All canids and felids worldwide
Planethoster

Azawakh

Azawakh

FCI standard Nº 307
Origin
 Northern borders of Mali and Niger; the slopes of the Azawakh valley
Patronage : France
Translation
 Translator Ian Nicholson /FR
Revised by Renée Sporre-Willes, Raymond Triquet and Claude Guintard
Group
 Group 10 Sighthounds
Section
 Section 3 Short-haired Sighthounds
Working
 Without working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI
 Tuesday 03 June 1980
Publication of the official valid standard
 Wednesday 04 September 2019
Last update
 Tuesday 15 October 2019
En français, cette race se dit
 Azawakh
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar
 Azawakh
En español, esta raza se dice
 Azawakh
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd
 Azawakh

Usage
Sighthound that hunts for game (gazelles, hares, ostriches) and fights off predators (hyenas, jackals, lions). This dog is an important companion for the family life of the nomads, and shares their camp life.

Brief historical summary
It is an African sighthound descending from the types pictured in the wall paintings of the Central Sahara which date back thousands of years. The ever-increasing aridity of the Sahara caused Tuareg, Dahoussahaq and Peul shepherd-hunters to migrate with their dogs to the more hospitable lands of the Sahel: in areas suitable for farming and hunting along the dry valley of the Azawakh. Belonging to the culture of peoples who domesticated and shaped it, it is known as Oska in the Tuareg language. European enthousiasts discovered the breed with admiration, and selected with the help of the breeders who owned the first lines exported to Europe, as of 1968.

General appearance
Particularly slim and elegant, the Azawakh sighthound gives a general impression of great slenderness. Its bone structure and muscles show through thin and dry skin. It is a slender dog whose body fits into a rectangle with a vertical long side.

Important proportions
Height at the withers / Scapulo-ischial length: 10-9 (a ratio slightly lower in females is allowed).
Height at the withers / Depth of chest: 10-4.
Length of head / Length of muzzle: 10-5.
Head length / Width of skull: 10-4.

Behaviour / temperament
Quick, attentive, distant, can bereserved with strangers, but it can be gentle and affectionate with its family, and people whom it is willing to accept.

Head

Cranial region
Head
 Long, fine, lean and chiselled, rather narrow, without excess.
Skull
 Almost flat, rather long, its width should be significantly less than half the length of the head. The line of skull and the bridge of the muzzle are sometimes slightly divergent. The superciliary ridges and the frontal furrow are slightly marked. The external occipital protuberance is clearly pronounced. 
Stop
 Very slightly marked.

Facial region
Nose
 Black or dark brown colour is obligatory, the nostrils are well opened.
Muzzle
 Long, straight, tapered without exaggeration towards the end.
Lips
 Thin lips tightly fitting, colour is black or dark brown, no hanging lips.
Jaws and teeth
 Jaws are long and strong; scissor bite. Complete set of teeth.
Cheeks
 Flat.
Eyes
 Almond eyes, rather large, slightly oblique palpebral opening, colour is dark, sometimes amber, never blue. Eye rims well black or dark brown pigmented.
Ears
 Set quite high. They are fine, always drooping and flat, broad based, lie flat against the cheeks, never "rose ear". The shape is that of a triangle with a rounded tip. The base of the ears pricks up when the sighthound is attentive.

Neck
Neck springing clearly from the shoulders, long, fine and muscular, with upper end slightly arched. The skin is fine and does not form a dewlap.

Body
Topline
 Straight, approximately horizontal or slightly rising from the withers towards the point of the hips. Hips clearly protruding and placed at the same height or higher than the height of the withers.
Withers
 Distinctively prominent.
Loin
 Short and dry.
Croup
 Oblique (ideally 45 °).
Chest
 Deep, well let down almost to the elbows, sternal region gently narrowing. Fore chest fairly narrow.
Ribs
 Ribs long, slightly visible, gently and evenly sprung.
Underline and belly
 The sternal arch is pronounced. The underline rises smoothly into the belly which is tucked up very high.

