History:  Very muscular, strongly though elegantly built, with a look of dash and daring, of being ready to go anywhere and do anything.

General Apperance:  Head and neck carried high, tail in line with back or slightly upwards, but never curled over the hindquarters. Elegance of outline and grace of form most essential.

Characteristics:  Alert expression, powerful, majestic action displaying dignity.

Temperament: Kindly without nervousness, friendly and outgoing.

Head and Skull: Head, taken altogether , gives idea of great length and strength of jaw. Muzzle or foreface broad, skull proportionately narrow, so that the whole head when viewed from above and in front, has apperance of equal breadth throughout. Length of head in proportion to the height of the dog. Length from nose to the point between the eyes is about equal or preferably of greater length than from this point to the back of the occiput. Skull flat, slight indentation running up the centre, occiputal peak not prominent. Decided rise or brow over the eyes but not abrupt stop between them, face well chiselled, well filled in below the eyes with no appearance of being pinched, foreface long of equal depth throughout, Cheeks showing as little lumpiness as possible, compatible with strength. Underline of head, viewed in profile, runs almost in a straight line from corner of lip to corner of jawbone, allowing for the fold of lip, but with no loose skin hanging down. Bridge of nose very wide with slight ridge where cartliage joins bone ( this is a characteristic of the breed). Nostrils large, wide and open, giving a blunt look to the nose. Lips hang squarely in front, forming a right angle with the upper line of the foreface.

Eyes: Fairly deep set, not giving the appearance of being round, of medium size, preferably dark. Wall or odd eyes are permissible in harlequins.

Ears: Triangular, medium size, set high on the skull and folded forward not pendulous.

Mouth:  Teeth level, strong with a perfect regular and complete scissor bite, i.e., the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaw.

Neck:  Neck long , well arched , quite clean, and free from loose skin, held up well , well set in shoulders, junction of head and neck well defined.

Forequarters: Shoulders muscular, not loaded, well sloped back, with elbows well under body. Forelegs perfectly straight with big flat bone.

Body:  Very deep, brisket reaching elbow, ribs well  sprung, belly well drawn up. Back and loins strong,  latter slightly arched.

Hindquarters:  Extremely muscular, giving strength and galloping power. Second thigh long and well developed, good  turn of stifle, hocks set low, turning neither in nor out.

Feet:  Cat-like, turning neither in nor out. Toes well  arched and close, nails strong and curved. Nails  preferably dark in all coat colours, except harlequins, where light are permissible.

Tail:  Thick at the root, tapering towards end, reaching to or just below hocks. Carried in straight line  level with back, when dog is moving, slightly curved towards end, but never curling or carried   over back.

Gait / Movement:  Action lithe, springy and free, covering ground  well. Hocks move freely with driving action, head  carried high.

Coat: Short dense and sleek looking, never inclined to roughness.

Colour:  Brindles  - must be striped, ground colour from  lightest buff to deepest orange, stripes always  black, eyes and nails preferably dark, dark  shadings on head and ears acceptable.

Fawns - colour varies from lightest buff to deepest orange, dark shadings on head and ears acceptable, eyes and nails preferably dark.

Blues - colour varies from light grey to deep slate, the nose and eyes may be blue.

Black  - Black is black.

In all the above colours white is only permissible on  chest and feet, but it is not desirable even there.  Nose always black, except in blues and harlequins. Eyes and nails preferably dark.

Mantle  - Black and white with a solid black blanket extending over the body. Ideally- black  skull with white muzzle, white blaze optional,   whole white collar preferred, a white chest, white  on part or whole of the forelegs and hindlegs, white tipped black tail. Nose always black, eyes  and nails preferably dark. 

Harlequins - pure white underground with  preferably all black patches or all blue patches, having appearance of being torn. Light nails permissible. In harlequins, wall eyes, pink noses, or butterfly noses permissible but not desirable.

Sizes:  Height: Adult Dogs 76 cms (30 ins) over eighteen  months   Adult Bitches 71 cms (28 ins) over eighteen  months .

Weight:  Minimum Adult Dogs 54 kg (120 lbs) over eighteen months. Adult Bitches 46 kg (100 lbs) over eighteen  months .

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.

Notes:  Male animals should have two apparently normal  testicles fully descended into the scrotum.