The well-proportioned head is strong and wide. When viewed in profile, the skull is slightly longer than the muzzle, and its curvature is more accentuated at the back than in the front. The occiput is well defined. The top of the skull appears to be domed and to have a slight depression in the middle. There is a central furrow in the prominent forehead for two-thirds of the distance between the forehead and the occiput. The stop is well-defined. The muzzle is narrower at the nose than at its base. The strong jaws are neither under- nor overshot. The lips are thick, especially in the front.

There are no flews. The mucous membranes (including the roof of the mouth, under the tongue, and the gums), are well ticked with black or are quite black in black or white dogs. In brown dogs, color is in harmony with that of the coat. The teeth are not visible when the mouth is closed.

TEETH -- A full complement of strong, white teeth meet in a scissors or level bite. The canines are strongly-developed.

EYES -- The roundish, medium size eyes are set well apart. They are brown or black in color. The fine-textured lids have black edges. The dark haws are not apparent. The eyes are never prominent or sunken.

NOSE -- The wide, finely-pigmented nose has well-flared nostrils. Nose pigment is black in dogs with black, black and white, or white coats. Brown dogs have nose pigment in harmony with coat color.

EARS -- The heart-shaped ears are set well above the line of the eyes, the tips reaching above the lower jaw, not below. Ear leather is fine in texture. The ears are held nicely against the head except for a small opening at the back.