The American Kennel Club Breed Standard
The Breed Standard (The American Kennel Club)
First registered
in the NON-sporting group with the AKC in 1934
Approved July 20, 1976
Reformatted November 28, 1990
The
numbers (N) in parentheses below reflect the
percentage given by that category to the overall total rating. The total of all the numbers below add up to 100.
General Appearance
The perfect English Bulldog must be of medium size and smooth coat, with heavy,
thick-set, low-swung body, massive, short-faced head, wide shoulders and sturdy limbs. The general appearance and attitude
should suggest great stability, vigor and strength.
Temperament (3), Expression (2)
The disposition
should be equable and kind, resolute and courageous (not viscious or aggressive). Demeanor should be pacific and dignified.
These attributes should be countenanced by the expression and behaviour.
Size (3)
The size for
mature males is about 50 pounds; mature females should be about 40 pounds.
Proportion and Symmetry (5)
The circumference of the skull in front of the ears should measure at least the height of the dog at the shoulders.
The "points" should be well distributed and bear good relation one to the other, with no feature being in prominence
from either excess or lack of quality that the animal appears deformed or ill-proportioned.
Influence of Gender
In comparison of specimens of different gender, 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 males.
Eyes and
Eyelids (3)
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, provide that 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 very dark in color.
The lids should cover the white of the eyeball when the dog is looking directly forward, and the lid should show no "haw".
Ears (5)
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 the skull, so as to place them as wide apart and as high and as far
from the eyes as possible. They should be thin and small in size. The shape that is 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 (5)
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 ans 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 nor overhanging the face.
Cheeks (2)
The cheeks
should be well rounded, protruding sideways and outward beyond the eyes.
Stop (4)
The temples
or frontal bones should be very well defined, broad, square and high, causing a hollow or groove 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 (6)
The nose should be large,
broad and black, its tip set back deeply between the eyes. The distance from the bottom of the 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 the 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/Chops (2)
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 shoult be scarcely noticeable
when the mouth is closed.
Bite/Jaws (5)
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 (2)
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 (3)
The neck should be short, very thick, deep and strong
and well arched at the back.
Body Ribs (3), Brisket (2)
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 between the shoulders and forelegs,
giving the dog a broad, low, short-legged appearance.
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."
Underline Belly
(2)
The body should be well ribbed up behind with the belly tucked up and not rotund.
Chest (3)
The chest should be very broad, deep and full.
Back and Loin (5)
The back should be short
and strong, very broad at the shoulders and comparatively narrow at the loins.
Tail (4)
The tail
may either be 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.
Shoulders (5)
The shoulders should be
muscular, very heavy, widespread and slanting outward, giving stability and great power.
Forelegs & Elbows
(4)
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, not the feet brought too close together.
The elbows should be low and stand well out and loose from the body.
Feet (3)
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. The hind feet should be moderate in size, compact and
firmly set. Toes compact, well split up, with high knuckles and short, stubby nails. The hind feet should be pointed
well outward.
Hind Legs (3)
The hind legs should be strong and muscular and longer than the forelegs,
so as to elevate the loins above the shoulders. Hocks should be slightly bent and well let down, so as to give length
and strength from the loins to the hock. The lower leg should be short, straight and strong, with the stifles turned
slightly outward and away from the body. The hocks are thereby made to approach each other, and the hind feet to turn
outward.
Coat (2)
The coat should be straight, short, flat, close, of fine texture, smooth and
glossy. (No fringe, feather or curl.)
Color of Coat (4)
The color of the 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 symetrically distributed.
