General appearance:

Medium to large dog. Robust, tough and powerful yet elegantly built. Dry and strong muscles.

Important proportions: 

The length of the head reaches 36% of the height at the withers. The dog's build is slightly longer than it is tall.

Behavior and character:

As a guardian of property, family and livestock very lively and responsive. Used in the past for herding livestock and hunting big game.

Head:

Broad and typically Molosser-like, the upper longitudinal axes of the skull and muzzle converge slightly. The skull is broad at the cheekbones: its width is greater than or equal to the length of the skull. The widest part of the head is therefore next to the eyes. Arched forehead with a well-marked stop which becomes fairly flat towards the back of the head. Visible pleat at the center front. The nose is large with wide, open nostrils and parallel to the bridge of the nose. The nose is black. With a mask, the nose can be the same color.

Muzzle:

is large and black with wide, open nostrils. The nose is parallel to the bridge of the nose. The muzzle is noticeably shorter than the skull, ratio skull muzzle is 1: 2. Strong and square. The front of the muzzle is straight. The muzzle is broad, square, as wide as it is long. The bridge of the nose is straight and the muzzle narrows hardly or not towards the tip of the nose.

Lips:

Seen from the side, the upper lips hang moderately. They cover the lower jaw so that the lower part of the profile is dominated by the lips.

Jaws and teeth:

Jaws very large, thick and curved. Slightly undershot (optimal is 5 mm). Slight underbite. Pincer bite acceptable, but not desirable.

Eyes:

Medium size, oval in shape, facing forward and slightly protruding. Close-fitting eyelid. Color of the iris as dark as possible, depending on the color of the coat. Intelligent and watchful eye.

Ears:

Undocked, triangular, pendulous, with wide set, set high above the cheekbone arch.

Neck:

Strong, muscular, as long as the head.

Body:

The body is slightly longer than the height at the withers. Sturdy but not squat. The back is straight, very muscular and sturdy. The loins are short and strong, the hindquarters are long and wide, slightly sloping. The chest is well developed in three dimensions and extends to the elbow.

The tail:

The tail is set high, wide at the set, and docked at the fourth vertebra [Forbidden in the Netherlands]. In action, the tail is raised but never curled or carried straight up.

Front limbs:

The shoulder is long, sloping and very muscular. The upper arm is strong, the forearm straight and very strong. The metatarsal is dry and slightly sloping, foot like a cat.

Behind limbs:

The thigh is long, broad and arched backwards. The leg is strong and not fleshy, the ankle moderately angulated, metatarsal bones thick and wiry. The feet are slightly less compact than the front feet. The gait consists of a long walk with an extended trot. The desired movement is trot. The skin is quite thick and fits tightly to the underlying layers.

Coat: Short, shiny, very dense with light undercoat.

Color:

Black, lead gray, slate gray, light gray, light red, dark red (dark yellow-brown and fawn), brindle (stripes of different shades of red or gray). In fawn and brindle colored dogs, the mask on the muzzle should not go beyond the line of the eyes. A small white patch on the chest, on the ends of the feet and on the bridge of the nose is acceptable.

Height at the withers:

Male: from 64 to 68 cm; female: from 60 to 64 cm. (Deviations of 2 cm both up and down allowed)

Weight:

In proportion to size, male 45 to 50 kg, bitch 40 to 45 kg.

Serious faults