BREED
DENOMINATION: Mastin Espanol (Spanish Mastiff).
Synonym:
León Mastiff, Extremadura Mastiff, La Mancha
Mastiff.
Location:
On the whole Spain, especially in mountains and
mountain pases, Asturias, León and Cantabria,
Extremadura, and generally in all those mountains
passes and regions affected by seasonal live stock
migration. Exceptions to this distribution they are
zones of Aragon Pyranees and Navarra, and migratory
zones of the Monegros, localities of the Pyraneean
Mastiff.
Subspecies:
Molozoide, Type " B ".
I.
GENERAL APPEREARANCE AND CHARACTER.
a.)
General Description: Dog of great size, massive and
well-proportioned. Very powerful and well muscled.
Compact skeleton. Very large head and body with
medium lous. Affectionate, gentle and noble, is a dog
with great steadiness when confronted with
enemies,especially when defending and guarding
propety and llivestock. His bark es hoarse, deep and
low, with great intensity, audible at considerable
distance. This is a very intelligent dog with its own
particular beauty. His expression manifests both
qualities. His behavior demonstrates that he is a dog
shure of himself, who proportions his strength as he
realized his enormous strength.
b.)
Height at the withers. There's no maximun heigth
allowance, although preference is given to dogs of
grater height as long as their proportions are
harmonious. Minium Limits: Males - 77 cm (31").
Females - 72 cm (29"). Considerably greater
heigth is desirable, with males preferably measuring
over 80 cm. (32'") and females over 75 cm
(30"').
c.)
Formation. Longitudinal diameter superior to heigth
at the withers. Functional harmony and good
proportion are desired, both at rest and is movement.
d.)
Usefulness. This is a breed for live stock guarding
and defending. Excessively timid, cowardly or
unbalanced dogs should not be use for reproduction.
The breed is intimately related to seasonal
migration, especially of sheep, which it has
accompanied since the middleages, defending from
wolves and other predators throuhghout all seasons
and migrations in different locations. Today, the
Spanish Mastiff accompanies innumerable flocks, both
stationary and migratory, fulfilling his ancestral
function. The breed also guards property, farms and
persons.
II.
HEAD.
a)
General Descriptions. - Large, strong and wide base.
Relationship between length of skull and foreface
should be 6 / 4. The ensemble skull-foreface, seen
from above, should be square and uniform, without
marked lessening between the base of the foreface and
temporal bone, at side of the skull. Skull -facial
lines moderately divergent.
b)
Skull: Wide, strong, with subconvex profile. With of
the skull be the same as or superior to its length.
Marked occiput.
c)
Stop: Not to accented.
d)
Foreface: Straight in profile. Seen from the back it
appears moderately rectangular, slightly narrowing
towards the nose, conserving considerable width,
never sharp-pointed or snipy.
e)
Nose: Black, damp, large and wide.
f)
Lips: Upper lip should amply cover lower lip; with
loose mucous membranes. Lip juncture very loose,
black pigment.
g)
Teeth: White, strong, and healthy. Canines large,
sharp with good grip. Molars strong and potent.
Incisors rather smoll. Scissor bite. All premolars
desirable.
h)
Eyes: Small in relationship to the skull, almond
shaped, preferably dark, hazel colour, attentive
expression, noble, soft and intelligent, with severe
expression towards an unknown person.
k)
Eyelids: Heavy skin, black pigment. The lower eyelid
allows part of the conjuctive to be seen.
j)
Ears: Medium drop ears, triangular in form, flat,
placed above the line. of the eyes. At rest, falling
flat against the cheecks, not too close to the skull.
Al attention, separated from the face with upper
third partially erect. They should not be cropped.
k)
Palate: Black, with marked crests.
III.
NECK
Lone
shaped, wide, strong, muscular, flexible. Skin heavy
and loose. Well-developed double dewlap.
