40 



MY DOG AND I. 



General Character. — Large, massive, powerful, symmetrical, 

 and well knit ; a combination of grandeur and good nature, courage 

 and docility. 



Head. — Square when viewed from any point; breadth greatly 

 to be desired, and should be in ratio to length of the whole head 

 and face as 2 to 3. 



Body. — Massive, broad, deep, long, powerfully built; legs wide 

 apart, squarely set ; muscles sharply defined ; size a great deside- 

 ratum if combined with quality ; height of less importance than 

 substance. 



Skull. — Broad between ears; forehead flat, wrinkled; muscles 

 of temples and cheeks well developed ; arch across skull a rounded, 

 flattened curve, and a depression up center of forehead. 



Face or Muzzle. — Short, broad under eyes, keeping nearly 

 parallel in width to end of nose ; blunt, cut off square, thus form- 

 ing a right angle with upper line of face, of great depth from point 

 of nose to under jaw ; under jaw broad to end. Teeth powerful, 

 wide apart ; incisors level, or the lower projecting beyond the 

 upper, but never sufficiently so as to become visible when mouth 

 is closed. Length of muzzle to whole head and face as i to 3 ; 

 circumference of muzzle (between eyes and nose) to that of head 

 (before the ears) as 3 to 5. Ears small, thin, wide apart, set on 

 high, flat, and close to cheeks when in repose. Eyes small, wide 

 apart, divided by at least the space of two eyes ; stop well marked, 

 but not too abrupt ; color hazel brown, the darker the better, 

 showing no haw. Nose broad, with widely spreading nostrils ; flat 

 (not pointed nor turned up). Lips shghtly pendulous. 



Neck. — Slightly arched, moderately long, very muscular. 



Chest. — Wide, deep, well let down; ribs arched and well 

 rounded ; false ribs deep and well set back to hips. 



Shoulder and Arm. — Slightly sloping, heavy and muscular. 



Fore Legs and Feet. — Straight, strong, set wide apart; bones 

 very large ; elbows square ; pasterns upright. Feet large and round ; 

 toes well arched up ; nails black. 



Back, Loins, and Flanks. — Wide and muscular; flat and very 

 wide in a bitch, slightly arched in a dog. 



Hind Quarters and Thighs. — Broad, wide, muscular; well- 

 developed second thighs ; stifles straight ; hocks bent, wide apart, 

 and squarely set when standing or walking ; feet round and ici't/i- 

 out dew-claws. 



Tail. — Put on high up, reaching to hocks, or a little below; 

 wide at root, tapering ; hanging straight in repose, but forming a 

 curve with end pointing upward, but not over the back, when the 

 dog is excited. 



