The FCI breeds

		Polish Tatra Shepherd
		FCI standard Nº 252

Origin		Poland
Translation		Brought up to date by Dr. Paschoud
Group		Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs)
Section		Section 1 Sheepdogs
Working		Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Saturday 5 October 1963
Publication of the official valid standard		Thursday 6 February 2025
Last update		Monday 17 February 2025
En français, cette race se dit		Chien de Berger des Tatras
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Tatra-Schäferhund
En español, esta raza se dice		Pastor Polaco de Tatra
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Tatrahond
In his country of origin, his name is		Polski Owczarek Podhalanski

Usage

Herder and watchdog. Its imposing attitude and beautiful appearance make it a good companion dog.

Brief historical summary

Dogs that herd and guard sheep and other livestock have lived in the Carpathian Mountains for centuries. The Polish Tatra Shepherd breed originated from dogs of this type that were bred by the shepherding tribes who settled in the Podhale region of the Tatra range of the Carpathians in the fifteenth century. It is one of the so-called “mountain dogs” descending from the Tibetan Mastiff, and its history follows that of similar dogs from the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania.

The Polish Tatra Shepherd is an old, local breed, used primarily for flock guarding rather than herding. Its traditional colour was pure white, as white dogs could easily be distinguished from predators such as bear or wolf. According to Hans Räber, the first mention of these dogs outside of Poland occurred in 1938, in the German volume “Die bodenstandigen Hutehundeshlage” by W. Wiland, who named the breed “mountain dog.”

First attempts at planned breeding were undertaken after World War I by two existing organizations: The Polish Association of Pedigree Dog Breeders, and The Society of Working Dog Breeders in Poland. The first standard was drafted in 1937, following the first show and breed survey in Zakopane, in the heart of the Tatras, on September 3-5. In May, 1954 the first post-WW II show and assessment took place, also in Zakopane, with some 120 dogs entered, the vast majority of which worked with sheep. A standard was subsequently drawn up, and it was eventually accepted by FCI on August 29, 1967 as no. 252a. Small changes were introduced in 1973 and 1985 (252b); the current version dates from June 8, 1988. The first pedigreed litter of Polish Tatra Shepherds was born in 1957 in the coastal town of Łeba, bred by Dr. Danuta Hryniewicz, whose foundation stock dated back to 1935.

General appearance

Of strong and compact build giving the impression of stamina and mobility.

Important proportions

Rectangular in shape, the length of the body of males being a little shorter than that of bitches.

Behaviour / temperament

Temperament calm, intelligent and alert.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Lean, in good proportion to the body, carried at medium height both in movement and standing.
Skull		Seen in profile slightly rounded ; the frontal groove is shallow.
Stop		Distinctly marked, but without abrupt break.

Facial region
Nose		Black, of medium size, with the nostrils wide open.
Muzzle		Strong, gradually tapering ; its length is slightly greater or equal to the length of the skull.
Lips		Desirably taut and well fitting ; the edges of the lips should be dark.
Nasal bridge		The nasal bridge is broad.
Jaws and teeth		Strong, regularly set. Scissor bite, pincer bite accepted.
Eyes		Medium size, expressive, set slightly slanting ; the iris is dark brown ; the eyelid rims are dark.
Ears		Set on at the height of the external angle of the eyes or a little higher, medium length, rather thick, triangular, well furnished with hair ; the front edge of the ear is in slight touch with the head ; auricle mobile.

Neck

Of medium length, muscular, without any dewlap, with a profuse mane ; the upper line of the neck is higher than the topline of the body.

Body
Body		Long and massive.
Withers		Distinctly marked, broad.
Back		Level, broad.
Loin		Broad , well coupled.
Croup		Oblique, slightly sloping.
Chest		Deep.
Ribs		Oblique, rather flat.
Underline and belly		Belly slightly tucked up.

Tail

Set on not too high, carried below the topline ; when excited carried above the topline, but not curved ; hanging, it reaches the hock ; the tip of the tail may be slightly curved.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Forelegs muscular, with plenty of bone, but not too heavy ; seen from front straight and parallel.
Shoulders		Slightly sloping, well adapted to the body.
Pastern		Slightly sloping forward.
Forefeet		Compact, oval in shape like a relatively big fist. With hairs between the toes. Pads strong, hard and dark ; nails strong, blunt and dark.

