CONTENTS

 

General Appearance

Size, Proportion, Symmetry

Head

Neck, Topline, Body

Forequarters

Hindquarters

Coat and Skin

Color of Coat

Gait

Temperament

Scale of Points

 

General Appearance -- The perfect Bulldog must be of medium size and smooth coat; with

heavy, thickset, low-swung body, massive short-faced head, wide shoulders and sturdy limbs.

The general appearance and attitude should suggest great stability, vigor and strength. The

disposition should be equitable and kind, resolute and courageous (not vicious or aggressive),

and demeanor should be pacific and dignified. These attributes should be countenanced by the

expression and behavior.

Size, Proportion, Symmetry -- Size -- The size for mature dogs is about 50 pounds; for mature

bitches about 40 pounds. 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 one to the other, no feature being in such

prominence from either excess or lack of quality that the animal appears deformed or

ill-proportioned. Influence of Sex -- In comparison of specimens of different sex, due

allowance should be made in favor of the bitches, which do not bear the characteristics of the

breed to the same degree of perfection and grandeur as do the dogs.

 

Head -- Eyes and eyelids -- The eyes, seen from the front, should be situated low down in the

skull, as far from the ears as possible, and their corners should be in a straight line at right

angles with the stop. They should be quite in front of the head, as wide apart as possible,

provided their outer corners are within the outline of the cheeks when viewed from the front.

They should be quite round in form, of moderate size, neither sunken nor bulging and in color

should be very dark. The lids should cover the white of the eyeball, when the dog is looking

directly forward, and the lid should show no "haw".Ears -- The ears should be set high in the

head, the front inner edge of each ear joining the outline of the skull at the top back corner of

skull, so as to place them as wide apart, and as high, and as far from the eyes as possible. In

size they should be small and thin. The shape termed "rose-ear" is the most desirable. The

rose ear folds inward at its back lower edge, the upper front edge curving over, outward and

backward, showing part of the inside of the burr. (The ears should not be carried erect or

prick-eared or buttoned and should never be cropped). Skull -- The skull should be very large,

and in circumference, in front of the ears, should measure at least the height of the dog at the

shoulders. Viewed from the front, it should appear very high from the corner of the lower jaw

to the apex of the skull, and also very broad and square. Viewed at the side, the head should

appear very high, and very short from the point of the nose to occiput. The forehead should be

flat (not rounded or domed), neither too prominent not overhanging the face. Cheeks -- The

cheeks should be well-rounded, protruding sideways and outward beyond the eyes. Stop -- The

temples or frontal bones should be very well defined, broad, square and high, causing a hollow

or grove between the eyes. This indentation, or stop, should be both broad and deep and

extend up the middle of the forehead, dividing the head vertically, being traceable to the top of

the skull. Face and muzzle -- The face, measured from the front of the cheekbone to the tip of

the nose, should be extremely short, the muzzle being very short, broad, turned upward and

very deep from the corner of the eye to the corner of the mouth.Nose -- The nose should be

large, broad and black, its tip set back deeply between the eyes. The distance from bottom of

stop, between the eyes, to the tip of the nose should be as short as possible and not exceed

the length from the tip of nose to the edge of underlip. The nostrils should be wide, large and

black, with a well-defined line between them. Any nose other than black is objectionable and a

brown or liver-colored nose shall disqualify. Lips -- The chops or "flews" should be thick,

broad, pendant and very deep, completely overhanging the lower jaw at each side. They join

the underlip in front and almost or quite cover the teeth, which should be scarcely noticeable

when the mouth is closed.Jaws -- The jaws should be massive, very broad, square and

"undershot", the lower jaw projecting considerably in front of the upper jaw and turning up.

Teeth -- The teeth should be large and strong, with the canine teeth or tusks wide apart, and

the six small teeth in front, between the canines, in an even, level row.

