MURTOI'S
	PYRENEAN MASTIFF

PYRENEAN MASTIFF

STANDARD

Name of the breed: Mastín del Pirineo/Pyrenean Mastiff Synonyms: Mostín d’Aragón; Mostín dell’Aragó

Difussion: Aragonese and Navarre Pyrenees; Aran Valley

FCI Qualification: Second Group, Section 2, Molossers

General appearance: Its a large sized dog, well proportioned and muscled, with a compact skeleton and although large in size it shall never be cumbersome or lymphatic.

Character and behavior: Affectionate, docile and particullary intelligent, it is, at the same time, brave and fierce with strangers. In its relation with other dogs, it shows extremly benevolence, knowing its own strength. Should the time arise it is skilled at fight, remembering its acquired behavior after centuries of fights with wolves. Its bark is low and deep and it has a bright expression.

Size: There’s not a maximum size for the breed, though, in the same proportions, always are more valuables the bigger specimen. The minimum limits are 77 cm. to the male and 72 cm to the bitch.

Format: Rectangular structure. Longitudinal diameter slightly longer than height at the withers. Harmonic and proportioned in all circumstances

Use: Mainly as a defendor for cattle and guardian of people and property. Must be left out of reproduction the excessively shy, cowardly or desequilibrated specimen. In the past, was used as defendor against wolves and bears. Actually, its an excellent watching dog, having a natural receptiveness to be trained.

Head: Large, strong and moderately long. The relationship between the lenght of the skull and muzzle is 5 to 4. The axes of skull and foreface will be very moderately divergent with slight tendence to parallelism. The skull-face look will be uniform and showing no specific difference in width when seen from above. From aside it will look deep, not wolf like.

Skull region: Wide skull, strong, with subconvex profil. The width of the skull will be equal or slightly superior to its lenght and the occiput crest will be well marked.

Face region: Straight profil. Seen from above, the foreface will look somewhat triangular, large and slightly diminishing towards the truffle, but never looking snipey.

Truffle: Black, wet, big and wide.

Lips: Upperlip will cover well to the underlip, but not limping excesively. Underlip bag well marcked. Black colour.

Teeth: White, strong and healthy. Big and long canine teeth. Very powerful molars. Rather small inscisors. Scissors bite. Complete teeth.

Eyes: Small, almond shape, preferably dark. Attentive, noble, nice and intelligent look. Stern expression in front of any adversary. The eyelids will be black and preferably close to the eye when the dog is in attention; when resting, the lower eyelid lets show an small part of the conjunctiva.

Ears: Medium sized. Triangular shaped, plain and inserted over the eyes line level. When alert they should be separated from the face and partially lifted. Shall never be amputated.

Neck: Wide, strong, muscled and flexible. Thick skin. Double dewlap well defined but not excessively exagerated.

Body: Rectangular, wide, strong and showing great power. Wide and deep chest with a well marked breastbone. The proportion between the height at withers and the girth of chest will be, aproximately, 7 to 10. Rounded ribs and well separated cutlets. Well marked withers. Straight topline. Long, wide and powerful loin. Wide and strong croup; its inclination is about 45º in relation with the topline and the floor. Descended flanks.

Forequarters: Straight and parallel when viewed from the front, showing muscles and tendons; with well muscled and obliquous shoulders, longer than forearms. The elbows are tied to the brisket. The forearms will triple the pastern in size. Strong bones. Cat feet, fingers well arched.

Hindquarters: Adequate angulations. Powerful and muscled, heavily boned, with well marked hocks, showing the tendon and with no deviations. Must be abble to impel easily the dog, with strength and elegance. Cat feet, slightly oval, may show single or double spurs, that can be amputed if desired, although when choosing two similar dogs, the one showing double spurs will be preferred.

Tail: Strong at the root and medium set. Strong, flexible and showing an important panache. Reaches the hocks when resting and while moving it will be held as a sabre, rather curled at the bottom but not totally folded and never resting over the croup.

Gait: Trot is preferred and it will be harmonic, powerful and elegant. Straight, never plaiting. Without any amble.

Coat: Halflong, thick and dense. The ideal lenght at the topline will be about 6 to 9 cm., being longer at shoulders, neck, lower abdomen and behind forearms and hindlegs, as well as at the panache of the tail. The texture of coat never will be wooly.

Color: Basically white and always with a well defined mask; marks similar in color to that of the mask, spread over the body, with irregular but well defined shape. Ears always marked. Totally white or tricolored animals are undesirables. The most apreciated colors are: snow white with medium grey marks, deep gold yellow, dusk, black, silver grey, light tan, sand or brindle. Red for the marks or yellowish white for the whole bottom are not desired.

Slight faults: Sheepy face profil. Lack of a premolar, pincer bite. Slight distorsion of the top line when moving. Very light shyness. Slightly curly coat or more of 9 cms. long coat.

Serious faults: snipey or excessively rounded muzzle. Weak bone. Incorrect laying of the quarters. Moderate enognatism.The absence of several premolar or canine teeth if the cause is other than an accident. Saddled back. Croup much taller than withers. Very curly coat or whenever less than 6 cms. or over 11 cms. Depigmented ears. Ears or tail cut. Exaggerated ectropion or entropion. Tail leaning over the back, with no panache or straight at the end. Fragile and lymphatic appearance. Unstable character.

Eliminating faults: Excessive prognatism or enognatism. Lack of pigmentation at the truffle and mucosa. The absence of white coat. No white markings at the quarters and toes. Absolutly white specimens. Absence of mask. Coat shorter than 4 cms.or longer than 13 cms. Monorchid or cryptorchid animals. Ant marks that are not cleary noticed and could mean mixed breed blood.