FCI certificate

FCI CERTIFICATE No. 264

English Mastiff

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

Great Britain

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ACTUAL CERTIFICATE

June 24th, 1987

FCI CLASSIFICATION

Group 2 schnauzers, pinschers, moloses, swiss shepherd dogs, and related breeds.
Sekcja 2.1: Section 2.1 moloses, dane type.
Not subject to work test.

GENERAL IMPRESSION

In its general outline, the head, viewed from any side, should give the impression of being square-like. A very wide one is preferred. The ratio of the head's width to its total length should be 2:3. The body should be massive, wide, deep, and strongly-built. Limbs set wide apart and straight. Muscles well pronounced. Size is of considerable importance in the context of the dog's class. Height and weight are important as long as the proportions are correct.

CHARACTERISTCS

A large, massive, strong, proportionally built, and tough dog. A combination of nobleness and courage.

CHARACTER

Calm, nice for the owner, capable of defending him/her.

HEAD AND SKULL

The head is wide between the ears, the forehead is flat, but wrinkles when the dog is paying attention. Eyebrow arches somewhat upshifted. Temple and cheek muscles well pronounced. The skull exhibits small top curvature. A groove beginning between the eyes reaches up to half the head length. Muzzle should be short, wide under the eyes, and of equal width down to the nose tip, square and bluntly bevelled. It forms a right angle with the nose top, very deep from the nose to the jaw; the jaw is wide on its entire length. The nose is wide. From the frontal view the nostrils are widely open, from the side view the nose is flat (not pug). Flews form an obtuse angle with the nosebridge; they are somewhat loose-hanging, which makes them look square from sideview. The ratio of muzzle length to the length of the entire head is 1:3. The ratio of muzzle circumference (measured in the midpoint between the eyes and the nose tip) to the head circumference is equal 3:5.

EYES

Small, set widely apart, the space in between shouldn't be smaller than a double length of a single eye. The stop clearly but not overly pronounced. The eyes color is walnut-brown, the darker the better. The third eyelid not visible.

EARS

Small, thin, wide apart, positioned on the sides of the head in the highest spot so that they virtually extend the cross-profile of the head. When the dog is relaxed, the ears adhere flatly to the cheeks.

OCCLUSION

Canines healthy, strong, wide apart. Maxillary and mandibular incisors form a plane (pincer bite), or alternatively the lower incisors stick out a bit beyond the upper ones in such a way they are not visible when the jaw is closed.

NECK

Slightly arched, of medium length, very muscular, circumference 2.5 to 5 cm smaller than head circumference measured right in front of the ears.

FORELIMBS

Blade bone and shoulder somewhat slanted. Strong and muscular. Paws are straight, strong, wide apart. Thick bones. Elbows parallel to the trunk. Straight metacarpus.

TRUNK

Wide, deep chest, well positioned between forelimbs. Arched and curved ribs. False ribs reach deep and far, right to the hips. Chest circumference 1/3 bigger than height at withers. The back and the lumbar section are wide and muscular; flat and very wide in bitches, and slightly arched in male dogs. Loins are very flat.

HINDLIMBS

Wide and muscular, with well-developed thighs. Tarsal joints well angulated, wide apart, straight both in standing position and during movement.

PAWS

Wide and round, toes well arched. Black toenails.

TAIL

High-positioned, reaches the tarsal joint or a bit below. Wide at the base, narrowing toward the tip. Hangs loosely when the dog is relaxed, and gets a bit curled in an anxious dog, yet not above the back line.

MOVEMENT/WALK

Energetic, spatial.

HAIR COAT

Short, adhering closely to the body, not too delicate on the blade bone, the neck and the back.

COAT COLOR

Peach-fawn, silver-fawn, fawn, or dark-striped. The muzzle, ears and nose must be black. Black rims around eyes. The black between the eyes widens toward the forehead (black mask).

DEFECTS

Any deviation from the standard should be regarded a defect. Its evaluation should be relevant to the extent of the deviation.

REMARK

The dog should have two, correctly developed testicles, fully situated in the scrotum.