Well proportioned, smooth outline showing quality, gracefulness and perfect balance, combined with sufficient substance to give impression of endurance. Any tendency to coarseness or weediness undesirable.
Characteristics
Tenacious,
hard-working sheep dog, of great
tractability.
Temperament
Keen,
alert, responsive and intelligent. Neither
nervous nor aggressive.
Head and Skull
Skull
fairly broad, occiput not pronounced. Cheeks
not full or rounded. Muzzle, tapering to
nose, moderately short and strong. Skull and
foreface approximately equal in length. Stop
very distinct. Nose black, except in brown
or chocolate colour when it may be brown. In
blues nose should be slate colour. Nostrils
well developed.
Eyes
Set wide
apart, oval-shaped, of moderate size, brown
in colour except in merles where one or both
or part of one or both may be blue.
Expression mild, keen, alert and intelligent.
Ears
Medium
size and texture, set well apart. Carried
erect or semi-erect and sensitive in use.
Mouth
Teeth and
jaws strong with a perfect, regular and
complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth
closely overlapping lower teeth and set
square to the jaws.
Neck
Of good
length, strong and muscular, slightly arched
and broadening to shoulders.
Forequarters
Front legs
parallel when viewed from front, pasterns
slightly sloping when viewed from side. Bone
strong but not heavy. Shoulders well laid
back, elbows close to body.
Body
Athletic
in appearance, ribs well sprung, chest deep
and rather broad, loins deep and muscular,
but not tucked up. Body slightly longer than
height at shoulder.
Hindquarters
Broad,
muscular, in profile sloping gracefully to
set on of tail. Thighs long, deep and
muscular with well turned stifles and strong
well let down hocks. From hock to ground,
hindlegs well boned and parallel when viewed
from rear.
Feet
Oval, pads
deep, strong and sound, toes arched and
close together. Nails short and strong.
Tail
Moderately
long, the bone reaching at least to hock,
set on low, well furnished and with an
upward swirl towards the end, completing
graceful contour and balance of dog. Tail
may be raised in excitement, never carried
over back.
Gait/Movement
Free,
smooth and tireless, with minimum lift of
feet, conveying impression of ability to
move with great stealth and speed.
Coat
Two
varieties: 1) Moderately long; 2) Smooth. In
both, topcoat dense and medium textured,
undercoat soft and dense giving good weather
resistance. In moderately long-coated
variety, abundant coat forms mane, breeching
and brush. On face, ears, forelegs (except
for feather), hindlegs from hock to ground,
hair should be short and smooth.
Colour
Variety of
colours permissible. White should never
predominate.
Size
Ideal
height: dogs: 53 cms (21 ins); bitches
slightly less.
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.
Note
Male
animals should have two apparently normal
testicles fully descended into the scrotum