How to Identify a Chart Polski
- 1). Begin by judging the dog’s size and weight as well as taking note of its shape and build. The dog should be between 28 and 32 inches high at the withers and weigh between 50 and 75 pounds. It should roughly be as long from chest to hindquarters as it is tall, possess a lithe and thin body underneath tightly stretched skin. The coloration of the dog can be practically anything so this is no help at identifying the breed. The chest should be deep to make room for the large lungs necessary to allow the dog to run at high speed over great distances. The tail should be long and thin, curving slightly to avoid touching the ground, and is usually held low. The legs should be very long and surprisingly thin. People often get the impression that the dog is walking on stilts.
- 2). Pay attention to how the dog acts around people as well as how it walks. The dog should take particularly high steps when walking, as if it were marching. The dog should be very reserved and keep its distance around strangers, though not acting shy. If with the owner it will often interpose itself between the owner and someone the dog does not know as a natural protective reaction.
- 3). Finish by looking at the dog’s head. The dog should have a narrow and very long skull. Short triangular ears will be flopped over, held low and to the sides. Its jaw should be narrow but powerful, tapering to a point very slowly. The dog will always have brown eyes, the result of a surprisingly stable genetic trait. If the dog matches this description then it’s a Chart Polski.
