Words in purple are from The Shiloh
Shepherd Breed Standard,
written and
copyrighted by
Tina M. Barber*, the Shiloh
Shepherd™ Breed Founder. Words in brown are original to ARBA.
Words in brackets are in the Shiloh Shepherd Breed Standard as
copyrighted by Tina M. Barber but were omitted in the ARBA description.
History of the Breed-
The Shiloh Shepherd is a new breed, beginning in the United States in
the late 1970’s and the early 1980s by a breeder who was dissatisfied
with the German shepherd breed then in existence. The breed was
interbred with other animals to create a new breed, known as the Shiloh
shepherd.
1) GENERAL
APPEARANCE:
The Shiloh Shepherd is a dog of great strength and nobility standing
strongly and with the look of nobility.
[The
Shiloh Shepherd™ portrays a distinct impression of nobility with a
unique aura of intelligence, that radiates a sense of regal wisdom and
strength.] Powerfully built with unsurpassed beauty and elegance; a
picture of true balance; each part being in harmonious proportion to
every other part, and to the whole.
Although larger
than his ancestors, the size should not detract from his overall
appearance and should be enhanced by his height.
Being of giant size
does not deter from his proud carriage or seemingly effortless movement.
This is a
working dog, and his willingness to serve should be shown by his
attitude.
[His
total devotion and willingness to work can be seen in his alert eyes,
and his happy attitude.] Timidity, frailty,
dislike of a person, or
sullenness,
viciousness, and lack of animation, impair the general character of this
breed and
should be penalized. The dog may be aloof, not anxious to approach
strangers, but should never be sharp or fearful in any situation.
[A certain amount of aloofness is acceptable as long as it is not
associated with any form of sharp-shyness.]
2) [CHARACTER:]
Temperament--
It is important that the dog be properly behaved in the ring, and any
signs of misbehavior shall be heavily faulted. Any shyness or
aggressiveness should be faulted.
Courageous and self
confident, this [gentle giant]
dog must show
intelligence
[possesses superior]
intelligence wrapped in a heart of gold, faithfully protecting his home
and those he loves. This extremely versatile and easily trained
companion
lives to work and play with his owners, and will show this in any
activities.
[loves
to swim, carry packs for the mountain climber, endure long trail rides,
or pull heavy sleds.] His excellent Air Scenting ability can be utilized
in various ways
and the dog may be used
for search and rescue and protection work. The original breed German
shepherds was bred to herd sheep, and the Shiloh should show similar
traits; [As
a true, loyal Flock Guardian descendant,] he is steady and bold without
undue aggression; ready to
protect even with his
life, [die
fighting for] those in his care; yet sweet and loving when playing with
small children, animals, or comforting the elderly.
Temperament faults are
serious faults and should be so recognized.
3)
HEAD: The head is broad and noble, slightly domed and in proportion to
the body. The width and length of the skull are approximately equal with
a gently defined stop, strong developed cheekbones, and a gradually
tapering muzzle. The muzzle should be predominantly black, the length
being equal to that of the forehead, with the lips
(slips)
firmly fitted and
solid black. The muzzle should not be long, narrow, or snipey in
appearance or
in any way detract from the beauty of the dog.
4)
EARS: Ears are
erect and
moderately pointed in
proportion to the skull, open toward the front and carried erect when at
attention,
While in motion, the ears may be flat to the head, but standing should
be erect.
well rounded, triangular in shape, [well cupped,] stiff, height equal
to width at base. If
either
ear is folded forward
for measuring length, tip should not pass upper eye rim. Set high and
well apart, the base of the ear is placed above the center of the eye. A
mature dog with hanging ears must be disqualified.
Hanging ears on a puppy
may be accepted. However, any ears that have been altered is a
disqualifying fault.
5) EYES:
Shades of dark to very
light brown will be accepted (no other colors are allowed), of medium
size, almond shaped, set a little obliquely and not protruding. The
expression should be keen, intelligent, and composed.
