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GENERAL APPEARANCE:

A relatively large dog, rectangular in shape, always giving the impression of agility. Secondary sex characteristics are strongly differentiated, with the males being taller and stronger than the females.

CHARACTERISTICS:

A natural and courageous guard dog, calm, balanced, proud and dignified, unconditionally attached to the family, the herd and his master.

HEAD:

Lupoid in type - Wolf like, powerful but never heavy.

SKULL

Wide and slightly domed, narrowing towards the eyes. Stop must be moderate.

MUZZLE

Approximately the same length as the skull or slightly smaller, never longer than the skull. Cone shape with thick but tight and always dark lips and lean cheeks.

TEETH

The Romanian Carpathian Shepherd Dog has a complete set of evenly spaced, white teeth meeting in a scissors bite.

NOSE

Large, wide, and always black.

EYES

Almond shaped, fairly small, set somewhat obliquely. Ideally, dark brown in color, but different shades of brown are allowed with tight fitting black rims. The eyes can never be yellow or another light color and the lids cannot be light pigmented.

EARS

Triangular in shape, slightly rounded at the tips and set slightly above the outer corner of the eye. Carried dropped and close to the cheeks.

NECK

Medium length, very strong and carried at an angle of approximately 50 degrees to the horizontal.

FOREQUARTERS

The shoulder blades are well muscled and moderately sloping.

FORELEGS

Straight, with strong, oval shaped bone and short, slightly sloping pasterns. Length of the foreleg from elbow to ground is one half the height at the withers.

BODY

Longer than tall, giving a rectangular appearance. The chest is well developed and deep to the elbows, rather broad. The ribs are well-sprung but never barrel shaped. The back is of moderate length, strong and firm, and the top line is level. The loin is fairly short and muscular and the croup is of moderate length and slightly sloping but never falling away. The underline is gently curving.

HINDQUARTERS

Well-muscled with strong bone and good angulation.

HIND LEGS

Very broad in upper thigh with a moderate length of lower thigh, a firm hock joint and a vertical rear pastern.

FEET

Large, oval and compact with well arched toes and resilient pads.

TAIL

Set on relatively high, reaching to the hock, at rest it is carried low or saber-like. When the dog is alert it can be slightly above the topline, but should never be curled or carried over the back.

COAT

Harsh, dense, straight and double. Of moderate length and abundant all over the body, except on the head and the front of the legs where it is short and smooth. Profuse coat is typical on the neck, back of legs and tail.

COLOR

Pale fawn overlaid with black (wolf grey), often with paler shadings on the under parts of the body. White markings are acceptable on legs, chest, neck and face, but should not be predominant and are not allowed on the back from neck to tail.

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT

Ideal height at the withers for males is 25½ inches to 29 inches; for females it is 23 to 26½ inches, however there is no cap limit on the height, the overall appearance is what matters most. Weight should be in harmony with the size, giving the impression of strength but not heaviness.

GAIT

Free and long reaching, giving the impression of great endurance.

FAULTS and DEFFECTS

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree. Examples: unprovoked aggressiveness or shyness; molossoid type features, albinism or white markings on the back; hip or elbow dysplasia; a square or tube-like muzzle; overbite or level bite; erased stop; as well as a stop too pronounced; back line either concave or convex, chest too narrow, or too high, the color is brown or brittle in any parts of the body; and others.

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