Georgian Mountain Dog ORIGIN: Georgia PATRONAGE: Federation Cynologique de Georgie DATE OF ACCEPT OF THE STANDARD: 01/01/2000 DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD: 01/06/2000 UTILIZATION: Sheep-guard and defense dog CLASSIFICATION: Mollossian type GENERAL APPEARANCE: : Georgian Mountain Dogs are dogs of large size and robust constitution. They are aggressive and distrustful towards strangers. They are always self-confident. The breed originally comes from the northern-east mountain parts of Georgia. The dogs are used as sheep and guard dogs. Georgian mountain dogs are very friendly with owner and its family; they are very calm with children and other domestic animals. A cording to their history they are close to mollossian type of dogs. Generally at work they are used in couples and more. They are not afraid to cold climate. Nowadays Georgian mountain dogs are used in many parts of Georgia. IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: The proportions of the length of the body vs. height at the withers is 100-108. For females the proportion 100-110 is admissible. BEHAVIOR: Type of a great alert activity, strong-balanced-calm.The reaction of defense in an active form are well developed. Aggressive disposition and distrust towards strangers are characteristic. HEAD: SKULL: Massive, well developed, broad and stright, can be of a little oval form. Broad forehead, flat, divided in two halves by a slight furrow. STOP: The stop is not clearly marked. NOSE: The nose is strong, broad black with well-developed nostrils. In the white and light coloured dogs, a brown nose is admissible. MUZZLE: The muzzle is shorter than the length of the skull, quite broad and deep. LIPS: Strong lips, but lean and fitting tightly TEETH: White, strong, well developed, close together, not showing gaps.42 teeth are desirable. Missed 2-nd or 3-rd premolars are admissible. BITE: Scissor bite. Admissible but not desirable levels bite and/or undershot. EYES: Dark, middle, oval shaped, deep set. Light eyes are admissible only for white and light coloured dogs. EARS: Hanging, set high. Cropped short ears are admissible. NECK: Powerful, short. Carried quite low so as to from an angel of 30&- 40& in relation to the line of the back. WITHERS: Broad, muscular, well detached above the topline. BACK: Broad,stright,muscled. LOINS: Short, broad and powerful. CROUP/RUMP: Oval shaped, set almost horizontal. CHEST: Broad, deep slightly rounded in shape. Lower line of chest is at elbow level or lower. ABDOMEN: Moderately tucked up. TAIL: Hanging down reaching the hock. Tail can be in any position while moving. Docked tails are admitted. A docked tails should be of a half of its length from the beginning to the hock. TYPE OF CONSTITUTION: Robust, with a massive bone structure and strong musculature. Skin is thick but elastic. FOREQUARTERS: Seen from the front: straight and parallel. Length of the legs up to the elbows a little superior to the half of the height at withers. Angel of the scapular-humeral articulation is about 100& FOREARM: Straight and strong. PASTERN: Short, strong on the vertical. HINDQUARTERS: Seen from the back: straight and parallel; in profile: slightly open in hock articulation. METATARSAL: Strong, placed vertical. FEET: Big, oval shaped, compect and tight. SEXUAL TYPE: Well accentuated. The males are stronger and more massive. The females are a bit smaller size; nevertheless they are of a robust constitution. MOVEMENT: Free, swinging stride, balanced. The legs must move in straight line. The withers and the rump should remain at the same level during the trot. The characteristic gate is a short trot, witch in case of acceleration turns into a slightly heavy gallop. COAT: Short with a strongly developed undercoat. Shiny, coarse and lying well flat against body. On the neck and withers hair can be a bit longer than on the other parts of the body COLOUR: Any colour is admissible. SIZE: Height at the withers: For the males not less than 65 cm; for the females not less than 60 cm. N.B.: Male animals should have two apparently testicles fully descended into the scrotum. P.S.: Any departure from the foregoing pointes should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded and should be in exact proportion to its degree.