Portuguese Pointing Dog

		Portuguese Pointing Dog
		FCI standard Nº 187

Origin		Portugal
Translation		Portuguese Kennel Club. Revised by Jennifer Mulholland & Renée Sporre-Willes
Group		Group 7 Pointing Dogs
Section		Section 1.1 Continental Pointing Dogs
Working		With working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Wednesday 13 July 1955
Publication of the official valid standard		Tuesday 04 November 2008
Last update		Monday 30 March 2009
En français, cette race se dit		Chien d'arrêt portugais
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Portugiesischer Vorstehhund
En español, esta raza se dice		Perdiguero Portugués
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Portugese Pointer
In his country of origin, his name is		Perdigueiro Português

Usage

Hunting dog.

Brief historical summary

The Portuguese Pointing Dog originates from the Iberian Peninsula, descending from the old Peninsular Pointing Dog, a common ancestor to other pointing dogs. It evolved by adapting to the climate, terrain and game and from the selection imposed by the socio-cultural specificity of the Portuguese, who have been breeding it for centuries for hunting purposes. The breed conserved the morphological and functional traits similar to those existing nowadays. Its existence in Portugal can be traced back to at least the 12th century. In the 14th century it was known as the “podengo de mostra”, already showing the capacity for pointing game. It was bred in the royal and nobility kennels and used in falconry. In the 16th century, already named “perdigueiro” (from “perdiz” the common Portuguese name for partridge), it was frequently used by commoners. The definition of the current traits and dissemination by a group of breeders and hunters began in the first quarter of the 20th century.

General appearance

Medium sized dog, rectilinear, bracoïd type, strong but with an harmonious construction combined with great suppleness of movement. Seen from the side, the topline and underline form an elegant outline.

Important proportions

Square, or almost square body. The skull to muzzle ratio is 6:4; height at withers to depth of chest is 2:1.

Behaviour / temperament

Extremely kind and affectionate, hardy, capable of great endurance and devotion. Calm and very sociable, but somewhat haughty towards other dogs. Curious by nature, works with persistence and vivacity. Always a keen hunting dog that stays in close contact with the hunter.

Head
Cranial region
Head		In proportion to the size of the body, well built and harmonious in dimension, it gives the impression of being larger than it is. Slightly bulky, neither bony nor fleshy. Covered with loose, thin skin and without wrinkles. Rectilinear in profile and square when seen from the front. Convergent longitudinal superior cranium-facial axes.
Skull		Square, almost flat top line when seen from the front and slightly arched in profile, with a length that should not exceed 6/10 of the total head length, therefore with 60% cephalic index. Seen from the front the forehead is almost flat, high, wide and symmetrical, slightly arched in profile. Well developed superciliary arches. Wide and not very deep frontal furrow. Barely perceptible occipital protuberance.
Stop		Well defined (90-100º).

Facial region
Nose		The angle between the nasal bridge and the upper lip is 90°. Nose of good conformation, well developed with large wet and wide open nostrils. Black.
Muzzle		Rectilinear and horizontal, adequately broad, with the same width over its length which is 4/10 of the head length.
Lips		Pendulous upper lips, square in profile, at a right angle with the nasal bridge, semicircular at the tip when seen in profile; seen from the front, forming a sharp angle in the inferior edge; they join the lower lips by loose, folded commissures, with drooping corners. Averagely cut mouth, with irregularly pigmented (mucous) membranes, should have a normal occlusion allowing normal overlapping of the upper lip.
Jaws and teeth		Healthy, correct and full dentition, with scissors bite.
Cheeks		Parallel. Barely perceptible retro-commissural fold, with full parotid area (i.e. Well filled out under ear).
Eyes		Expressive, lively, brown, of a darker colour than the coat; oval shaped tending to round, biggish but not too big, level set and filling the orbit. Thin and wide open lids, with black pigmentation.
Ears		Set above the level of the eyes on the rear part of the head, hanging, almost flat surface with one or two longitudinal folds when attentive, triangular, much wider at the base than at the tip in a proportion of 2.5 to 1, and with rounded tip. The length of the ears should be slightly superior to that of the skull. Thin, smooth, covered with thin, dense and very short hair.

Neck

Straight, slightly arched in the upper third part, length not inferior to the head length, not very thick and with a short dewlap in the throat. It should join the head gracefully at an angle of approximately 90º and the connection between neck and body should not be accentuated.

Body
Topline		Rectilinear, rising slightly from croup to withers.
Withers		Not very high.
Back		Short, broad, rectilinear and slightly sloping down to the loin, to which it joins well.
Loin		Short, very broad, with strong muscles, slightly arched and well connected to the croup.
Croup		Of proportional width in relation to the loin, of harmonious conformation with a slightly oblique axis slightly sloping down.
Chest		Deep and broad, with good thorax width, more developed in length and depth than in width, reaching the elbow. Well sprung ribs in the upper section and very broad. Considering the girth and in cross-section, the chest and its bordering ribs appear horseshoe-shaped, with both ends meeting sternum.
Underline and belly		Slightly uprising from sternum to groin. The slim belly joins the hip in a circumference arch; the distance separating the hip from the last rib gives the flank a short and well coupled appearance.

