The
Federation Cynologique Internationale (F.C.I.) Standard
23rd November 1966
STANDARD OF THE ISRAEL CANAAN DOG
Israeli Breed
A. COLLIE-LIKE
TYPE:
General
Appearance
A
medium sized, well-proportioned dog resembling the wild
dog type
Character
Alert, sharp,
distrustful of strangers, aggressive, but not a real fighter,
vigilant not only against men but also against animals (shepherd
dog tradition), extraordinarily devoted and docile. If well
kept, he is firmly attached to his home and shows no tendency
to straying.
Weight
and size
50-60 cm high,
males mostly considerably higher than females. Weight 18-25
kg, coefficient of robustness: 20-25
Colour
Sand to red-brown,
white or black, large white markings are permissible, even
desirable with all colours, Harlequins of all kinds, as
well as dark and white masks are also permissible. Boston
Terrier markings are very frequent. Grey and black and tan
are not desired, to emphasise the difference to similar
European sporting breeds.
Coat
Desired
Hair middle
long, straight and harsh ("Stock-hair") undercoat
according to the season. Smooth and longhaired less desirable.
Legs should be well feathered, tail plumed, mane desirable
with males.
Body
Shape
Square; where
length is greater than height, it is due to shortness of
legs, not to length of back or loins. Brisket deep, chest
not too narrow, well ribbed. Loins arched. Belly well drawn
up
Neck
Noble, straight,
withers well developed.
Eyes
Slightly slanting,
the darker the better. Unpigmented corners normal with Harlequins,
permitted, but not desired with other colours.
Ears
Short, relatively
broad prick-ear, or semi-prick, slightly rounded at the
tip, set on low and widely apart, not high and long like
the Alsatians. V-shaped ear (Button ear) and all intermediate
stages between prick-ear and not heavy drop-ear are still
permitted, but not desired.
Head
Well proportioned
and noble, not at all heavy and clumsy, but not of Greyhound-like
over delicacy. The head is blunt, wedge-shaped, of medium
length, not too broad in region of forehead, but appearing
broader through ears set on low. The distance from the point
between the eyes to the occipital bone is distinctly longer
than the distance between the ear roots, but without striking
disproportion. Praeorbital depression better absent or only
slightly marked. Stop slightly marked, skull not domed,
but also not Greyhound-like flat. Frontal furrow and middle
furrow of the back of the head slightly marked. Muzzle sturdy,
of moderate length and deep and of proportional breadth;
not at all cube shaped or of Greyhound-like appearance.
The relation between the length of the upper skull and the
length of the muzzle is approximately 1:1; deviation must
be in favour of the muzzle length. That anatomic shape of
the head resembles mostly (to compare it with the well-known
sporting breeds) to the head of the Collie, but it differs
from it by the shorter muzzle and more powerful upper skull,
also by the low, broad set ears. The lips stiff and short.
A slight lengthening is tolerated with powerful male dog
heads.
Molar
Bones
Powerful but
flat, with male dogs somewhat domed afore.
Teeth
"Pliers"
wanted, "scissors" allowed; teeth at full number
also the premolar teeth. Forbidden: over and undershot.
Nose
Dark
pigmented most desirable; lack of pigment till now allowed
(especially with piebald individuals).
Legs
Forelegs
perfectly straight, medium strong bones, pasterns strong.
Shoulder well angulated. Hind legs also well-angulated (ca
130) hocks well let down, strong buttocks slightly feathered.
Feet
Should
be round and catlike with hard pads.
Tail
Carried
curled over the back when excited, set on high, very bushy
Gait
and Movement
Essentially
a trotter, his trot is short but very quick. Desirable:
"natural trot".
General
Remarks
Particular
stress must be laid on differences to the Alsatian. The
Canaan is squarely built, has short loins, is not overangulated,
is well erect, and has a slender neck and short trot. As
seen above, head, colours and carriage are different.
Faults
Besides
the deviations from the standard of the breed, all faults
in body structure, which constitute deviations from the
general norm of a well-built dog.
B. DINGO-LIKE
TYPE CHANGES TO A
Body
shape
Square
or long rectangle. Where length is greater than height,
it is due to shortness of legs, not to length of back or
loins. Brisket deep, chest not too narrow, well ribbed.
Loins arched, belly mostly not well drawn up.
Neck
Straight,
sometimes short, withers well developed.
Ears
Seldom
prick-ear or semi-prick ear. Mostly button-ear and all intermediate
stages between prick-ear and not heavy drop-ear.
Head
Well
proportioned not too heavy and clumsy, sometimes more stop.
The proportion of the length of the upper skull and the
length of the muzzle is mostly showing a bigger deviation
in favour of the upper skull. The head appears to be the
original gross shape of the Collie-like ennobled head shape,
as generally the whole Dingo-like type appears to be the
heavier original form the Collie-like Canaan Dog.
