Prague Ratter / Pražský Krysařík / Rattier de Prague
Country of origin: The Czech Republic
Date of publication of the last valid standard: 12. 10. 1980, modified 15.11.2008
Use: Companion dog
FCI Classification- After his international recognition:
Group 9 – Companions and Toys
Section: 12 Ratters
No working trial
SHORT HISTORICAL OVERVIEW:
Historically, this breed has been known since the remote past of the Czech state. Because of its small size, fast movement and highly developed sense of smell it was used for killing rats (which gave it the name „Krysařík" = Ratter). This quality it possesses was gained during its long historical development. This small active dog was often seen at aristocratic feasts of Czech kings at the Prague castle. It adorned courts of Bohemian aristocracy and as a present from the Bohemian kings it became a possession of other European rulers and later of the ordinary citizens. Searching of the historical sources brought the results proving that this breed really comes from Bohemia and its origins can be traced to the early history of our nation. In 1980 its regeneration successfully started. Pražský krysařík is again a favourite pet, lives in our families and the people in the countries of the world have started being interested in it, which is a very pleasing fact.
GENERAL APPEARANCE:
A small smooth-haired dog, nearly quadratic compact body structure. Despite its little height very active, alert, lively. Dogs looks masculine and bitches feminine.
TEMPERAMENT AND QUALITIES:
Gentle, curious and tender. Fast, with good movement and steady. By nature not trustful to strangers but very friendly and warm-hearted to its family. It suits to every family which can appreciate its nature nobility and character.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:
Height withers to body length: 1 : 1,05 – bitches could be longer
Depth of chest represents 45 - 50% of the height withers.
Skull width to skull length 1 : 1 to 1,03
Length of foreface represents 1/3 - ½ of the head length
We have to understand these measurements and proportions as ideal but it is the general appearance that is always important.
HEAD:
Head is pear-shaped.
Skull:
Skull is round, not parallel with nose, occiput is prominent. Eyes are set wide apart. Skin on skull has no folds and is coated with short and fine hair.
Stop is distinct.
Foreface:
Nosearea: is fully pigmented, its colour fits the colour of the coat.
Lips: Lips are close-fitting, firm and are closed in corners. Lip edges are fully pigmented. The colour fits the colour of the coat.
Jaws/teeth: Both jaws are firm and converge to muzzle. Teeth have regular scissor bite. It is preferable if no teeth are missing.
Eyes: Eyes are dark, the colour fits the basic colour of the coat. They are of medium size, round, noticeably bulging and set wide apart. Lids are tight-fitting, well pigmented.
Ears: Ears are set at the back of the head, triangular, firm, naturally erected. If they are slightly hanging downwards, it is tolerated but not preferable. They are not carried vertically but in a gentle angle to the sides.
Neck: Neck is without folds, gracefully curved and sufficiently long, at the right angle to body and head.
BODY:
Upperline: Straight and firm.
Withers: Flat.
Back: Short, straight, firm.
Loins: Short, relating firmly to back, gradually terminating in tail.
Croup: Gently inclined, sufficiently long.
Chest: Not too deep, oval in cross-section. Chest depth forms 45 – 50% of height at withers.
Underlineandabdomen: Abdomen is slightly drawn-in, between abdomen and loins clearly merging into drawn-in flank.
Tail: Tail is set at the level of back, docked. If not docked, then it can reach the hock joint at maximum. Strong, gets narrower to the top. The tail is straight or from the half slightly upright. In movement it is carried higher, it can be curled above the back in a semicircle.
LEGS, FOREQUATERS
Ingeneral: From the front view straight, parallel, dog should not stand very widely.
Shoulderblades: Muscular, held closely to the chest. Angle with shoulders is not too obtuse.
Elbows: Set close, straight. Turned neither outside nor inside.
Forearm: adequately strong, straight.
Pastern: From the front view as a fluent continuing of forearm. From the side view slightly bent, solid.
Forefeet: Round, firm, with well arched toes, which fit together tightly. Claws are dark.
Hindquarters
General: muscles well developed, from the side view Stifle joint well bent and hock well agulated. From the back view dog should stand solidly, parallely and not too widely.
Hindfeet: same as the forefeet, could be a little bit longer.
Movement: Both forequarters and hindquarters produce steady, flowing, parallel, light movement. Pads must not drag along. Hindfeet step fully into forequarters traces.
Skin: Skin is tough, strong, firm and fits tight to body. Pigment fits with the colour of the coat.
COAT
Type of coat:
-Short, glossy, fitting close to body, thick, without bald places. Head is usually coated with thinner and shorter coat than the body.
-Medium long, flags on ears, quarters, tail and slightly open on the chest.
COLOUR OF THE COAT:
Black and tan, brown and tan and other lighter variants to yellow recessive colour included merle and red. Tan is red, deep, most desired is dark red, well marked. It is found above eyes, on cheeks, on chest and on the paster of the forefeet. Then on the feet, inside the hindquarters and under the root of the tail.. On the forechest it forms two similar separated triangles.
Colours different from black and tan differ in the basic colour of the coat, nose, eye and markings. Deeper pigmentation is preferable.
HEIGHT AND WEIGHT:
Ideal height is 20 – 23 cm.
Ideal weight is cca 2,60 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. Possibilities of wrong influence on health and behaviour are a part of the standard, too.
Main faults:
- narrow or insufficiently arched skull
- asymmetrical bite
- slightly arched back and loins, softer back
- paws slightly curving outwards or inwards
- more yellow spots on head, abdomen, yellow thread, not separated triangles on the chest
- pigmentation of the upper lip does not match the basic colour of the coat
- big white spot on the chest (more than 1cm2), seldom white spots on toes
- black thread in the red coat colour
- permanently curled tail or tail closely fits to one side, low-set tail
- longer body with shorter legs
- nose not pigmented
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:
- fontanelle
- apple shaped head, it means that foreface does not make 1/3 of the length of the head
- blue or predatory eye
- overlap or overbite
- ear closely fits the head
- heavily arched back and loins
- bald spots on any part of the body
- more than 4 teeth missing (except P1 and M3), 2 or more incisors missing
- missing tan marks on the head if has tan marks on the body
- large white mark on the chest, more than 2 cm2 and white markings anywhere on body or legs
- large black thread scumbling the basic red and tan colour
- extreme timidity
- aggressivity
- withers height under 18cm
Note: Male animals must have both testicles apparently regular, fully descended into the scrotum.
The standard was approved by KPPPK members meeting on 15th November 2008 and presented to the guarantee for standards of ČMKU.
Hereby the original standard loses its validity.