ROMANIAN CORB (RAVEN) SHEPHERD DOG

Breed Standard

Common CFCR – WDF nomenclature

__ORIGIN: __Romania.

__UTILIZATION: __Shepherd dog used for centuries by Romanian shepherds to guard and defend flocks of sheep and herds of cattle.

__CLASSIFICATION: __Group I — Romanian Shepherd Dogs (national native breeds).

__Morphological type: __shepherd guard dog, black coat.

__Working trial: __not compulsory.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY

The Romanian Corb (Raven) Shepherd Dog is a natural breed formed in the area of the Southern Carpathians, as well as in the sub-Carpathian regions of Dâmbovița, Argeș, Prahova and Brașov counties. Sizeable populations were also found in Buzău county. In these areas the dogs are highly valued for their qualities, which over the past ten years or so has made the breed increasingly popular nationwide. Owing to its black coat, this dog has always been known in the pastoral world as the “raven” shepherd dog (câine ciobănesc corb).

GENERAL APPEARANCE

A large dog, imposing, bold and proud. Sexual dimorphism is well marked: males are stronger, taller and more robust than females. The coat is black over at least 80% of the body surface, with white markings on the chest and feet; black ticking is accepted on the white markings of the feet.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS

The length of the skull is slightly greater than or equal to half of the total length of the head. The length of the body is slightly greater than the height at the withers, of rectangular shape. Females may have a slightly longer lumbar region. The scapulo-humeral angulation is moderate (approximately 100°–110°). The depth of chest is approximately half of the height at the withers.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT

Balanced, dignified and calm, with a highly developed guarding instinct, entirely devoted to its owners. Very distrustful of strangers. An excellent guard dog for flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, fearless and combative before the predators of the Carpathians (bear, wolf and lynx). Its bark is powerful and can be heard from a great distance.

__HEAD: __Strong but not heavy, with well-chiselled lines, never angular or coarse in expression. Carried proudly, raised above the line of the back.

CRANIAL REGION

__Skull: __Sufficiently wide; its length and width are approximately equal. Seen from the front it is slightly domed; in profile it is almost flat. The zygomatic arches are suitably developed. The occipital protuberance is slightly marked.

__Stop: __Moderately marked, never too pronounced or too faint.

FACIAL REGION

__Nose: __Well developed and wide, black in colour.

__Muzzle: __Truncated-cone shaped, of a length slightly less than or equal to that of the skull; well developed, narrowing progressively towards the extremity but never pointed. Its width and depth are approximately equal.

__Lips: __Thick, well applied and strongly pigmented. A slightly drooping commissure is permitted.

__Jaws / Teeth: __Strong and straight jaws, with complete dentition and well-set teeth, white in colour. Scissor or pincer (level) bite. Reverse scissor bite is permitted.

__Cheeks: __Not prominent, with tight skin.

__EYES: __Small in relation to the size of the head; almond-shaped and oblique, amber-coloured, ranging from very dark to lighter shades. Never protruding. Eyelids well pigmented.

__EARS: __Not too big, set slightly above eye level, “V”-shaped with a slightly rounded tip, pendent and carried close to the cheeks.

__NECK: __Of suitable length, thick and strong, without dewlap, forming an angle of approximately 50° to the horizontal.

BODY

Massive, vigorous, well developed.

__Topline: __Horizontal.

__Withers: __Suitably marked.

__Back: __Well supported and very muscular.

__Loin: __Strong, very muscular, of suitable length (neither too long nor too short).

__Croup: __Muscular and wide, slightly sloping towards the base of the tail, never falling away.

__Chest: __Wide and deep, reaching the level of the elbows. The ribs are solid, never barrel-shaped.

__Underline: __Slightly raised; the belly is neither tucked up nor pendulous.

__TAIL: __Set fairly high, covered with abundant hair, sabre-shaped. At rest it is carried low, with the tip slightly curved in its last third; when extended it reaches the hock. When the dog is alert or in action the tail is carried raised, possibly above the level of the back, but never curved onto a flank or curled over the back.

