The standard
The Spanish kennel club, 1994
The country of origin
Spain.
The purpose
To guard cattle, farms, human beings and their property.
The FCI classification
The second group, molossian dogs.
The general look
The Spanish mastiff is a very powerful and very big and heavy dog of molossian type, proportional with medium length hair.
The proportions
The body length is bigger than the withers height.
The length of the muzzle/the skull part is 4/6.
The breast/withers height is 9/6.
The skull width is bigger than the skull length or is equal to it.
The temperament
The Spanish mastiff is a balanced and reliable guard free from any nervousness and aggressive to strangers and predators. It has a powerful, loud and deep voice. Cowardly, timid and nervous dogs are excluded from breeding.
The head
The skull part is big and square, the length is not smaller than the width, the inion is expressed. The forehead is flat, the passage is smooth. The muzzle is deep, long and well-filled all over the length. The nose lobe is black with wide nostrils. The lips are wet and black inside. The eyes are not big, triangular, a little slanting of walnut or brown color, the eyelids are thick, black, a little drooping. The look is full of self-assurance and calm. The ears are not big located at the eye higher level, thick, hanging, raised at the foundation, not cut. The teeth are big and white, the bite is scissors-like. The incisors are relatively small in comparison with the big fangs and premolar teeth, a full set of teeth.
The neck
Is relatively short, very muscular, beautifully stretched and highly located. The skin is thick, wet, elastic and forms a hanger.
The body
The fore part is very muscular and wide, but without any signs of overloading. The breast is well-developed, prominent, deep, the breast volume is bigger than the dog’s height in the withers. The withers are well-developed, the upper part is powerful, straight, rigid when the dog is standing or moving. The small of the back is short and muscular. The stomach is moderately drawn in. The croup is a little sloping.
The forward extremities
The angles are enough for the Spanish mastiff to move freely and elegantly. The shoulders are inclined. The forearms are straight, very massive with a rich skeleton and a heavy muscular system, short, strong with a straight metacarpus. The proportion of the forearm length to the metacarpus length is 3:1. The paw is in a clump. The paw is in a lump. The claws are dark and short.
The aft extremities
The angles are medium. The muscles are powerful. The strong jumping joints are located relatively low. Additional toes are characteristic. The mill is medium.
The tail
Is thick at the foundation with a hanger and reaches the jumping joint. When the dog is excited, it raises and bends like a sickle, but is not twisted or hurled on the back.
The hair and coloration
The hair is rough of medium length, the undercoat is thick. The hair is longer on the shoulders, the breast and the tail. The color is pale-yellow, red, wolfish, white and grey, black or red, tiger.
The movements
Free, elegant with a powerful expression. Amble is impossible.
The height
A male dog’s height is min. 77 sm, a bitch’s height is from 72 sm. A male dog’s weight is from 60 kg, a bitch’s weight is from 50 kg. The general proportionality of a dog is important. The preferable height of a male dog is from 80 sm and of a bitch from 75 sm.
The Spanish mastiff’s disadvantages
Its narrow, light muzzle, the absence of a premolar, a weak skeleton, its cowardice. Serious disadvantages. The absence of a fang or several premolars, a stretched or sagging back, closely located jumping joint, amble, too long or curly hair, cut ears and/or a tail,