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AMERICAN MUDI ASSOCIATION
MUDI BREED STANDARD

Adopted September 1, 2004
Filed with AKC September 3, 2004

Please, click onto above text to access a PDF file of the 
AMA Mudi Breed Standard.

<>See Below for the Following:
- FCI Standard
- FCI and AMA Standard Comparison
- Basic FCI Standard Changes from 1936-2004<
 

Also please see the FCI No. 238th Standard. It was updated 12/04 on their website!
http://www.fci.be/

Or please, click onto this text to access a PDF file of the FCI standard.


FCI and AMA Standard Comparison
Based on the FCI  9/11/2004 and AMA 9/1/2004 Standards

AMA = American Mudi Association
FCI = Federation Cynologique Internationale #238
HBR = Hungarian Breeders Request

    FCI                                                                                                   AMA    UTILIZATION
- Herding Dog                                                               - Sheep Herding Dog
- Excellent Guard      &                                                     - Superior Guard
- Companion Dog, lovable house pet &nbssp;                            - Lovable companion
- A dog used for searching out drugs &nnbsp;                            -  not included (HBR)
                                                                                        (Hungarian breeders wanted
                                                                                        this removed)
                                                                                      - Easy to maintain coat
- Excellent adaptability    &                                                - Superb adaptability
____________________________________________________________________________
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY
- Different (See FCI Standard)                                        - Different (See AMA Standard)
- German herding dogs (FCI rule)                                    - (Under General Appearance: Spitz
                                                                                             type breed of shepherd dog) (HBR)
____________________________________________________________________________
GENERAL APPEARANCE
                                                                                       - medium boned, compact (HBR)
                                                                                       - tapers towards the nose (Under FCI
                                                                                          Head description)
- Prick ears                                                                     - Pricked ears
- topline is distinctly sloping                                              - topline is slightly sloping
- the head and the limbs                                                   - face and front areas of the limbs
- have a somewhat longer                                                - are covered with a longer
- different variations of colour                                           - many color varieties
____________________________________________________________________________
          IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS                                  PROPORTIONS
- depth of the brisket                                                      - depth of the chest
____________________________________________________________________________
BEHAVIOR/TEMPERAMENT
                                                                                     - intelligent
                                                                                     - has the stamina to work all day
                                                                                     - the Mudi can be somewhat reserved with                                                                                         strangers (Hungarian Breeder Description)
____________________________________________________________________________
HEAD
                                                                                   - passivity (meaning submissive or lifeless))
Cranial Region
- Skull:  occiput not pronounced                                   - Skull: rear of skull is barely pronounced
- superciliary ridges                                                      - eyebrow ridges
Facial Region
- nose                                                                         - nose leather
- e.g.                                                                           - for example
- brown dogs (liverbrown) have a brown nose             - brown or brown merle is brown
   and brown eye rims
- grey in a grey dog                                                     - gray in a gray dog
                                                                                  - graybrown in a graybrown dog
Jaws/Teeth
- complete scissor bite                                                - scissors bite
- dentition formula                                                      - complete dentition
- regular teeth of medium size    ;                                 -
regular teeth proportionately sized to
                                                                                    the head (HBR/MEOE Request)
Eyes
- slightly pointed at inner and outer corners                 - slightly pointed
- set slightly oblique                                                   - set slightly slanted
- only in blue merle dogs                                            - only in merled dogs
- wall (white or blue) eyes                                          - merled eyes
                                                                                 - no drooping eyelids or white should be                                                                                     visible when the dog is looking straight
                                                                                    ahead
Ears
- prick ears                                                              - pricked ears
- covered with abundant hair                                    - remarkably covered by hair (HBR)
- the edges of the external ears                                 - the outer edges of the ears
- like a radar screen                                                 - like radar antennae (screens do not turn)<

