Bohemian Shepherd Dog

		Bohemian Shepherd Dog
		FCI standard Nº 364

Origin		Czech Republic
Translation		Hradec Králové Revised by R. Sporre-Willes Official language (EN)
Group		Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle dogs)
Section		Section 1 Sheepdogs
Working		With working trial
Acceptance on a provisional basis by the FCI		Monday 29 April 2019
Publication of the official valid standard		Wednesday 20 February 2019
Last update		Tuesday 07 May 2019
En français, cette race se dit		Berger de Bohême
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Böhmischer Schäferhund
En español, esta raza se dice		Perro Pastor Bohemio
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Bohemian Shepherd
In his country of origin, his name is		Chodsky Pes

Usage

Versatile working dog.

Brief historical summary

This breed has its origin in history. In his work extolling the Chodsko region (1923-1924), the writer Jindrich Simoon Baar described dogs from the Sumava region, which he called Chodsky. These balanced and very tenacious dogs were used for guarding and protecting and to round up cattle. There are many writings and illustrations linked with the region of Chodsko. J.A. Gabriel, writing about Chodsko in 1864, described the local people with the nick-name “Dog-heads”, as their pennon featured the silhouette of a typical sheepdog with a longer coat at the neck – their faithful home guard. The existence of longhaired sheepdogs who were faithful helpers and guards was also described by the writer A. Jirásek in his novel entitled “Dog-heads”, illustrated by Mikoás Als. One cannot of course claim that the above documents state facts of the origin of the present-day Chodsky Dog. It is simply a historical support for the existence of a well-established type of sheepdog with origin in the Czech territory.

General appearance

A medium-sized sheepdog with an oblong shaped body. It has a long coat with rich under coat, which makes the coat weather-resistant. The body structure has superb harmony. All body parts are assembled so as to give an overall compact and graceful appearance. The breed is characterized by its posture and its short ears, the elegant shape of the long neck and high withers, as well as the richness of the long coat. Movement is light and free. The overall shape of the body, from the head to the tail, is made up of a set of graceful curves.

Important proportions

Relation of height at withers to length of body (measured from point of shoulder to point of buttocks) should by 10 : 11.
Depth of chest should be half of height at withers.
Muzzle should be slightly shorter than half the total length of head.

Behaviour / temperament

A lively dog with fast, although not with impetuous reactions. A docile dog that is easily trained, attentive, easy to control and amenable. It is modest, undemanding, tenacious and makes a loving member of the family. It is fearless, has strong nerves and is exceptionally vigilant. It has a superb sense of smell. The breed is noted for its lively personality with no signs of nervousness.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Overall, the head should have a noble appearance and be in proportion to the body. It should not seem massive or too fine.
Skull		The skull is flat and gradually tapers towards the eyes, with the tapering cantered at the stop which is lightly marked. The occipital protuberance is tangible, although it is not obviously visible. The superciliary ridges are clearly- yet not prominently marked. The skin on the skull is taut and covered with short, thick and smooth hair.
Stop		Distinctive, but neither too sharp nor too gentle.

Facial region
Nose		Medium-sized, full, black pigmented, open nostrils.
Muzzle		The muzzle is slightly shorter than the skull.
Lips		Firm, dry, close-fitting and with closed corners.
Nasal bridge		The bridge of the muzzle is level (straight) and almost parallel with the extended line of the skull. It tapers in a wedge shape towards the nose.
Jaws and teeth		The jaws are proportionate, strong and long, gradually tapering towards the nose. Healthy, strong, pure white teeth regularly placed in a scissors bite. Molars fit together exactly; incisors touch each other. Full set of teeth.
Cheeks		The cheeks are dry and covered by flat muscles. Smooth, snug-fitting, not slack below the eyes.
Eyes		Medium-sized, almond-shaped, slightly slanting. They should not protrude or be deep set. Eyes are brown in colour with close-fitting lids; bright, full of energy yet with a pleasing expression.
Ears		Short, erect forward-facing, positioned high and close together. They are triangular with a broad base; tips are either pointed or slightly rounded. The earlobes are covered with long thick hair which forms brushes, particularly at the root and along the edges. The characteristic shape of the head, correct placement, size, shape and carriage of the long coated ears determine the breed’s true type.

