The majority of canine terms are relatively straightforward, though as with all types of translation, there are some words which just don't have a simple direct equivalent. As an example, let's take the French term aplombs:  . Technically, bons aplombs means that the limbs are straight and parallel when viewed from the front and back, that is they neither turn in (cagneux), nor turn out (panards), and they are not bowed (arqués). The term also means that when viewed from the side, the legs should be perpendicular with the ground, not with the rear pasterns (hocks) too angulated and tucked under (jarrets trop fermés) or having too open an angle and stretched out (jarrets trop ouverts). Quite a lengthy explanation for the simple bons aplombs!. The term has been translated as: stands true front and rear, legs parallel, good straight limbs, stands four-square, etc., and all these are correct even though none of them alone really encompasses the whole meaning of the term.  Luckily, most terms are far less complicated to translate. The glossary below is far from complete as there are many different ways of describing the points of the dog, and all judges tend to have their own particular style and turn of phrase. I have included most of the commonly used terms, and have only now to wish you - happy translating! Amanda McLaren

	tête head
	tête longue long head
	tête médioligne medium length head
	tête sèche dry head
	tête forte/lourde heavy/strong in head
	tête puissante strong in head
	la tête manque de finesse the head lacks refinement
	manque de parallelisme dans les lignes de tête head planes not parallel
	doit se ciseler en tête head needs to develop more chiselling
	Bonne tête proportionnée head well balanced/well proportioned
	tête au profil haut deep in skull
	stop correct correct stop
	stop modéré moderate stop
	Stop léger slight stop
	manque/absence de stop lack/absence of stop
	stop accusé pronounced stop
	stop léger slight stop
	stop long long stop
	Stop allongé long stop (ending low on muzzle instead of being between eyes)
	le museau muzzle
	le chanfrein muzzle (usually refers to the upper surface of the muzzle)
	chanfrein busqué hooked/Roman nose
	chanfrein droit/plat/rectligne straight muzzle
	chanfrein/nez pincé pinched muzzle
	Le chanfrein présente un épi central ridge on centre of muzzle
	chanfrein et quasi rectiligne muzzle almost straight
	truffe nose
	le crâne skull (often refers to topskull)
	crâne plat flat skull
	Crâne quasi plat flattish skull
	crâne basculé/le crâne bascule vers l'arrière receeding skull
	crâne/front plongeant sloping skull/forehead
	crâne bombé domed skull
	front forehead
	crâne/front arrondi rounded skull/forehead
	front plat forehead flat
	bon parallélisme head planes parallel
	manque de parallelisme dans les lignes de tête head planes not parallel
	la joue cheek
	joues plates flat cheeks
	joues sèches dry in cheek
	joue trop chargée too full in cheek
	la ciselure chiselling
	tête bien ciselée well chiselled head
	bien ciselée sous l'oeil well chiselled below by the eye
	la tête manque de ciselure head lacks chiselling
	arcades zygomatiques zygomatic arches
	zygomatiques trop marqués zygomatic arches too pronounced
	arcades sourcilières proéminentes pronounced brow ridges/supercialiary arches
	machoire jaw
	manque de menton lacking in chin
	museau en sifflet snipey muzzle
	gueule bien fendue mouth well split
	lèvres lips
	les lèvres inférieures manquent de sécheresse lower lips too loose
	babines flews
	fanon dewlap
	bien masqué well masked
	manque de masque lacks mask
	masque très haut very high masked
	masque dilué diluted mask
	masque bien défini/désinné well defined mask/set mask
	œil/yeux eye/eyes
	yeux en amande almond eyes
	yeux foncés dark eyes
	yeux noirs black eyes
	Yeux noisettes hazel eyes
	œil un peu clair eye a little light
	œil sombre dark eye
	yeux ronds round eyes
	yeux expressifs expressive eyes
	expression vive alert expression
	les yeux pourraient être plus en amande the eyes could be more almond in shape
	L'œil sombre expressif pourrait être plus en amande Dark expressive eye which could be more almond in shape
	Yeux bridés eyes too almond and slanting
	oreilles ears
	petites oreilles small ears
	oreilles moyennes medium sized ears
	grandes oreilles large ears
	oreilles serrées/haut plantées/haut placées high set ears