Tail
Set low, long, thin, lean and tapered. Covered with the same type of hair as the body, it often has a white pencil hair on the end. The tail hangs with the tip slightly raised, but it can rise above the horizontal when the dog is excited.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality
 Long, thin, vertical. Perfect stand.
Shoulders
 Long shoulder blade, with dry muscles and only slightly oblique viewed in profile.
Upper arm
 The scapulo-humeral angle is very open (about 130°).
Pastern
 Slightly oblique.
Forefeet
 Rounded, with slender digits, tight and well arched. The pads are pigmented.

Hindquarters
Generality
 Long and lean legs, viewed from behind, perfectly parallel.
Upper thigh
 Long with dry protruding muscles. Coxo-femoral angle is very open (about 130°).
Stifle
 Femoro-tibial angle is very open (about 145°).
Metatarsus
 Tarsus and metatarsus lean, without dewclaws.
Hind feet
 Rounded, toes well arched, pads pigmented.

Gait and movement
Always very supple and with high action when walking and trotting. The gallop is springy. The Azawakh sighthound gives an impression of lightness, even elasticity. The movement is an essential characteristic of the breed.

Skin
Thin and tight-fitting.

Coat
Hair
 Short, fine, and down to none on the belly.
Colour
 Fawn, with or without brindles, with white patching limited to the extremities. All shades are admitted, clear sand to dark fawn (mahogany). Brindles should be black as excluding any other shade. The muzzle can present a black mask.
White patching :
The blaze is very inconstant. On the fore chest, white may be present as white patches, more or less extensively, confined to the base of the neck. Yet, a narrow white stripe is permitted on the forepart of the neck, on the forechest and on the lower part of the chest. The bib should not extend past the point of the shoulder, or go up on each side of the neck. A small white spot on the nape of the neck, of reduced size, is tolerated. As a continuation of the fore chest, white spots can appear below the chest, but must not in any case go up the ribs. Each of the four limbs has a white stocking, at least as a trace on the feet. On a subject having excellent morphology, the lack of white on one limb is allowed. The white marks on the forequarters, often irregular, should not extend beyond the elbows, or encroach on the shoulders. The white marks on the hindquarters, often more regular and less invasive, should not go up to the thigh. White marks appearing on the inner side of the thigh, however, should not be considered a fault.

Size and weight
Height at withers
 Males: 64 –74 cm. Females: 60–70 cm. A margin of 2 cm above and below the standard is tolerated.
Weight
 Males: 20–25 kg. Females: 15–20 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.

Serious faults
 Head heavy lacking elegance.
 Tail thick and hairy, very curled tail.
 Body too long.
 Level bite.

Disqualifying faults
 Aggressive or overly shy dogs.
 Lack of type.
 Overly small chest and extreme general thinness.
 Underbite or overbite.
 Nose, eyelids and lips other than black or dark brown.
 Light eyes or blue eyes.
 Rose ears.
 Hips lower than the withers.
 Non-accidental anatomical deformation (eg: asymmetrical junction of the ribs at the sternum).
 Presence of dewclaws or traces of removal of dewclaws on hind legs.
 Wired or semi-long coat.
 Non-standard coat colours (invasive white, white collar, brindle other than black); beware of diluted colours such as : blue, lilac.
 Every dog which shows traces of a surgical intervention meant to correct or repair an esthetical or morphological fault, will be excluded.
 Size deviating more than 3 cm from the standard.

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
http://www.fci.be/
Details
Also available: Français (France) Deutsch (Deutschland) Español (España) Nederlands (nl-NL)
Hits: 281

No comments

The latest updated breeds

Recognized cat breeds
  • Ojos azules

    Ojos azules

    Ojos azules Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Ojos azules is a breed of cat native to the United States. This cat is characterized by its blue or odd-colored eyes, regardless of coat color. A brief historical overview The history of the Ojos Azules began in the early 1980s with the discovery in New Mexico of Cornflower, a tortoiseshell...
  • Ocicat

    Ocicat

    Ocicat Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Ocicat is a breed of cat native to the United States. This medium-sized cat is characterized by its mottled fawn coat, reminiscent of the Ocelot. A brief historical overview The Ocicat was created in 1964 in the United States by a breeder, Mrs. Virginia Daly. She wanted to breed Siamese tabby...
  • Norvégien

    Norvégien

    Norvégien Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Norvégien, also known as the Norwegian Forest Cat or Norsk skogkatt, is a semi-long-haired cat breed from Norway. This large cat is characterized by its very thick semi-long-haired coat and its wild look. A brief historical overview Cats are thought to have arrived from southern Europe and were...
  • Nebelung

