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Breed Standard
General Appearance
Smooth-coated, thick
set, rather low in stature, broad, powerful and compact. Head, fairly large
in proportion to size but no point so much in excess of others as to destroy
the general symmetry, or make the dog appear deformed, or interfere with its
powers of motion. Face short, muzzle broad, blunt and inclined upwards. Dogs
showing respiratory distress highly undesirable. Body short, well knit,
limbs stout, well muscled and in hard condition with no tendency towards
obesity. Hindquarters high and strong but somewhat lighter in comparison
with heavy foreparts. Bitches not so grand or well developed as dogs.
Characteristics
Conveys impression of
determination, strength and activity.
Temperament
Alert, bold, loyal,
dependable, courageous, fierce in appearance, but possessed of affectionate
nature.
Head and Skull
Skull large in
circumference. Viewed from front appears very high from corner of lower jaw
to apex of skull; also very broad and square. Cheeks well rounded and
extended sideways beyond eyes. Viewed from side, head appears very high and
short from back to point of nose. Forehead flat with skin upon and about
head, loose and finely wrinkled, neither prominent nor overhanging face.
Projections of frontal bones prominent, broad, square and high; deep, wide
indentation between eyes. From stop, a furrow, both broad and deep extending
to middle of skull being traceable to apex. Face from front of cheek bone to
nose, short, skin wrinkled. Muzzle short, broad, turned upwards and very
deep from corner of eye to corner of mouth. Nose and nostrils large, broad
and black, under no circumstances liver colour, red or brown; top set back
towards eyes. Distance from inner corner of eye (or from centre of stop
between eyes) to extreme tip of nose not exceeding length from tip of nose
to edge of underlip. Nostrils large wide and open, with well defined
vertical straight line between. Flews (chops) thick, broad, pendant and very
deep, hanging completely over lower jaws at sides, not in front, joining
underlip in front and quite covering teeth. Jaws broad, massive and square,
lower jaw projecting in front of upper and turning up. Nose roll must not
interfere with the line of layback. Viewed from front, the various
properties of the face must be equally balanced on either side of an
imaginary line down centre.
Eyes
Seen from front,
situated low down in skull, well away from ears. Eyes and stop in same
straight line, at right angles to furrow. Wide apart, but outer corners
within the outline of cheeks. Round in shape, of moderate size, neither
sunken nor prominent, in colour very dark – almost black – showing no white
when looking directly forward. Free from obvious eye problems.
Ears
Set high – i.e. front
edge of each ear (as viewed from front) joins outline of skull at top corner
of such outline, so as to place them as wide apart, as high and as far from
eyes as possible. Small and thin. ’Rose ear‘ correct, i.e. folding inwards
back, upper or front inner edge curving outwards and backwards, showing part
of inside of burr.
Mouth
Jaws broad and square
with six small front teeth between canines in an even row. Canines wide
apart. Teeth large and strong, not seen when mouth closed. When viewed from
front under jaw directly under upper jaw and parallel.
Neck
Moderate in length,
very thick, deep and strong. Well arched at back, with much loose, thick and
wrinkled skin about throat, forming dewlap on each side, from lower jaw to
chest.
Forequarters
Shoulders broad,
sloping and deep, very powerful and muscular giving appearance of being
’tacked on‘ body. Brisket capacious, round and very deep from top of
shoulders to lowest part where it joins chest. Well let down between
forelegs. Large in diameter, round behind forelegs (not flat-sided, ribs
well rounded). Forelegs very stout and strong, well developed, set wide
apart, thick, muscular and straight, presenting rather bowed outline, but
bones of legs large and straight, not bandy nor curved and short in
proportion to hindlegs, but not so short as to make back appear long, or
detract from dog’s activity and so cripple him. Elbows low and standing well
away from ribs. Pasterns short, straight and strong.
Body
Chest wide, laterally
round, prominent and deep. Back short, strong, broad at shoulders,
comparatively narrower at loins. Slight fall to back close behind shoulders
(lowest part) whence spine should rise to loins (top higher than top of
shoulder), curving again more suddenly to tail, forming arch (termed roach
back) – a distinctive characteristic of breed. Body well ribbed up behind
with belly tucked up and not pendulous.
Hindquarters
Legs large and
muscular, longer in proportion than forelegs, so as to elevate loins. Hocks
slightly bent, well let down; legs long and muscular from loins to hock;
short, straight, strong lower part. Stifles round and turned slightly
outwards away from body. Hocks thereby made to approach each other and hind
feet to turn outwards.
Feet
Fore, straight and turning very slightly
outward; of medium size and moderately round. Hind, round and compact. Toes
compact and thick, well split up, making knuckles prominent and high.
Tail
Set on low, jutting
out rather straight and then turning downwards. Round, smooth and devoid of
fringe or coarse hair. Moderate in length – rather short than long – thick
at root, tapering quickly to a fine point. Downward carriage (not having a
decided upward curve at end) and never carried above back.
Gait/Movement
Peculiarly heavy and
constrained, appearing to walk with short, quick steps on tips of toes, hind
feet not lifted high, appearing to skim ground, running with one or other
shoulder rather advanced. Soundness of movement of the utmost importance.
Coat
Fine texture, short,
close and smooth (hard only from shortness and closeness, not wiry).
Colour
Whole or smut, (i.e.
whole colour with black mask or muzzle). Only whole colours (which should be
brilliant and pure of their sort) viz., brindles, reds with their various
shades, fawns, fallows etc., white and pied (i.e. combination of white with
any of the foregoing colours). Dudley, black and black with tan highly
undesirable.
Size
Dogs: 25 kgs (55 lbs);
bitches: 23 kgs (50 lbs).
Faults
Any departure from the
foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which
the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and
its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
Note
Male animals should have two
apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Source:-
Kennel Club Bulldog Breed Standard
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