| |
|
>>
Home>>
Dog Info >>
American
Bulldog
>>
Standard |
| |
ORIGIN : USA
UTILIZATION : Guardian Dogs |
UKC:
Guardian Dog, Flock Guards (This group is divided into
two types: Flock Guards and Mastiffs)- STANDARD |
|
|
|
|
GENERAL APPEARANCE |
The American Bulldog is a
powerful, athletic short-coated dog, strongly muscled, and
well boned. The body is just slightly longer than tall.
The head is large and broad with a wide muzzle. Ears are
small to medium in size, high set, and may be drop, semi-prick,
rose, or cropped. The tail may be docked or natural. The
American Bulldog comes in solid colors, white with colored
patches, and brindle. Gender differences are well expressed
in this breed, with males typically larger and more muscular
than females. Honorable scars resulting from field work
are not to be penalized. The American Bulldog should be
evaluated as a working dog, and exaggerations or faults
should be penalized in proportion to how much they interfere
with the dog's ability to work.. |
CHARASTERISTIC |
The
essential characteristics of the American Bulldog are those
which enable it to work as a hog and cattle catching dog,
and a protector of personal property. These tasks require
a powerful, agile, confident dog with a large head and powerful
jaws. The American Bulldog is a gentle, loving family companion
who is fearless enough to face an angry bull or a human intruder.
Note: It is common for young American Bulldogs to be somewhat
standoffish with strangers and judges should not penalize
this. By the time the dog is around 18 months of age, however,
the breed's normal confidence asserts itself. Disqualifications:
Viciousness or extreme shyness; cowardice. |
| HEAD |
The head is large and broad giving the
impression of great power. When viewed from the side,
the skull and muzzle are parallel to one another and joined
by a well-defined stop. The stop is very deep and abrupt,
almost at a right angle with the muzzle. Despite the depth
of the stop, the forehead is wider than it is high.
SKULL - The skull is
large, flat, deep, and broad between the ears. Viewed
from the top, the skull is square. There is a deep median
furrow that diminishes in depth from the stop to the occiput.
Cheek muscles are prominent.
MUZZLE - The muzzle
is broad and thick with a very slight taper from the stop
to the nose. The length of the muzzle is equal to 35 to
45 percent of the length of the head. Lips are moderately
thick but not pendulous. The chin is well defined and
must neither overlap the upper lip nor be covered by it.
TEETH - The American
Bulldog has a complete set of large, evenly spaced, white
teeth. The preferred bite is undershot with the inside
of the lower incisors extending in front of the upper
incisors up to ¼ inch. A scissors bite is acceptable.
A level bite and extreme undershot bite are considered
faults to the degree that the bite interferes with the
dog's ability to work. Teeth are not visible when the
mouth is closed. Worn teeth or broken teeth are acceptable.
Disqualification: Overshot.
NOSE - The nose is large
with wide, open nostrils. The nose may be any color but
darker pigment is preferred.
EYES - Eyes are medium
in size, round, and set well apart. All colors are acceptable
but brown is preferred. Haw is not visible. Dark eye rims
are preferred.
Faults: Very visible
haws.
EARS - Ears may be cropped
but natural ears are preferred. Natural ears are small
to medium in size, high set, and may be drop, semi-prick,
or rose.
Drop ears: The ears
are set high, level with the upper line of the skull,
accentuating the skull's width. At the base, the ear is
just slightly raised in front and then hangs along the
cheek. The tip is slightly rounded. When pulled toward
the eye, the ear should not extend past the outside corner
of the eye.
Semi-prick ears: Same
as drop ears except that only the tips of the ears drop
forward.
Rose ears: Rose ears are small and set
high on the skull.
Fault: Hound ears.
|
| NECK |
The
neck is where the American Bulldog exerts power to bring
down livestock. The neck must be long enough to exert leverage,
but short enough to exert power. The neck is muscular and,
at its widest point, is nearly as broad as the head, with
a slight arch at the crest, and tapering slightly from shoulders
to the head. A slight dewlap is acceptable.