Light eyes are a fault
and should be avoided.
6) TEETH:
In the adult, there
are 42 in
number (20 upper and 22 lower).
The teeth must be
strongly developed and meet(ing) in a scissor bite in which part of the
inner surface of upper incisor meets and engages part of the outer
surface of the lower incisors. An overshot or undershot jaw is a
DISQUALIFYING FAULT.
The bite must be
examined with the head in a natural position as raising the head can
distort the bite.
7) NECK:
The neck is strong
thick
and muscular,
relatively long and slightly arched. Proportionate in size to the head
[and without loose skin.] When the dog is at attention with
the
head raised and neck carried high a look of nobility should be easily
observed. The
dog should appear alert and noble, when standing, never with the head
hanging down.
8)
FOREQUARTERS: The shoulder blades are long and obliquely angled, laid
on
flat and not placed
forward on
the neck. For correct placement,
The upper [arm]
leg
joins the shoulder blade at [about] a right angle. Both the upper [arm]
leg
and the shoulder blade are well muscled
and straight.
The forelegs, viewed from the side, are straight
and [but]
heavy boned and oval rather than round. The pasterns are strong and
springy and angulated at approximately a 25 degree angle from the
vertical.
Weak pasterns are to be avoided, and too much spring in movement is a
fault.
9) FEET:
The feet are
short, dark, [oval,]
compact, with toes well arched, pads thick and firm, nails short and
dark. Dew claws,
may be
[if any should be] removed from the hind legs. Dewclaws on the forelegs
are left on
but if removed are not to be faulted.
Splay flat,
too spread
or hare feet should be considered a VERY SERIOUS FAULT
and penalized as such
10)
PROPORTION: The Shiloh Shepherd™ should appear longer than tall. The
desired height for
a fully grown adult
male[s],
at the top the highest point of the shoulder blade, can be no less than
28" with the ideal height of 30" or more preferred.
Larger males should not
be faulted. For
females, the desired height can be no less than 26" with the ideal
height of 28"or more preferred. The minimum weight for dogs should not
be less than 120 pounds at maturity (three years), with the ideal being
140 to 160 pounds. Minimal weight for bitches is 80 pounds at maturity
and the ideal being 100 to 120 pounds.
Weights in excess are
not a fault, as this is supposed to be a large breed.
The length
is
measured from the point [of the pro]sternum
of [or
breastbone] to the rear edge of the pelvis.
[, the ischial
tuberosity, with the most] desirable proportion [of] 10 to 9. ANY MALE
THAT MEASURES LESS THAN 28’["]
OR FEMALES LESS THAN 26’
["] AT full
MATURITY,
over three
years old, shall be disqualified
[(36 MONTHS OF AGE) SHOULD BE DISQUALIFIED.]
11)
BODY: The entire body should appear to be well coordinated,
as well as
[yet] muscular and
solid. The back is broad and straight, strongly boned, and well
developed. At
full trot the back should be straight, with no roach or give.
There should be good
depth of brisket. A roach back should be considered a SERIOUS FAULT,
in proportion
to the distortion of the overall outline of the dog,
as should a soft or
sway back. The body should not appear spindly or extremely leggy. All
proportions must be well balanced.
The overall impression
of the dog is very important in judging this breed.
12)
CHEST: Commencing at the prosternum, it is well filled and carried well
down between the legs.
It should be in males
and females
[It is ] deep and capacious, never shallow, with ample room for lungs
and heart, carried well forward, with the sternum showing ahead of the
shoulder profile.
13) RIBS:
Well sprung and long, neither barrel shaped nor too flat
but slightly bowed,
and carried down to the sternum which reaches to the elbows. Correct
ribbing allows the elbows to move freely when the dog is at a trot.
Ribs
Too round causes
interference and throws the elbows out
when the dog is in
motion;
ribs
too flat or short causes pinched elbows. Ribbing is carried well back so
that the loin is relatively short.
The proportion of the
dog is important in judging the overall look of the animal.
