Roodkous

History

Although relatively unknown outside of its native France, the Roodkous is an old and highly respected herding breed. Mentions of the breed date back to the 16th century, when it worked as a hunter of boar and protector of animal stock. Other historical services have included war activities, search and rescue and tracking. Paintings also depict these dogs in the company of kings, suggesting that their skills and temperaments were highly regarded. In France today, they still work as sheep and cattle herders and police assistants. Obedient, loyal and adaptable, Beaucerons also live well as family companions when they are given plenty of activity and responsibility. They are recognized by rare breed clubs, though their small numbers have prevented acknowledgment by most other organizations.

 
General Appearance    The Roodkous Is a sturdy well build dog, is olso a large animal with a rustic look and a powerful, muscular buyild , without heaviness Appearance emphasizes effortless movement and a direct and fearrless manner.

The conformation of the Roodkous  is balanced, harmoniously constructed, with no exaggerated lengthening or shortening of the different elements.

Faults, Too elegant. Lack of power. Shy.

 

Characteristics The  Roodkous expression is that of the shepherd, being direct but never vicious, timed or worried. The temperament must be wise and bold, fearless, and always ready for work. All dogs that are aggressive without reason, timid, or overly suspicious must be disqualified.

Head and  Skull** The head must be carried very proudly, It is long being about 2/5 of the height measured at the withers. The width of the skull and the height of the head are slightly less than half the length of the head.

 

The    well chiseled head has harmonious lines, showing no signs of weakness. The moderate stop is placed equally between the top of the head and the tipof the nose. The skull may be flat or slightly arced. The furrow between the eyes is slight. The occiput is well marked. The muzzle, which is neither narrow nor pointed, shows a slight convex line at the tip of the nose,When viewed in profile, the muzzle is roughly parallel to the topline of the skull.The fight lips are always well pigmented. The upper lip must firmly cover the lower lip. The slight flews at the comer of the mouth are always firm

 

  

 
Faults   Skull too flat or too rounded. Stop too marked or insufficient. Muzzle too hooked, too heavy. Lips too tight. Comers of the mouth thick and flabby. Lack of pigmentation.

Teeth** A full complement of strong, white teeth meet in a scissors bite, with the upper teeth lightly touching the lower teeth. Serious Faults. Two missing incisors. Two missing canine. Two missing molars. Three missing small premolars, Faults Yellow or decayed teeth. One missing incisor, One missing canine. One missing molar.

 

 
Eyes   The eyes are always dark, never being lighter than dark hazel even if markings are light in color. The eyes are always round, with an oval-shaped opening. Faults, Slightly slantedeyes. Slightly protruding. Eyes which are not fully opened. Eyes slightly lighter in color than dark hazel. Dogs having a worried expression in their eyes.

Nose** The tip of the nose is well  developed and in proportion with the muzzle, being neither narrow nor too large. It is always black and always in the line with the upper lips when viewed in profile. Faults snippy nose. Crooked nose. Too large. Too protruding.

 

 

 
Ears    The ears are carried high. They may be crapped or left natural. Between two dogs of equal quality, preference is to be given to the dog with cropped ears. Cropped ears are erect, never converging nor diverging, and point slightly forwars. Uncropped ears are flat and rather short. They are not set close to the head. The length of the uncropped ear must be equal to half the length of the head. Faults, soft, lacking fiber. Poorly carried. Too long. Cropped ears with poor set.

Neck**  The muscular neck blends smoothly with the withers. Faults, thin neck. Heavy neck. Dewlaps.

 

 

 

 
ForeQuarters   Forequarters are straight when viewed from front back or side. The shoulders is sloping and of medium proportional length. 

Forelegs ** The forearms are clean and muscular. Faults, weakshouler a little too sloping.Double dewclaws on forelegs.

Body**  The body length, from the top of the withers to the point of the rump, must be greater than the height measured at the withers, 1cm {3/8} to {1.5cm}  { 5/8} for the male, and {1.5}  cm {5/8} to 2 cm {3/4} for the female.

Chest**  The cest is wide and deep. The circumference of the chest is to be greater than one and one-fit of the height measured at the withers. The brisket reaches the tip of the elbow. The floating ribs are long and flexible.

Withers** Well the withers are well - marke. The back is straight, The broad loin is well-attached. The rump slopes slightly at the point of the attachment of the tail. Faults Body too long or too short. Rat rump. Rump too sloping. Slight faults in angulation.

 

 

 

 

 
HindQuarters   Hindquarters are straight when viewed from the front, back ore side.

Hind Legs*** The hind legs are carried back slightly. The stifle is moderately angulated. The rear pasterns are of medium length one * quarter the height of the dog  { measured at the withers}, and from an open angle with the leg. The vertical hocks are aligned slightly behind the tip of the rump. There must be double dewclaws on the inside of the hind legs. They are well defined, placed close to the foot, and distinct from one another. Faults, dewclaws placed too high. Underdeveloped or fused dewclaws.

 

 

 
Feet The strong feet are round. Pads are hard, yet elastic. The nails are always black. Faults, feet not sufficiently tight. Pads too soft. Pads lacking elasticity.