	oreilles écartées wide set ears
	oreilles bien portées ears well carried/used
	oreilles convergentes converging ears
	oreilles divergentes diverging ears
	oreilles profondes de conque external ear too rounded (cupped)
	oreilles longuettes longish ears
	oreilles larges à la base ears wide at the base
	les oreilles paraissent longues en raison du manque de collerette the ears appear long due to lack of ruff
	les oreilles pourraient être plus trangulaires the ears could be more triangular in shape
	l'oreille droite est légèrement convergente right ear slightly converging
	oreilles aux extémités arondies ears rounded at the tips
	oreilles au bord interne vertical inside edge of ear vertical
	oreilles pointant rarement rarely uses his/her ears
	Oreilles qui pointent difficilement reluctant to use his/her ears
	Les oreilles pourraient être plus serrées ears could be higher set
	la denture bite - position of the teeth
	la dentition number of teeth
	denture en cisailles scissor(s) bite
	denture en pince level bite
	prognathisme inférieure undershot bite
	prognathisme supérieure overshot bite
	avec légère béance entre les incisives médianes slight loss of contact between the central incisors
	denture dissymétrique wry bite/cross-bite
	plis peauciers skin folds or wrinkles
	encolure neckline, refers to set-on and carriage of neck, and is also used in connection with length (reach) of neck
	bonne sortie d'encolure good reach of neck
	enclore bien dégagée good reach of neck
	encolure un peu courte neck a little short
	manque de l'encolure lacking in neck
	longue encolure long neck
	encolure trop cambrée set-on of neck too steep/upright (causing a sharp angle with the topline)
	cou trop galbé neck with exaggerated arch
	encolure grêle spindly neck (swan neck)
	la nuque neck (nape of neck)
	garrot withers
	garrot bien sorti/bien dessiné accentuated withers
	garrot effacé withers not sufficiently accentuated
	corps carré square in body
	construction in French generally refers to body shape as opposed to structure
	construction courte short in body
	construction longue long in body
	construction longuet longish body
	dos ferme firm back
	dos tendu level back
	dos longuet longish back
	corps trop long too long in body
	corps long qui doit encore s'étoffer long body which still needs to fill out
	corps de longueur moyenne body of medium length (often used to imply that it could be shorter)
	ligne de dessus/dos topline
	dos ensellé saddle/sway/dippy back
	dos voussé roached back
	corps court dont les lombes se voussent par moments short body with topline which roaches at times
	ligne de dos surmontée/surélevée topline overbuilt at the rear
	ligne de dos montante sloping topline
	corps rablé stocky build
	rein loin
	rein court short-coupled
	rein un peu long a little long in loin
	ligne de dessous underline
	ligne de dessous bien dessinée underline well defined
	ligne de dessous trop horizontale underline too horizontal (not sufficiently tucked up)
	la ligne de dessous est trop chargée too full in underline (usually due to excess weight)
	ligne de dessous levrettée underline too tucked up
	ventre bien relevé belly well tucked up
	croupe croup
	croupe fuyante sloping croup
	croupe en pupitre very steep/sloping croup
	la poitrine chest
	la poitrine est bien descendue good depth of chest/chest is well let down
	poitrine insuffisament descendue insufficient depth of chest
	poitrine ample chest well filled out/correct spring of rib
	La poitrine se dessine bien pour l'âge chest is developing well for age
	La poitrine est bien développée pour son âge chest well developed for age
	La poitrine manque un peu d'hauteur et d'ampleur chest lacks a little depth and width
	La poitrine commence à descendre chest starting to deepen
	Poitrine doit encore se développer needs to mature in chest
	La poitrine doit s'amplifier avec la maturité Chest needs to fill out with maturity
	côtes ribs
	côtes plates flat sided (lacks spring of rib)
	poitrail forechest
	poitrail trop large too wide in forechest
	poitrail étroite narrow in forechest
	avant-main forequarters
	angulation avant/antérieure front angulation
	l'épaule shoulder
	épaule bien inclinée shoulder well laid back
	l'épaule droite straight in shoulder
	l'omoplate scapula
	le bras upper arm
	le bras est droit straight in upper arm
	humérus humerus