14) ABDOMEN:
Should be
firmly held and not paunchy. The bottom line is only moderately tucked
up in the loin.
15) TOPLINE:
The withers are higher
then [than]
and sloping into the lower back
when in a stack. In
movement the dog should have a level back with the ground.
The back is straight,
very strongly developed without sag or roach and relatively short. The
overall
length [desirable
long proportion] is not derived from a long back but achieved by width
of the
forequarter, length of withers, width of hindquarters, and [position
and] length of croup viewed from the side. The loin, viewed from the
top, is broad and strong (undue length between the last rib and thigh
when viewed from the side is undesirable
but not a disqualifying
fault). The
croup should be long and gradually sloping
into the tail without a
decided break. It must not be too long or too short.
16) TAIL:
Full and lively
[Bushy]
with the last vertebra extending past the hock joint. It is set
smoothly into the croup and should appear to hang as a plume. At rest
the tail hangs in a slight curve like a saber
but should not hook to
the side.
When the dog is excited or in motion, the curve is accentuated and the
tail is raised, but it should never curl forward beyond the vertical
line [nor above the level of the back].
The tail must be active
and alive working as a rudder would to move a ship, from side to side.
[The tail
should never be carried straight out or rolled up over the back.] A tail
that rises [is
raised] above the vertical line [and/or past the horizontal line of the
croup] is a DISQUALIFYING FAULT.
Tails that are too
short, thin, or ratty should be severely penalized.
A tail that is “dead”
and not active is a SERIOUS FAULT.
17)
HINDQUARTERS:
The whole assembly of the thigh, viewed from the side, is broad, with
both upper and lower thigh well muscled, forming as nearly as possible a
right angle. The upper thighbone parallels the shoulder blade while the
lower thighbone parallels the upper arm. The metatarsus is short,
strong, and tightly articulated.
18)
GAIT: THE GAIT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A VERY CRITICAL PART OF THE OVERALL
PERFECTION OF THIS BREED
AS THE BREED IS
DEVELOPED TO BE A WORKING AND HERDING DOG. In judging
This breed
the dog should [must]
be observed
moving [while
the dog is] on a loose lead so that the natural gait is [evident]
judged.
The gait is
easy
outreaching, elastic, seemingly tireless without effort[;],
it should appear that the dog could continue to move without stopping;
the motion must be
smooth, and rhythmic, covering the maximum amount of ground with the
minimum amount of steps
and the height should be in proportion to the size of the length of
movement. Evan t a.
[At a] walk, it covers a great deal of ground with long strides of both
hind legs and forelegs.
When the dog is
At a
full
trot, it covers still more ground with even longer stride, and moves
powerfully but easily with coordination and balance.[,
so that the gait appears to be as the steady motion of a well-lubricated
machine.]
There may be a period of suspension when all four feet are off the
ground. This should not be faulted.
The feet travel close
to the ground on both forward reach and backward push
with the rear feet in a
follow through. A failure to follow through is a fault.
In order to achieve
ideal movement of this kind, [there must be good muscular development
and ligamentation.] The hindquarters deliver, through the back, a
powerful thrust, which slightly lifts the whole animal and drives the
body forward,but
the movement should not raise the dog from the ground, but rather propel
it forward.
Reaching far under, and passing the imprint left by the front foot, the
hind foot takes hold of the ground; then hock, stifle, and
as well as the
upper thigh come
into play and sweep back, the stroke of the hind leg finishing with the
foot still close to the ground in a smooth follow through
but raising slightly off
the ground.
The overreach of the hindquarter usually necessitates one hind foot
passing outside and the other hind foot passing inside the track of the
forefeet, and such action is not faulty unless the locomotion is
crab-wise with the dog’s body sideways out of the normal straight line.
As the dog increases speed into
what can be called
the "flying trot'’
or “suspension:”,
the dog or
bitch [he]
should move fluidly, [without pounding]
without the front feet
striking the ground in a hard motion.
