Country of origin: Albania and Kosovo

Standard on Classification: Waiting to be provisionally recognised

Group: 2

Section: 2.2

Utilization: Sheepdog, shepherd, guardian and service dog

Original name: Deltari Ilir (Qen dhene Ilir)

English: Illyrian Sheepdog

German: Illyrischer Schäferhund

French: Chien de Berger Illyrien

Slavic: Ilirski Ovcar

Deltari Ilir is strong, relatively big, rectangular, long haired, good guardian, irreplaecable shepherd, brave, powerful, with a big head ,strong jaws, tied skin, strong/Coarse body and strong muscles.
Leaves the impression of a powerful dog not lazy sluggish one. His fiery eye look shows intelligenee and bravery. Rough character but not aggressive, reasonable, proud, determined, brave against beasts.
Harmonious body is a result of noble appearance.
Height for males 65 - 75 cm, weight 40 - 60 kg (ideal weight, on 1 cm of length 700 gram weight),length is 4 - 8% longer than its height at the withers.
Bitches-height 60 - 70 cm, weight 30 - 50 kg, length 6 - 10% longer than height at the withers.
Skull in relation to the muzzle is approximately 3 : 2.
The chest depth measured from the ehest bone till the withers is a little bit bigger than the half of the dog height at withers.

Its head length is between middle towards long (mezocephal) ,strong, head skin is good attached and without wrinkles, the head is proportional to the body. Head length is approximately 29 cm at males and 26 cm at bitches ,which corresponds to about 2/5 of the height at the withers.
Seen from underneath is blunt wedge-shaped ,seen in profile the forehead is broad and a little rounded.
Explanation: Very heavy and short head or very light and not proportional to the body are faults, not proportional relation between the length of muzzle and skull ,very tight muzzle and convergent head lines should be eliminated.

a. SkulI: Good convex formed and a lightly rounded, measures approximately 3/5 of head length at males and 3/7 of head length at bitches.
Cephalie index around 53.Skull perimeter around 56 cm or areund 80% of the height at the withers.
Superciliary arches and the oecipital erest are not pronounced. The area between the eyes is wide and gradually narrows toward the tip of the nose. At the zygomatic arches the width of skull is 10% smaller in relation with the length of skull.
Explanation: the line of the muzzle in relation with that of skull which passes through occipital bone is lightly convergent and the line of muzzle in relation with that of forehead is lightly divergent. Parallellines of the head and a narrow skull are serious faults.

b. Stop: Barely pronounced, the angle between the muzzle and the forehead is 150°.
Imaginary line between inner angles of the eyes makes the stop line.
Explanation: The bone fundament in the area between the eyes ,were muzzle and skull are separated, should not be narrow. Eyes lie of one another at 1/4 of the length of the head. Not at all pronounced stop is a fault (parallel head lines), a very pronounced stop is a eliminating fault.

c. Muzzle: Is shorter than skuIl, makes 2/5 of the head length Muzzle is broad, bone is tough, pronounced ,straight. The muzzle from the root narrows toward the nose. The depth of the muzzle is smaller then length for 10 %,the measured girth near the eyes is 15% bigger than head length.
Explanation: Narrow and shallow (snippy) muzzle is a fault, a very narrow muzzle is an elirninating fault. A very pronounced passing from the muzzle towards the skull is a fault.

d. Nose: Good pigmented with weIl formulated nostrils. Seen from the side lies on continuation of upper lips. The width of the nose is always bigger then height in relation of 11 %.
Explanation: The nostrils should be opened as much as possible ,the nose should be elastic and always coloured dark to black, pigmented.

e. Jaws: Wide ,the upper jaw and the lower one are deep with a strong bone fundament and with a wide space between them, the mouth should be open almost until the fore last premolars and the first molars.
Explanation: Jaws should be strong, good developed, complete in number, weIl aligned, according to the dentition formula (42). It is considered that this breed has a bite power of near 12 kg/1 cm³. The profile of the lower jaw from the arch profile and the passing on the straight line is divergent with the muzzle line. A weak developed jaw and a weak conjunction are serious faults.

f. Lips: Fit tight around the jaw bone, the upper lips cover the lower ones without forrning pockets and without a flew, the colour is always black, pigmented.
Explanation: The upper lips should not be long and thin, the lower lips should not be hanging and when the dog shakes his head the lips should not vibrate, in the contrary they are considered serious fault to elirninating faults.

g. Teeth: White, strong, complete and according to dentition formula 42 ,the accepted bites are scissor and pincer bite where upper incisors closely overlap the lower incisors or they sit on one another without loosing contact.
Explanation: Missing of the first premolars is a minor fault, overshot and undershot bites should be penalised. Yellow, small and crossed teeth are rninor faults.

