The MPCA Judges' Education Committee recently reformated and updated the illustrated breed standard in an effort to improve the MPCA's judges' education material. The MPCA is dedicated to educating both judges and breeders alike.

The illustrated standard is divided into sections with a link to each section on the navigation bar on the left.

Neck, Topline, Body

AKC STANDARD: Neck, Topline, Body - NECK proportioned to head and body, slightly arched, gracefully curved, blending into shoulders, muscular and free from suggestion of dewlap or throatiness. TOPLINE - back level or slightly sloping toward the rear both when standing and gaiting. BODY compact, slightly wedge-shaped, muscular, FORECHEST well developed. Well-sprung RIBS. Depth of brisket, the base line of which is level with points of the elbows. Belly moderately tucked up to denote grace of structural form. Short and strong LOIN. CROUP level with topline. TAIL set high, held erect, docked in proportion to size of dog.

DISCUSSION:The neck is in proportion to the head and body, medium length and nicely arched. The neck should blend smoothly and cleanly into the shoulders. Necks that are too long and thin, ewe necks and short thick necks are all undesirable, as is excess skin or dewlap around the head and throat.
The back is level or slightly sloping to the rear. An extreme slope is not desirable. The topline should remain solid when the dog is gaiting.
When viewed from above, the body is compact, wedge shaped and muscular with well-sprung ribs. The brisket should reach to the elbow. The loin is short and strong. The underline shows moderate tuck-up. The croup is level with the topline with a high tailset. Dogs with tails docked too long or too short should NOT be penalized for these are man-made faults. Undesirable traits include rounded croups, low tailsets, "squirrel" tails and roachy or dippy (sway back) toplines.