ORIGIN : Malta
PATRONAGE : Great Britain.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 24.06.1987
UTILIZATION : An alert keen hunter, hunting by scent and sight, using his ears to a marked degree when working close.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 5           Spitz and primitive types.
                                            Section 6         Primitive type.
                                            Without working trial

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Medium sized, of noble bearing with clean-cut lines.  Graceful yet powerful.  Very fast with free easy movement and alert expression.

BEHAVIOUR /TEMPERAMENT : Alert, intelligent, friendly, affectionate and playful.

HEAD : Foreface slightly longer than skull.  Top of skull parallel with foreface, whole head representing a blunt wedge when viewed in profile and from above.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Flesh coloured only, blending with coat.

Jaws/Teeth : Powerful jaws with strong teeth.  Scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Eyes : Amber coloured, blending with coat ; oval, moderately deep- set, with keen, intelligent expression.

Ears : Medium high set ; carried erect when alert, but very mobile ; broad at base, fine and large.
 

NECK : Long, lean, muscular and slightly arched.  Clean throat line.

BODY : Lithe with almost straight topline.  Length of body from breast  to haunch bone slightly longer than height at withers.

Croup : Slight slope down from croup to root of tail.

Chest : Deep, extending down to point of elbow.  Ribs well sprung.

Belly : Moderate cut up.
 

TAIL : Medium set, fairly thick at base and tapering (whip-like), reaching just below point of hock in repose.  Carried high and curved when dog is in action.  Tail should not be tucked between legs.  A screw tail undesirable.
 

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS : Forelegs straight and parallel.

Shoulder : Strong, long and well laid back.

Elbow : Well tucked in.

Pastern : Strong
 

HINDQUARTERS : Strong and muscular.  Limbs parallel when viewed from behind.

Stifle : Moderate bend of stifle.

Second thigh : Well developed.
 

FEET : Strong, well knuckled and firm, turning neither in nor out.  Paws well padded.  Dewclaws may be removed.
 

GAIT/MOVEMENT : Free and flowing ; head held fairly high and dog should cover ground well without any apparent effort.  Legs and feet should move in line with body ; any tendency to throw feet sideways, or high stepping « hackney » action highly undesirable.

COAT

HAIR : Short and glossy, ranging from fine and close to slightly harsh ; no feathering.

COLOUR : Tan or rich tan with white markings allowed as follows :

White tip on tail strongly desired.  White on chest (called « the star »).  White on toes.  Slim white blaze on center line of face permissible.  Flecking or white other than above undesirable.

HEIGHT : Dogs      : ideally 56 cm  (22-25 ins = 56-63,5 cm),

                   bitches   : ideally 53 cm  (21-24 ins = 53-61    cm).

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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

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