COMMENTARY

 

 

Commentary of the breed standard

Małgorzata Szmurło

President of the Klub Charta Polskiego

International FCI judge

Translation: Klub Charta Polskiego

 

 

 

General impression

Chart Polski must create an impression of a working dog. It should be strong, well muscled and boned. It can be never weedy or light built. One must remember that this breed used to hunt roe and even wolves. With all its strenght, Chart Polski must be also agile and swift. Clumsy or very heavy specimens are highly undesirable. Chart Polski shows great resemblance to oriental sighthound type, which is currently epitomised by the saluki, that is also considered an archetypic form of a sighthound. However, Chart Polski is taller and stronger, yet conforms to well balanced shape of its ancestor.

 

 

Important proportions

Lenght of body is slightly greater than its height in proportion of 100 : 102–105 %, so the dog is slightly rectangular. Excessive body lenght is undesirable and usually leads to weak back. This proportion contribues to correct gait.

 

 

Head

It should be long, rather narrow and lean, with powerful jaws. As it happens with Saluki and Borzoi, there are several head types with the breed. In each case it should be balanced with body and of correct proportions between skull and foreface.

Narrow muzzle and / or weak underjaw, broad, domer or apple skull, strongly marked frontal furrow and full cheeks are equally faulty. Lenght of muzzle is same as lenght of skull, or muzzle is fractionally longer. Nose big and distinctly protruding, its profile is obviously convex.

Pigmentation of nose, lips and rims follows coat colour; usually black, but with blue and isabella shades (diluted colours) it may be blue or light brown. With ivory coat it may be even flesh coloured, which is not penalised. In any case, however, pink spots are considered faulty.

Eyes relatively large, almond shaped and oblique. Small and sunken eye as well as too large, round and protruding are highly undesirable as they spoil typical expression.

Eye is similar to Saluki eye, yet its expression is distinctly sharp.

 

 

Neck

Should be long, well muscled and set lower than it is with a show type Greyhound, but higher than with a Borzoi, and same with head carriage. Ewe neck, usually accompanied with upright shoulder, is a common fault. When handling Chart Polski in a show ring, one has to remember, that head should be carried only moderately high.

 

 

Body

Withers are neither flat nor as pronounced as it is with an Afghan.

 

 

Topline

Straight, with loins slightly ached. Loins may be level in bitches, yet it usually indicate excessive body lenght. Sometimes loins are strongly arched and this usually goes together with poor angulations of both fore- and hindquarters.

 

 

Chest

Gives adequate room for lungs and heart, typical of a short distance runner. It must be deep and spacious due to well arched last ribs. Sternum bone and ribs long, ribs well sloping backward. Too short (Azawakh), flat and shallow chest are highly undesirable, the latter often results from lack of exercise during puppyhood. Short chest and sternum are usually combined with upright shoulder.

Additionally, short chest tends to be narrow and frontal part of its sternum cannot be seen when viewed from profile.

 

 

Tail

Carried low in repose, may be ven hanging. Raised high in action, its end is either hooked or forms full ring. At its base it should not exceed above back level. Some judges incorrectly presume, that whole tail cannot be carried over back, what is not true; Chart Polski, when in good mood, carries its distant, ringer part of tail well over back. Tail is well furnished with dense, straight and harsh hair, forming typical brush. But not featherings. Short, sparse and barely visible brush, as well as long feathering, are both highly undesirable.

 

 

Limbs

Must be long, well muscled and lean. Muscles dry and not as packed as they are with Whippet or Greyhound; Chart Polski, not being a typical sprinter, but capable of running longer distances is more sinewy and its muscles are long, flat and dry.

In action hind legs are not too wide, same in stance, and it is a common mistake posing Chart Polski in show ring like Greyhound. Hindquarters, viewed from behind, are parallel. They are also really close in action, feet stepping in single track, that is highly typical and characteristic of the breed.

Judges must be well aware of this characteristic gait.

 

 

Coat

Must be harsh to touch, and hard, of different lenght on different body parts, with dense undercoat, especially in winter. Fine, soft, silky coat, too long (Borzoi type) and too short coat, lacking undercoat are all highly undesirable.