FCI-Standard N° 333 /
01.10.1999 / GB
POLISH GREYHOUND
(Chart Polski)
TRANSLATION : Mrs.Peggy Davis.
ORIGIN : Poland.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID
STANDARD : 01.10.1999.
UTILIZATION : Hunting dog not only for hare,
fox, roe-deer and bustard, but also for the wolf.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 10 Sighthounds.
Section 3 Short-haired Sighthounds. Without working trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The presence of
the Chart Polski in Poland is attested since the 13th century; this
breed goes probably back to Asiatic sighthounds of Saluki type.
The Borzoi being unknown before the reign of Iwan the Terrible
during the XVIth century, it is impossible, as claimed by the Russian
author Sabaniejew, that the Chart Polski would be the result of
interbreeding between the Greyhound and the Borzoi.
The mention of the Chart Polski in the literature, especially the
hunt-literature, is frequent and the iconographic representations are
noticeably unvarying. This
uniform general appearance in drawings and paintings proves, that, in
spite of different interbreeding, the original aspect of the breed has
remained unchanged up to the end of the XIXth century.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : The Polish Greyhound is
a dog of great size, powerful, muscular, definitely stronger and less
fine in shape than the other short-haired sighthounds (he must not,
however, be heavy nor lethargic).
In his appearance, he is similar to the Asiatic greyhound who is
his ancestor. The strong
frame, the short coupled body, the distinctly visible musculature and
the powerful jaws show that this dog has been used for hunting in the
difficult conditions of the Polish climate.
The expressive eyes, with a lively and penetrating look, play an
important role in the general aspect of the Polish Greyhound.
IMPORTANT PROPORTION : The proportion of the
length of the body in relation to the height at the withers should be
10,2-10,3 : 10.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : The Polish
Greyhound is self-assured, confident, reserved and brave.
When hunting he is fast, very skilful and untiring.
In action, he reacts quickly and brutally.
HEAD : Strong, lean and long.
The proportion of the length of head in
relation to the height at the withers is
- in the males
37-39 : 100.
- in the females
36-38 : 100.
The length of the muzzle in relation to the
length of the skull is 1 : 1, but the muzzle may be slightly longer.
The proportion of the width of the head at
the zygomatic arches’level in relation to the length of the head is
about 38 : 100.
The desirable proportion of the perimeter of
the muzzle in front of the eye sockets in relation to the length of the
head is about 80 : 100.
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : The upper part of the skull should
be flat, the frontal furrow slightly pronounced and of a desirable depth
of 5 mm; frontal bones and superciliary arches are lightly marked.
The lateral lines of the skull should blend in perfectly with the
lateral lines of the muzzle.
Stop : Naso-frontal depression very lightly
marked.
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Black or dark, large, projecting
above the lips.
Muzzle : Strong, tapering towards the nose
so gently that it does not give the impression of being pointed, but of
rather being blunt for a sighthound.
The position of the nose desirably somewhat below the upper line
of the muzzle. The upper
lines of the muzzle and the skull should be slightly divergent.
Lips : Lips fully defined, clean without
excess; in the first part of the muzzle, they may form a minor fold
covering the pigmented borders of the lower lip, but are never pendulous
and do not hide the lower jaw.
Jaws/Teeth : Jaws and teeth strong.
Scissor bite, pincer bite acceptable.
Eyes : Dark eyes desirable. According to the
dog’s coat, the iris is of a shade going from dark brown to amber colour.
Eyes are expressive, rather large, set slightly oblique (almond-shaped).
The expression of the eyes must be characteristic : lively and
penetrating.
Ears : Of medium size, quite narrow; when
laid forward their tips easily touch the inner angles of the eyes.
Set at eye level. The
auricle of the ear has a relatively soft cartilage; the ears give the
impression of being quite fleshy.
Admitted ear carriage :
Folded backwards, touching the neck,
roof shape position,
in a state of excitement, ears fully erect,
or with the tips slightly bent forward.
NECK : Long, muscular, powerful, oval in
profile, rising gently from the line of the withers.
Head carriage rather high (the Polish Greyhound, at rest, carries
the head slightly lower than the Greyhound).
BODY : In the free standing hound, the
height at the withers should be equal to the height at the summit of the
croup.
Withers : Small, but marked.
Topline : Straight in the thoracic part,
gently arched in the lumbar region.
In the females an almost straight topline in the lumbar region is
not a fault.
Loin : Wide and muscular.
