Indian Pi Dog  

   Description  

The American Indian dog is a working herding type, medium sized and lightly built, with a natural looking muzzle, and longish pricked ears.  Their bushy tail is carried down with a slight curve.  The head is in proportion to the body.  The muzzle is wedge-shaped and moderately long to provide balance to the longish pricked ears.  The stop is gentle, providing a flowing curve from the plane to the muzzle to the top of the skull.  The skull is slightly domed between the ears.  The eyes are medium sized and almond shaped.  Colors include Pail Yellow or Pail Blue with the occasional amber, with the lighter color preferred.  The eyes have an intelligent faraway look.  The eyelids are close fitting and black.  The ears are moderately long and wide set.  They tilt slightly forward on the head, and are firmly pricked.  Triangular in shape and well furred.  There is a slight dome on the skull between the ears.  The ears are very mobile.  The nose is medium sized, black in color, with the liver color excepted on certain colors.  The lips are thin and black.  The lips fit closely over the teeth showing no excess flews.  The teeth are a scissor bite only.   Full and sound dentition required.  The neck is medium length and strong.  A good-sized ruff is present, but should not detract from the clean, trim appearance.  The back is straight and slightly longer then tall.  Loins are strong with a good distance between last rib and hip.  Chest is deep, but not broad.  Good tuck-up.  Forelegs slightly turned out and finely boned.  Good musculature with closely set withers and good lay back of shoulders.  The front pastern slopes slightly when viewed from the side.  Rear legs are long, & very angular, almost to the point of being sickle hocked, and well muscled.  The back slopes slightly into the croup.  Hocks well defined and parallel.  Rear dewclaws should not be evident in Indian Dogs, but should be removed if present.   The feet are small and cat like.  Rounded with thick pads.  Toes are close and well arched.  Nails are short and thick.  The tail is long and reaching to the hock, carried down with slight curve.  It may be held up when showing dominance, or straight out when running, but never curled forward past the perpendicular.  The coat is medium length and shiny.  It has a short thick plush undercoat with long guard hairs that stand off from body.  Hair is longer on the chest, ruff, shoulders, back of legs, and tail. COLOR & MARKINGS: Black, blue, white, golden red, gray, red & tan, tan, chocolate, cream, fawn, and silver. All colors have a sable shading with darker tipped guard hairs.  All colors blend gently together, with very little spotting or defined line between colors.  The tail has a dark scent marking (spot) ¾ up from tip.  Some white on the chest, feet, caller and tip of the tail is accepted