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BREED STANDARD

Translated from Dutch to English.

GENERAL APPEARANCE

The Markiesje is a finely built, black, small bird, elegant and alert, without traces of dwarfism longer than high and light in bone. The shiny hair and beautiful feathering enhance the impression of grace. Any form of exaggeration is undesirable.

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IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS

The length of the body measured from the tip of the shoulder to the seat bone is slightly more the height at the withers (in a ratio of 10 length to 9 height). The depth of the chest is equal to the distance from the lowest point to the ground. The length of the muzzle is equal to that of the skull, measured from the stop to the occipital protuberance.

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CHARACTER AND TEMPERAMENT

The Markiesje is friendly, calm and intelligent. Under no circumstances should it be nervous, anxious or yappy, nor show any trace of aggression.

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HEAD

Skull Area - Moderately long and in proportion to the body.The topline of the skull is dry and flowing.

  • Skull - Almost flat, slightly less wide than long and with a palpable occipital protuberance.

  • Stop - Clearly present, but not abrupt.

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Face

  • Nose - Well developed, in line with the muzzle and with well opened nostrils. Always black and shiny.

  • Muzzle - Tapers slightly towards the nose without being pointed. The topline of the muzzle is straight and runs parallel to that of the skull.

  • Lips - Close and black pigmented.

  • Teeth - A regular, complete and straight scissor bite.

  • Cheekbones - Slightly indented and not overfilled.

  • Eyes - Average size, never bulging or overly large; almond shaped. The color varies from light to dark brown and preferably dark brown to black, clear with a soft expression. The eyelids are well closed and black.

  • Ears - Set high, carried along the head, not projecting above the skull. If the dog's attention is attracted, the tip of the ear will fall against the cheek. Medium sized, triangular in shape with a slightly rounded tip. Equipped with good feathering.

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NECK

Firm and dry, in proportion to the body.

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BODY

  • Topline - Tight and in a flowing line from the shoulder to the tail.

  • Back - Strong, straight, firm and quite short.

  • Loin - Strong, of sufficient length and width, with well-developed muscles.

  • Pelvis - Slightly sloping and sufficiently wide, the length of the pelvis is 1.5 times the width.

  • Chest - Well developed with sufficiently sprung ribs, not barrel-shaped, sufficiently deep to reach the elbow.

  • Underline and Belly - Sufficiently deep and slightly rising towards the loin.

  • Tail - Set on in such a way that it forms a smooth line with the back. The length of the tail (i.e. the tail vertebrae, not the feathering) extends to the hock. The tail is carried in line with the back, or gaily, but never curled over the back. At rest hanging in a slight arc.

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LIMBS

Forequarters

  • General Appearance - Seen from the front, the forelegs should be straight.

  • Shoulder - The shoulder blade is of equal length to the upper arm and moderately angulated. The shoulder blade is sufficiently slanted and lies flat.

  • Upper Arm - Of equal length to the shoulder blade and moderately oblique.

  • Elbow - Well connected to the body.

  • Forelegs - The forelegs are finely built and sufficiently long and strong.

  • Forequarter - Strong, without any trace of weakness and slightly tilted forward.

  • Forefeet - Fairly long hare's foot, oval and well closed, with firm pads.​

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Hindquarters

  • General Appearance - Seen from the rear, the legs are straight, well angulated when viewed from the side, in proportion to the forequarters and well muscled.

  • Femur - Of equal length to the lower leg.

  • Knee - Well angulated.

  • Lower Leg - Of the same length as the upper leg.

  • Heel - Placed low.

  • Rear Metatarsal - Strong, without any sign of weakness.

  • Hind Feet - See fore feet.

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GAIT

Easy and free gait, with good reach. The legs move parallel and straight, tending to uniformity at faster gaits.

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SKIN

Fits well around the entire body.

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COAT

Hair - Of medium length, straight, soft, silky and shiny. No undercoat. A light wave is allowed. The ears, tail and back of the legs are well feathered. The feathering on the hind legs extends to the hocks. The feet are short haired.

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Color - The color is glossy solid black, or black with white markings. This marking is permitted as a white blaze, where the cheeks must be black. Also known as a white chest, white collar, white belly, white legs and white tail tip. The percentage of white may not exceed 40%. Black ticking in the white color areas is permitted. A brown glow is permitted, but not desirable.

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HEIGHT

Height at the Withers - The ideal height at the withers for males is 37 cm. and for bitches 35 cm. The allowed margin up is 2 cm, the margin down is 3 cm.

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ERRORS

Any deviation from the foregoing points should be regarded as an error and assessed according to the extent to which this error affects the health and well-being of the dog.

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Minor Errors

  • Pincer bite.

  • Ears that are too small, set too high, or carried open.

  • Tail cheerfully carried, higher than the skull line.

  • Tail too short (not reaching the hock with a maximum difference of 5 cm).

  • White markings on the back.

  • Deviation from the permitted dimensions.

 

Major Mistakes

  • Anxious or nervous behavior.

  • Too short back, short legs or too short muzzle.

  • Over or under forebite.

  • Standing ears.

  • Tail carried in a curl over the back with the tail touching the back.

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Disqualifying Fouls

  • Aggressive or very anxious behavior.

  • Any dog ​​showing physical or mental abnormalities will be disqualified.

  • Any sign of dwarfism.

  • Deviations from the described breed type.

  • Kinktail.

  • Tail shorter than the maximum permitted shortening of 5 cm above the hock joint.

  • Taillessness.

  • Any color other than black or black with white markings.

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Notes: Males must have two normally developed testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

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