Cirneco dell''Etna Breed Magazine - Showsight

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Official Standard for the Cirneco Dell’Etna General Appearance : Medium sized hunting dog, elegant, slender build but strong and hardy. Long limbed, of light construction and square outline with a fine coat and erect ears always alert. Honorable scars indicating a working and hunting dog are never to be penalized. The following description is that of the ideal Cirneco dell'Etna. Any deviation from the below described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation. Characteristics: A keen hunter. Adaptable to difficult terrain. Hunts by scent, sight and hearing. Strong-willed, alert and an excellent companion. Size, Proportion, Substance : Height - Dogs 18 to 20 inches; bitches 17 to 19 inches. Height not within the stated limits is a disqualification. Length from point of shoulder to point of buttock equal to height at withers. Head : Expression - Alert expression . Eyes - Relatively small, oval in shape, set somewhat obliquely. Amber or ochre blending with coat. Pigmentation of the eyelid rims corresponding to the color of the nose. Brown or yellow iris is a fault to be severely penalized. Walleye, an eye with a whitish iris or a blue eye(s) is a disqualification. Ears - Set very high and close together, erect and rigid, parallel or almost parallel when alert. Triangular shape with narrow tip. Length slightly less but no more than half the head. Totally hanging ears or bat ears are a disqualification. Skull - Width of skull less than one half the length of the head, in profile almost flat. Lean and well chiseled. Stop - Slight stop. Muzzle - Length equal to, but not less than 80 percent of the length of the skull. Planes - Top of skull and foreface parallel or slightly divergent. Nose - Bridge of nose straight. Nose rather large, flesh colored, blending with coat. Cheeks - Flat cheeks. Mouth - Lower jaw lightly developed with receding chin. Overshot mouth or undershot mouth is a disqualification. Lips - Thin, taut lips, just covering the teeth of the lower jaw. Bite - Regular and complete scissor bite, i.e . upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Neck, Topline and Body: Neck - Length the same as the head. Strong, clean, well arched and muscular. Set well into shoulders. Topline - Straight topline sloping from withers towards croup. Body - Chest - Reaches to, or nearly to, the elbow, without going beyond. Ribs - Slightly sprung, narrow but never flat. Underline & Tuck-up - Clean, gently rising, lean underline. excessive tuck-up is a severe fault. Back - Upper profile straight without conspicuous muscles, the length is approximately three times the length of the loin. Loin - Length of loin is approximately one fifth of the height at the withers and its width is nearly the same as its length. Short, slightly developed muscles but firm. Croup - Croup has flat profile, sloping steeply downwards to root of tail. Tail - Low set, fairly thick at base, reaching to point of hock. Of equal thickness for most of its length. Carried high and curved when dog is in action; sabre fashion when in repose. Hair on tail is semi-long and close. Tail curled over the back is a fault to be severely penalized. Forequarters: Angulation - Shoulder blade (scapulum) to horizontal 55 to 60 degrees. Shoulders - Strong, long, moderately laid back. Shoulder blades - Upper tips close together. Length close to one-third the height at the withers. Upper Arm - Length of upper arm slightly

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