                NECK                                                         NECK

- dewlap                                                                 - loose skin
- this must however never be noticeable                   - but should not be remarkable
____________________________________________________________________________
BODY
- Topline: clearly sloping                                          - >Topline: slightly sloping
- >Croup: breadth                                                     - >Croup: width
                                                                               - >Chest: and it's depth reaches to the elbows
                                                                                  (HBR)
- >Tail: In repose                                                       - >Tail: At rest
                                                                               - as the tail carriage is an indicator of                                                                                   emotion and temperament
- are rare                                                                 - rarely
- 10 to 12 cm long                                                   - 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) (HBR)
                                                                               - Tails that are tightly curled, or lie flatt on the
                                                                                  back, or are carried in other than sickle
                                                                                  shape over the back during movement,
                                                                                  should be considered incorrect and penalized
                                                                                  according to the degree of it's deviation from
                                                                                  the accepted position.
____________________________________________________________________________
LIMBS
                                                                               - Legs and feet, both front and rear, shouldd be
                                                                                 strong and straight, neither overly narrow or
                                                                                 overly wide, with feet that point straight
                                                                                 forward.  Cow hocked, bowlegged, over or
                                                                                 under angulated or toes pointing in or out
                                                                                 should be penalized according to their degree
                                                                                 of deviation from correct position.
           FOREQUARTERS                                                 FOREQUARTERS
- Upper Arm: at 45° with the horizontal                   - >UpperArm: and is at an angle of
                                                                                 approximately 45° degrees
- >Carpal Joint: dry                                                   - >Carpal Joint: tight
                                                                              - Pastern: Dropped or weak pasterns should
                                                                                 be penalized.
                                                                              - >Forefeet: A round, well arched, catlike foot
                                                                                 is preferable to a hare foot.
                                                                              - Pads springy and thick
                                                                              - Nails slate gray or black in color.
                                                                              - Removal of front dewclaws is undesirable                                                                               - Splayfoot and paperfoot should be penalizeed
____________________________________________________________________________
             HINDQUARTERS                                                HINDQUARTERS
-
Hind Legs: a little overstretched                            - >Hind Legs: slightly overstretched
- >Hind Feet: Dewclaws not desirable                      - >Hind Feet: Rear dewclaws are not desirable
                                                                                and should be removed at 2-3 days of age
____________________________________________________________________________
GAIT/MOVEMENT
- mincing steps                                                       - short quick steps, a lively trot and a groound
                                                                                covering gallop.  As speed increases, the front
                                                                                and hind legs converge toward the center line
                                                                                of gravity. The Mudi is a smooth, firm and
                                                                                agile moving dog that should not lack muscle
                                                                                tone or appear rigid or clumsy in its gait.
____________________________________________________________________________
COAT
- 3 to 7 cm long                                                      - 1.5 to 3 inches long (3 to7 cm)
-upper thighs                                                          - upper reear thighs and the lower edge of the tail
                                                                              - non-typical and straight coats are severe faults
____________________________________________________________________________
COLOR
                                                                             - All colors in both English and Hungarian with
                                                                                 a description
- Fawn                                                                  - Yellow (Fakó)
- Blue Merle, i.e. black speckled, estriped,             - Blue Merle (Cifra) the whole body is coverred
   -brindle or -spotted on lighter or darker                 with unevenly sized and unevenly distributed
   bluish-grey primary colour.                                    areas and patches of black and light gray; the
                                                                                light gray color is created by the mixing of
                                                                                individual black and white hairs; similar to the
                                                                                self merle pattern; no white trim or white
                                                                                patches; never more than two hair colors and
                                                                                one of these is always white; pattern may
                                                                                darken with age.
- not included                                                         - Brown Merle (Barna Cifra) same as the bluee
                                                                                merle except with brown and white hair colors
- Ash Colour                                                          - Gray (Hamvas)
- not included                                                         - Graybrown (Hamvasbarna)
                                                                              - All colors should be clear and vibrant witth no
                                                                                order of preference.
- only slightly extensive                                           - only minor
- are tolerated                                                        - are permitted
- 5 cm                                                                   - 2 inches (5 cm)
- small white markings on the toes                          - and/or white markings on the toes
____________________________________________________________________________
          SIZE AND WEIGHT                                                    HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
HEIGHT AT WITHERS
- Dogs:  41-47 cm                                                  - >Dogs: 16-19 inches (41-48 cm)
   Ideal:  43-45 cm                                                     Ideal: 17-18 inches (43-46 cm)
- >Bitches: 38-44 cm                                                - >Bitches: 15-18 inches (38-46 cm)
   Ideal:    40-42 cm                                                   Ideal:    16-17 inches (41-43 cm)
WEIGHT
- Dogs: 11-13 kg.                                                   - >Dogs: 24-33 pounds (11-15 kg.)
- >Bitches: 8-11 kg.                                                  - >Bitches: 18-26 pounds (8-12 kg.)