Hindquarters
Generality		Viewed from the rear hind legs vertical ; seen from the side slightly set backwards, moderately angulated.
Metatarsus		Seen from the side vertical.
Hind feet		Like the forefeet.

Coat
Hair		On head, muzzle, frontpart of forelegs and on the hindlegs from the hock downward the hair is short and dense. The neck and the body are covered with long, thick, straight or slightly wavy hair, hard to the touch. Undercoat profuse. On the neck a rich ruff ; the thighs are covered with profuse, long hair ; on the tail hair also profuse, forming a flag.
Colour		Uniformly white ; little cream coloured patches are undesirable.

Size and weight
Height at withers		For males 65-70 cm, for bitches 60-65 cm.

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 and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

General faults

Frontal furrow distinctly marked.

Poor pigmentation of nose, eyerims and lips.

Light eye (called « bear eye »).

Entropion.

Ears set high, directed backwards or cropped.

Neck carried horizontal.

Croup overbuilt.

Tail carried constantly above the topline.

Dewclaws.

Lack of hair between the toes.

Lack of ruff, lack of feathering on the legs.

Disqualifying faults

Aggresive or overly shy.

Stop too shallow.

Pointed muzzle.

Several missing teeth.

Over-or undershot mouth.

Ectropion.

Hair curly or silky.

Lack of undercoat.

Coat with coloured patches.

Nervous character.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

Details: Written by: Francis Vandersteen; Also available:; Last Updated: 02 March 2025; Hits: 860

		Polish Lowland Sheepdog
		FCI standard Nº 251

Origin		Poland
Translation		Mrs. Peggy Davis
Group		oup 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs)
Section		Section 1 Sheepdogs
Working		Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Saturday 05 October 1963
Publication of the official valid standard		Friday 07 August 1998
Last update		Friday 07 August 1998
En français, cette race se dit		Berger polonais de plaine
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Polnischer Niederungshütehund
En español, esta raza se dice		Perro de pastor polaco de las llanuras
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Poolse laagland herder
In his country of origin, his name is		Polski Owczarek Nizinny

Usage

Easy to handle, he works like a sheepdog and guard dog. Moved to urban city life, he is a very good companion dog.

General appearance

The Polish Lowland sheepdog is a dog of medium size, compact, strong, muscular, with a thick long coat. His well groomed coat gives an attractive and interesting appearance.

Important proportions

The proportions of height at withers to length of body is 9 : 10.
The ratio length of muzzle to length of skull is 1 : 1 ; yet the muzzle can be a little shorter.

Behaviour / temperament

Of a lively but tempered disposition, vigilant, agile, intelligent, perceptive and gifted with a good memory. Resistant to unfavourable climatic conditions.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Medium dimension, proportional, not too heavy. The thick fur on the forehead, the cheeks and the chin give the head a look of being heavier than it really is.
Skull		Not excessively broad, slightly rounded. Frontal furrow and occipital protuberance noticeable.
Stop		Well accentuated.

Facial region
Nose		As darks as possible in relation to the colour of the coat with large nostrils.
Muzzle		Strong, blunt. Nasal bridge straight.
Lips		Fitting well; their edges are of the same colour as the nose.
Jaws and teeth		Strong jaws. Teeth strong, with scissor or pincer bite.
Eyes		Medium size, oval, not protruding, hazel colour, with lively and piercing look. The rims of the eyelids are dark.
Ears		Hanging, set rather high, of medium size, heart-shaped, wide at base; the fore edge is close against the cheeks; very mobile.

Neck

Of medium length, strong, muscled, without dewlap, carried rather horizontally.

Body
Body		Rather rectangular than square.
Withers		Well accentuated.
Back		Flat, well muscled.
Loin		Broad, well fused.
Croup		Short, slightly truncated.
Chest		Deep, of medium width; ribs quite well sprung, neither flat nor barrel-shaped.
Underline and belly		Outlining an elegant curve towards the hindquarters part.

Tail

• Short tail or stumpy-tail, very shortly docked tail.
• Undocked quite long and very hairy tail. At rest the tail is hanging; if the dog is alert, the tail is gaily curved over the back, never curled or lying on the back.
• Undocked tail of medium length, carried in different manners.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Seen in profile and from the front : Vertical and straight. Stance well balanced due to a strong skeleton (bone structure).
Shoulders		Broad, of medium length, oblique, clean cut, very muscular.
Pastern		Slightly slanting in relation to the forearm.
Forefeet		Oval, tight toes, slightly arched pads really hard. Nails short, as dark as possible.

