A very distinctive feature is that it is very short, approximately twice as long as it is tall. The body is long, low, and level, covered with a dense coat of long, straight hair that hangs down the sides and covers the oval ribs. The head is richly feathered, covering the muzzle and eyes for protection when the bush chases other animals through it. He stands and moves with his head held high and his gait relaxed. His body, legs and jaws are strong. A uniquely styled, graceful and majestic dog, agile, strong, strong-boned and well-muscled.

The head is long and powerful. Eyes are brown, preferably dark brown, medium in size, set close together, and have a vibrant and intelligent glow. The ears are neat and symmetrical with elegant feathering. Possibly standing or drooping. If the ears are erect, they are medium in size, set high, on the outer edge of the top of the head, and the tips of the ears are far apart, and the distance between the tips of the ears is greater than the distance from the roots of the ears. The lop-eared ears are slightly larger, set low, and hang flat on the top of the head.

The skull is of medium width behind, tapering towards the muzzle, with a strong muzzle. The muzzle is dark with medium fullness. Strong and absolutely healthy jaw. Nose must be black.

The neck is long and gracefully curved, held proudly high. Topline level. The body is exceptionally long and low, with a deep chest and oval ribs. The body is flat on the sides, with a thick, straight coat hanging down. The tail is long and beautifully feathered. When the tail is down, the upper part of it hangs down, the rest follows behind, and the rear part is moderately curved back, but not curled or twisted. When raised, its height appears as an extension of the topline. Although not acceptable, sometimes dogs will hold their tails higher than their bodies when excited or angry. It's acceptable if this happens only when you're emotional. But the tail cannot often be held high above the topline or drooped limply. The shoulders are good, the forearms should be slightly rounded and the legs are short and muscular. Large rabbit feet, toes and fore fingers, thick pads, strong, black toenails. The hindquarters are strong, full, well developed and well angled. Legs short, muscular and straight when viewed from behind. The impetus for action comes from the hind limbs, which are smooth, lively and relaxed, more or less like a flowing painting.

The coat is double layered with a short, tight, soft and downcoat undercoat. The outer coat is stiff, straight and flat, about 5.5 inches long. The coat on the body hangs down straight down the sides of the body, from the head to the middle of the tail. The hair on the head may be shorter, and the muzzle and eyes are covered by a long veil that forms the eyebrows and bib. Around the ears are long frills, which hang straight down from around the ears and at the tips, forming a tassel network and framing the shape of the ears. The end hairs blend into the coat on the neck. The tail is beautifully feathered.

The coat color must be a single color consistent with the skin color, and may vary in shades of black, blue, shades of grey, silver, light brown or cream. There should be no markings or spots other than black markings on the ears, muzzle and tip of the tail, the darker the spots the better, preferably black. The color of the head and legs is close to the color of the body. A puppy's coat color may be very different from an adult dog's coat color. Different colors are allowed for puppies under 18 months. Adult dogs are only allowed to have white markings up to 2 inches in diameter on the chest.