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British
Bulldog
Non Sporting
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Group:
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Non sporting
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Size:
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medium
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Lifespan:
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8-10 years
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Exercise:
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very low
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Grooming:
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low
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Trainability:
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low
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Watchdog ability:
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very low
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Protection ability:
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low
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Area of Origin:
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England
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Date of Origin:
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1200's
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Other Names:
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English Bulldog
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Original Function:
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bull baiting
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History
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The Bulldog's
heritage lies in England
where it descended from the Alaunt, which was a Mastiff-type dog. The
Bulldog got its name because it was an apt cattle driver as well as a
hunter of wild boar. From the 13th Century on, the breed's qualities
were specifically bred so that it was an able contestant in
bull-running, bull-baiting and pit fighting. When all of these
activities were banned, the Bulldog's status would have dwindled had
it not been for the efforts of a few staunch Bulldog-loving fanciers.
The Bulldog Club held fast to the breed and it was among one of the
first few recognised by the English Kennel Club in 1873. The breed
has been popular in North America
since the end of the 19th Century. The Bulldog fits in well just
about anywhere. His lovable personality makes him a good family pet.
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Temperament
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The Bulldog is
a friendly and good natured dog. Gentle and mellow, the Bulldog is
very good with children and strangers. Some Bulldogs may be
aggressive with strange dogs, but generally gets along well with
other pets.
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Upkeep
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The Bulldog
appreciates a daily outing but cannot tolerate hot humid weather. It
should not be expected to jog or walk great distances, or to jump
from any heights. Most bulldogs cannot swim. Most bulldogs wheeze and
snore, and some drool. Coat care is minimal, but facial wrinkles and
any folds around the tail should be cleaned daily.
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Official Breed Standard
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GENERAL APPEARANCE:
In forming a judgment on any specimen of
the breed, the general appearance, which is the first impression the
dog makes as a whole on the eye of the judge, should be first
considered. Secondly should be noticed its size, shape and make, or
rather its proportions in the relation they bear to each other. No
point should be so much in excess of the others as to destroy the
general symmetry, or make the dog appear deformed, or interfere with
its powers of motion, etc. Thirdly its style, carriage, gait, temper
and its several points should be considered separately in detail, due
allowance being made for the bitch, which is not so grand or as well
developed as the dog.
The general appearance of the Bulldog is that of a
smooth-coated, thick-set dog, rather low in stature, but broad,
powerful and compact. The head strikingly massive and large in
proportion to the dog's size. The face extremely short. The muzzle very
broad, blunt and inclined upwards. The body short and well knit; the
limbs stout and muscular. The hindquarters high and strong but rather lightly
made in comparison with its heavily made foreparts. The dog should
convey an impression of determination, strength, and activity, similar
to that suggested by the appearance of a thick-set Ayrshire Bull.
From its formation the dog has a peculiar heavy and
constrained gait, appearing to walk with short, quick steps on the tips
of its toes, its hind-feet not being lifted high, but appearing to skim
the ground, and running with the right shoulder rather advanced,
similar to the manner of a horse in cantering.
Head and Skull:
The skull should be very large - the larger the better - and in
circumference should measure (round in front of the ears) 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. The cheeks should be well
rounded and extended sideways beyond the eyes. Viewed at the side, the
head should appear very high, and very short from its back to the point
of the nose. The forehead should be flat, neither prominent nor
overhanging the face; the skin upon it and about the head very loose
and well wrinkled. The projections of the frontal bones should be very
prominent, broad, square and high, causing a deep and wide indentation
between the eves termed the "stop". From the "stop"
a furrow both broad and deep should extend up to the middle of the
skull, being traceable to the apex. The face, measured from the front
of the cheek-bone to the nose, should be as short as possible, and its
skin should be deeply and closely wrinkled. The muzzle should be short,
broad, turned upwards and very deep from the corner of the eye to the
corner of the mouth. The nose should be large, broad and black, and
under no circumstances should it be liver coloured or brown; its top
should be deeply set back almost between the eyes. The distance from
the inner corner of the eye (or from the centre of the stop between the
eyes) to the extreme tip of the nose should not exceed the length from
the tip of the nose to the edge of the under lip. The nostrils should be
large, wide, and black, with a well-defined vertical straight line
between them. The flews, called the "chop" should be thick,
broad, pendant, and very deep, hanging completely over the lower jaw at
the sides (not in front). They should join the under lip in front and
quite cover the teeth. The jaws should be broad, massive and square,
the lower jaw should project considerably in front of the upper and
turn up. Viewed from the front, the various properties of the face must
be equally balanced on either side of an imaginary line down the centre
of the face.
