ELIMINATING FAULTS:

- Everything which does not correspond to a correct closure of jaws in scissor bite.
- HAIR short or straight.
- All the shades of the COAT which have not been taken into consideration in the present standard.

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

Source: FCI >>>