Hindquarters
Generality		Seen from behind: Vertical, well angulated.
Upper thigh		Broad, well muscled.
Hock		Well developped.
Hind feet		Compact, oval shape.

Gait and movement

Easy and ground covering. Walk or trot smooth (whitout much vertical displacement). The dog often ambles when he walks slowly.

Skin

Tight fitting, without any folds.

Coat
Hair		The whole body covered with coarse hair, dense, thick, and profuse; soft undercoat. Straight or slightly wavy hair is acceptable. The hairs falling from the forehead cover the eyes in a characteristic manner.
Colour		All colours and patches are acceptable.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Males : 45 - 50 cm. Females : 42 - 47 cm. The dog must retain the type of a working dog; consequently his size must not go down below the standard; he must neither be too weak nor delicate.

Faults

Disqualifying faults

Aggressive or overly shy.

NB :

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

Details: Written by: Francis Vandersteen; Also available:; Last Updated: 27 January 2024; Hits: 446

		Havanese Bichon
		FCI standard Nº 250

Origin		Western Mediterranean basin, development Cuba, patronage FCI
Translation		Mrs. Peggy Davis, revised by R. Triquet
Group		Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs
Section		Section 1 Bichons and related breeds
Working		Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Tuesday 24 September 1963
Publication of the official valid standard		Monday 31 October 2016
Last update		Monday 12 December 2016
En français, cette race se dit		Bichon havanais
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Havaneser Bichon
En español, esta raza se dice		Bichón Habanero
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Bichon Havanezer

Usage

Companion and toy dog.

Brief historical summary

The breed comes from the Western Mediterranean region and has developed along the Spanish and Italian coastal region. It would seem that these dogs were imported early in Cuba by ocean navigating Italian captains. Erroneously, the most frequent brown colour of these dogs (tobacco) gave birth to the legend which would mean it to be a breed originating from Havana, capital of Cuba. The political events however have led to the total disappearance of the old blood lines of the Havanese in Cuba; apparently a few dogs could be successfully smuggled out from Cuba; their descendants have survived in the U.S.A.

General appearance

The Havanese is a sturdy little dog, low on his legs, with long abundant hair, soft and preferably wavy. His movement is lively and elastic.

Important proportions

The length of the muzzle (tip of nose to stop) is equal to the distance between the stop and the occipital protuberance. The relation between the length of the body (measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock) and the height at the withers is of 4/3.

Behaviour / temperament

Exceptionally bright he is easy to train as alarm dog. Affectionate, of a happy nature, he is amiable, a charmer, playful and even a bit of a clown. He loves children and plays endlessly with them.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Of medium length, the relation between the length of the head and that of the trunk (measured from the withers to the base of the tail) is of 3/7.
Skull		Flat to very slightly rounded, broad; forehead hardly rising; seen from above it is rounded at the back and almost straight and square on the other three sides.
Stop		Moderately marked.

Facial region
Nose		Black or brown.
Muzzle		Narrowing progressively and slightly towards the nose but neither snipey nor truncated.
Lips		Fine, lean, tight.
Jaws and teeth		Scissor bite. A complete dentition is desirable. The absence of premolars 1 (PM1) and molars 3 (M3) is tolerated.
Cheeks		Very flat, not prominent.
Eyes		Quite big, almond shape, of brown colour as dark as possible. Kind expression. The eyes rims must be dark brown to black.
Ears		Set relatively high; they fall along the cheeks forming a discreet fold which raises them slightly. Their extremity is in a lightly rounded point. They are covered with hair in long fringes. Neither propeller ears (sticking sideways), nor stuck to the cheeks.

Neck

Of medium length.

Body
Body		The length of the body is slightly superior to that of the height at the withers.
Topline		Topline straight, slightly arched over the loin.
Croup		Noticeably inclined.
Chest		Les côtes sont bien cintrées et le ventre est relevé.
Ribs		Well sprung.
Underline and belly		Well tucked up.

Tail

Carried high, either in shape of a crozier or preferably rolled over the back; it is furnished with feathering of long silky hair.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Forelegs straight and parallel, lean; good bone structure. The distance from the ground to the elbow must not be greater than that between the elbow and the withers.

Hindquarters
Generality		Good bone structure; moderate angulations.

Feet

Of slightly elongated shape; small; tight toes.

