BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW:
This breed has its origins in history. In his works extolling the Chodsko region (in 1923-1924), the writer Jindř. Šimon Baar described dogs from the Šumava region, which he called "Chodský". These type balanced and very tenacious dogs had the task of guarding provincial trails, protecting their masters' property and helping to round up cattle. There are many writings and illustrations linked with the region of Chodsko. J.A. Gabriel, writing about Chodsko in 1864, described the local people with the nickname of "Dog-heads", as their pennants all featured the image of their faithful home guard - the silhouette of the head of a typical sheepdog with a longer coat at the neck. The existence of long-haired sheepdogs, faithful helpers and guards was also described by the writer A. Jirásek in his novel entitled "Dog-heads", illustrated by Mikoláš Alš.
One cannot of course claim that the above facts document the origin of the present-day Chodský Dog. It is simply that there is historical support for the existence of a well-established form of sheepdog in local conditions in the Czech lands.

OVERALL CHARACTERISTICS
A medium-sized sheepdog type with an oblong-shaped body. It has a long coat with rich underhair, which makes it hardy and weather-resistant. Its bodily structure has superb harmony. All its body parts are aligned so as to make the whole compact and graceful. The breed is characterised by its posture and its short ears, the elegant shape of its long neck and withers, as well as the richness of its long coat. It moves lightly and freely. It is noted for its lively personality with no signs of nervousness. It is affectionate towards family members, particularly with children. With strangers it is restrained, although when those it loves or their belongings are threatened it can become fierce and aggressive. It is an excellent dog for guarding, protection and for company, and is able to handle difficult training. It is blessed with an outstanding nose and performs sniffing work easily and with spirit. Its ideal medium size and ease of control mean that the Chodský Dog can be used for guide-dog training, while its excellent sense of smell make it ideal for rescue work and for finding people after avalanches. It also has a gift for guarding herds and work in a harness.

IMPORTANT BODILY PROPORTIONS
Ideal parameters of a two-year-old dog:
Format index: body length comprises 110% of height at the withers
Height index: depth of thorax comprises 49% of height at the withers
Head-type index: length of nose section comprises 46% of head length

BEHAVIOUR AND NATURE
A lively dog with fast, although not rash reactions. Slightly docile, attentive, easy to control, amenable. It is modest, undemanding and tenacious. It is remarkably affectionate with small children and makes a lovely member of the family. It is fearless, has strong nerves and is exceptionally vigilant. It has a superb sense of smell.

HEAD
Cranial section
The skull is flat and gradually tapers towards the eyes, with the tapering centred along the frontal indent, which is lightly marked. The bulge of the neck can be felt, although is not obviously visible. The muzzle section is slightly shorter than the cranium, from which it is separated by a frontal slope. The frontal slope is neither too sharp or too gentle. The supraciliary arches are clear yet not prominent. The cheeks are dry and covered by flat muscles. The skin of the cranial section is taut and covered with short, thick and smooth hair.
Face
Nose section: The nasal ridge is level (straight) and almost parallel with the extended line of the cranium.
It tapers in a wedge shape towards the muzzle.
Muzzle: Medium-sized, full, black pigmented, open nostrils.
Lips: Firm, dry, close-fitting with closed corners.
Jaws: The upper and lower jaws are in proportion, strong and long, gradually tapering towards the muzzle.
Cheeks: Smooth, snug-fitting, not slack below the eyes.
Teeth: Healthy, strong, pure white, regularly placed in a scissors bite. Molars fit together exactly, incisors touch each other. Full set of teeth.
Eyes: Medium-sized, almond-shaped, slightly slanting. They should not bulge or be sunken. They are bright, full of energy yet with a pleasing expression, brown in colour. Close-fitting lids.
Ears: Short, erect, forward-facing, positioned high and close together. They are triangular with a wider base, at the tips either pointed or slightly rounded. The earlobes are covered with long, thick hair which forms brushes, particularly at the roots and along the edge of the lobes.
Overall the size of the head should be noble and in proportion to the body. It should not seem massive or too fine. The characteristically unique shape of the head is conditional upon the correct placement and bearing of the ears, their size, shape and coverage of long hair.

NECK
Graceful in bearing and shape, long, highly flexible. Thickens slightly towards the shoulder. The line of the neck forms a 45° angle with the horizontal. The neck is covered in long, thick hair.

BODY
Thorax: Oval in cross-section; the upper edge is obtuse, while the lower is pointed. It reached below the level of the elbow. The ribs are slightly arched, although not barrel-shaped.
Brisket: Wider from the front, fairly muscular.
Backbone: Straight, firm, not too long, lightly raised at the withers.
Shoulders: Short, supple, well bonded, connecting with the backbone in a single line.
Abdomen: Firm, drawn in.
Back: Begins at the same height as the backbone and slopes slightly towards the tail, with no transition.
Tail: At rest and when moving it is freely held in a light curve; when excited it is raised to the level of the backbone. It is thickly covered in hair and reached to the hocks. It is not permissible to dock the tail.
The overall shape of the body from the head to the tail is made up of a set of graceful curves. The length of the body should be a little greater than the height at the withers.