	la coude elbow
	coudes décollés loose elbows, out at elbow
	coudes serrés tied at elbow
	l'avant bras forearm
	poignet pastern joint/wrist
	poignets faibles weak pasterns
	poignets bouletés knuckes over at the wrists
	metacarpe front pastern
	pieds feet
	pieds de chat cat feet
	pieds longs long feet
	pieds écrasés splayed feet
	pieds tournés vers l'intérieur/cagneux toes in
	doigts écartés toes wide spread
	orteils écrasés splayed toes
	arrière-main hindquarters
	angulation arrière/postérieure hind/rear angulation
	angulation arrière droite straight hind/rear angulation
	la cuisse upper thigh
	fémur femur
	le grasset stifle
	angles du grasset trop ouverts too little bend of stifle (too straight in hind angulation)
	angles du grasset trop fermés over angulated stifles (excessive hind angulation)
	les grassets pourraient être plus marqués could have more bend of stifle
	la jambe lower/second thigh
	jarret hock
	jarrets de vache cow hocks
	jarrets bien descendus hocks well let down
	métatarse/métatarsiens metatarsus/metatarsals (rear pastern)
	membres limbs
	membres arqués bow legs
	haut sur pattes good length of leg/high in the leg
	bas sur pattes short in the leg
	l'arrièe-main trop sous le chien stand with the hindlegs tucked inwards under the body
	aplombs the position of the limbs - parallel when viewed from the front and back, and perpendicular to the ground when viewed in profile
	Les aplombs sont ouverts de derrière stands wide behind
	les aplombs avants sont en lyre fiddle front
	cagneux toes in
	panarde des antérieurs front feet turn out (east-west front)
	panarde de l'arrière cow-hocked
	ossature bone
	forte ossature heavy bone
	ossature légère fine boned
	ossature en rapport avec le gabarit bone is in keeping with the size/build of the dog
	le fouet tail
	la queue tail
	fouet bien porté tail well carried
	fouet bien attachée tail well set
	fouet gai gay tail
	prise/attache de la queue set-on of the tail
	mauvaise attache du fouet bad tail set
	fouet planté haut high set tail
	la queue est implantée assez bas the tail is set on rather low
	queue en crochet hooked tail
	fouet devié deviating tail
	fouet sous le ventre tail between the legs
	fouet enroulé curled tail
	allures/démarche/action movement/gait
	allures unies smooth movement
	allures couvrantes ground covering movement
	aux allures le chien couvre bien son terrain the dog covers the ground well
	allures dégaggées free action
	allures régulières smooth gait
	allures souples supple movement
	allures décousues uncoordinated movement
	allures vues de profil sidegait
	propulsion drive
	coudes décollées out at the elbow
	aux allures il jette les antérieurs throws his front feet on the move
	il tricote/croise à l'avant he crosses over in front
	il billarde he paddles
	il serre à l'arrière close behind
	allures raides stilted gait
	allures relevées hackney action
	les reins se vouseent aux allures roaches over the loin on the move
	allures raccourcies mincing gait/short of stride
	l'arrière est un peu raide stilted rear movement
	allures indisciplinées uncontrolled movement
	marcher en crabe crabbing
	il se méjuge overreaches
	il se déjuge underreaches
	la robe/la fourrure/le poil coat
	sous-poil undercoat
	fourrure abondante profuse coat
	en pleine fourrure in full coat
	la mue moulting (out of coat)
	fourrue en début de mue coat starting to moult
	présenté(e) hors de condition shown out of condition
	l'harmonie est desservie par l'absence de fourrure lack of coat detracts from the harmony of the dog
	fourrure ondulée wavy coat
	franges feathering
	la charbonnure dark overlay
	il commence à se charbonner starting to develop overlay
	fauve fortement charbonné fawn with heavy overlay
	manteau noir black mantle
	poil long long coat
	poil court short coat
	poil dur harsh/wiry coat
	Laekenois A la fourrure bien rêche mais bouclée Laekenois with a harsh but curly coat
	poil lisse smooth coat
	garnitures furnishings (head furnishings of the Laekenois)
	collerette/crinière ruff
	culottes trousers
	combinant puissance et élégance combining strength with elegance
	bonne substance good substance
	jeune dégingandé gangly youngster
	manque de substance lacks substance
	ne se présente pas à son avantage does not show to advantage
	a besoin de se finir needs to mature

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