Gait and movement

According to his happy nature, the Havanese has a strikingly light-footed and elastic gait; forelegs with free stride and pointing straight forward, the hindlegs giving them the impulsion and moving in a straight line.

Coat
Hair		Undercoat woolly and not very developed; it is often totally absent. The topcoat is very long (12-18 cm in an adult dog), soft, flat or wavy and may form curly strands. All grooming, the usage of scissors to even out the length of the coat and all trimming is forbidden. Exception : tidying up the hair on the feet is permitted, the hair on the forehead may be slightly shortened so that it does not cover the eyes and the hair on the muzzle may be slightly tidied up, but it is preferable to leave it in natural length.
Colour		Rarely completely pure white, fawn in its different shades (slight blackened overlay admitted), black, havana-brown, tobacco colour, reddish-brown. Patches in mentioned colours allowed. Tan markings in all nuances permitted.

Size and weight
Height at withers		From 23 to 27 cm,tolerance from 21 to 29 cm.

Faults

Serious faults

General appearance lacking in type.

Truncated or snipey muzzle, length not identical to that of the skull.

Bird of prey eyes; eyes too deep set or prominent; rims of eyelids partially depigmented.

Body too long or too short.

Straight tail, not carried high.

« French » front (pasterns too close, feet turned outwards).

Deformed hind feet.

Coat harsh, not abundant; hair short except on puppies; groomed coat.

Disqualifying faults

Aggressive or overly shy.

Depigmented nose.

Upper or lower prognathism.

Ectropion, entropion; rim of eyelids of one or both eyes depigmented.

Size over or under the indicated norms of the standard.

NB :

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

Details: Written by: Francis Vandersteen; Also available:; Last Updated: 27 January 2024; Hits: 678

		Majorca Mastiff
		FCI standard Nº 249

Origin		Spain
Translation		C. Seidler
Group		Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer-Molossoid breeds-Swiss Mountain Cattle Dogs
Section		Section 2.1 Molossian, Mastiff type
Working		Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Saturday 21 September 1963
Publication of the official valid standard		Wednesday 11 December 1996
Last update		Friday 13 June 1997
En français, cette race se dit		Dogue de Majorque
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Mallorca Dogge
En español, esta raza se dice		Dogo Mallorquín
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Ca de Bou
In his country of origin, his name is		Perro Dogo Mallorquín

Usage

Watch and Guard Dog.

Brief historical summary

Since ancient times, seafaring from East to West in the Mediterranean region has led to the exchange of culture and science between nations. These reciprocal relations, even though mainly of a commercial nature, also gave the opportunity for an exchange of domestic animals. Amongst these were watch and guard dogs which were needed in harbours and coastal settlements as a protection against pirates and robbers coming in by sea. Amongst these mostly large, strong, resistant dogs with large heads and powerful teeth, one type distinguished itself. It was the mastiff of the Iberian Peninsula, which, in Spain, was used in various areas as a hunting or as a fighting dog against bulls and other dogs. This breed accompanied King Jacob 1 on his conquests and arrived in the Balearics about the year 1230. In the 17th century, Minorca and others areas came into British possession, following the treaty of Utrecht. The British brought their own fighting and guard dogs with them into the Balearics and crossed them with the native mastiffs of the Iberian Peninsula, which also occurred in the Balearic Isles.
In the beginning of the 18th century, fights between dogs and bulls (bull baiting) were very popular and the Britons inhabiting the Island looked for a breed which would be held suited to such fights. These circumstances explain the name “Ca de Bou”, Bull Dog. In the Spanish Stud Book for the year 1923, the existence of this breed is already established. The first official entry was in the year 1928 and in 1929, when such a breed was exhibited for the first time at a Dog Show in Barcelona.

General appearance

A typical Molossian of somewhat elongated build, strong and powerful, of medium size. The difference between the sexes is apparent in the head, whose circumference is definitely greater in dogs than in bitches.

Behaviour / temperament

Quiet by nature, he can under some circumstances be courageous and brave. He is at ease with people, faithful and devoted to his master. As a watch and guard dog, he is unsurpassed. In quiet situations, he is trusting and self assured. When roused, his expression is piercing.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Strong and massive.
Skull		Large, broad and almost square. Its circumference, specially in males, is greater than the chest measurement taken at the withers. Forehead is broad and flat. Frontal furrow well defined. Seen from the front, due to the shape of the skull, back of skull is not visible. Upper planes of skull and muzzle are almost parallel, lightly converging.
Stop		Seen from side, strongly defined and protruding; seen from front, only noticeable because the eyebrow arches form a definite frontal furrow.

