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Text Box: August 1972 FCI Suggested Revision
Suggested Revision of Standard for Canaan Dog  
August 1972                                                                Israeli Breed
General Appearance:  A medium sized, well proportioned dog resembling the wild dog type.
Character:  Alert, sharp, distrustful of strangers, strongly defensive but not naturally aggressive.  Vigilant not only against man but other animals as well.
Extraordinarily devoted and docile.
Size and Weight:  50-60 cm. tall, males generally considerably taller than females.  Weight 18-25 kg.  Co-efficient of robustness 20-25.  Color; Sand to red-brown, white or black, black and white or brown and white, with or without mask.  If masked then symmetrical mask preferred.  Black masks are permitted on all colors.  Boston-terrier patterns are frequent.  Grey, brindle, black and tan and tri-colors are unacceptable.
Coat:  Short to medium length, straight and harsh (stock-hair) undercoat according to season.  Very long coats undesirable.  Legs should be well feathered, tail plumed, manes desirable in males.
Body Shape:  Square.  Brisket deep, chest not too narrow, well ribbed.  Loins arched, belly well tucked up.
Neck and Withers:  Noble, straight, withers well developed.
Eyes:  Slightly slanted (almond shaped).  The darker the better, dark eye rims are essential.
Ears:  Short, relatively broad prick ears slightly rounded at the tip and set on low and wide apart, not high and long as in Alsatians.  Semi-prick ears, sometimes called "collie-tip" are allowed.
Head:  Well proportioned and noble.  Not at all heavy and clumsy but not of Greyhound-like delicacy.  The head is blunt, wedge shaped, of medium length, not too broad in the forehead but appearing broader due to low set ears.  The distance from the point between the eyes to the occipital bone is distinctly longer than the distance between the ear roots but there is no striking disproportion.  Praeorbital depression is better absent or only slightly marked.  Stop is slight.  Skull neither domed nor flat.  Frontal and middle furrow of the back of the head slightly marked.  Muzzle sturdy and of moderate length and breadth, depth is proportionate.  The relationship between length of upper skull and muzzle is 1:1 - deviation must be in favor of muzzle length.  The lips are stiff and short.  Some lengthening is allowed in powerful male heads.
Molar Bones:  Powerful and flat, in males somewhat domed afore.
Teeth:  Plier bite desired, scissors bite acceptable.  Teeth at full number including pre-molars.  Forbidden:  Over-shot, under-shot or missing teeth.
Nose:  Black pigmented only.
Legs:  Forelegs are perfectly straight, pasterns strong.  Shoulders well angulated.  Hind-legs also ell angulated (ca 130) hocks well let down, strong buttocks, slightly feathered.
Feet:  Round and cat-like with hard pads.
Tail:  Should be carried curled over the back.  Set high.  Sickle tail is permitted.
Gait and Movement:  Essentially a trotter.  The trot is short but very quick.  Should demonstrate marked agility and stamina.
General Remarks:  Particular stress must be laid on the difference between the Canaan dog and the Alsatian.  The Canaan is square, has short loins, is not over-anglulated.  Is well erect, has a slender neck and a short trot.
Faults:  Besides all deviations from the standard of the breed, all faults in body structure which constitute deviation from the norm of a well built dog.