The forelegs should reach out well past the nose,but
striking the ground under the head
while the head is carried forward
in a full trot.
19) TRANSMISSION(s):
Since the working ability of the Shiloh Shepherd is so important, the
movement of the dog is most important.
The desired
[typical] smooth, flowing gait is maintained with
the illusion of
great strength and
firmness of back.
The back should not
roach nor should it dip.
The whole effort of the hindquarter is transmitted to the forequarter
through the loin, back, and withers
in a straight line.
At full trot, the back must remain firm and level without sway, roll,
whip, or roach. An uneven
back., in motion, [topline]
with withers lower than the croup is
to be faulted, and
detracts from the appearance of the dog.
[FAULTY] To
offset [compensate
for] the forward motion [imparted by]
of
the hindquarters, the
shoulder should open to its full extent
from the shoulder, and
never from the elbows. The failure to fully extend in front, is a fault
of movement.
The forelegs should reach out close to the ground, in a long stride in
harmony with that of the hindquarters
and give the appearance
of an effortless motion.
The dog does not track on widely separated paralleled lines, but brings
the feet inward toward the middle line of the body when trotting, in
order to maintain balance.
At some point the dog
should single track, while in full movement.
The feet track closely
but do not strike or cross over.
When
Viewed from the front,
the front legs function from the shoulder [joint]
to the bottom of the
foot [to the
pad] in a straight line. Viewed from the rear, the hind legs function
from the hip joint to the pad in a straight line.
All failures of the dog
to move as describes are faults of movement,from the rear, the frontor
the side. Faults of movement are very serious faults and the dog should
be penalized for any such faults equally.
[FAULTS OF GAIT,
WHETHER VIEWED FROM THE FRONT, REAR OR SIDE, ARE CONSIDERED VERY
SERIOUS.]
[20) COLOR:
The Shiloh Shepherd™ comes in various colors. Shades of black with tan,
golden tan, reddish tan, silver, and cream are as desirable as are
various shades of richly pigmented golden, silver, red, dark brown, dark
gray, or black sables. Also solid black or solid white is acceptable as
long as the nose, eye rims, and lips are solid black. A white blaze on
the chest is acceptable as well as some white markings on the toes, as
long as they are blended in with the other shades of silver, cream, tan,
etc. Any other white markings on any other part of the body should be
considered a FAULT. Any washed out or pale colors should also be
considered a FAULT. Blues, livers, dogs with lack of proper
pigmentation, or dogs with a nose that is not predominately black must
be DISQUALIFIED.]
[21) COAT (TWO
ACCEPTABLE VARIETIES): SMOOTH: The ideal dog has a double coat of medium
length. The outer coat should be as dense as possible with hair
straight, harsh, lying close to the body. The hair around the neck area
should be slightly longer and thicker. The rear of the forelegs and hind
legs has somewhat longer hair extending to the pastern and hock
respectively. The head including the inner ear and fore face, legs and
paws should be covered with shorter hair. *Even though the smooth coated
type requires less care and grooming -- the Plush coated variety seems
to shed less. PLUSH: The Plush Variety has a close fitting double coat
of medium coarse guard hairs, with a softer undercoat. The head and
muzzle, back of the ears and front of the legs and paws are covered with
short smooth hairs. The neck has a distinct "mane" that extends to, and
covers the chest, with slightly shorter hair covering the remaining
torso, not to exceed 5" in length. The "feathering" inside of the ears
and on the back of the forelegs should not exceed 3" in length. *Show
Grooming should include the trimming of all excess fur from between the
toes, around the pads, and the removal of all "tufts" from among the
"feathering" inside the ears.]
Disqualifying faults:
The disqualifying faults are attempting to or biting the judge or other
dog, in or outside of the ring, monorchidism, cryptorchidism, docked
tails or ears, cropped or hanging ears, undershot jaw, or dogs with
noses not predominantly black. Dogs or bitches that are shy or
overly aggressive must be disqualified by the judge. |