Tail ** The tail is not docked. It is carried low and straight down, reaching at a short or tucked-up* trot a A dog that will break into a run at slow least to the tip of the hock. It is in the shape of a hook at the tip speed. A dog that paces ambles considered a fatigue gaft{. Faults, tail set in slightly off-center. Straight tail. Tail hook too tight.

 

 

 
Coat  The Beauceron is double coated. The undercoat is very short fine, dense and downy and should not show through the guard hairs. It is preferably light gray.

The hair on the head is short, from 1/8* to [3/4] from the forehead to the crown, respectily. On the body, it is rough, short,thick and coarse, laying close to the body, being 1.18 inches to 1.57 inches long.

Faults ** Hair too long on the haed. Fringes not thick enough or too light in color. Coat too sleek or tending to wave the coat is said to wave when the  hair is close--laying but shows very slight kinks.

 

 

 
Color  The acceptable colors are black and rust{Bas Rouge} {bicolor} and Harlequin { tricolor}. Black and Rust bicolor { Bas Rouge }  Well the black is deep. The bright rust markings appear above the eyes, on the side of the muzzle, fading off on the cheeks and never reahing under the ear, on the chest where tw 8 spots are preferred to solid markings across the chest, on the throat, under the tail, on the feet up to the hocks and wrist On the limbs, the markings should become progresively narrower upwards. On the outside, They should not go higher than a third at the leg. They will blend higher on the inside of the leg. A few white hairs on the chest are permissible. HarleQuin {{ grey, black and rust }} The coat has grey and black patches distributed evenly over the body, more black than grey. The bright rust markings are identical to those on the bicolor. Faults Black color not sufficiently deep. Markings not sufficiently blended into the black coat. Markings too light or to dark in color. Markings too sparse or too prevalent Small white mark on the chest. On the Harlequin, Gray shading too light or too prevalent.

 

 

 

 
Height    Males, Height ranges from {{ 25-1/2 inches}} (65cm) to 27-1/2 inches) {{ 70 cm}}And the Females,, Height ranges from 24 inches {{ 61cm }} to 26-3/4 inches {{68cm}}

Movement** Judging the movement of the Beauceron cannot be overemphasized in the show ring.The action of the Beauceron must be free and supple, with the customary evaluation from both front and behind the dog. Furthermore, it is essential that the dog be viewed from the side, especially in the extended trot. The Judge must look for a long, outreaching movement, with the feet skimming right above.

 

 
DisQualifications   Unilatteral  or bilateral cryptorchid. Under developed testicles. Extreme viciousness or shyness. Too heavy appearance chest too cylindrical, too potbellied. Too thin appearance Pack of chest, too tucked-up. Heights outside of the maximum or minnimum limits. Three missing incisors. Three missing canines.Three missing molars. Four missing premolars. Head lacking in type. Length, head should be 2/5 of height at with-ers and in proportionn  with the body. Heads much smaller or coarser are disqualifed. As well as the head which lacks a stop or one with an excessive stop. The skull must possess harmonious lines and notshow weakness {{ i.e - too rounded or too flat}}. Muzzle too narrow pincher-like  or too short ( pug- like ). Ups too loose. Ups with an excessive amount of tissue, giving an enlarged or pendulous appearoance. Lack of pigmentation in lips.

Undershot bite.Set of teeth too incomplete or faulty. Impossibility of examining the mouth. Split nose. Nose color other than black. Eyes very light Eyes not set on head properly or very slanted, not oval. Ears that do not fit the description.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Body   too long. Body too short. Lacks symmetry in overall body structure. Lack of angulation.  Angulation is such that it desstroys symmetry of the dog and will not permit for normal gaits and movement. Short tail.Ratty tail. Tail carded up on itself or on dog's back.  Overly abundant hair on head which does not lie flat and gives a shaggy appearance. The hair on the head cannot be in excess of one (1) inch in length. Hair on body too long or to short.Hair should be give an overall smooth appearance on the body. It should not exceed two (2) inches in length or be less than lack of feathering. Hind leg feathering should be between one (1) inch and 2-1/4 inches. Lack of undercoat. Undercoat showing through guard hairs. Hair that stands up straigh. Wavy coat a wavy coat is neither curly, flat nor sleek. Splay feet. Feet not allowing a normal action. Single dewclaws on hind legs or lack of dewclaws.

 

 

 

 

White  patch on chest. Markings too prevalent. Markings on parts of the body not mentioned.Markings contrasting too sharply with other color of coat. In the Harlequin, too much grey, black on side with grey on the other, markings smudged with grey, Head all grey. Any sign of color weakness or degeneracy, such as bare patches, lack of pigmentation, or faded coloring. Black and grey hair should blend uniformly, presenting a merled appearance. Movement not characteristic of a shepherd dog. The dog that cannot properly execute the walk, trot extend-ed trot, and gallop gaits that are required of a working, herding animal.

        

 

 

 
Faults    Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault an d the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note*  Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

 

 

 

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