Eyes:
The eyes seen from the front, should be
situated low down in the skull, as far from the ears as possible. The
eyes and "stop" should be in the same straight line, which
should be at right angles to the furrow. They should be as wide apart
as possible, provided their outer corners are within the outline of the
cheeks. They should be quite round in shape, of moderate size, neither
sunken nor prominent, and in colour should be very dark - almost, if
not quite, black, showing no white when looking directly forward.
Ears:
The ears should be set high on the head
- i.e. the front inner edge of each ear should (as viewed from the
front) join the outline of the skull at the top corner of such outline,
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 correct, and folds inwards at its back, the
upper or front edge curving over outwards and backwards, showing part
of the inside of the burr.
Mouth:
The jaw should be broad and square and
have the six small front teeth between the canines in an even row. The
canine teeth or tusks wide apart. The teeth should not be seen when the
mouth is closed. The teeth should be large and strong. When viewed from
the front, the under jaw should be centrally under the upper jaw to
which it should also be parallel.
Neck:
Should be moderate in length (rather short
than long), very thick, deep and strong. It should be well arched at
the back, with much loose, thick and wrinkled skin about the throat,
forming a dewlap on each side, from the lower jaw to the chest.
Forequarters:
The shoulders should be broad, sloping
and deep, very powerful and muscular, and giving the appearance of
having been "tacked on" to the body. The brisket should be
capacious, round and very deep from the top of the shoulders to the
lowest part where it joins the chest, and be well let down between
forelegs. It should be large in diameter and round behind the forelegs
(not flat-sided, the ribs being well rounded). The forelegs should be
very stout and strong, set wide apart, thick, muscular, and straight,
with well-developed forearms, presenting a rather bowed outline, but
the bones of the legs should be large and straight, not bandy or
curved. They should be rather short in proportion to the hind-legs, but
not so short as to make the back appear long, or detract from the dog's
activity, and so cripple him. The elbows should be low, and stand well
away from the ribs. The pasterns should be short, straight and strong.
Body:
The chest should be very wide, laterally
round, prominent, and deep, making the dog appear very broad and
short-legged in front. The body should be well ribbed up behind, with
the belly tucked up and not pendulous. The back should be short and
strong, very broad at the shoulders, and comparatively narrow at the
loins. There should be a slight fall to 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
distinctive characteristic of the breed - termed "roach
back".
Hindquarters:
The legs should be large and muscular,
and longer in proportion than the forelegs, so as to elevate the loins.
The hocks should be slightly bent and well let down, so as to be long
and muscular from the loins to the point of the hock. The lower part of
the leg should be short, straight and strong. The stifles should be
round and turned slightly outwards away from the body. The hocks are
thereby made to approach each other, and the hind feet to turn
outwards.
Feet:
The hind feet, like the fore feet should
be round and compact, with the toes well split up and the knuckles
prominent. The fore feet should be straight and turn very slightly
outward, of medium size and moderately round. The toes compact and
thick, being well split up, making the knuckles prominent and high.
Tail:
The tail, termed the "stern",
should be set on low, jut out rather straight, then turn downwards. It
should be round, smooth and devoid of fringe or coarse hair. It should
be moderate in length - rather short then long - thick at the root, and
tapering quickly to a fine point. It should have a downward carriage
(not having a decided upward curve at the end), and the dog should not
be able to raise it over its back.
Coat:
Should be fine in texture, short, close
and smooth (hard only from the shortness and closeness, not wiry).
Colour:
The colour should be whole or smut (that
is, a whole colour with a black mask or muzzle). The only colours
(which should be brilliant and pure of their sort) are whole colours -
viz., brindles, reds, with their varieties, fawns, fallows, etc., white
and also pied (i.e., a combination of white with any other of the
foregoing colours). Dudley, black and
black with tan are extremely undesirable colours.
Weight and Size:
The most desirable weight for the
Bulldog is 25 kg. (55 lbs) for a dog and 22.7 kg. (50 lbs) for a bitch.
Note:
Male animals should have two apparently
normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
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