FCI-Standard N°177 /
07. 08.
1998 / GB
ARIEGE POINTING DOG
(Braque de l’Ariège)
TRANSLATION : Mrs. Peggy Davis.
ORIGIN : France.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID
STANDARD : 24.01.1996.
UTILIZATION : Pointing dog.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 7
Pointing Dogs. Section 1.1 Continental
Pointing Dogs, type « Braque ».
With working trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The Ariège
Pointer is issued from the old French Braques, which in the 19th century,
were crossed with Braques of Meridional (Southern) stock of white and
orange coat, to give them more lightness and activity.
A few Ariègeois huntsmen continued to use him, which avoided a
complete disappearance of the breed.
In 1990 a team of breeders decided to devote themselves to its
survival.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Braccoïd type. His
construction is powerful but without excessive heaviness, robust and of
strong appearance. One
prefers subjects with lean legs, prominent muscles and well defined
lines. His white coat
mottled with preferably pale orange or sometimes flecked with brown,
together with his size, makes him an elegant distinguished looking dog.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : Medium proportions :
the length of the body is a little superior to the height at withers.
The skull is slightly longer than the muzzle.
BEHAVIOUR /TEMPERAMENT : Adapted to all
types of hunting, he is resistant, docile and easy to train.
HEAD : The head must be long, angular and
narrow at the zygomatic arches.
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Very slightly rounded, the frontal
furrow only lightly accentuated.
The lines of the skull and the muzzle are slightly divergent
towards the front. The
superciliary arches moderately marked.
The occipital protuberance is quite pronounced.
Stop : Only lightly pronounced.
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Pink, reddish (flesh colour) or more
or less pale brown according to the coat colour, never black.
Nostrils well opened.
Muzzle : Long and straight, sometimes very
slightly convex. Seen from
the front the lateral faces of the muzzle converge slightly forward.
Lips : Quite fine, well let down, the corner
of the lips quite folded without being droopy.
Jaws/Teeth : Dental arches well adapted.
Scissor bite. Pincer bite (incisors meeting edge to edge) is
tolerated.
Eyes : Gentle expression.
Eye well open, slightly oval, frank and intelligent, well set in
the eye socket. The iris is
of a dark amber colour or brown according to the colour of the coat.
Leathers : Quite fine, long, curled in, set
on either at eye level line or below, carried not close to the head.
Their length permits them, without being stretched, to reach the
beginning of the nose.
NECK : Not very long, quite strong and with
a little dewlap.
BODY :
Topline : The front part descends in a
nearly straight line from the withers down to the eleventh dorsal
vertebra, the second part slightly convex makes the junction with the
croup.
Withers : Well marked without being
prominent.
Back : A little long, muscled, well
supported (firm) and straight.
Loin : Slightly convex.
Croup : Slightly oblique in relation to the
topline.
Chest : Broad, deep and well let down to
elbow level. The ribs are
rounded without exaggeration.
Lower line : Slightly oblique, rising
slightly in its abdominal part.
TAIL : Set in the extension of the croup
line. Strong at its root, tapering to its tip. Generally docked by 4/10.
The long tail is admitted.
Must not be carried higher than the topline.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS : Forelegs straight, with
strong bone, broad and muscled.
Shoulder : Robust, muscled and moderately
oblique.
Upper arm : Strong, well muscled and close
to the body.
Elbow : At level of sternum.
Forearm : Strong, vertical and straight.
Pastern : Very slightly inclined in profile.
Forefoot : Tight and well arched giving a
compact ensemble, almost round.
The nails are strong and the pads well cushioned.
HINDQUARTERS : Vertical and parallel.
Upper thigh : Well muscled, well let down.
Stifle : Parallel to median plane of the
body.
Lower thigh : Strong.
Hock joint : Well bent.
Hock : Quite short, almost vertical.
Hind foot : Same qualities as the front feet.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : Sustained and active trot,
interrupted with times of gallop.
Great suppleness and lightness of movement.
SKIN : Moderately thick, finer on the head;
quite supple. The outer
mucous membranes must be of a corresponding colour to that of the coat;
never with black patches.
COAT
HAIR :
Close, glossy, short, finer and smooth on the head and the leathers.
COLOUR : Pale orangy fawn or sometimes brown,
strongly flecked with fawn or brown ticked white; certain dogs are even
white with fawn or brown ticks.
SIZE :
Males
60 to 67 cm.
Females
56 to 65 cm.
FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing
points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the
fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
ELIMINATING FAULTS : Taking into account the
reduced stock of this breed, the aim is not to be too severe, but to
isolate from the reproduction the subjects outside the type and the
subjects with serious faults.
Total lack of type.
« Double » nose, (nose of which the nostrils
are separated by a deep furrow).
Other colour not according to the standard.
Black nose.
Over- or undershot bite.
Colour of the eyes : excessively light, wall
eye.
Entropion or ectropion, or any sign of
surgical intervention to correct the defect.
Excessive depigmentation of the eyelids.
Black nails.
Presence of dewclaws.
Hindquarters : Clearly hindering movement.
Colour not conforming to the standard.
Size outside the limits of the standard,
with a tolerance of 1 cm more or less.
Serious morphological anomalies.
Invalidating defects.
Aggressive dogs, biting or very timid dogs.
N.B. : Male animals should have two
apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