LIMBS

With strong bone.

FOREQUARTERS

__General appearance: __Seen in profile and from the front, the limbs have good aplomb.

__Shoulders: __Long, strong and oblique shoulder blades, well attached, very muscular; suitably sloping.

__Upper arm: __Suitably long and very muscular.

__Elbow: __Close to the body, moving easily, turning neither out nor in.

__Forearm: __Strong and not too long; straight, very vigorous, with an oval section.

__Carpus: __Solid.

__Metacarpus (pastern): __Short; in profile almost straight or slightly sloping.

__Forefeet: __Slightly oval, compact and strong, with black nails.

HINDQUARTERS

__General appearance: __Very muscular and strong, with good aplomb.

__Thigh: __Suitably long, wide, very muscular.

__Lower thigh: __Of medium length, muscular and strong.

__Hock: __Seen in profile, wide and with suitable angulation. Seen from behind, set in a plane parallel to the median plane of the body.

__Metatarsus: __Robust and clean, with perfect aplomb. Presents single or double dewclaws; the absence of dewclaws is undesirable but must not be penalised.

__Hind feet: __Oval, compact and strong, with black nails.

__GAIT / MOVEMENT: __Regular and free. Seen from the front or behind, the limbs move in a straight line. The trot of medium amplitude is the preferred gait.

__SKIN: __Thick, well applied, dark-grey in colour.

COAT

__Hair: __Short on the head and the front of the limbs. On the body abundant, straight, harsh, reaching a length of 5–10 cm. The undercoat is dense and soft. On the neck the hair is longer and forms a mane; on the back of the limbs it forms feathering of moderate length. The tail is bushy, covered with longer and thicker hair.

__Colour: __Black, or black with white markings on the chest and feet. The ground must always be black (preferably an intense black, the colour of a raven’s plumage) over at least 80% of the body surface, with white markings on the chest and limbs. On the forelimbs, the white markings must not exceed the level of the metacarpal (pastern) joint. No ticking of shades other than black is admitted on the white ground. A coat with reddish tints, due to prolonged exposure to the sun, is not penalised.

SIZE AND WEIGHT

Height at the withers:

• Males: 70–80 cm, ideal 75 cm.
• Females: 65–75 cm, ideal 70 cm.

Nevertheless, the general impression is always the most important.

__Weight: __In proportion to the height, giving the impression of a powerful but not heavy dog.

FAULTS

Any departure from the foregoing constitutes a fault which is penalised according to its seriousness and its effect on the health and welfare of the dog and on its ability to perform the tasks for which the breed was created.

• Fine constitution.
• Insufficiently marked sexual characters.
• Obese subjects or those lacking vigour.
• Very short hair, under 5 cm (a bare specimen), or hair forming a parting along the middle of the back.
• Heavy movement.

SEVERE FAULTS

• Expression foreign to the breed.
• Round, protruding (bulging) eyes.
• Stop too pronounced or too faint.
• Very drooping lip commissure.
• Saddle-backed or too long a topline.
• Curly-wavy, soft, silky hair.
• Yellow eyes with a bird-of-prey expression.
• Ocular heterochromia (wall eye).
• Cow hocks.
• Open feet, turned out or in.
• Elbows turned out.
• Tail curled, ring-shaped, carried on a flank.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS

• Fearful.
• Atypical subject, excessively molossoid or weedy.
• Upper or lower prognathism.
• Absence of incisors or canines.
• White markings over 30% of the body surface (blazed, collared, mantled, etc.).
• Colours other than those described in the standard (brindle, grizzle, tan-pointed, blue, liver, etc.).
• Erect or semi-erect ears.
• Absent or atrophied tail.
• Lack of undercoat; wiry or long hair.
• Height under 65 cm in males.
• Height under 60 cm in females.
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities.

N.B.

• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed-typical conformation, should be used for breeding.