 

Neck, Topline, Body -- Neck -- The neck should be short, very thick, deep and strong and well

arched at the back. Topline -- There should be a slight fall in the back, close behind the

shoulders (its lowest part), whence the spine should rise to the loins (the top of which should

be higher than the top of the shoulders), thence curving again more suddenly to the tail,

forming an arch (a very distinctive feature of the breed), termed "roach back" or, more

correctly, "wheel back". Body -- The brisket and body should be very capacious, with full

sides, well rounded ribs and very deep from the shoulders down to its lowest part, where it

joins the chest. It should be well-let-down bewteen the shoulders and forelegs, giving the dog a

broad, low, short legged appearance. Chest -- The chest should be very broad, deep and full.

Underline -- The body should be well-ribbed-up behind with the belly tucked up and not rotund.

Back and Loin -- The back should be short and strong, very broad at the shoulders and

comparatively narrow at the loins.Tail -- The tail may be either straight or "screwed" (but

never curved or curly), and in any case must be short, hung low, with decided downward

carriage, thick root and fine tip. If straight, the tail should be cylindrical and of uniform taper.

If "screwed", the bends or kinks should be well-defined, and they may be abrupt and even

knotty, but no portion of the member should be elevated above the base or root.

 

Forequarters -- Shoulders -- Should be muscular, very heavy, widespread and slanting

outward, giving stability and great power. Forelegs -- The forelegs should be short, very stout,

straight and muscular, set wide apart, with well-developed calves, presenting a bowed outline,

but the bones of the legs should not be curved or bandy, nor the feet brought too close

together. Elbows -- The elbows should be low and stand well out and loose from the body. Feet

The feet should be moderate in size, compact and firmly set. Toes compact, well-split-up, with

high knuckles and very short stubby nails. The front feet may be straight or slightly

out-turned.

 

Hindquarters -- Legs -- Hind legs should be strong and muscular and longer than forelegs, so

as to elevate loins above shoulders. Hocks should be slightly bent and well-let-down, so as to

give length and strength from loins to hock. Lower leg should be short, straight and strong,

with stifles turned slightly outward and away from the body. Hocks are thereby made to

approach each other, and the hind feet to turn outward. Feet -- Should be moderate in size,

compact and firmly set. Toes compact, well-split-up, with high nuckles and short stubby nails.

Hind feet should be pointed well-outward.

 

Coat and Skin -- Coat -- Should be straight, short, flat, close, of fine texture, smooth and

glossy. (No fringe, feather or curl). Skin -- The skin should be soft and loose, especially at the

head, neck and shoulders.Wrinkles and dewlap -- The head and face should be covered with

heavy wrinkles, and at the throat, from jaw to chest, there should be two loose pendulous

folds, forming the dewlap.

 

Color of Coat -- The color of coat should be uniform, pure of its kind and brilliant. The various

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 of all the

foregoing.

 

Note: A perfect piebald is preferable to a muddy brindle or defective solid color. Solid black is

very undesirable, but not so objectionable if occurring to a moderate degree in piebald

patches. The brindles to be perfect should have a fine, even and equal distribution of the

composite colors. In brindles and solid colors a small white patch on the chest is not

considered detrimental. In piebalds the color patches should be well-defined, of pure color and

symmetrically distributed.

 

Gait -- The style and carriage are peculiar, his gait being a loose-jointed, shuffling, sidewise

motion, giving the characteristic "roll". The action must be, however, be unrestrained, free

and vigorous.

 

Temperament -- The disposition should be equable and kind, resolute and courageous (not

vicious or aggressive), and demeanor should be pacific and dignified. These attributes should

be countenanced by the expression and behavior.

 

 

 

Scale of Points

GENERAL PROPERTIES  

Proportion and symmetry 5

Attitude 3

Expression 2

Gait. 3

Size 3

Coat 2

Color of coat 4 22

 

HEAD  

Skull 5

Cheeks 2

Stop 4

Eyes and eyelids 3

Ears 5

Wrinkle 5

Nose 6

Chops 2

Jaws 5

Teeth 2 39

 

BODY, LEGS, ETC.  

Neck 3

Dewlap 2

Shoulders 5

Chest 3

Ribs 3

Brisket 2

Belly 2

Back 5

Forelegs and elbows 4

Hind legs 3

Feet 3

Tail 4 39

 

TOTAL  100

 

DISQUALIFICATION -- A brown or liver-colored nose.