Facial region
Foreface		The jaw muscles are strong, protruding, well developed and reach to the middle region below the eye. Even though there are some folds which occur sideways over the chewing muscles, there are altogether no folds in the skin of the head.
Nose		Black and broad. The philtrum between the nostrils is well defined.
Muzzle		Set on at inner corner of eye, broad and conical, in profile reminiscent of a blunt cone with a broad base. The nasal bridge is staight, rising slightly. Length of muzzle is in proportion of 1 to 3 to length of skull.
Lips		Laterally the upper lip covers the lower lip to the middle part of the muzzle, where the corner of the mouth appears. The upper lip is rather taut, whereas the lower lip is folded in its middle part, so that in a closed muzzle, the lips are not noticeable. The completely red mucous membrane of the mouth cavity has distinct transversal ridges and the rims of the gums have black pigment.
Jaws and teeth		The jaws are strong, incisors in a correct row and canines well apart. The mouth is complete, teeth white and strong. The bite is undershot; the gap of the not exaggerated undershot bite should not be more than 1 cm. When the muzzle is closed, teeth must not be visible.
Eyes		Large, oval in shape, lids wide open, clearly outlined and slightly slanting. Colour should be as dark as possible and according to coat colour. Conjunctiva not visible. Looked at from front, white of eyes should not be visible. The eyes are deep set and far apart.
Ears		Set on high and to the sides, rather small, with inner ear opening visible and drawn backwards in a curve; it is a so called “rose ear”. In repose, the tip of the ear is below the line of the eye.

Neck

Strong, thick, in harmony to the whole. At set on, roughly the diameter of the head; fitting well into withers. Skin slightly loose; thin dewlap permitted.

Body
Loin		Short, relatively narrow, with definite arch towards croup.
Croup		1 to 2 cm higher in position than withers. Slanting to horizontal at an angle of 30 degrees and slightly narrower than chest.
Chest		The rib cage is somewhat cylindrical, deep and reaches to the elbows. As the tops of the shoulder blades are wide apart, the chest is broad at the height of the withers.
Underline and belly		The chest line runs parallel to the ground. The belly line rises and is tucked up lightly, not greyhound-like.

Tail

Low set on. Thick at root, tapering towards the tip. Hangs naturally in repose; in action it forms a slight curve and is raised to height of the top line.

Limbs

Forequarters
Shoulders		Moderately short, slightly, slanting, hardly protruding.
Upper arm		Straight, parallel, set well apart.
Elbows		Standing away from the chest because of width of breast but in no way turned out.
Forearm		Well muscled, straight, strong bone structure.
Forefeet		Strong with thick, close together, lightly rounded toes. Pads slightly pigmented.

Hindquarters
Generality		Muscles broader than in forequarters.
Upper thigh		Broad, naturally angulated.
Hock		Short, straight, strong. Dewclaws not desired.
Hind feet		Strong with thick toes which are longer than those of front feet but altogether oval in shape. Pigmented pads preferred.

Gait and movement

The typical movement of this breed is the trot.

Skin

Rather thick. Close fitting to body except on neck, where a slight dewlap may occur.

Coat
Hair		Short and rough to the touch.
Colour		Brindle, fawn and black, preference in this order. In brindle dogs, dark tones are preferred, in fawn, the deeper shade is preferred. White patches are permitted on front feet, on chest and on muzzle up to a maximum of 30% of the whole coat. A black mask is also permitted.

Size and weight
Height at withers		For dogs : from 55 to 58 cm. For bitches : from 52 to 55 cm.
Weight		In dogs the weight ranges from 35 to 38 kg. In bitches the weight ranges from 30 to 34 kg.

Faults

Serious faults

Dogs which are taller at withers than their height at croup.

Undershot by more than 1 cm.

Scissor or pincer bite.

Lack of two premolars.

Lack of rose ears, ears which lie flat, close to cheeks.

Ears set on erect, even if the back third is the shape of a rose ear.

Tail shaped like a Bulldog’s.

Any other serious fault according to the standard.

Disqualifying faults

Aggressive or overly shy.

Overshot mouth.

Light or yellow eyes.

Cropped ears or docked tail.

White colour which takes up more than 30% of the whole body elsewhere than on front legs, chest and muzzle.