                                                                              - Quality should not be sacrificed in favor of size.
____________________________________________________________________________
FAULTS
                                                                              - and to which it interferes with the breed''s
                                                                                 purpose or is contrary to breed character.
____________________________________________________________________________
            ELIMINATING FAULTS                                        DISQUALIFICATIONS
- Aggressive or overly shy.                                     - Excessively shy or aggressive dogs.
                                                                              - Flesh colored, liverbrown or spotted nose<
                                                                                 colors include graybrown colored dogs
                                                                              - Flesh colored or spotted nose color includdes
                                                                                 brown merle dogs
- More than two missing PM1                                 - Two or more missing P1 premolars
- The M3 are disregarded                                       - not included
- over or undershot mouth                                       - Undershot bite.
- Gap of more than 2mm between upper and           - In an overshot bite a gap of more than 1/8 inch
   lower incisors.                                                        (2 mm) between upper and lower incisors
                                                                                should not be exceeded.
- Yellow eyes in black dogs                                    - Yellow eyes in black and blue merle dogs - Drop ears                                                            - Hanging ears
- Long hair on the head                                           - Long hair on the face and legs where the hair
                                                                                should be short
- Wolf grey colour, black and tan with                    - Any color or pattern not listed as accepted,
   yellow to brown markings                                      such as: (see AMA standard)
                                                                              - Any white trim or markings except as
                                                                                 allowable on the toes and chest
                                                                              - Merle that is black or brown and not mixedd
                                                                                 with white hairs to create the merle pattern or
                                                                                  is more than two hair colors
- Height at the withers below 38 or over                 - No size disqualification
   47 cm
- NB: Male animals must have two apparently        - Un-descended testicles (one or no testicles
   normal testicles fully descended into the                  descended into the scrotum of male dog).
   scrotum.
- Any dog clearly showing physical or behaviioural
   abnormalities shall be disqualified.


Basic Standard Changes from 1936, 1966, 2000 of the FCI Standard


1936
Dr. Fényes
1966
Dr. Balassy
2000
COLORS
Black, Blue Merle, Brown Merle, all other colors except tri-color and big black patches on white background with defined edges

1937 - all solid and merle colors

Black, White, sometimes many colored, pied (black-white) or white-black, multicolored with evenly distributed spots, pepite

1992 - MEOE allows brown color

Black, Blue Merle, Ash, Brown, White and Fako

Presently no brown merle or ashbrown (graybrown) but these colors are shown and allowed to be bred and registered as accepted colors in Hungary.

SIZES
Males - 40-50 cm
Bitches - 35-45 cm
and 30-50 cm as a whole breed 
No Sex difference made - 35-47 cm Males - 41-47 cm
(Ideal 43-45)

Bitches - 38-44 cm
(Ideal 40-42)

Dr. Fényes, the founder of the breed wrote in 1937, every color is allowed, it can be ash(gray), fako(yellow), red (with red nose), brown (with brown nose) or any other solid color or merle.

1966 - Dr. Balassy was given the task to re-writee the standard given his ideals for the breed and what he found left of it after the wars.  As he only examined a handful of dogs by his own words, these are what he mostly based his standard on.  His interpretation of the merle color and the following translation of it left much to be desired as you can see and partly why the standard was re-written in 2000.

1992 - MEOE breeding control decided in Hungary brown color was allowed.

2004 - FCI added Fako color to standard.  Fako was not included in the Hungarian or other translated versions unintentionally.  Fako dogs should have dark pigment, not flesh or liver colored or spotted, as is required in the white, black and black merle colors.  FCI translated Fako to Fawn in the English version of the Mudi standard.  Aggressive and overly shy dogs became a disqualifying fault, as does albinism. 

2004 - In America, since we are not an FCI country, we have the important responsibilty to make the standard for the Mudi.  We have the opportunity to correct some inconsistencies and ambiguos language to make the standard easier to interpret and fulfill the Americans desire to return to the original founders descriptions of the breed.  This includes mostly the inclusion of all solid and merle colors and the nearest conversion to inches from the centimeter to the next larger inch. 

It is not possible to accurately measure a dog that is 44 cm to the actual equivalent in inches of  17 and 5/16's inches.  Size should only be a fault, not a disqualification, quality should never be sacrificed for size, especially since Dr. Fényes's sizes vary so widely. 

The weights vary according to each dog given bone and muscle content, these are the minimum sizes and to be used only as baseline information.  (No Mudi is ever weighed in the conformation ring or the breeding exam.) 

The merle pattern is the only accepted pattern and is more accurately described to eliminate confusion and importing or breeding of incorrectly colored and/or registered dogs.

It is the AMA and Americans belief that a Mudi should look like a Mudi, not a Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Doberman Pinscher or Keeshond. These breeds allow tri patterns, masked, black and tan, brown and tan, wolf and irish spotting patterns, the FCI and AMA Mudi Standard does not.  The properly colored merle is the only allowable pattern and solid colors are the only accepted colors. 

Please direct any questions you have to the AMA about the Standard for the Mudi. 


American Mudi Association: AmericanMudiAssociation@yahoo.com
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