meet the... Schiller Hound

Head

• General Appearance: Fairly long mesaticephalic skull-type, moderate in size, appearing as an elongated wedge or triangle. Always in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is just moderately arched in profile and when viewed from the front. The skull is the broadest between the ears. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkles.
• Expression: Attentive, lively, and intelligent.
• Stop: The stop is barely 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.
• Muzzle: The muzzle is full and fairly broad at the base but tapers toward the nose. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight and level. 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, clean, dry, and fit tightly over the teeth and jaws. They should never extend well below the lower plane of the bottom jawline.
• Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black, liver, or self-colored according to the coat. The nostrils are well opened.
• Cheeks: The cheeks are slightly padded and 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, and dark 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: Ears are medium-small in length. Set moderately high on the skull, set slightly above the level of the eyes, but will rise slightly above the plane of the skull when alert. Triangular in shape, having a broad base, and tapering smoothly toward rounded tips. They are drop in type. The inner edges and tips hang close to the head. The ears are never long, overly large, or "fly-away." When extended forward, the ears should just reach the halfway point of the muzzle.

Body and Tail

• General Description: Compact, solid, and of good substance, yet lithe, agile, and athletic. The body is never racy or refined or heavy and cloddy. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
• Neck: Moderately long to allow for good head carriage and movement, strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut and without excess or loose skin.
• Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well developed but does not protrude.
• Topline: Straight and level prominent withers to croup. The back is broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut, level, straight, or slightly arched, yet supportive and slightly longer in females. 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, and 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 level with the topline, or just below, or, when in repose, in a neutral downward position, 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, slightly 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, of 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 and 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. The neck, withers, backs of the upper thighs, and underside of the tail are somewhat longer but without fringe or feathering. The undercoat is thick, protective, and abundant.
• Coat Color or Pattern: Tan, creeping tan, or running tan with a well-defined black saddle or mantle, without a small amount of minimal white markings.

Movement

The Schiller Hound breed is ground-covering, 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 Schiller Hound 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. They are gentle, noble, and loyal, yet aloof to indifferent towards strangers. Like many European hounds, makes a fine companion dog to a sporting family. They are also naturally protective of his 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.