GENERAL APPEARANCE: Large-sized dog, sturdily built, well balanced and with much substance; secondary sex characteristics strongly marked, with high nobility and dignity in modesty; constitution tough.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: The ratio of height at withers to length of body (from the point of the shoulders to the point of the buttock) is 10:11, but the body is slightly longer in bitches than in dogs.

BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT: The temperament is composed, faithful, docile and receptive.

HEAD
CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: The size is in proportion to the body. The forehead is broad with distinct furrow. No wrinkle.
Stop: Defined.

FACIAL REGION:

Nose: Large and black. In case of white coat, flesh colour permitted.
Muzzle: Moderately long and strong with broad base, tapering but not pointed. Nasal bridge straight.
Jaws/Teeth: Teeth strong with scissor bite.
Lips: Tight
Cheeks: Moderately developed.
Eyes: Relatively small, almost triangular in shape due to the rising of the outer eye corner, set moderately apart, dark brown: the darker the better.
Ears: Relatively small, thick, triangular, slightly rounded at tips, set moderately apart, pricked and inclining forward.

NECK: Thick and muscular, without dewlap, in balance with head.

BODY:

Back: Straight and strong.
Loin: Broad and muscular.
Chest: deep, forechest well developed, ribs moderately well sprung.
Belly: Well drawn up.

TAIL: Set on high, thick, carried vigorously curled over back; the tip nearly reaching the hocks when let down.

LIMBS:

FOREQUARTERS:
Shoulders: moderately sloping and developed.
Elbows: Tight
Forearms: Straight and heavy boned.

HINDQUARTERS: Hindlegs well developed, strong and moderately angulated.

FEET: Thick, round arched and tight.

GAIT: Resilient and powerful movement.

COAT
HAIR: Outer coat harsh and straight, undercoat soft and dense; the withers and the rump are covered with slightly longer hair; the hair on tail is longer than on the rest of the body.

COLOUR: Red fawn, sesame (red fawn hairs with black tips) brindle and white. All the above mentioned colours except white must have a urajiro (urajiro = whitish coat on the sides of the muzzle, on the cheeks, on the underside of jaw, neck, chest, body and tail and on the inside of the legs).

SIZE: Height at the withers: Dogs 67 cm. Bitches 61 cm There is a tolerance of 3 cm more or less.

Faults: 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.

Bitch dogs/doggy bitches.
Undershot or overshot mouth.
Missing teeth.
Spotted tongue.
Iris light in colour.
Short tail.
Black mask.
Markings on white background.
Shyness.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:
Ears not pricked.
Hanging tail.
Long hair (shaggy).

NB: male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.