 |
 AUSTRALIAN
CATTLE DOG |
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| GENERAL APPEARANCE | - The general appearance is that of strong, compact, symmetrically built working dog, with the ability and willingness to carry out his Allotted task however arduous. Its combination of substance, power, balance and hard muscular condition must convey the impression of great agility, strength and endurance. Any tendency to grossness or weediness is a serious fault. | |
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| PROPORTIONS | - (standard does not comment). | |
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| SIZE | -
Height at the withers: Dogs 46 to 51 cm. (approx. 18 20
inches). Bitches 43 to 48 cm: (approx. 17 19 inches). |
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length: (standard
does not comment).
- weight: (standard does not comment). |
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| TEMPERAMENT | - The Cattle Dog's loyalty and protective instincts make it a self appointed guardian to the stockman, his herd and his property. Whilst naturally suspicious of strangers, must be amenable to handling, particularly in the show ring. Any feature of temperament or structure foreign to a working dog must be regarded as a serious fault. | |
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| SKIN | - (standard does not comment). | |
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| COAT | - Hair: The coat is smooth, a double coat with a short, dense undercoat. The outer coat is close, each hair straight, hard and lying flat, so that it is rain resisting. Under the body to behind the legs, the coat is longer and forms near the thigh a mild form of breaching. On the head (including the inside of the ears), to the front of the legs and feet, the hair is short. Along the neck it is longer and thicker. A coat either too long or too short is a fault. As an average, the hairs on the body should be from 2,5 to 4 cm (approx. 1 1 ½) in length. | |
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| COLOUR | - Blue:
The colour should be blue, blue mottled or blue speckled with or without
other markings. The permissible markings are black, blue or tan markings on
the head, evenly distributed for preference. The forelegs tan midway up the
legs and extending up the front to breast and throat, with tan on jaws; the
hindquarters tan on inside of hindlegs, and inside of thighs, showing down
the front and the stifles and broadening out to the outside of the hindlegs
from hocks to toes. Tan undercoat is permissible on the body providing it
does not show through the blue outer coat. Black markings on the body are
not desirable. Red speckle: the colour should be of good even red speckle all over, including the undercoat. (neither white or cream), with or without darker red markings on the head. Even head markings are desirable. Red markings on the body are permissible but not desirable. |
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| HEAD | - The head is strong and must be in balance with other proportions of the dog and in keeping with its general conformation. | |
| - | Skull | - The broad skull is slightly curved between the ears. |
| - | Stop | - The skull flattens to a slight but definite stop. |
| - | Muzzle | - Broad and well filled in under the eyes, tapering gradually to form a medium length, deep, powerful muzzle with the skull and muzzle on parallel planes. |
| - | Nose | - Black. |
| - | Lips/Flews | - Tight and clean. |
| - | Cheeks | - Muscular, neither coarse nor prominent. |
| - | Jaw/Teeth | - The teeth, sound, strong and evenly spaced, gripping with a scissor bite, the lower incisors close behind and just touching the upper. As the dog is required to move difficult cattle by heeling or biting, teeth which are sound and strong are very important. Underjaws are strong, deep and well developed. |
| - | Eyes | - The
eyes should be of oval shape and medium size, neither prominent nor sunken
and must express alertness and intelligence. A warning or suspicious glint is characteristic when approached by strangers. Eye colour: dark brown. |
| - | Eears/Leathers | - The ears should be of moderate size, preferably small rather than large, broad at the base, muscular, pricked and moderately pointed, neither spoon not bat eared. The ears are set wide apart on the skull, inclining outwards, sensitive in their use and pricked when alert; the leather should be thick in texture and the inside of the ear fairly well furnished with hair. |
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| NECK | - extremely strong, muscular and of medium length broadening to blend into the body and free from throatiness. | |
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| BODY | - The length of the body from the point of the breast bone, in a straight line to the buttocks, is greater than the height at the withers, as 10 is to 9. | |
| - | Topline | - Level. |
| - | Withers | - (standard does not comment). |
| - | Back | - Strong. |
| - | Chest | - Deep, muscular and moderately broad. |
| - | Ribs | - Well sprung and carried well back, not barrel ribbed. |
| - | Belly | - Deep. |
| - | Loins | - Broad, strong and muscular. Dog strongly coupled. |
| - | Underline | - (standard does not comment). |
| - | Croup | - Rather long and sloping. |
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| LIMBS | ||
| Forequarters - The forelegs have strong, round bone, extending to the feet and should be straight and parallel, viewed from the front. | ||
| - | Shoulders | - The shoulders are strong, sloping, muscular and well angulated to the upper arm and should not be too closely set at the point of the withers. Although the shoulders are muscular and the bone is strong, loaded shoulders and heavy fronts will hamper correct movement and limit working ability. |
| - | Upperarms | - (standard does not comment). |
| - | Elbows | - (standard does not comment). |
| - | Forearms | - (standard does not comment). |
| - | Carpus | - (standard does not comment). |
| - | Pasterns | - Should show flexibility with a slight angle to the forearm when viewed from the side. |
| - | Forefeet | - The feet should be round and the toes, short, strong, well arched and held close together. The pads are hard and deep, and the nails must be short and strong. |
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| Hindquarters - The hindquarters are broad, strong and muscular. When viewed from behind, the hind legs, from the hocks to the feet, are straight and placed parallel, neither close nor too wide apart. | ||
| - | Thighs | - Long, broad and well developed. |
| - | Stifles/knees | - Well turned. |
| - | Lowerthighs | - (standard does not comment). |
| - | Metatarsus | - (standard does not comment). |
| - | Hocks | - Strong and well let down. |
| - | Hindfeet | - The feet should be round and the toes, short, strong, well arched and held close together. The pads are hard and deep, and the nails must be short and strong. |
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| Tail | - The set on of the tail is moderately low, following the contours of the sloping croup and of length to reach approximately to the hock. At rest, it should hang in a very slight curve. During movement or excitement the tail may be raised, but under no circumstances should any part of the tail be carried past a vertical line drawn through the root. The tail should carry a good brush. | |
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| Gait/Movement | - The action is true, free, supple and tireless and the movement of the shoulders and forelegs is in unison with the powerful thrust of the hindquarters. The capability of quick and sudden movement is essential. Soundness is of paramount importance and stiltiness. loaded or slack shoulders. straight, shoulder placement. weakness at elbows, pasterns or feet. straight stifles, cow or bow hocks, must be regarded as serious faults. When trotting the feet tend to come closer together at the ground level as speed increases, but when the dog comes to rest he should stand four square. | |
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| Faults | - should be regarded in exact proportion to its degree. | |
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| Severe Faults | - (standard does not comment). | |
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ELIMINATING
FAULTS -
Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified. |
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| NOTE: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. | ||