Breed Standard Per Carolina Dog Fanciers of America
This breed standard is intended: to furnish guidelines for dog fanciers who wish to maintain the quality of this breed to enable it to still survive and reproduce on its own, without human assistance in the wild habitat to which it has been adapted by natural selection for thousands of years.
Breeders and judges have the responsibility to consider any conditions or exaggerations that are or could be detrimental to the breed’s welfare and they must take the responsibility to see that such detrimental traits are not perpetuated. Any departure from the following should be considered a fault. The seriousness of the fault should be regarded in proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog, as well as the dog’s ability to survive and reproduce in its original free-ranging state under natural conditions.
HISTORY
Several lines of evidence confirm that when the first humans crossed the Bering Land Bridge into North America from Asia, they were accompanied by primitive dogs that could have resulted from the beginnings of the original domestication of middle eastern wolves thousands of years earlier. It is thought that these original dogs moved quickly with their human companions across to the North American continent and then down through the western part of North America, and eventually into the eastern United States, Mexico and Central America. Skeletal remains, prehistoric pictorial representations and mummified bodies of these dogs have been found along with the artifacts of Native Americans. Archeological investigations have documented ceremonial burials of these dogs, indicating their presence as valued companions of Native Americans long before the arrival of Europeans on this continent.
In the 1970s, Dr. I.Lehr Brisbin noted and trapped free-ranging dogs in some of the natural habitats of the southeastern United States and they were named “Carolina Dogs”. It was hypothesized that these dogs could be descendants of the canines that originally crossed the Bering Land Bridge. Additional studies support this hypothesis although additional ancestry and genetic studies are needed to reach a fully definitive conclusion about their origins. These free-ranging dogs noted by Dr. Brisbin had the general appearance of most middle eastern pariah dogs, and both their behavior and general ecology were consistent with a derivation from such free-ranging dogs. Pariah dogs, also known as village dogs, exist all over the world living on the fringe of human civilization. They commonly have upright ears, pointed snouts, lean bodies and fish-hook tails. The distinctive characteristics of the Carolina Dog breed are those that confer survival advantages under free-ranging conditions in the remaining remote areas of tall grasslands, bottomland swamps, deserts, and forest habitats of the southern United States.
GENERAL APPEARANCE
The Carolina Dog is a generally medium-sized dog, light to medium boned, possessing the appearance of a small jackal or wolf, in combination with many features of a medium-sized sighthound. The body is rectangular exhibiting a medium length straight back. The waist is distinctive and sets off a deep brisket from a highly tucked-up loin. The tail is distinctive in its fishhook shape at the end, giving rise to a pump handle appearance when in a natural relaxed state. Tail carriage is variable depending on mood. The tail often has a white tip. The medium to large, upright ears and long, graceful neck are distinctive features, and suggest the appearance of a medium-sized versatile, and resourceful predator, well adapted to surviving on its own in a natural habitat. In ideal conditions, a Carolina Dog should appear thin and tight. It is not inappropriate, for example, for the ribs to show slightly as in a well-conditioned racing sighthound. Individuals that are greatly overweight or which have a thick, stocky build should be penalized. The dog is to be shown in a natural condition, with no evidence of grooming or scissoring. Whiskers are not to be removed.
A generally shy and suspicious nature is often characteristic of this breed, but excessive fear and aggression or resistance to examination is not desirable. No individual should be expected to be friendly and outgoing, or to enjoy physical contact with strangers.
HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
The average height measured at the withers, generally ranges from 18 to 24 inches but can vary according to sex and build. Weight Is dependent on the overall size and build of the individual and usually varies from approximately 35 to 50 pounds. Overfed dogs may exceed this range and are to be penalized. The dog should have an appearance of a medium sized sighthound. At no time should the breed appear heavy-bodied or having a thick, stocky build; an obvious waist tuck should be evident. Females are generally lighter and smaller in build than dogs, but the sexes overlap broadly in both size and weight.
At all times, the dog should have the appearance of a sighthound. Major Fault: Heavy, stocky build, oversized and not appearing to possess the elegance, lightness, and agility of a sighthound.