j. Eyes: Relatively large, almond shaped and lying in the middle of the eye socket, Neither too deep-set nor protruding ,in relation with a vertically kept head they are set horizontaIly. Eyelids tightly fitting the eyeball and should not be loose ,the colour should be light brown to dark .Eyes are set apart approximately as 1/4 of the head length.
Explanation: Sub frontal eye position with the distanee angle in relation with the horizontal is 10-15°. The setting of eye in relation to the horizontal in the semi lateral position is 35°. Small eyes, round eyes, protruding ,lig ter colour than the coat colour, are serious faults.

k. Ears: Have a triangular (heart) shape, the size is 1/2 of the head length, dropping and lying elose to the head they cover the ear canal. Ears are set away from one another at 6/10 of the head length. Visually they widen the skull and they reach the lower jaw. The front line lies approximately in the middle between the eyes and the occiput bulge. Ears from the outside are covered with relatively short hair.
Explanation: pointy(sharp) tip at the ear is not desirable, ears lightly hanging away from the cheeks and when the tip of the ear touches the cheek, asymrnetrical hanging of the ear or wizened (wrinkled) ears are faults, paralysed ear on affect , short ear, if it doesn't reach the outer corner of the eye should be penalised.

3. NECK

The body is longer than the height at the withers ,so they relatively have a rectangular form. The upper line of the body is straight which only raises at the withers ,and at the end slopes toward the croup.
Explanation: The body should not be stubby ,but strong and in no way lymphatic. A body that's not good connected ,as also the same body height with length should be penalised.

a. Withers: Relatively defined and broad, makes the connection between the neck and the back.
Explanation: Highly pronounced or not enough pronounced withers are faults, however wide withers bring wide ehest. At the withers is made the measurement of the dogs from the ground.

b. Back: Seen from the profile it creates a straight line which is disconnected only at the withers. The back is broad and strong ,relatively long and deep. The length makes 30% or 1/3 of the height at withers.
Explanation: The back during the walk should be as calm as possible. Seen from the profile there shouldn't be any convex or concave lines.

c. Chest: Is broad, deep and strong, proportional with other parts of the body and with weIl developed muscles, the tip of the chest bone is under the tip of the chest and reaches the elbow.
Explanation: The height from the ground up to the lower part of the chest is less than V2 of height at the withers. The chest shouldn't be barrel shaped. Relation of the height of elbow from ground and the height of elbow to the withers is 52 till 55% : 48 tiIl 45%. A very broad ehest, tight shaIlow ehest, barrel shaped ehest and not enough rounded ribs are undesirable.

d. Ribcage: Lies somewhat lower than the elbow, with high and broad eapaeity. The circurnference of the ribcage is 20 - 25% bigger than the height at the withers, and 15% at bitches. The width of the ribcage is around 2/3 of the height of the ribcage from its tip to the withers or 40% of the height at the withers.
Explanation: Differences of the ribcage circumference are as result of dog movement.

e. Waist: Shouldn't be bended and elevated. Circurnference of the waist is approximately 7/10 of the circumference of the ribcage.
Explanation: From the chest going toward the rear graduaIly elevates.

f. Loins: Are continuation of the back, seen from the side the profile is relatively convex, tight good, from the side rounded, length of the loins is 1/5 of the height at withers.
Explanation: Transition from the back towards the loins is barely noticing and always on a straight line.

g. Belly: Muscled and tucked up ,the lower line of beIly rises gradually from the ribcage toward the rear ribs but not it shouldn't be very pronounced.
Explanation: Underline should not be horizontal and the elevation should not be verypronounced (serious faults).

h. Croup: Broad ,strong, rounded, well muscled and relatively long, around 1/3 of the height at withers and wide 15% of the height at withers. Sloping, the angle of line that unites hip with pelvis in relation with the horizontal is approximately 28° (25° - 30°)
Explanation: Tight and pointed croup are not desirable and are considered faults. The front part always looks bigger than the rear part of the body.

i. Height and Weight: Height for males is 65 - 75cm,for bitches 60 - 70cm. When the dogs are in optimal conditions the weight is 40 - 60kg (70% of dogs have the weight of 48 - 52kg) respectively on 1 cm height 700 gr weight, for bitches 30 - 50 kg or 15% less than for males.
Explanation: Relation between the height and weight for many dogs is on 1 cm height 700 gr weight, for bitches this relation is smaller.

j. Tail: Continuation from croup with a continual continuation and lightly pronounced root, The height of the tail root is 12% lower in relation with height at withers, it has a strong and broad root and toward the tip narrows. Tip of the tail reaches the hock joint and lower ,the length of the tail is 50 - 54cm.
Explanation: The tail is set on continuation of the croup ,carried curved as the sabre is the best form. Tail carried once as a ring is allowed, carried twice as ring gyrated is a serious fault.