meet the... Gonczy Polski

Head

• General Appearance: Somewhat mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, and in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is just slightly arched in profile and when viewed from the front. The occiput is slightly marked, never overly pronounced. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkles.
• Expression: Kind and noble.
• Stop: The stop is slightly pronounced.
• Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is 1:1, with the topskull being equal to the muzzle.
  The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is parallel to slightly converging.
• Muzzle: The muzzle is full, deep, and broad. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight and level. It is fairly broad throughout, with a slight taper from the broader base to the nose. The upper and lower jaws are well developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never appearing snipey or weak.
• Lips or Flews: The lips are well-pigmented, fairly clean, somewhat thick, and fit fairly well over the teeth and jaws. The lips should never extend well below the lower plane of the bottom jawline.
• Nose: The nose is well-pigmented, black, liver, or self-colored, according to the coat. The nostrils are well opened.
• Cheeks: The cheeks should not appear chiseled or coarse.
• Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth. The bite may be level or scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth due to routine work is not to be penalized.
• Eyes: Moderate in size, opened oval to almond in shape, ranging from amber to hazel in liver-based dogs and brown to dark brown in black-based dogs. The eyes are set obliquely. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
• Ears: The ears are medium-large in length and set somewhat low on the skull, level with the eyes. They are triangular in shape with well-rounded tips and drop type. The inner edges and tips hang close to the head. The ears should extend to just below the jawline. The ears are never long, overly large, or "fly-away."

Body and Tail

• General Description: Compact, solid, and of good substance, yet lithe, agile, and athletic. The body is never racy or refined nor heavy and cloddy. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
• Neck: Moderate length allows for good head carriage and movement. It is strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut, with a slight amount of loose skin at the throat area, but never excessive with a dewlap.
• Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well developed.
• Topline: Straight and level or just slightly sloped from prominent withers to croup. The back is broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut, slightly arched, yet supportive. The back is never swayed or roached.
• Croup: Broad, strongly muscled, and gently sloped.
• Underline: A slight to moderate tuck-up is present. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
• Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
• Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup but as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, usually approximately level with or slightly above the topline, but never tucked. The tail is of a moderately long length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be straight, gently curved, or sabered.

Forequarters and Hindquarters

• Forequarters: The forequarters are always balanced with the hindquarters and well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. The shoulder blades are long and approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
• Elbows: The elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately half the dog’s height at the withers.
• Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, moderate, yet sturdy bone, and parallel to one another.
  Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
• Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
• Hindquarters: The upper and lower thighs are long and equal in length, strong, moderate yet sturdy bone, and well-muscled.
  Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
  Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
• Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
• Stifle Joint: The angulation of the hindquarters is always in balance with the angulation of the forequarters.
• Feet: Oval to round, compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.

Coat

• Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
• Coat Type: The coat is a dense, protective, and weather-resistant short double coat. The outer coat is glossy, harsh, and close throughout, being the shortest and finest on the head, ears, and lower extremities. No fringe or feather is permissible, but a slight brush is permissible on the tail. The undercoat is thick, protective, and abundant.
• Coat Color or Pattern: Black, liver (brown or chocolate) with well-defined traditional tan points; red, fawn-red, all with or without a small amount of minimal white markings.

Movement

The movement of the Gonczy Polski is energetic, effortless, and efficient. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.

Temperament

The Gonzcy Polski breed is a tireless hunting dog, bred for centuries to assiduously pursue and engage game over harsh and rugged terrain. They are both courageous and tenacious. To those who know and love them, they are gentle, noble, and loyal, yet aloof to indifferent towards strangers. This, in addition to the melodic alarm call they use on the trail as well as at home, makes them an excellent watchdog. The breed is also naturally protective of their family’s children, harboring a special patience and devotion to them. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.

Faults

All dogs should be in proper, healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.