Breed standard

General Appearance
Large, powerfully built, slightly longer than high, Well boned and muscled, never light but always agile. Impressive head provides a noble, dignified look, enhanced by a mane, which is more pronounced in males, balanced by a well feathered tail carried over the back.

Characteristics
A loyal companion and guardian. Slow to mature.

Temperament
Independently minded, aloof and protective. Calm and patient. May be wary of strangers.

Head and Skull
Broad, heavy and strong. Skull large, with strongly defined occiput and marked stop. Length from nose to stop equal or slightly less than length from stop to occiput. Muzzle fairly broad, well filled, blunt, and square viewed from all sides. Broad, black, well open nostrils. Lips well developed with moderate flews. In maturity, some wrinkling on head extending from above eyes to corner of mouth.

Eyes
Very expressive, medium size, dark brown. Set well apart, oval and slightly slanting. Dark, close fitting eye rims.

Ears
Medium size, triangular, pendent, not set too low, hanging close to head. When alert, carried forward. Ear leathers covered with soft, short hair.

Mouth

Jaws strong with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Level bite acceptable. Full dentition desirable.

Neck
Strong, well-muscled, slightly arched. Not too much dewlap.

Forequarters
Muscular, well laid shoulders. Strongly boned, straight legs with strong, slightly sloping pasterns.

Body
From point of shoulder to point of buttock slightly longer than height at withers, as 10 to 9. Strong and straight back. Broad, muscular loins, with very slightly sloping croup. Chest rather deep, of moderate breadth. Ribcage oval, ribs well sprung but not barrelled, carried well back. Brisket reaching to, or just below, elbows.

Hindquarters
Powerful, muscular, with moderate angulation and strong, low-set hocks. Hindlegs, seen from behind, parallel. Single or double dewclaws may be present.

Feet
Fairly large, strong, with thick pads, rounded and compact. Having good feathering between toes.

Tail
Medium to long. Set on high. Loosely curled over back to one side. Well feathered.

Gait/Movement
Powerful and free, with purpose and agility. Measured and deliberate when walking. At speed will tend to single-track.

Coat
Males carry noticeably more than females. Quality of greater importance than quantity. Densely coated, fairly long, thick, with heavy, woolly undercoat in cold weather which becomes rather sparse in warmer months. Hair fine, hard and straight, never silky, curly or wavy. Hair on face short. Neck and shoulders heavily coated, giving mane-like appearance, Tail heavily feathered, hindlegs well feathered on upper rear parts.

Colour
Rich black, with or without tan; slate grey, with or without tan; rich golden. The rich tan markings appear above eyes, on muzzle, on chest, the lower part of legs and underside of tail. Spectacle markings around eyes acceptable. White star on breast permissible. Minimal white markings on feet tolerated. Cream, white, chocolate/liver, particolour, brindle or flecked are undesirable.

Size
A minimum height of 66cms (26ins) in dogs and 61 cms (24ins) in bitches is desirable, but on no account should type be sacrificed to size alone.

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 - November 2004. Re-produced with kind permission from the Kennel Club. Copyright belongs to The Kennel Club.