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 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.
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