LIMBS
Thoracic limbs
General: The shoulder-blade should be oblique and lying flat. The bone of the shoulder is long and the angle it forms with the shoulder-blade is around 90°.
The elbow points straight towards the rear, and turns neither in nor out.
The forearm appears straight from any angle, with well-developed, dry musculature.
The metacarpus is firm, long and not too abrupt. The back of the metacarpus is covered by thick, long hair.
Pelvic limbs
General: Well angled at the knees and hocks. Straight when viewed from behind.
Thighs: strong, substantially muscled.
Instep: firm. The joints of the knees and hocks are well rounded. The rear of the thighs is covered by thick, long hair.
Paws: Medium-sized, oval in shape. They have firm, supple pads and arched, close-set toes with short, powerful claws. The pads and claws are fully pigmented.

MOVEMENT MECHANICS
The dog's natural gait is a low trot with a diagonal shift of the limbs while keeping the line of the backbone straight. Movement is light, supple and spacious.

SKIN
Taut and close-fitting all over. The pigment of the pads and claws is black; visible mucosa have dark pigment.

COAT
Apart from the facial parts of the head, the tips of the earlobes and the front of both pairs of limbs, where the coat is short and smooth, the body is covered by a glossy, long, thick, coarser coat. The length is between 5 and 12 cm. It should be straight or lightly wavy, on the neck and chest slightly open, otherwise lying flat. The well-developed underhair is shorter and softer. The earlobes are richly covered in hair. Brushes form at the base and along the edges. The coat is particularly long on the neck, backbone and also on the backs of the thighs and insteps, where it is slightly wavy. The tail is thickly covered in hair and has long, slightly wavy hair on the underside.

COLOURING OF COAT
Black to gunmetal with vivid yellow black-and-tan markings. The more vivid the markings, the better. Coat colours other than black are not permissible.
The markings are:
- on the edge of and inside the ear
- above the eyes
- on the cheeks, where they smoothly blend into the throat, which forms a characteristic crescent shape
- on the thorax, while the thoracic marks are separate from the markings on the throat
- on the pelvic limbs, on the inner and rear sides of the thighs and from the toes up to the hocks
- on the thoracic limbs to the carpal joint
- around the anal orifice
They can also appear on the lower thorax, abdomen and tail, and may be absent on the rear of the thighs.
Preference is given to markings appearing as prescribed, clearly marked out and vivid in colour.

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
Height
The height at the withers must be: 52 to 55 cm with dogs, 49 to 52 cm with bitches.
The maximum variation tolerated is + - 2 cm.
Weight
Optimum weight - ranges between 18-25 kg

DEFICIENCIES, DEFECTS, MAJOR (DISQUALIFYING) DEFECTS.
These are any deviations from the standard of a slight (deficiencies), serious (defects) and very serious (major-disqualifying defects) nature.
Deficiencies
- short gait.
- overly-marked or absent frontal slope.
- weak jaws.
- eye not completely dark brown.
- slightly longer ear, correctly positioned
- height + - 2 cm against standard (dog 50,51 and 56,57 cm, bitch 47,48 and 53,54 cm)
- longer or shorter backbone.
- soft metacarpus; abrupt metacarpus.
- tail bent to one side. Tail forming a circle.
- shorter coat. Excessively fine coat structure.
- less vivid markings (straw yellow).
- longer or shorter tail.
- markings absent from ears and around anal orifice.
- markings not clearly defined.
- markings spreading more to head and thorax, markings less pronounced on head and thorax
- small white mark (tolerance up to 3 cm).

Defects
- retracted or pronounced muzzle.
- bulging or sunken eye. Light-brown eye.
- wrongly-shaped ear. Incorrectly-positioned ear. Soft ear.
- short neck
- barrel-shaped or flat thorax
- elbows turned in or out (converging or diverging stance).
- steep shoulder-blades.
- concave or convex backbone.
- shoulders not firm.
- hocks turned in or out (barrel-shaped or bovine stance).
- steeply positioned pelvic limbs.
- excessive angle of pelvic limbs causing sloping line of backbone
- tail curled above level of backbone.
- curly coat.
- very light markings
- markings extremely widespread on head and thorax
- markings absent or visibly reduced in more areas

Major, disqualifying defects
- completely lacking in nobility
- height less than 50 cm or greater than 57 cm in dogs and less than 47 cm and greater than 54 cm in bitches.
- any deviation from scissors bite: overshot, undershot, pincer bite, irregular bite
- loss of any tooth (fewer than 42 ).
- predatory eye.
- droopy or floppy ear.
- coat colour other than black with yellow markings.
- markings appearing in places other than prescribed
- depigmentation of muzzle, skin or mucosa.
- excessively timid or aggressive dogs must be disqualified.
- monorchism or cryptorchism.
- short coat like short-haired breed, underhair absent
- complete loss of markings

Source of website Club friends Chodský dog

Working breed, group 1