Silkeveien's Kennel

ORIGIN: Switzerland

UTILIZATION: Originally used as a guard-, draught-and cattle dog on farms in the Canton Bern, today also family dog and versatile working dog.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Longhaired, tricoloured, strong and agile working dog, of above medium size, with sturdily built limbs; harmonious and well balanced.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:
• Height at withers: length of body (measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock) = 9 : 10, rather compact than elongated.
• Ideal relation of height at withers: depth of chest = 2 : 1.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT: Self-confident, attentive, vigilant, fearless in every day situations; good-natured and devoted to his own people, self-assured and placid towards strangers ; of medium temperament, docile.

HEAD: Strong. In size balanced to general appearance, not too massive.
CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: Viewed from the front and in profile little rounded. Frontal furrow hardly marked.
Stop: Well defined, but without being too pronounced.
FACIAL REGION:
Nose: Black
Muzzle: Strong, of medium length; nasal bridge straight.
Lips: Close fitting; black.
Jaws/Teeth: Strong, complete scissor bite (molars 3 (M3) are not taken into consideration). Pincer bite accepted.
Eyes: Dark brown, almond-shaped, with close fitting eyelids. Neither too deep-set nor prominent. Loose eyelids are faulty.
Ears: Medium-sized, set high, triangular in shape, slightly rounded at the tips, in repose hanging flat and close to the head. When alert, the rear part of the set-on is raised while the front edge of the ear remains close to the head.

NECK: Strong, muscular, of medium length.

BODY:
Top line: From the neck running slightly downwards to the withers in a harmonious line, then running on straight and level.
Back: Firm, straight and level.
Loins: Broad and strong; seen from above slightly less broad than the chest.
Croup: Smoothly rounded.
Chest: Broad and deep, reaching to the elbows; forechest distinctly developed; ribcage of wide-oval section extending as well back as possible.
Underline/belly: Slightly rising from chest to hindquarters.

TAIL: Bushy, reaching at least to the hocks; hanging straight down when at rest; carried level with back or slightly above when moving.

LIMBS: Strong bones.
FOREQUARTERS: Forelegs seen from the front straight and parallel, standing rather wide apart.
Shoulders: Shoulder blade long, strong and well laid back, forming a not too obtuse angle with the upper arm, well attached to the chest, well muscled.
Upper arm: Long, set oblique.
Elbows: Close fitting; neither turned in nor out.
Forearm: Strong, straight.
Pastern: Seen from the side almost upright, firm; seen from the front in straight line with the forearm.
Forefeet: Short, roundish; with well-knit, well-arched toes. Turned neither in nor out.
HINDQUARTERS: Seen from the rear straight and parallel, not too close.
Upper thigh: Long, broad, strong and well muscled.
Stifle: Distinctly well bent.
Lower thigh: Long and oblique.
Hock joint: Strong, well angulated.
Metatarsus: Set almost vertically. Dewclaws to be removed (except in those countries where it is prohibited by law).
Hind feet: Slightly less arched than forefeet, turned neither in nor out.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: Sound and balanced movement in all gaits covering a lot of ground; free stride reaching well out in front, with good drive from behind; at the trot, coming and going, legs moving forward in a straight line.

COAT
HAIR: Long, shining, straight or slightly wavy.
COLOUR: Jet black main colour with rich tan markings on the cheeks, above the eyes, on all four legs and on the chest, and with white markings as follows :
• Clean white symmetrical markings on the head : blaze extending towards the nose on both sides to a muzzle band; the blaze should not reach the tan markings above the eyes, and the white muzzle band should not extend beyond the corners of the mouth.
• Moderately broad, unbroken white marking on throat and chest.
• Desirable: white feet, white tip of tail.
• Tolerated: small white patch on nape of neck, small white anal patch.

SIZE:
Height at withers: for dogs : 64-70 cm,
ideal size: 66-68 cm.
for bitches: 58-66 cm,
ideal size: 60-63 cm.

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.
• Unsure behaviour.
• Fine bones.
• Irregular set of the incisors provided that the bite remains correct.
• Absence of any other theeth than 2 PM1 (premolars 1); the M3 (molars 3) are not taken into consideration.
• Coat:
- Distinctly curly coat.
- Faults of colour and markings :
- Absence of white on head.
- Blaze too large and/or muzzle band reaching noticeably beyond the corners of the mouth.
- White collar.
- Large white patch on nape of neck (maximum diameter more than 6 cm).
- White anal patch (maximum size 6 cm).
- White markings on forelegs reaching distinctly beyond half-way of pasterns ("boots").
- Disturbingly asymmetrical white markings on head and/or chest.
- Black ticks and stripes within the white on the chest.
- "Dirty" white (strong spots of pigmentation).
- Black coat with a touch of brown or red.

ELIMINATING FAULTS:
• Aggressive, anxious or distinctly shy.
• Split nose.
• Undershot or overshot mouth, wry mouth.
• One or two blue eyes (wall eye).
• Entropion, ectropion.
• Kinky tail, ring tail.
• Short coat, double coat (Stockhaar).
• Other than tricoloured coat.
• Other main colour than black.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

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