Breed Standard

General Appearance
Medium-sized working sled dog, quick and light on feet. Free and graceful in action, with well-furred body, erect ears and brush tail. Proportions reflect a basic balance or power, speed and endurance, never appearing so heavy or so coarse as to suggest a freighting animal, nor so light and fragile as to suggest a sprint-racing animal. Males are masculine but never coarse, bitches feminine but without weakness of structure. Muscle firm and well developed, no excess weight.

Characteristics
Medium size, moderate bone, well balanced proportions, ease and freedom of movement and good disposition..

Temperament
Friendly and gentle, alert and outgoing. Does not display traits of the guard dog, not suspicious with strangers or aggressive with other dogs but some measure of reserve expected in mature dog. Intelligent, tractable and eager disposition. An agreeable companion and willing worker.

Head and Skull
Medium size in proportion to the body, presents a finely chiselled fox-like appearance. Slightly rounded on top, tapering gradually from widest point to eyes. Muzzle medium length and width, neither snipey nor coarse, tapering gradually to rounded nose. Tip of nose to stop equidistant from stop to occiput. Stop clearly defined but not excessive. Line of the nose straight from the stop to tip. Nose black in grey, tan or black dogs; liver in copper dogs; may be flesh coloured in pure white. In Winter, pink-streaked 'snow nose' is acceptable.

Eyes
Almond-shaped moderately spaced and set obliquely. Any shade or blue or brown, one of each colour, or parti-coloours equally acceptable. Expression keen, but friendly, interested, even mischievous.

Ears
Medium size, relatively close together, triangular in shape, the height slightly greater than width at base. Set high on head, strongly erect, the inner edges being quite close together at the base, when the dog is at attention carried practically parallel. Slightly arched at the back. Thick, well-furred outside and inside, tips slightly rounded.

Mouth
Lips well pigmented, close fitting. Jaws strong with a perfect regular and complete scissor bite, ie., upper teeth closely overlapping, lower teeth set square to the jaws.

Neck
Medium length and thickness, arched and carried proudly erect when standing. When moving at a trot, extended so that the head is carried slightly forward.

Forequarters
Shoulder blade well laid back, upper arm slightly backward from point of shoulder to elbow, never perpendicular to the ground. Muscle holding shoulder to ribcage firm and well developed. Straight or loose shoulders highly undesirable. Viewed from the front, forelegs moderately spaced, parallel and straight with elbows close to the body, turning neither in nor out. Viewed from the side, pasterns slightly sloping, wrist strong but flexible. Length from elbow to ground slightly more than distance from elbows to top of withers. Bone proportionate, never heavy. Dewclaws may be removed.

Body
Straight and strong with level topline from withers to croup. Medium length, not cobby, nor slack from excessive length. In profile, body from point of shoulder to rear point of croup slightly longer than height from ground to top of withers. Chest deep and strong but not too broad, deepest point being just behind and level with elbows. Ribs well sprung from spine but flattened on sides to allow for freedom of action. Loins slightly arched, well muscled, taut and lean, narrower than ribcage with a slight tuck-up. Croup slopes away from spine at an angle, but never so steeply as to restrict thrust of hindlegs.

Hindquarters
Viewed from rear, hindlegs moderately spaced and parallel. Upper thighs well muscled and powerful, stifles well bent, hock joint well defined and set low to the ground. Dewclaws, if any, should be removed.

Feet
Oval, not long, turning neither in nor out in natural stance. Medium size, compact, well furred and slightly webbed between toes. Pads tough and thickly cushioned. Trimming or fur between toes and around feet permissible.

Tail
Well furred or round fox brush shape set on just below level of topline and usually carried over back in a graceful sickle curve when dog at attention. When carried up, tail should not curl too tightly, nor should it curl to either side of body, or snap flat against back. hair on tail of medium length and approximately same length all round. A trailing tail is normal for dog when working or in repose.

Gait/Movement
Smooth and seemingly effortless. Quick and light on feet, gaited on a loose lead at a moderately fast trot, exhibiting good reach in forequarters and good drive in hindquarters. When walking, legs move in parallel but as speed increased, gradually angling inward to single track. As paw marks converge forelegs and hindlegs carried straight wither neither elbows nor stifles turning in or out, each hindleg moving in path of foreleg on same side. Topline of back remaining firm and level during gaiting.

Coat
Double and medium in length, giving a well furred appearance, never so long as to obscure clean-cut outline of dog. Undercoat soft and dense of sufficient length to support outer coat. Guard hairs of outer coat straight and somewhat smooth-lying, never harsh, rough or shaggy, too silky nor standing off from body. Absence of undercoat during shedding normal. No trimming of fur on any part of dog, except feet.

Colour
All colours and marking, including white, allowed. Variety of marking on head is common, including many striking patterns not found in other breeds.

Size

Weight should be in proportion to height. These measurements represent the extremes in height and weight with no preference given to either extreme. A dog should not exceed 60 cms. (23 ins.) or a bitch exceed 56 cms. (22 ins.).

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

© The Kennel Club

Date:24 Feb 2008