    Nebelung

    Nebelung Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Nebelung is a cat breed originally from Russia. This cat is the semi-long-haired variety of the Russian Blue, whose genetic characteristics it shares. A brief historical overview The instability of the early 20th century was very difficult for many breeds, some of which almost disappeared. Such is...
  • Munchkin

    Munchkin

    Munchkin Translation Francis Vandzersteen Origin This cat is characterized by its very short legs, hence its nickname of “basset cat”. This cat is characterized by its very short legs, hence its nickname of “basset cat”. Standard For a cat to be recognized as a Munchkin, it must conform to the breed standard. If certain criteria are not met, the...
  • Mau égyptien

    Mau égyptien

    Mau égyptien Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Egyptian Mau is a cat breed originally from Egypt. Developed from 1953 in Italy and then in the United States by a Russian princess. A brief historical overview Nathalie Troubetzkoï was a Russian princess exiled in the palace of the Egyptian ambassador to Italy during the Second World War. A...
  • Mau arabe

    Mau arabe

    Mau arabe Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Mau arabe is a cat breed from the Arabian Peninsula. This medium-sized cat is characterized by its ancestral origins. A brief historical overview The Mau arabe is a natural breed, but was only recognized in 2009. These cats have occupied the Arabian Peninsula for thousands of years, living in...
  • Manx

    Manx

    Manx Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Manx is a breed of cat originating from the Isle of Man (British Isles). This cat is characterized by its lack of tail. A brief historical overview The Manx cat (kayt Manninagh or stubbin in Manx), also known as the Isle of Man cat, originated, as its name suggests, on the British Isle of Man.The...
  • Mandarin

    Mandarin

    Mandarin Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Mandarin, also known as the Oriental longhair and Javanese, is a breed of cat native to the United States. This cat is the semi-longhair variety of the Oriental. A brief historical overview The history of the Mandarin begins with that of the Oriental. In fact, the Mandarin is a semi-long-haired...
  • Maine coon

    Maine coon

    Maine coon Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Maine coon is a longhaired cat breed from the state of Maine in the United States. This rustic-looking cat is characterized by its large size, plumed tail, square muzzle, plumed ears and long coat. A brief historical overview The Maine Coon is probably one of North America's oldest natural...
  • LaPerm

    LaPerm

    LaPerm Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The LaPerm is a cat breed originally from the United States. This medium-sized cat is characterized by its curly coat. A brief historical overview The breed was created in 1982 in the U.S. state of Oregon by a woman named Linda Koehl. The curly hair is due to a natural mutation in the genes of one of...
  • Korat

    Korat

    Korat Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Korat is a breed of cat native to Thailand. This small cat is characterized by its blue coat and green eyes. A brief historical overview The Tamra Meow, or Book of Cat Poems, is a richly illustrated Thai collection of verses written between 1350 and 1767, describing seventeen different cats, some...
  • Khao Manee

    Khao Manee

    Khao Manee Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Khao Manee is a breed of cat native to Thailand. This cat is characterized by its white shorthair coat. Its eyes can be yellow, blue or mint. Standard Official recognition of the Khao Manee is underway, notably through TICA and GCCF. It has been possible to register adult and juvenile Khao...
  • Himalayen

    Himalayen

    Himalayen Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Himalayen, also known as the colorpoint or colorpoint (US), is a cat breed originating in the United States. In some European countries, this breed does not exist and is considered a coat of the Persian. A brief historical overview The Himalayen is a colorpoint Persian. These Persians are...
  • Highland Fold

    Highland Fold

    Highland Fold Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Highland Fold is a breed of cat originally from Scotland. The name Highland Fold is given to the shorthair variety. A brief historical overview The first known specimen of a cat with folded ears is Susie, a cat living on a farm north of Dundee in Scotland. She was discovered in 1961 by...
  • Scottish Fold

    Scottish Fold

    Scottish Fold Translation Francis Vandersteen Origin The Scottish Fold is a breed of cat originally from Scotland. The name Scottish Fold is given to the shorthair variety. A brief historical overview The first known specimen of a cat with folded ears is Susie, a cat living on a farm north of Dundee in Scotland. She was discovered in 1961 by...