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The Large Munsterlander
UK Breed Standard


Craigburg Baron of Hansmic
winner of the first-ever CC for the breed at Cruft's

KC OFFICIAL BREED STANDARD

General Appearance - Alert and energetic, with strong muscular body, having good movement with drive.
Characteristics - A multi-purpose gundog, ideal for the rough shooter. Excellent nose, staying power, and works equally well on land and in water. A keen worker, easily taught.
Temperament - Loyal, affectionate and trustworthy.
Head and Skull - Well proportioned to body, elongated. Skull sufficiently broad, slightly rounded, with no pronounced occiput. Strong jaw muscles, well formed black nose, wide soft nostrils, slight rise from the nasal bone to the forehead but no pronounced stop. Lips slightly rounded, and well fitting.
Eyes - Intelligent, medium size, dark brown, not deep-set or protruding. No haw showing.
Ears - Broad and set high, lying flat and close to the head, with a rounded tip. Hair on the ears should be long, extending beyond the tip.
Mouth - Strong and sound, with well developed teeth, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck - Strong, muscular, slightly arched, joining the shoulder and chest smoothly.
Forequarters - Chest wide and with good depth of brisket. Shoulders laid well back, forelegs straight, pasterns strong.
Body - Firm strong back, short-coupled, slightly higher at the shoulders and sloping smoothly towards the croup and tail. Wide, well muscled loin, wide croup. Ribs well sprung, deep and reaching well up to the loins. Taut abdomen, slightly tucked up.
Hindquarters - Hips broad, well muscled thighs, well turned stifles, hocks well let down. Dewclaws should be removed.
Feet - Tight, moderately rounded and well knuckled with dense hair between the toes, well padded. Nails black and strong.
Tail - Well set on, in line with the back. Base thick, tapering evenly towards the tip, well feathered. It should be carried horizontally or curved slightly upwards. *Docking of tip of tail optional.
Gait/Movement - Free, long-striding, springy gait.
Coat - Hair long and dense, but not curly or coarse. Well feathered on front and hindlegs and on tail, more so in dogs than in bitches. Hair must lie short and smooth on the head.
Colour - Head solid black, white blaze, snip or star allowed. Body white or blue roan with black patches, flecked, ticked, or combination of these.
Size - Height: dogs: 60-65 cms (23½ - 25
½ ins); bitches 58-63 cms (23 - 25 ins). Weight: dogs approx: 25-29 kgs (55-65 lbs); bitches approx: 25 kgs (55 lbs).
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. Note - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

The Large Munsterlander in North America is not registered as a breed with either the AKC or the CKC and has no official breed standard, so the appearance of individual dogs varies widely. Their coat colour in particular is highly variable, ranging from predominantly white to predominantly black with all combinations in between.
They are bred purely as hunting dogs, taking advantage of and improving on their remarkable natural abilities, and it is unlikely that you would be able to buy a pup from a US breeder unless yours is a hunting home and the dog would be worked rather than just kept as a pet.
For further information, contact the LM Club of North America .




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