meet the... Hovawart

Head

• General Appearance: Somewhat mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, wedge-shaped, and in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is broad, as wide (from side to side, measured in front of the ears) as long (from occiput to stop). The forehead is slightly arched and broad. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkles.
• Expression: The expression is intelligent, calm, self-composed, and watchful.
• Stop: The stop may range from moderate to definite. It is clearly visible.
• Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is 1:1, with the topskull being equal in length to the muzzle.
  The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is parallel.
• Muzzle: The muzzle is broad, full, deep, and strongly developed. The upper and lower jaws have good bone substance. Being strong and well-developed, they never appear snipy or weak. The muzzle tapers only slightly in profile, never losing depth or fullness at any point.
• Lips or Flews: The lips are clean and fit tightly over the teeth and jaws. They should never appear loose or pendulous, nor should they extend below the line of the lower jaw.
• Nose: The nose is well-pigmented, black, or self-colored, according to the coat in nonstandard color varieties. A faded (or “snow”) nose is permissible in blonde-colored dogs. The nostrils are well-opened.
• Cheeks: The cheeks are smoothly muscled and never appear 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 are not to be penalized.
• Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, and medium to dark brown in color. Nonstandard-colored dogs may have eye colors that correspond to their coat color, ranging from hazel to amber to light brown. 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: Medium in size, set high on the skull and wide apart. The ears are rectangular in shape and drop. The tips are slightly rounded and may hang against the head in a close-drop fashion or away from the cheeks in a “fly-away” fashion. The tips, when held forward, should extend to the corners of the dog’s mouth.

Body and Tail

• General Description: Deep, compact, solid, and of good substance. The body is never racy or refined. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
• Neck: Moderate length allows for proud head carriage. The neck is strongly muscled with a slight arch. It tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut, without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
• Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows.
• Topline: Level from withers to croup. The back is broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is slightly long, taut, flat, and level. The back is never swayed or roached.
• Croup: The croup is of a moderate length and gently sloped.
• Underline: A slight 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, and oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
• Tail: Set neither high nor low on the croup but as a natural and elegant extension of the spine. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. It is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level but never tucked. The tail is relatively long, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be straight, gently curved, or curved toward the tip.

Forequarters and Hindquarters

• Forequarters: The forequarters are always in balance with the hindquarters and well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. Shoulder blades are 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, of solid 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 equal in length, strong, sturdy, of solid 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 outer coat is dense, shiny, long, slightly wavy, flat, and close-lying. It is short on the face and front of the legs, longer and forming a slight mane and ruff on the chest, and fringing on the underline, back of legs, and bushy tail. The undercoat is soft and sparse.
• Coat Color or Pattern: CKC recognizes two color varieties of the Hovawart breed: the standard and nonstandard.
  
  Standard coat color variety: Solid blonde (blond), black (Schwarz), black with tan points (Schwarzmarken).
  
  Nonstandard coat color variety: Any color not included in the standard variety, including but not limited to:
  blue, gray, blue-gray, deer, Isabella, liver, and brown; all with or without tan, white, silver, or gray points; all with or without white markings or patches (pied); blonde sable (blonde with smut or banded hairs), red-blonde, white blonde, fawn (blonde with mask); solid white.

Movement

The Hovawart moves powerfully, purposefully, and with great energy and agility. 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 hind feet, 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 Hovawart is renowned for their even temper, quiet demeanor, and self-composure. They can be somewhat stubborn if the task they're is being asked to do doesn’t particularly appeal to their senses. They are also especially devoted to their family and are known to bond strongly with the person he perceives to be the “leader” of their family. While calm, friendly, and tolerant, they can be indifferent or even aloof toward unfamiliar persons. They are great working dogs, utilized for centuries for their protective instincts and their keen sense of smell. 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.