Mcnab Breed Profile

Head: Mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, wedge-shaped, and in proportion with the rest of the body. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkles. The topskull is fairly broad from the front and somewhat flat to just slightly arched in profile. As with the rest of the body, there should be no evidence of exaggeration in the head, including that of the bone, skin, length, or width. The occiput lacks pronunciation.

Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, and hazel, amber, to dark brown in color. Blue is undesirable. Pupils should be perfectly round and symmetrical. 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.

Ears: Medium in size, triangular, set somewhat apart on the skull. The requirements for the McNab’s ears are rather lenient (if the dog can hear the shepherd, that should typically be sufficient). Ears may appear erect, semi-prick, rose, 1/3-1/4 erect, drop with lift at the base, or mismatched. Tips may fall forward or outward. The ears are never overly large and hound-like.

Muzzle: The muzzle is medium in size, full, powerful, and tapers to the nose, giving the skull its wedge-shaped appearance. The upper and lower jaws have good bone substance, appearing strong and well-developed, never appearing snipey or weak.

Nose: The nose is well-pigmented, black, or self-colored, according to the coat. The nostrils are well opened.

Neck: Moderate length to allow for proud head carriage and great range of motion for stalking, crouching, running, and turning. The neck is strongly muscled with a slight arch. It tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. It is clean-cut and without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.

Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows.

Body: Solid, of good substance, and well-knit. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters. The body exhibits good athletic substance but is neither heavy and thick nor racy and refined. There is sufficient length to allow for effortless and exact movement.

Feet: Oval to round, compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.

Tail: The tail is set somewhat low on the gently arched croup. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The carriage is in direct reflection of the dog’s confidence, interest, and excitement level. When working or concentrating, the tail may be held outward or low (never tucked). When excited, it may be raised high above the level of the topline like a flag. When neutral, it may be held downward in a neutral position (again, not tucked). Tails are moderately long, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. Tails may be straight, gently curved, or feature a shepherd’s crook at the end of the tail.

Movement: Indicative of overall excellent coordination, balance, agility, endurance, and health, the movement in the show ring at the trot should be effortless, efficient, energetic, and tireless with no sign of encumbrance. The head is often carried approximately level with the topline, but higher or lower carriage at the dog’s discretion is correct as well. The dog should not be strung up or raced around the ring. 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: Like many of the old working dogs, the McNab breed is eager, energetic, and exceptionally intelligent. These features make for a fine working dog to carry on a day’s tasks without a break, but it can also result in behavioral issues if the dog is not allowed to exercise his mind, body, senses, and instincts. For this reason, it is not recommended that these dogs go to busy homes or families without much time for interaction, socialization, and training. Due to its considerable physical and mental exercise demands, this is not the breed for everyone. They require early obedience and socialization to ensure that they understand their role in their human world. They also require lifelong training and/or a physically demanding and mentally stimulating job to ensure that they do not become bored (and potentially neurotic or destructive). Well-adjusted McNabs are generally good companion dogs, displaying loyalty and devotion toward their owners. However, not all McNabs are all-around family dogs since many will bond with whoever is the most interesting and interactive with them, as opposed to treating everyone equally. Mature individuals may be reserved toward or disinterested in strangers, including friendly strangers, which is not incorrect for the breed. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.