Adopted by the DPCA in November 1941, and approved by the AKC, March 10, 1942.
Source: The American Kennel Club.
Conformation and General Appearance:
The appearance of a dog of good middle size, with a body that is square; the height measured vertically from the ground up to the withers., equally the length measured horizontally from the forechest to the rear part of the upper thigh. Height at shoulder, males 25 to 28 inches, bitches, 24 to 26 inches. Compactly built, muscular powerful, for great endurance and speed. Elegant in appearance, of proud carriage, reflecting great nobility and temperament. Energetic, watchful, determined, and alert, fearless, loyal and obedient.
Faults: Coarseness. Fine greyhound build. Undersize and oversized. Lack of nobility and temperament. Shyness and viciousness.
Head: Long and dry., resembling a blunt wedge, both frontal and profile view. The upper line tapers down from the top of the forehead to the tip of the nose. The lower line tapers down from the lower front part of the muzzle to the neck. Average length of head, ten to eleven inches for dogs, and nine to ten inches for bitches, measured from the occiput to the tip of the nose, length of head being at least double the width. When seen from the front , the head widens gradually towards the forehead in a practically unbroken line. Top of head flat, turning with a slight depression to the nose, with nose line extending as nearly parallel as possible to the forehead. A slight downward curve near the tip of the nose permissible. Cheeks are as flat as possible, but muscular. Lips lying close to jaws and not drooping. A slight curve on the underside of the mouth is permissible. Jaws full and powerful, well filled under the eyes. Nose solid black in black dogs, dark brown in brown ones, dark gray in blue ones.
Faults: Not wedge-shaped, head too thin or too long, or too short, skull too wide, coarse, arched or not flat. Prominent occipital bone. Roman nose and dish-faced heads. Bridge of nose too narrow. Too much offset on forehead, heavy cheeks, sunken jaws in front of the eyes, drooping lips, pointy or powerless jaws, and multicolored nose.
Eyes: Iris of solid color, ranging from medium brown to black, almond shaped, with medium size with vigorous energetic expression. In reds or blues, eyes should blend with the color of coat.
Faults: Too small, too large, too round and too prominent, set to close together, shade lighter than medium brown. Slit eyes and glass eyes.
Teeth: Strongly developed and snow white. Lower incisor as nearly upright as possible and touching the inside of the upper incisors.
Faults: Any missing fangs, incisors, molars, two or more premolars; distemper teeth; undershot or overshot exceeding one quarter inch.
Ears: Well trimmed and carried erect. In all states where ear trimming is prohibited or where dogs with cropped ears cannot be shown, the above requirements are waived.
Faults: Ears place too low or too high.
Neck: Of medium length, carried upright, well muscled and dry. Nape of neck straight or slightly arched, widening gradually towards chest.
Faults: Nape of neck too arched; deer neck. Neck too short, too heavy, too thin, too long, loose skin on throat and neck.
Body: Back short, firm, of sufficient width and muscular at the location of the kidneys, extending smoothly to the slightly arch croup.
Withers well pronounced a and forming the highest part on body. Chest with sufficient spring of ribs, reaching deep to the elbow. Brisket full but not too broad. Belly well tucked up, extending curved line with chest. loins wide and muscled, hips sufficiently broad. Tail clipped short to first or second joint.
Faults: Roached back, depressed back, too long or too short or narrow in back. Position of wither lower than that of croup. Loins or hips not spacious enough, lack of muscular development. Chest too narrow, shallow or barrel shaped. Brisket too prominent, too flat or too narrow. Belly too much drawn up, tail set too low, or too high, tail clipped too long, lack of forechest.
Forequarters: Shoulder blade and upper arm should meet at an angle of at least ninety degrees and not more than one hundred and ten degrees. Proportion of shoulder and upper arm should be one to one.
Legs seen from the front and side perfectly straight and parallel from elbow to pasterns, with round bones, muscled and sinewy. In a normal position the elbow should touch the brisket.
Pasterns firm, with a almost perpendicular position to the ground.
Paws well arched, compact and cat like.
Faults: Shoulders too loose, too steep, (too short), overloaded with muscles. Weak pasterns, paws turning in or out. Bones too heavy or too light. French front, bowlegged front, front too narrow or too wide. Paws too long, flat or spayed (rabbit feet). Too much gap between elbow and brisket and/or forechest. Elbow turning out. Dew claws.
Hindquarters: Upper shanks long, sufficiently wide and well muscled on both sides of thigh, with clearly defined knee (stifle). Hocks, while at rest, should stand perpendicular. Upper shanks, lower shanks and hocks parallel to each other, also wide enough apart to fit in with a properly built body. The hip bone should fall away about thirty degrees from the spinal column. The upper shank should be at right angles with the hip bone. Croup well filled out. Cat paws, like on front legs, turning neither in or out.
Faults: Fine or slightly muscled legs. Steepness or lack of angulation, or excessive angulation. Lack of knee development, hocks not parallel. Cow hocks, or too prominent hocks, hips too wide or too narrow. Diagonally slanting or excessively rounded croup. Toes turning in or out. Lack of balance with forequarters. Flat feet.
Gait: His gait should be free, balanced and vigorous. When moving swiftly, he should throw his hindlegs at least as far as his front legs.
Faults: lack of drive, stiffness, looseness, excessive back motion, throwing front or rear legs, or both, in or out. Not covering enough ground with rear legs.
Coat, color and markings: Smooth haired, short, hard, thick and close lying. Gray undercoat on neck permissible. Black, brown or blue, with rust-red, sharply defined markings, appearing on all legs and paws, forechest, throat and muzzle, above each eye and below tail.
Faults: Hair too long, too soft, too thin, wiry or wavy. Undercoat visible through outer coat. Color not distinct. Straw-colored and splashed markings, not enough or too large of markings, white on chest exceeding half inch square.
Note: Faults printed in italics are major faults evidencing degeneration of the breed