IV
. BODY
a)
Overall appereance rectangular, strong and robust,
very powerfull, but flexible and agile.
b)
Withers: Well marked.
c)
Back: Powerful, muscular. Ribs well spaced and
rounden, never flat. Relationship height at the
withers - minimun thorax perimeter to be
approximately 1 -3. Loins long, wide and powerful,
Narowing at the flank.
d)
Croup: Wide and strong. Approximately 50o
slope in relation to the topline and a horizontal
line to the floor. Height at the croup equal to
height al the withers.
e)
Topline: Straight, horizontal, even in movement.
f)
Chest: Wide, deep, muscular and powerful. Marked
brisket.
g)
Abdomen and flanks: Moderate tuck up, low, wide
flanks.
V.
TAIL
Very
wide base, medium tailset. Strong, flexible and well
coated, hair longer that on the rest of the body. At
rest its carried low reaching to the hocks, sometime
s sligtly curved in the las quarter. When excited or
running, raised saberlike, curled at the end, but
never totally doubled or resting on croup.
VI.
FOREQUARTERS
a) Legs
absolutely straight down to the pasterns. Straight
and parallel from the front. Length of the forearm to
be triple that of the pastern. Strong in bone with
powerful metacarpus.
b)
Shoulders: Oblique, very muscular. Shoulder blade
longer than upper arm.
c)
Scapula humerus angle: Close to 125o
d)
Metacarpus: Seen from the side, very slight
inclination. It is actually the continuation of the
forearm. Strong bones.
e)
Feet: Tight by feet. Digits strongs, high and well
arched. Nails and pads robust and hard. Moderate
interdigital membrane, with hair.
VII.
HINDQUARTERS
a)
Overall appearance Powerful, muscular, moderate
angulation. Ample articular angles, legs and
feetneother in nor out. Straig hocks. Legs should be
capable of drive with ease, force and elegance.
b)
Thighs: Strong and muscular
c)
Pelvis: Femur angle close to 100o.
d) Legs
Long, muscular and strong bone.
e)
Angle femur -tibia: Close to 120o.
f)
Hocks: Strong, parallel with clear view of the
tendon.
g)Hock
angle: Open. Close to l30o.
h)
Feet: Cat feet, slightly oval. May or may not have
dewclaws, which can be single or double. Removal of
dewclaws is admitted.
VIII.
GAIT
Preferred
gait is the trot. It must be harmonius, powerful,
with no tendency to lateral movement. Without pacing.
IX.
SKIN
Elastic,
trhick, abundant and of a rosy color, with darker
pigmentations. All mucuos membranes must be black.
X.
COAT
Thick,
heavy, semilong, smooth,over all the body to the
interdigital spaces. Two types of coat over the back
and undercoat over ribs and flanks. Shorter on the
legs and longer and silkier on the tail.
XI.
COAT COLOR
All
colors admitted. Uniform coat color is preferred;
yellows, fawns, reds and blacks, wolf color. Also
combined colors: brindles, white mark on chest, and
dappled.
XII.
FAULTS
a)
Slight Profile of foreface shepplike, without excess.
Lack of one or few premolars. Level bite. Topline
weak, distorted or wavind in movement. Weak posterns
or fett. Timidity, not excessively accentuated.
b)
Serious (exclude the rating of
"Excellent"). Snipy foreface. Moderately
overshop mouth. Absence of several premolars or
canines, unless due to accident. Swayback. Height at
the croup noticibly superior to height at the
withers. Legs weak or not straight. Weaving movement.
Cowhocks in movement or stationary. Coat wavy, curled
and overly lons. Ear cropping or tail docking.
Entropion or ectropion in excess. Poor temperament.
Excessive timidity or exaggerated agressiveness.
Fragile or lymphatic. Tail carried over back.
c )
Disqualifications: (Ineligible for confirmation of
purebred and biotype ). Divided nose. Any grade of
under shot mouth Excessively over shot. Nose and
mucous membranes dispigmented and accompanied bylight
eyes. Monorquidism and Cryptorchidism.