HEAD
Expression: should be bright-eyed, thoughtful, and intelligent. Viewed from above, the head forms a triangle, tapering to a strong, pointed muzzle accentuated by the highly developed jaw muscles.
Stop: is slight, but distinct. Younger dogs often show fine wrinkling on the forehead, giving a frown effect.
Skull: The skull is refined and consistent with that of a sighthound. It is never blocky or thick. The skull gives the dog the appearance of a jackal or small wolf. It is broad and may be slightly rounded between the ears and has ample muscle with an overall wedged shape. There is usually a distinct furrow extending down between the eyes. There is a prominent occiput.
Muzzle: The length of the muzzle is approximately equal to the length of the cranial portion of the skull. It is elongated, pointed, and well developed, free from throatiness. The muzzle should never appear to be coarse or blocky. The jaws are powerful, clean, and deep. The tight-fitting lips are black. Fault: Lack of Black Lip Liner.
Teeth: A full complement of white, well-developed, even teeth meet in a scissors or level bite. Fault: Severe undershot bite/Sever overshot bite.
Tongue: The tongue is fully pink, black-spotted, fully black, or purple.
Eyes: The almond-shaped eyes are brown, amber, or yellow in color. They are set at a slight angle so that the outer edge of the eye is usually higher than the inner edge of the eye. Eye rims are black and unbroken and give the appearance of eyeliner. Overall expression is one of softness and intelligence, but highly cautious. Disqualifying Fault: Blue eyes. Fault: Eyes any color other than brown, amber, or yellow.
Nose: The nose is robust, black, and has large and well-opened nostrils in dogs of almost all coat colors. Some of the lighter-colored dogs, may have the pigment of the nose vary seasonally. Such fading of the nose color, especially with age, is not desirable but should not be penalized. Fault: Butterfly nose.
Ears: The ears are mobile and expressive. They are slightly rounded at the tip and fine in texture. The ears are somewhat refined and triangular with a wide base. As the ears ascend, they taper elegantly, and they are carried upright when the dog is alert but can be rotated backwards to be carried along the of the back of the head and neck. The ears are set well on top of the head, often leaning forward and slightly outward. It is preferable that they be pointed slightly forward and set correctly on the head. Such ears are considered “hooded.” A characteristic position is often for one ear to be firmly pricked, and the other to rotate sensitively listening to the surrounding environment. Ears should be erect. Semi-prick ears and natural ears occasionally occur in the breed but are not preferred and are considered a fault to the extent that they may drop down in the conformation ring or otherwise occlude the entry of sound into the ear canal. Particularly with light-eyed dogs, elongated or “hooded” ears help shade the eyes from exposure to full sun. Dogs with semi-prick (upright base but folded over in any manner) ears should be penalized to the degree of deviation.
Disqualifying Fault: Ears which fold over and occlude part, or all, of the opening of the ear canal.
Neck, Topline, and Body
Topline: The topline is level, horizontal, or may rise slightly at the top of the loin, as in some sighthounds.
Body: The rectangular body is medium in length, sleek and consistent with a sighthound. There is a definite waist with a well-defined tuck-up. The back is strong, straight, and horizontal. There may be a slight rise over the loin. The back may be moderately long but must have no suggestion of slackness.
Chest: The chest is narrow to medium in width, but deep, with plenty of lung and heart room. The brisket reaches to the elbows in mature specimens.
Fault: Wide or broad chested.
Tail: Like the ears, the tail is a most expressive characteristic feature of this breed. The tail is set horizontally as a continuation of the spine but may have a slight lift at the tail base. In addition, toward its end, the ideal tail is shaped like a fishhook, meaning that approximately the last third of the tail bends back over itself toward the direction of the dog’s head. The tail should never completely curl over the back of the dog, as to touch the dog’s back.
