ENGLISH BULLDOG BREED STANDARD

British Bulldog/Bulldog Origin: Great Britan

GENERAL TEMPERAMENT OF A BULLDOG:

Conveys impression of determination, strength and activity. Alert, bold, loyal, dependable, courageous, fierce in appearance, but possessed of affectionate nature. Courageous (not vicious or aggressive), and demeanor should be pacific and dignified. These attributes should be countenanced by the _expression and behavior.

GENERAL APPEARANCE:

The perfect Bulldog is of medium size and smooth coat. Heavy, thick-set, rather low-swung body type, with a massive short-faced head, wide shoulders and sturdy limbs. General appearance and attitude suggesting great stability, vigor and strength. The Bulldog disposition should be equable and sweet, resolute and courageous (not aggressive vicious or), and demeanor should be pacific and dignified. The attributes will be countenanced by the expression and behavior.

PROPORTION, SYMMETRY:

Proportion--The circumference of the skull in front of the ears should measure at least the height of the dog at the shoulders.
Symmetry--The "points" should be well distributed and bear good relation to each other, no feature being in such prominence from either to much or not enough of quality that the animal appears deformed or ill-proportioned. Influence of Sex In comparison of Bulldogs of different sex, due allowance should be made in favor of the females, which do not bear the characteristics of the breed to the same degree of perfection and grandeur as do the males.

HEAD

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.

STOP: Deep, wide indentation between eyes.

Viewed from front, the various properties of the face must be equally balanced on either side of an imaginary line down center.

NOSE: Nose and nostrils large, broad and black. Nostrils large wide and open, with well-defined vertical straight line between.

MUZZLE: Muzzle short, broad, turned upwards and very deep from corner of eye to corner of mouth. Nose roll should not interfere with the line of layback.

LIPS: Flews (chops) thick, broad, pendant and deep, hanging completely over lower jaws at sides, not in front, joining underlip in front and quite covering teeth.

JAWS/TEETH: Jaws broad, massive and square, lower jaw projecting in front of upper and turning up. 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 should be directly under upper jaw and parallel.

CHEEKS: Cheeks well-rounded and extended sideways beyond eyes.

EYES: from front, situated low down in skull, 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 color very dark. Not showing white when looking forward.

EARS: Set high on head. 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, folding inwards back, upper or front inner edge curving outwards and backwards, showing part of inside of burr.

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.

BODY

TOPLINE: (termed "roach back") 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. The roach back is a distinctive characteristic of breed.

BACK: Back short, strong, broad at shoulders, comparatively narrower at loins.

CHEST: Chest wide, laterally round, prominent and deep. Body well-ribbed up behind. 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).

BELLY: Belly tucked up and should not be pendulous.

TAIL: Set 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) (spike or screwed)

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS: 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 hind legs.

SHOULDERS: Shoulders broad, sloping and deep, very powerful and muscular giving appearance of being "tacked on" body.

ELBOWS: Elbows low and standing well away from ribs.

PASTERNS: Pasterns short, straight and strong.

HINDQUARTERS: Legs large and muscular, longer in proportion than forelegs, so as to elevate loins. Legs long and muscular from loins to hock; short, straight, strong lower part.

STIFLES: Stifles round and turned slightly outwards away from body.

HOCKS: Hocks thereby made to approach each other and hind feet to turn outwards. Hocks slightly bent, well let down.

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.

GAIT / MOVEMENT: The style and carriage are peculiar, his gait being a loose-jointed, shuffling, sidewise motion, giving the characteristic "roll". The action must, however, be unrestrained, free and vigorous.

HAIR: Fine texture, short, close and smooth (hard only from shortness and closeness, not wiry).

COLOR: Coat colors should be uniform, pure of its kind and brilliant. Colors found in the breed are to be preferred in the following order: (1) red brindle, (2) all other brindles, (3) solid white, (4) solid red, fawn or fallow, (5) piebald, (6) inferior qualities: Note: A perfect piebald is preferable to a muddy brindle or defective solid color. Solid black is very undesirable.

WEIGHT

Dogs: (50 lbs).

Bitches: (40 lbs).

FAULTS: Brown or liver-colored nose.