the inner corners and outer
corners on the same level. Large,
well opened and calm, they must
never be narrow or slanted. The
color must be black or
black-brown with very dark
pigmentation of the rim of the
eyelids, whatever the color of the
coat. Disqualification--yellow eyes
or spotted eyes.
Horizontal, well opened, quite
large, not slanting, of dark color,
intelligent and calm expression. A
gray eye in a gray dog is not to be
penalized.
Penalisation: Eye too small,
almond shaped or of a light color.
Disqualification: Eyes dissimilar,
haggard, too light in color.
Set high, preferably cropped and
carried erect; not flat against the
head and rather short if
uncropped. At equal quality,
preference shall be given to the
dog whose erect carried ears have
been cropped. The length of the
uncropped ear must be equal or
slightly less than half the length of
the head, always flat and covered
with long hair.
Penalisation: Covered with too
short hair, too long, carried badly.
Disqualification: Twisted ears, set
too low below the eye-line,
covered with short hair, naturally
erect, graft of cartilage.
high, have thick leather and be
firm at the base. Low-set ears
cause the head to appear to be too
arched. The length of the natural
ear should be equal to or slightly
less than one-half the length of the
head, always straight and covered
with long hair. The natural ear
must not lie flat against the head
and, when alert, the ears are lifted
slightly, giving a square look to the
top of the skull. The ears when
cropped should be carried upright
and parallel, emphasizing the
parallel lines of the head; when
alert, they should face forward,
well open with long hair falling
over the opening. The cropped ear
should be long, broad at the base,
tapering gradually to a rounded tip.
Muscular and disengaged from the
shoulders.
Penalisation: Reach of neck too
long, frail or too short. CHEST:
Wide (width of the hand between
the two elbows), deep and well let
down to the elbows.
Penalisation: Too narrow, not
sufficiently or too much let down,
lacking depth, ribs too flat or too
round. BACK: Straight.
Penalisation: Slightly hollow, slight
roach back. RUMP:
Very slightly inclined, of a slightly
rounded shape.
Penalisation:
Rump too inclined, too straight,
Same faults accentuated,
Rump definitely higher than the
withers.
Neck--strong and well
constructed. The neck is in the
shape of a truncated cone,
clearing the shoulders well. It is
strongly muscled and has good
length. Topline--the Briard is
constructed with a very slight
incline, downward from the
prominent withers to the back
which is straight, to the broad loin
and the croup which is slightly
inclined. The croup is well
muscled and slightly sloped to
give a well-rounded finish. The
topline is strong, never swayed
nor roached. Body--the chest is
broad and deep with moderately
curved ribs, egg-shaped in form,
the ribs not too rounded. The
breastbone is moderately
advanced in front, descending
smoothly to the level of the elbows
and shaped to give good depth to
the chest. The abdomen is
moderately drawn up but still
presents good volume.
Well muscled, with strong bone
and vertical limbs.
Penalisation:
Legs not vertical, loose shoulders,
thighs set too much apart,
weakness in pasterns or too
straight, leaning on toes,
Bad angulation of the shoulder,
short hair on the legs, frail legs,
weak bone structure.
Disqualification: Forelegs
seriously not perpendicular.
HOCKS:
Not too near the ground and
angled with the leg nearing the
vertical below the hock.
Penalisation: Too far from or too
near the ground, bad angulation.
Disqualification: Hind legs
seriously not perpendicular.
Shoulder blades are long and
sloping forming a 45-degree angle
with the horizontal, firmly attached
by strong muscles and blending
smoothly with the withers. Legs
the legs are powerfully muscled
with strong bone. The forelegs are
vertical when viewed from the side
except the pasterns are very
slightly inclined. Viewed from the
front or rear, the legs are straight
and parallel to the median line of
the body, never turned inward or
outward. The distance between
the front legs is equal to the
distance between the rear legs.
The construction of the legs is of
utmost importance, determining
the dog's ability to work and his
resistance to fatigue. Hindquarters
The hindquarters are powerful,
providing flexible, almost tireless
movement. The pelvis slopes at a
30-degree angle from the
horizontal and forms a right angle
with the upper leg bone. Legs
viewed from the side, the legs are
well angulated with the metatarsus
slightly inclined, the hock making
an angle of 135 degrees.
Entire, well furnished, forming a
hook at the tip, carried low, not
deviated, reaching the point of the
hock or beyond it at most 5 cm.
Penalisation: A little too short, no
hook, hair too short, Carriage very
much exceeding the line of the
back, Carriage below or under the
belly, Carriage under the belly
when in action. Disqualification:
Carried on the back in hunting
horn or perpendicular (stiff),
Trace of operation rectifying the
tail carriage.
forming a crook at the extremity,
carried low and not deviating to
the right or to the left. In repose,
the bone of the tail descends to
the point of the hock, terminating
in the crook, similar in shape to
the printed "J" when viewed from
the dog's right side. In action, the
tail is raised in a harmonious
curve, never going above the level
of the back, except for the
terminal crook.
Disqualification--tail non-existent
or cut.
Strong, round shaped
(intermediate between cat feet and
hare feet). Penalisation: Feet too
long, flat, splayed, Toeing in or
out, Not sufficiently covered with
hair. Disqualification: Feet
seriously not perpendicular.NAILS:
Black. Penalisation: Gray nails.
Disqualification: White nails.PADS:
Hard. Penalisation: Without
elasticity, too flat, too soft.TOES:
Tightly closed. Penalisation: Open
toes, too long or held flat.
slightly oval in shape. The feet
travel straight forward in the line
of movement. The toes are
strong, well arched and compact.
The pads are well developed,
compact and elastic, covered with
strong tissue. The nails are
always black and hard. If the rear
toes turn out very slightly when
the hocks and metatarsus are
parallel, then the position of the
feet is correct.
Texture: Flexible, long, dry (type
of goat hair), with a light
undercoat. Penalisation: Not dry
enough, slightly curly, no
undercoat. In case of requiring
acceptance for breeding:
postponement of 6 months,
Too short Fine hair.
Disqualification: Coat (hair)
shorter than 7 cm. Coat soft or
woolly.
The outer coat is coarse, hard
and dry (making a dry rasping
sound between the fingers). It lies
down flat, falling naturally in long,
slightly waving locks, having the
sheen of good health. On the
shoulders the length of the hair is
generally six inches or more. The
undercoat is fine and tight on all
the body. The head is well
covered with hair which lies
down, forming a natural part in
the center. The eyebrows do not
lie flat but, instead, arch up and
out in a curve that lightly veils the
eyes. The hair is never so
abundant that it masks the form
of the head or completely covers
the eyes.