FCI CLASSIFICATION:  Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer Type Molossian ,Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs. Section 2.2 Molossian type, Mountain

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY:  His direct ancestor is the old Roman Molossian. In the recent past preserved and prevalent in the provinces of Foggia and Ban. His name derives from the Latin "cohors", which means "protector, guardian of the farm-yard".

GENERAL APPEARANCE:  Medium to large-sized dog. Robust and sturdy, nevertheless elegant. Lean, with powerful long muscles.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:  The length of the head reaches 36% of the height at withers. The dog is somewhat longer than tall.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT:  Guardian of property, family and livestock; extremely agile and responsive. In the past, it has been used for herding cattle and hunting big game.

HEAD:  Large and typically molossoid. The upper longitudinal axes of the skull and the muzzle converge slightly.

CRANIAL REGION

Skull:  Wide; at the zygomatic arch its width is equal to or greater than its length. Convex in front, it becomes fairly flat behind the forehead as far as the occiput. The medio-frontal furrow is visible.

Stop:  Marked.

FACIAL REGION

Nose:  Black and large with ample, open nostrils on the same line as the nasal bridge.

Muzzle:  Noticeably shorter than the skull (ratio skull 62%-64%, muzzle 36-38%), strong, extremely square, with a flat front face and parallel nearly as wide as long lateral surfaces. The profile of the nasal bridge is rectilinear.

Lips:  The upper lips hang moderately and cover the mandible, so that the lower profile of the muzzle is determined by the lips.

Jaw/Teeth:  Jaw very large, thick and curved. Lightly undershot. Level and scissors bite acceptable.

Eyes:  Medium-sized, ovoid, looking directly forward, slightly protruding. Eyelids close fitting. Color of the iris as dark as possible, depending from the color of the coat. Expression keen and attentive.

Ears:  Triangular, drooping, with a large set on high above the zygomtic arch. Almost always cropped in the shape of an equilateral triangle.

BODY

Neck:  Strong, fairly thin, muscular, as long as the head.

Body:  The body is somewhat longer than the height at the withers. Sturdily built, but not squat.

Withers:  Pronounced, rising above the level of the croup.

Back:  Rectilinear, very muscular and firm.

Loins:  Short and solid.

Croup:  Long, wide, slightly inclined.

Chest:  Well developed in three dimensions, reaches to the elbow.

Tail:  Set on of the tail fairly high; very thick at the root. The tail is docked at the fourth vertebra. In action carried high, but never curled nor erect.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS

Shoulder:  Long, oblique, very muscular.

Upper arm:  Strong

Forearm:  Straight, very strong.

Carpal joint and pasterns:  Elastic.

Forefeet:  Cat feet.

HINDQUARTERS

Upper thigh:  Long, wide, posteriorly convex.

Lower thigh:  Thin, strong.

Hocks:  Moderately angulated.

Metatarsals:  Thick and narrow.

Hind feet:  Slightly less compact than the forefeet.

Skin:  Fairly thick, rather close fitting.

COAT

Hair:  Short (not smooth), shiney, very thick with a light undercoat.

Color:  Black, lead grey, slate, light fawn (yellowish), stag red, brindle; black mask is present in fawn colored dogs.

HEIGHT AND WEIGHT

Height:  Height at the withers Males from 62 to 68 cm, Females from 58 to 64 cm.
Tolerance of 2 cm more or less.

Weight:  Males from 42 to 50 kg Females , from 38 to 45 kg.

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.

SEVERE FAULTS
- Accentuated parallelism or very marked converging of the axes of the muzzle
  and the skull; converging side lines of the muzzle.
- Pronounced and disturbing undershot mouth.
- Nose partial depigmentation.
- Tail ring-tail, tail in vertical position.
- Size over-or undersize.
- Movement continuously ambling.

ELIMINATING FAULTS
- Axes of the muzzle and the skull diverging.
- Overshot mouth.
- Bridge of nose resolutely hollow, ram's nose.
- Nose total depigmentation.
- Eyes partial and bilateral palpebral depigmentation, wall eye, bilateral strabismus.
- Tail tailless, short tail (artificial or congenital).
- Hair semi-long, smooth, fringed.
- Color all colors not indicated in the standard; white patches too large.

Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.