FCI Standard N° 326 / 16.09.1996/ EN
(Ioujnorousskaia Ovtcharka)
TRANSLATION : Mrs Peggy Davis.
ORIGIN : Russia.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 30.09.1983.
UTILIZATION : Sheepdog.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs
(except Swiss Cattle Dogs).
Section 1 Sheepdogs.
Without working trial.
The Owtcharka of meridional Russia is a dog of robust constitution, of above average size; he is fierce and distrustful of strangers, not very demanding and adapts easily to diverse climatic conditions and temperatures.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Robust, lean, with massive bone structure and a strongly developed musculature.
Faults : Frail constitution, bones too light, insufficient musculature; constitution of coarse or gross appearance.
Sexual type : Well evident according to sex. The males are courageous, stronger and more massive than the females.
Faults : Females of male type.
Severe faults : Effeminate type male.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :
- Index of bone structure : Males 17 - 19
Females 16 - 18
- Length index (Format) : 108 - 110.
Faults : Slight divergences of the given norm.
Severe faults : Accentuated divergences of the given norms (square shape or very elongated).
BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT : Type of highly nervous activity, strong, balanced, lively. Dominant reaction : active way of defense.
Faults : Excessive excitability, timidity, laziness.
Severe faults : Uncontrolled excitability, cowardice.
HEAD : Elongated shape with a moderately broad forehead; the occipital crest and the zygomatic arches are strongly pronounced. The stop is barely visible. The nose is big, black.
Faults : Coarse head, accentuated stop, superciliary arches prominent, muzzle too short or too elongated, grey lips; nose grey or brown.
Severe faults : Narrow muzzle, weak, turned up, of truncated shape. Pink nose.
Teeth : White, big, fitting closely. The incisors are set regularly and close in scissor bite.
Faults : Teeth too small and spaced, yellow or prematurely worn. Broken teeth but not impeding a correct closure of the jaws. Lack of premolars.
Severe faults : Everything which does not correspond to a perfect closure of the teeth but not impeding a correct of the teeth in scissor bite. Decayed teeth. Incisors set irregularly.
Ears : Relatively small, of triangular shape, hanging.
Faults : Detached ears.
Eyes : Oval shape, set horizontally, dark; the eyelids lean, tight.
Faults : Light eyes.
Severe faults : Eyes of different colours, pink eyelids.
NECK : Lean, muscular, of moderate length, set high.
Faults : Neck too short, set low.
BODY :
Withers : Apparent but not high.
Back : Straight and strong.
Faults : Weak back or roach-back.
Severe faults : Saddle back or humped.
Loin : Short, broad, rounded.
Faults : Slightly elongated, straight or too rounded.
Severe faults : Saddle back or humped.
Chest : Reasonably broad, slightly flattened, deep.
Faults : Chest insufficiently let down (above the elbow).
Severe faults : Narrow chest, too small, barrel shaped.
Belly : Moderately tucked up.
Faults : Excessively whippety or sagging.
FEET (Front and back) : Oval shaped, strong, well arched, covered with long hair.
Faults : Flat feet, splayed feet.
GAIT/MOVEMENT : The gaits are free and extended. The natural gaits of this dog are the heavy trot and the gallop. At the trot, the legs move in a straight line with a slight convergence to the median line. The articulations of the fore- and hindquarters straightening up freely.
Faults : Slight lateral deviation in the movement of the legs; insufficient straightening up of the articulations.
Severe faults : Restrained gait, lack in action.
COAT
HAIR : Long (10 – 15 cm), coarse, thick, dense, of equal length on head, chest, legs and tail, with a well developed undercoat.
Faults : Straight hair.
Severe faults : Short hair, soft texture.
COLOUR : Most often white, but also white and yellow, straw colour, greyish (ashen grey) and other shades of grey; white lightly marked with grey; grey speckled.
Severe faults : Black, rushy or brown coat; strongly speckled.
SIZE:
Height at the withers : Males : a minimum of 65 cm.
Females : a minimum of 62 cm.
Faults : Size of less than 65 cm for the males, less than 62 cm for the females.
Severe faults : Size of less than 60 cm for the males, less than 58 cm for the females.
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.
ELIMINATING FAULTS :
Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.