OFFICIAL STANDARD OF THE GOS D´ATURA CATALÀ

Translation: Alberto Toledano (Valdegoscan) 

The first Official Standard of the Breed dates from the 18^th of July of 1929. As it wants that practically one had been based on the study of Tac and Iris, unique male and female who competed in those times, the 22 of April of 1982 were approved another new, that they signed Evaristo Sanllehí Piera and Jordi Carulla i Gratacós, at that moment honorary President and President of the Club of the Gos d´Atura Català of Spain, respectively. In 1984 it was updated according to the new norm dictated by the Ministry of Agriculture with the intervention of the Real Central Society of Promotion of the Canine Breeds in Spain and the Club of the Gos d´Atura Català of Spain.

Standard F.C.I. number 87.

Origin: Catalonia (Spain).

Originates from the Catalonian Pyrenees, has propagated to all the zones of shepherds of Catalonia thanks to its natural function, the one to take care of flocks of ewes.

 Utilization: Sheepdog, guardian and company dog.

 In the care and driving of the flocks it is where is the true essence of this Breed, because it not only does what the shepherd commands to him but that, in many cases, is able to make own decisions and directs the flock with facility. By its great anger and value, also it can be used in missions of guard and monitoring. By its size, precious hair, intelligence and great fidelity to its owners, can be an excellent dog of company.

General aspect and Character

Description. A very sedate dog, active and intelligent, with a noble expression, with a hardy and pleasant character, really devoted to the shepherd and the flocks entrusted to him, wary of strangers, which at times make him seem unsociable. He is very vigilant, very resistant to heat, cold and all atmospherics. A very frugal alimentation is sufficient for him to work in extreme conditions.  

Size (Raised to the cross). From 47 to 55 cms. for males, and from 45 to 53 cms. For bitches.

Proportions. Of well balanced medium proportion, medium size, with a beautiful coat, slightly longer than high, approximately in proportion of 9 to 8.

 Head

General Appearance: Strong head, slightly convexe and wide at the base, without heaviness, well proportioned with the rest of the body. The skull-muzzle proportion is of 4 to 3.

Skull: Slightly longer than wide, with a clearly marked furrow in its first third part, which gets flatter and remains so up to the occiput where a crest is formed. Occipital bone pronounced. The upper profile of the skull is slightly domed and may show a less accentuated short space in the middle. The frontal sinus well developed, as much lengthwise as widthwise. Superciliary rodges has to be well marked.

Frontal-nasal depression (stop): Well visible but not too pronounced.

Muzzle: Straight, rather short, in shape of a truncated pyramid, with rounded outlines.

Nose: Straight, proportioned with the head, must be black.

Lips: Rather strong, short, formed almost straight, with lower lip not pendulous, strongly pigmented with black; the palate is also black.

Teeth: Strong, of good size, white and healthy. Scissor bite. Blunt teeth are admitted in the working dogs.

Eyes: Wide open, expressive, alert and intelligent gaze, round, dark amber colour, with black rimmed eyelids.

Ears: Set high, triangular, fine, pointed. Insertion cartilage supple and not thick. Mobiles ears, carried close to the head. Ratio between ear width and length = 8 to 10. Covered with long hair ending in dark tufts. For the working dogs cropped ears are accepted.

Neck:

Vigorous, solid, muscled, rather short, but with such proportions permitting a good mobility, well tied to the shoulders.

Body:

Appearance: Slightly elongated, strong, muscled, giving an impression of power and agility.

Withers: Well visible and outstanding.

Back: Topline straight, not saddle-backed, slightly raised croup, which, in any case, shall be equal or slightly inferior to the withers. That difference at first sight may seem elevated to the croup because of the quantity of coat and undercoat which it carries.

Croup: Robust, muscled, slightly sloping.

Chest: Wide, well developed, reaching elbow level. Curved ribs, not flat, allowing for a good thoracic capacity for the work.

Belly and flanks: Belly slightly tucked up, with short but strong and well marked flanks.

Tail:

Rather low set. It may be long (going beyond the hock), or short (measuring less than 10 cm). There are also tailless subjects, and, for the working dogs, docked tail is admitted. When the dog is at rest, the tail just hangs. It forms a hook in its lower part. Sword tail is also accepted. In action, the tail is raised gaily but not rolled on the back. Is abundantly covered with slightly wavy hair.

