26 BRITISH DOGS 



These are a few points to which Mastiff breeders of the future 

 should give their attention, and we would commend to their 

 favourable notice the following extract from an interesting letter 

 of Mr. Sidney Turner on Mastiffs and their points: "The short 

 square head, which most of our .present judges admire, is not 

 likely to be found associated with great length of body and well 

 let down hocks, because the head is a sort of fifth limb, and if 

 the shafts of the long bones are of unusual length, the bones of 

 the cranium naturally follow the same law, and vice versa. ... As 

 in most things, the happy medium seems to promise the best 

 success. This should be the keynote of our theme, and the 

 harmonies should be sought to correspond, and no discordances 

 permitted in the ideal Mastiff of the future." 



The following is the Old English Mastiff Club's description of 

 the Mastiff. It is a description of what a perfect Mastiff should 

 be, although no Mastiff that is perfect in all points has yet been 

 seen, and in all probability never will be; but the breeder's aim 

 should be to produce one as nearly corresponding to this de- 

 scription as possible. The numerical value of the points is not 

 intended to be used in judging, but was added in 1890, as it 

 was suggested that it would be a help to the novice, who, without 

 some such guide, had no means of knowing whether any particular 

 points were of more importance than others. Figs. 20 and 21 

 show a brindle and a fawn respectively. 



General Character and Symmetry (VALUE 10). Large, massive, powerful, 

 symmetrical, and well-knit frame. A combination of grandeur and good nature, 

 courage and docility. 



General Description of Head. In general outline, giving a square appearance 

 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. 



General Description of Body {Height and Siibstance.} (VALUE 10). 

 Massive, broad, deep, long, powerfully built, on legs wide apart and squarely set. 

 Muscles sharply defined. Size a great desideratum, if combined with quality. 

 Height and substance important, if both points are proportionately combined. 



Skull ( VALUE 12). Broad between the ears, forehead flat, but wrinkled when 

 attention is excited. Brows (superciliary ridges) slightly raised. Muscles of the 

 temples and cheeks (temporal and masseter) well developed. Arch across the 

 skull of a rounded, flattened curve, with a depression up the centre of the fore- 

 head from the medium line between the eyes to half-way up the sagittal suture. 



Face or Muzzle (VALUE 18). Short, broad under the eyes, and keeping 

 nearly parallel in width to the end of the nose ; truncated, i.e. blunt and cut 

 off square, thus forming a right angle with the upper line of the face, of great 

 depth from the point of the nose to under jaw. Under jaw broad to the end ; 

 canine teeth healthy, powerful, and wide apart ; incisors level, or the lower 

 projecting beyond the upper, but never sufficiently so as to become visible when 

 the mouth is closed. Nose broad, with widely spreading nostrils when viewed 

 from the front ; flat (not pointed or turned up) in profile Lips diverging at 

 obtuse angles with the septum, and slightly pendulous, so as to show a square 

 profile. Length of muzzle to whole head and face as I to 3. Circumference 

 of muzzle (measured midway between the eyes and nose) to that of the head 

 (measured before the ears) as 3 to 5- 