Tail

Natural : of medium length, not reaching below the hock. Straight, of medium set, thick at the base and slightly tapering to the tip. Well set in perfect continuity with the line of the croup. At rest it hangs naturally, but never between the thighs. In motion, it rises horizontally or slightly above the topline but never vertically or sickle-shaped. Wagging from side to side.
Docked : in order to cover the genitals without surpassing them.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Straight when seen from the front and perfectly parallel to the main line of the body. Seen from the sides, upright and giving an overall appearance of great stability, support and natural ease of movement.
Shoulders		Long; with medium inclination, well set and quite strongly muscled. 120º scapula-humerus angle.
Upper arm		Close to the chest. Its length is in accordance with the shoulder blade and the angulation is proportionate.
Elbows		Separated from the chest by the armpit, clean, well let down, of equal distance to the main line of the body, neither turned in or out. 150º humerus-radius angle.
Forearm		Set off from the body, long, straight and perpendicular to the ground, when seen from front or sides.
Carpal		In perfect continuity to the forearm.
Pastern		Broad, slightly sloping.
Forefeet		Proportional to the size of the limb, tending to be round rather than long, but without resembling cat-feet. Well formed toes, tight, uniform and robust to give good support. Strong and well developed pads, with black, thick, hard and resistant hide. Strong nails, hard and preferably black.

Hindquarters
Generality		Upright when seen from the back and perfectly parallel to the main body line, with normal uprightness when seen from sides.
Upper thigh		Long, broad, well muscled. Buttocks shaped in a more or less accentuated curve, long and with a slightly elastic musculature. 95º hip-femur angle.
Lower thigh		Well placed, the length being proportional to the length of the thigh, its obliquity should be in proportion with the slope of the croup.
Stifle		Slightly below the belly, but not too far from it. Slightly prominent and slightly turned out. 120º femur-tibia angle.
Metatarsus		Of medium height, vertical, almost cylindrical, of even thickness and lean.
Hock		Sufficiently open and well placed, clean, broad and thick. 145º tibia-tarsus angle.
Hind feet		Identical to the forefeet, but slightly longer.

Gait and movement

With normal stride, easy and elegant. Polyvalent in its work and quite adaptable to diverse ground, weather and game, the movement switches between a simple suspension gallop and an extended, easy and rhythmic trot.

Coat
Hair		Short, hard, close, harsh and dense, covering the body evenly, with the exception of the armpits, groin, perianal and genital regions where is more sparse and softer. It is thinner and shorter on the head, especially on the ears, which have a velvety look. Without undercoat.
Colour		Yellow of light, medium and dark shades, solid or with white patches on the head, neck, chest, lower extremity of limbs, below the elbows and hocks and tip of tail when undocked.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Males: 56 cm +/- 4 cm, females: 52 cm +/- 4 cm.
Weight		Males 20-27 Kg, females 16-22 Kg.

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

Shyness.

Skull/muzzle ratio slightly different from 6/4.

Narrow.

Prominent occipital protuberance.

Very developed frontal sinus.

Pronounced frontal furrow.

Presence of wrinkles.

Nose any colour other than black.

Muzzle short or long.

Upper lips not square.

Commissure not perceptible.

Incorrect pigmentation of the mucous membranes.

Pincer bite.

Eyes small, light, inexpressive; too round.

Ears of medium set, very big or very small, pointed tip.

Neck too short.

Without dewlap or too much dewlap.

Poor development of the chest.

Tail too short when natural, too low set or with atypical carriage (vertical or sickle-shaped).

Limbs and feet turned in or out, splayed feet.

Soft hair.

Serious faults

Too shy.

Skull-muzzle relation very different from 6/4.

Barely defined stop, parallel longitudinal superior cranium-facial axes.

Muzzle slanted.

Eyes slanted.

Squinting (east-west/cross-eyed).

Ears fleshy, low set, excessively folded or curling.

Saddled or roached top line.

Croup too sloping.

Body too long, round thorax.

Tucked up belly.

White patches outside the limits set by the standard.

Oversized or undersized.

Disqualifying faults

Aggressive or overly shy.

Head atypical with convex muzzle, too long or too short, skull too narrow.

Divergent longitudinal superior cranium-facial axes.

Nose total lack of pigmentation.

Undershot or overshot.

Eyes uneven in shape or size, of different colours.

Wall eye, congenital blindness.

Deafness congenital or acquired.

Body completely atypical, showing signs of crossbreeding to other breeds.

Coat different from breed type.

Albinism.

Any other colour than the described type.

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/

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Portuguese Pointing Dog