Forequarters (Front quarters)

General Appearance: Strong, lean, straight, vertical and parallel, with good seriousnesses, seen from the front or in profile.

Proportions: The elbow-wither distance is about equal to that of the elbow to ground.

Back (Shoulders): Muscled, strong, slightly oblique.

Arm: Strong, muscled with parallel elbows, neither in or out and always close to the body.

Scapular-humeral angle: Of about 110^o

Forearm: Vertical, strong, fit for the work.

Humeral-radial angle: Of about 135^o

Carpal and metacarpal: Following the same vertical as the forearm and they are rather short.

Feet: Oval, pads black and hard, interdigital membranes neat and well covered with hair, nails black and strong.

Hindquarters (Back quarters)

General Appearance: Strong, muscled, vertical, giving impression of power and agility.

Thighs: Long, broad and muscled, with strong bones.

Coxal-femoral angle: Of about 115^o

Legs: Strong bones and muscles.

Femoral-tibial angle: Of about 120^o

Hocks: Must be well let down, parallel and vertical.

Angle of hock: About 140^o

Metatarsal: Rather short, strong and vertical.

Feet: Identical to front feet, but with low set double bony dewclaws (spurs). These dewclaws (spurs) are joined together and joined to the first toe of the foot by a membrane.

Gait / Movement:

Supple, typical of shepherd dogs. Gallop only is obtained in very large spaces, but in the ring, the typical gait is a short trot, with that gait peculiar to all dogs with dewclaws (spurs).

Skin:

Rather thick, close and tight all over the body and the head and well pigmented.

Coat:

Long, flat, or very slightly wavy. Rough with abundant undercoat on the whole of the posterior third of the body. On the head we notice a beard, moustaches, tuft and eyebrows which they let see the eyes. Tail, forequarters and hindquarters well covered with hair.

It is noticeable that during the moult we observe a typical phenomenon: the moult occurs in two times. First of all it affects the coat on the front part, giving the impression of two halves of dogs with different coats; then it is the turn of the hind part of the dog and everything becomes uniform again.

Colours:

Seen from the distance the dog seems to be uni-colour. They may have lighter shadings at the extremities. Seen close up, it is noticeable that the colour comes from the mixture of hairs of different tones: fawn, brown more or less reddish, grey, black and white. The basic colours deriving from this mixture are:

• Fawn. In its light tones, medium or dark.

• Sable. With chestnut hairs, fawn, white and black, also in its light tones, medium and dark.

• Grey. Made up of white, grey and black with shadings going from silver grey to black-grey. If black is dominant and is simply combined with white, it gives a black which looks frosty.

• There are also dogs with a mixture of black, fawn and reddish brown, which can dominate in several parts, giving the impression of black and tan subjects.

The spots white or black are not admitted. Sometimes a few white hairs, as a star shape on the chest are tolerated, or on the upper part of the toes, but, in that case however, this must not be accompanied by white nails.

Defects (Faults):

Important defects (faults):

• Head flat or without furrow.

• Rose shaped ears, badly set; insertion cartilage thick, long or sticking out.

• Light eyes.

• 2 Pre-Molars (tooth) missing.

• Slight prognathism.

• Saddle back.

• Legs or feet turned in or out.

• A few white nails

• Lack of bone in the dewclaws (spurs) or single dewclaw (spur).

Eliminating defects (faults):

• Lack of pigmentation of the lips, the nose, eyelids and palate.

• Brown nose.

• Blue eyes.

• White spots.

• Missing more than 2 Pre-Molars or any two teeth.

• Tail rolled on the loins.

• Lack of dewclaws (spurs) or interdigital membranes.

• All the nails white.

• More than 3 cm more or less of the limits of the size.

• Head like a Petit Berger des Pyrénées or a Briard.

• Lower or upper prognathism.

• Males should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum and they are not admitted subjects monorchides or criptorchides.

Supplementary considerations:

Quality being equal, will be classified first dogs without any mutilations (ears, tail or blunt teeth for reason of work). We shall refuse those dogs with such mutilations if they are not dogs working with flocks. The well pigmented tones are desirable in the colour and therefore better appreciated.