Faults: Neck too short
and thick; thin or weak neck.
|
FOREQUARTERS |
The
shoulders are strong and well muscled. The shoulder blade
is well laid back and forms, with the upper arm, an apparent
90-degree angle. The tips of the shoulder blades are set about
2 to 3 finger-widths apart.
The forelegs are heavily boned and very muscular. The elbows
are set on a plane parallel to the body, neither close to
the body nor turned out. Viewed from the front, the forelegs
are perpendicular to the ground or may, especially in a
dog with a very broad chest, incline slightly inward. The
pasterns are short, powerful, and slightly sloping when
viewed in profile. Viewed from the front, the pasterns are
straight.
|
| BODY |
The chest is deep and moderately wide with ample room for
heart and lungs. The ribs are well sprung from the spine
and then flatten to form a deep body extending at least
to the elbows, or lower in adult dogs. The topline inclines
very slightly downward from well-developed withers to a
broad, muscular back. The loin is short, broad, and slightly
arched, blending into a moderately sloping croup. The flank
is moderately tucked up and firm.
Serious faults: Swayback;
sloping topline.
|
HINDQUARTERS |
The
hindquarters are well muscled and broad. The width and angulation
of the hindquarters is in balance with the width and angulation
of the forequarters. The thighs are well developed with thick,
easily discerned muscles. The lower thighs are muscular and
short. Viewed from the side, the rear pasterns are well let
down and perpen-dicular to the ground. Viewed from the rear,
the rear pasterns are straight and parallel to one another.
Faults: Cowhocks; open hocks.
Serious faults: Narrow or weak hindquarters.
|
FEET |
The
feet are round, medium in size, well arched, and tight.
Fault: Splayed feet. The seriousness of
this fault is based on the amount of splay in the feet.
|
TAIL |
The
American Bulldog may have a natural or a docked tail, but
the natural tail is preferred. The natural tail is very thick
at the base, and tapers to a point. The tail is set low. A
"pump handle" tail is preferred but any tail carriage
from upright, when the dog is excited, to relaxed between
the hocks is acceptable.
Serious fault: Tail curled over the back;
corkscrew tail; upright tail when the dog is relaxed.
|
| COAT |
The coat is short, close, and stiff to the touch.
Disqualifications: Long
or wavy coat.
|
COLOR |
Any
color, color pattern, or combination of colors is acceptable,
except for solid black, solid blue, and tricolor (white with
patches of black and tan). Some dark brindle coats may appear
black unless examined in very bright light. A buckskin color
pattern, where the base of the hair is fawn and the tips are
black, may also appear solid black. A judge should not disqualify
an American Bulldog for black color unless the dog has been
examined in sunlight or other equally bright light.
Disqualifications: Solid black or blue
with no white markings; tricolor (white with patches of
black and tan).
|
| HEIGHT
AND WEIGHT |
The
American Bulldog must be sufficiently powerful and agile
to chase, catch, and bring down free-ranging livestock.
Dogs capable of doing this come in a rather wide range of
height and weight. Males are typically larger with heavier
bone and more muscle than females. Both sexes, however,
should have a well-balanced overall appearance.
Desirable height in a mature male ranges from 22 to 27
inches; in a mature female, from 20 to 25 inches. Desirable
weight in a mature male ranges from 75 to 125 pounds;
in a mature female, from 60 to 100 pounds.
|
| GAIT |
When
trotting, the gait is effortless, smooth, powerful and well
coordinated, showing good reach in front and drive behind.
When moving, the backline remains level with only a slight
flexing to indicate suppleness. Viewed from any position,
legs turn neither in nor out, nor do feet cross or interfere
with each other. As speed increases, feet tend to converge
toward center line of balance.
Poor movement should be penalized to the degree to which
it reduces the American Bulldog's ability to perform the
tasks it was bred to do.
|
DISQUALIFICATIONS |
Unilateral
or bilateral cryptorchid. Viciousness or extreme shyness.
Unilateral or bilateral deafness. Cowardice. Overshot. Long
or wavy coat. Albinism. Solid black or blue with no white
markings. Tricolor (white with patches of black and tan). |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Source WIKI |
|
|
|