Croup : Oblique, gently slanting, long,
muscular and wide; points of hip bones wide apart, (the width between
the hip bones represents 12-14 % of the height at the withers.)
Chest : Thoracic cage very spacious and well
let down (the ideal is a ribcage reaching the point of the elbow in the
sternal region), moderately wide seen from the front; the ribs should be
well sprung towards the rear, clearly arched but not barrel-shaped.
Long ribs, placed obliquely in relation to the spinal column.
Sternum long.
Belly : Tucked up.
TAIL : Feathered, long, strong at the base,
at rest carried low; the tip of the tail should be in the shape of a
sickle curved upwards or forming a complete ring.
Sometimes, while at rest, the tail may be hanging straight down,
but never so excessively like a cow’s tail.
On the move, the tail may be carried higher, but the base of the
tail should not be carried higher than the level of the loin.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS : Forelegs long, lean, muscular,
not too wide apart; seen
from the front parallel.
Forearm : Long; the proportion of the
distance from the point of the elbow to the ground in relation to the
height at the withers should be of about 54% and be balanced so that the
hound does not give the impression of being excessively high on the leg.
Pasterns (Metacarpus) : Slightly oblique in
relation to the ground.
Forefeet : Oval; toes tight, well arched.
HINDQUARTERS : Long, muscular, quite well
angulated, slightly standing towards the back and set slightly wide, but
definitely less so than in the Greyhound.
Seen from behind, the legs should be parallel.
Lower thigh : Long.
Hock : Strong.
Hind feet : Oval, slightly longer than the
front feet; toes tight, compact.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : The movement must be
flowing and energetic; the appropriate angulation of the fore- and
hindquarters allow an extension of the leg forward in a long and ground
covering stride at the walk as well as at the trot.
The sighthounds led slowly may pace, but with acceleration of the
speed, they should get back to the normal diagonal movement. The action
of the hind legs is one of the characteristics; they can be placed on a
single straight line while on a slow trot, which is not a fault.
SKIN : Well fitting, elastic.
COAT
HAIR : Coat springy to the touch, rather
harsh, not « wired-haired » but not silky either.
Of variable lengths over all the body.
On the withers the coat may be longer, shorter on the sides; it
is on the sternum and the legs where it is the shortest.
The hair on the abdomen is more delicate, more sparse.
At the buttock and along the whole underside of the tail
the hair is longest but still also harsh, forming modest breeches
and a brush.
COLOUR : All colours are permitted.
Border of the eyelids and nose black or dark; when the colour of
the coat is lighter, i.e. blue or beige, the nose is in relation blue or
beige.
SIZE :
The ideal size
for the female is of 68 - 75 cm at the withers,
for the male
is of 70 - 80 cm at the withers.
Subjects bigger than the ideal size are
permitted, with the condition that the typical morphology is maintained.
A slightly smaller size than that given in the standard is,
however, not an eliminating fault if, apart from that, the hound does
not show any other faults.
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.
GENERAL APPEARANCE :
Severe departure from the required relation
between height at withers and length of the body.
Fragile bone structure, weakness.
Weak musculature or heaviness.
HEAD :
Frontal part too convex.
Frontal furrow too defined.
Stop too pronounced.
Nose fine, pointed.
Nasal bridge too convex.
Flews excessively developed.
Weak jaws.
Overshot- or undershot mouth; important absence of teeth (with
the exception of PM 1).
Protruding eyes.
Ears flat touching sides of the head.
NECK :
Short, fine; exaggerated high head carriage
or exaggerated low head carriage.
BODY :
Back arching already from the thoracic
vertebrae onwards.
Lumbar region too convex.
Ribcage flat, not enough let down.
Sternum short, manubrium of the sternum receding so much that,
when looking in profile, it is not visible behind the edge of the
shoulder.
TAIL :
Completely curved over the back or carried
sideways.
FOREQUARTERS:
Straight in shoulder.
Out or in at the elbows.
Feet turning out, deformed pads.
HINDQUARTERS :
Angulation too weak.
Cow-hocked or barrel-shaped.
Splayed feet.
SKIN :
Thick, loose, not elastic enough.
COAT :
Nose and rims of the eyelids of a pinky
colour or speckled, as well as lightening of the colour of the nose and
rims of eyelids in the coat colours other than blue and beige.
ELIMINATING FAULTS :
Unfounded aggressiveness, exaggerated
timidity, somnolence.
Small eyes, lid aperture triangular.
N.B. : Male animals should have two
apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