Patches of any other colour.

NB :

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

Details: Written by: Francis Vandersteen; Also available:; Last Updated: 27 January 2024; Hits: 590

		Pharaoh Hound
		FCI standard Nº 248

Origin		Malta, patronage Great Britain
Group		Group 5 Spitz and primitive types
Section		Section 6 Primitive type
Working		Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Friday 09 August 1963
Publication of the official valid standard		Wednesday 24 June 1987
Last update		Monday 09 August 1999
En français, cette race se dit		Chien du Pharaon
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Pharaonenhund
En español, esta raza se dice		Perro del Faraón
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Faraohond

Usage

An alert keen hunter, hunting by scent and sight, using his ears to a marked degree when working close.

General appearance

Medium sized, of noble bearing with clean-cut lines. Graceful yet powerful. Very fast with free easy movement and alert expression.

Behaviour / temperament

Alert, intelligent, friendly, affectionate and playful.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Foreface slightly longer than skull. Top of skull parallel with foreface, whole head representing a blunt wedge when viewed in profile and from above.
Skull		Long, lean and well-chiselled.
Stop		Only slight.

Facial region
Nose		Flesh coloured only, blending with coat.
Jaws and teeth		Powerful jaws with strong teeth. Scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Eyes		Amber coloured, blending with coat ; oval, moderately deep- set, with keen, intelligent expression.
Ears		Medium high set ; carried erect when alert, but very mobile ; broad at base, fine and large.

Neck

Long, lean, muscular and slightly arched. Clean throat line.

Body
Body		Lithe with almost straight topline. Length of body from breast to haunch bone slightly longer than height at withers.
Croup		Slight slope down from croup to root of tail.
Chest		Deep, extending down to point of elbow. Ribs well sprung.
Underline and belly		Belly moderate cut up.

Tail

Medium set, fairly thick at base and tapering (whip-like), reaching just below point of hock in repose. Carried high and curved when dog is in action. Tail should not be tucked between legs. A screw tail undesirable.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Forelegs straight and parallel.
Shoulders		Strong, long and well laid back.
Elbows		Well tucked in.
Pastern		Strong.

Hindquarters
Generality		Strong and muscular. Limbs parallel when viewed from behind.
Lower thigh		Well developed.
Stifle		Moderate bend of stifle.

Feet

Strong, well knuckled and firm, turning neither in nor out. Paws well padded. Dewclaws may be removed.

Gait and movement

Free and flowing ; head held fairly high and dog should cover ground well without any apparent effort. Legs and feet should move in line with body ; any tendency to throw feet sideways, or high stepping « hackney » action highly undesirable.

Coat
Hair		Short and glossy, ranging from fine and close to slightly harsh ; no feathering.
Colour		Tan or rich tan with white markings allowed as follows : White tip on tail strongly desired. White on chest (called « the star »). White on toes. Slim white blaze on center line of face permissible. Flecking or white other than above undesirable.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Dogs ideally 56 cm (22-25 ins = 56-63,5 cm), bitches ideally 53 cm (21-24 ins = 53-61 cm).

Faults

Disqualifying faults

Aggressive or overly shy dogs.

NB :

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

Details: Written by: Francis Vandersteen; Also available:; Last Updated: 27 January 2024; Hits: 512

Page 13 of 37

Polish Tatra Shepherd

Polish Tatra Shepherd

FCI standard Nº 252

Origin

Translation

Group

Section

Working

Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI

Publication of the official valid standard

Last update

En français, cette race se dit

Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar

En español, esta raza se dice

In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd

In his country of origin, his name is

Polski Owczarek Podhalanski

Usage

Brief historical summary

General appearance

Important proportions

Behaviour / temperament

Head

Cranial region

Head

Skull

Stop

Facial region

Nose

Muzzle

Lips

Nasal bridge

Jaws and teeth

Eyes

Ears

Neck

Body

Body

Withers

Back

Loin

Croup

Chest

Ribs

Underline and belly

Tail

Limbs

Forequarters

Generality

Shoulders

Pastern

Forefeet

Hindquarters

Generality

Metatarsus

Hind feet

Coat

Hair

Colour

Size and weight

Height at withers

Faults

General faults

Disqualifying faults

NB :

Bibliography

Polish Lowland Sheepdog

Polish Lowland Sheepdog

FCI standard Nº 251

Origin

Translation

Group

Section

Working

Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI

Publication of the official valid standard

Last update

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