meet the... Stephens Stock

Head

• General Appearance: Somewhat mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, forming somewhat of a blocky, wedge-shaped head that is in proportion to the rest of the body. The topskull is broad, adding substance and breadth to the head, and it may be flat or just slightly arched when viewed from the front or in profile. The head tapers slightly toward the muzzle when viewed from above. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkles. It should never appear narrow.
• Expression: Intelligent, alert, active, and friendly.
• Stop: The stop is definite but not overly abrupt.
• Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is between 1:1 and 2:3, with the topskull being equal to or just longer than the muzzle.
  The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is parallel.
• Muzzle: The muzzle is full, deep, and broad. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight. The base is broad and tapers just slightly toward 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 fairly clean and fit well over the teeth and jaws. They should never appear pendulous or fall below the plane of the lower jaw.
• Nose: The nose is well-pigmented, black, or self-colored, according to the coat. The nostrils are well opened.
• Cheeks: The cheeks are well-developed, well-muscled, and somewhat prominent. They should not appear chiseled.
• Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth. The bite may be level, scissor, or reverse-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 to large in size; somewhat round, oval, or almond in shape; and amber to dark brown in color. 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 to somewhat large in size, broad, and drop. They may be close to the head or with some lift from the base. They should never appear semi-erect.

Body and Tail

• General Description: 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. The body should be capable of agility, speed, and stamina.
• Neck: Moderate length allows for good head carriage. 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 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.
• Topline: Straight and level from slightly prominent withers to croup or with a slight (almost imperceptible) slope from withers to croup. The back is broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut, being flat and level or slightly arched, yet supportive. The back is never swayed or roached. The topline should never rise toward the croup.
• Croup: Broad, powerful, 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: May be set low or may be set neither high nor low on the croup but as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapers toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level but never tucked. The tail may be naturally long or naturally bobbed. Natural long tails are of a moderately long length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. Naturally bobbed tails may be medium to short in length. Preference should not be given to either tail type. Long tails may be sabered, straight, or gently curved.

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 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 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, moderate 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. Not required but preferred with one or two on each rear leg, placed low on the leg, giving a wider ease of the foot. Ideally, dew claws function as extra toes.

Coat

• Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
• Coat Type: The coat is short, smooth, and close to the body throughout. The texture is harsh and glossy. The coat may be slightly longer on the neck, forming a light ruff and a light brush on the tail. No fringe or feather is permissible.
• Coat Color or Pattern: Black; black with minimal white markings, white trim, or white Irish Piebald markings.

Movement

The movement of Stephens Stock is energetic, effortless, efficient, and smooth. 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 Stephens Stock is a strongly instinctual hunting dog. The dogs are intelligent and require a high degree of mental, physical, and instinctual stimulation. For this reason, it is recommended that these dogs be reserved for working and hunting homes that will ensure that their talents and instincts are utilized and exercised properly, or else they can develop problem behaviors. In well-suited homes, they make fiercely loyal pets. They can be protective and aloof with strangers but well-socialized. They are friendly and accepting of friends and other animals.

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.