When the dog is alert, the fishhook tail is often held at about a 45-degree angle above the horizontal. When the dog is trotting, the tail may be carried in a downward “pump handle” configuration displaying the fishhook. At other times, especially when the dog is being approached by a stranger, the tail may be held low or tucked between the rear legs. When the tail is tucked some of the fishhook curvature may diminish; however, the tail should not be straight, slack, or loose in its hang, as the tail, when foraging or on alert, should be able to be hoisted and waived vigorously in tall weedy cover.
The tail may have a moderate brush or plume that is more heavily haired on the underside. The underside is usually lighter-colored or at least paler than the upper tail surface, which may show some dark sable colored hair. Note, black dogs are unlikely to have paler coloring on the underside of the tail.
Major Faults: A straight tail. Fault: Any tail which twists or makes a full arc or curl over the back. Fault: Tail without a fishhook at the end.
FOREQUARTERS FORELEGS
The forelegs are straight and often closer together than in many breeds. The forelegs have good length, with a long upper arm, longer than that of the shoulder blade and are moderately straight. The flexible pasterns have a 15-to-20-degree angle. Shoulders are long and laid back with a definitive prosternum. The return places the elbow just under the front edge of the shoulder blade.
HINDQUARTERS
The hindquarters are strong, powerful, and muscular. The upper thigh muscles are thick and strong, almost as in well-conditioned racing sighthound. Hind legs are set squarely or directly under the dog with the hock joint almost vertical to the hip joint. The upper thigh and lower thigh are equal, making them well angulated for speed with agility, enabling the dog to turn quickly while moving forward. Rear pasterns are longer than those of the forelegs. Rear dewclaws may be present and may be doubled.
FEET: While standing, the forefeet may be slightly turned out, but equally so. The moderately small feet are compact and never splayed. The toes are well-arched, and the dog appears light on its feet. The pads are hard. The nails are strong.
COAT: The length of the close-lying coat may be affected by the seasons. The winter coat and those of dogs living in colder climates may be distinctly heavier than the summer coat. On the head, the ears, and front legs, the hair is usually short and smooth. Coarse, longer guard hairs (longer than the undercoat) may extend over the neck, withers and back. When aroused, parts of this hair may stand erect. Guard hairs may be slightly darker giving the appearance of a ridge. The coat behind the shoulder blades is often lighter in color (angel wings) in ginger-colored and in some of the black and tan dogs.
Faults: Curly, wavy, or broken coats.
COLOR: The most common coat color is any of various shades of ginger. The ginger coat may vary in color ranging from a reddish ginger to a lighter straw-color to a pale-yellow, or buff and at times may vary on different areas of the body. For example, the back of the neck, withers, and trunk may often be of a darker shade of ginger than the flanks and other, more ventral parts of the body below them. The ginger coat usually has pale buff markings over/behind the shoulders (angel wings) and usually includes lighter shadings on the underside, chest, and throat, sometimes being nearly white on the throat. The muzzle may also have pale buff or white along the sides and underneath the lower jaw.
Some white on the toes and feet is common and is not to be penalized. Some dark sabling over the back, loins and tail in a ginger dog is permissible. Dogs less than two years of age may have dark muzzles, but this is not required. In addition to ginger coats, the following coats/patterns are permitted: solid black, with or without minor white markings; black and tan (may have buff or red accents), and piebald.
Ticking is permitted only on white socks and feet.
Ticking is not permitted throughout the body of the dog. A few gray hairs from age or injury may be allowed, especially on the muzzle.
Disqualifying Faults: Albinism. White collars, white eye patches. Merle/roan/mottling/dappling, blue/grey, brown/liver coat color. Diluted coat colors. Ticking on a dog’s body. (Note: ticking is permitted on white socks and feet.)
GAIT AND MOVEMENT: Gait is low, free moving, effortless, and smooth. There is a suggestion of flexibility in the back, as would be expected for a medium-sized sighthound capable of a double-suspension gallop. The dog should appear athletic. A long, extended foreleg reach as in a Basenji is acceptable.
TEMPERAMENT: A generally shy and suspicious nature is often characteristic of this breed, but excessive fear and aggression or resistance to examination is not desirable. No individual should be expected to be friendly and outgoing, or to enjoy physical contact with strangers.