Neck

Graceful in shape and carriage, long and very flexible. It broadens slightly towards the shoulders. The line of the neck forms a 45 degree angle with the horizontal. The neck is covered in long thick hair.

Body
Topline		Firm, straight.
Withers		Accentuated, slightly raised above line of back.
Back		Straight, firm, not too long, sloping gently down from the withers.
Loin		Short, supple, well muscled, connecting with the back in a single line.
Croup		Begins at the same height as the back and slopes slightly towards the tail with no transition.
Chest		Oval in cross-section; the upper edge is obtuse, while the lower is pointed. Not to reach below the elbow.
Ribs		The ribs are slightly sprung, but not barrel-shaped.
Underline and belly		Firm, tucked up.

Tail

At rest and when moving it is carried naturally in a slight curve; when excited it is raised to the level of the back. It is thickly covered with coat and reaches to the hocks. Not to be docked.

Limbs

Forequarters
Shoulders		The shoulder-blade should be long, muscular, oblique and lying flat. The angle is around 90 degrees towards upper arm.
Upper arm		Straight, well developed.
Elbows		Points straight towards the rear, turning neither in nor out.
Forearm		Appears straight from any angle, with well developed dry musculature.
Carpal		Firm.
Pastern		Firm, long and angle not too abrupt.
Forefeet		Close, firm, nails and pads strong, black pigmentation. The pigment of the pads and nails is black.

Hindquarters
Generality		Well angulated at knee and hock. Straight and parallel when viewed from behind.
Upper thigh		Strong substantially muscled.
Lower thigh		Muscled and strong.
Stifle		Firm and muscled; angle 120 degree.
Metatarsus		Strong.
Hock		Strong and firm.
Hind feet		Closed – firm, toes – flexible and strong. The pigment of the pads and nails is black.

Gait and movement

The natural gait is a low trot. Movement is light, supple and far reaching.

Skin

Taut and close- fitting all over. Dark pigmentation.

Coat
Hair		The body is covered by a glossy, long, thick coarser type of coat. The length is between 5 and 12 cm. It should be straight or slightly wavy, on the neck and chest slightly open, otherwise laying flat. The well developed undercoat is shorter and softer. The earlobes are richly covered in hair; brushes form at the base and along the edges. The coat is particularly long on the neck, back and on the backside of the thighs and hocks, where it is slightly wavy. The tail is thickly covered in coat and has long, slightly wavy fringes on the underside. Only the facial parts of the head, the tips of the ears and the front of the limbs have short, smooth coat.
Colour		Black to gunmetal-black with vivid tan-markings. The more vivid and rich the markings are the better. Coat colour other than black-and-tan is not permissible. The typical tan-markings are placed, when fully extended: Inside and on the edges of the ears; above the eyes; on the cheeks; on the sides of the muzzle smoothly blending into the throat and forming a crescent shape; on the brisket but distinct from the markings on the throat; on the inner and rear part of the thighs; on the feet and pasterns up to the hock joint; on the forelegs; on the forefeet and up to the elbow; under the tail and around the anus.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Males: 52 to 55 cm. Females: 49 to 52 cm.
Weight		Males: 19 – 27 kg. Females: 17 – 24 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

Stop not well defined.

Weak jaws.

Height +- 2 cm, limits stipulated in standard.

Overly long- or too short in back.

Pale tan-markings.

Over marked with tan.

White chest-mark (tolerance up to 3 cm in size).

Serious faults

Ears which are big, soft or too widely set.

Short neck.

Barrel-shaped or flat sided ribcage.

Elbows turned in or out.

Steep shoulder-blades.

Soft or roached back.

Weak hocks, cow-hocked.

Steep croup.

Restricted gait.

Tail curled above level of back.

Curly coat.

Disqualifying faults

Aggressive or overly shy dogs.

Height less than 50 cm or over 57 cm in males.

Height less than 47 cm or over 54 cm in females.

Any deviation from a scissors bite.

Absence of any tooth (except for PM1 and M3).

Predatory eye colour (very pale yellow).

Hanging or floppy ears.

Colour other than black with tan-markings.

Markings appearing in places other than described.

Shorthaired or lack of undercoat.

Complete absence of tan-markings.

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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Bohemian Shepherd Dog