398 BRITISH DOGS 



and turn up. It should be broad and square, and have the six small front teeth 

 between the canines in an even row. The teeth should be large and strong. 



The Neck should be moderate in length (rather short than long), very thick, 

 deep, and strong. It should be well arched at the back, with much loose, thick, 

 and wrinkled skin about the throat, forming a dewlap on each side, from the 

 lower jaw to the chest. The Chest should be very wide laterally, round, prominent, 

 and deep, making the dog appear very broad and short-legged in front. 



The Shoulders should be broad, slanting, and deep, very powerful and 

 muscular. 



The Brisket should be capacious, round, and very deep from the top of 

 the shoulders to its lowest part where it joins the chest, and be well let down 

 between the fore legs. It should be large in diameter, and round behind the 

 fore legs (not flat-sided, the ribs being well rounded). The body should be well 

 ribbed up behind, with the belly tucked up, and not pendulous. 



The Back should be short and strong, very broad at the shoulder, and com- 

 paratively narrow at the loins. There should be a slight fall to 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 distinctive characteristic of 

 the breed termed "roach-back," or more correctly "wheel-back." 



The Tail, termed the "stern," should be set on low, jut out rather 

 straight, and then turn downwards, the end pointing horizontally. It should 

 be quite round in its own length, smooth, and devoid of fringe or coarse hair. 

 It should be moderate in length rather short than long thick at the root, and 

 tapering quickly to a fine point. It should have a downward carriage (not 

 having a decided upward curve at the end or being screwed or deformed), and 

 the dog should, from its shape, not be able to raise it over its back. 



The Fore Legs should be very stout and strong, set wide apart, thick, 

 muscular, and straight, with well-developed calves, presenting a rather bowed 

 outline, but the bones of the legs should be large and straight, not bandy or 

 curved. They should be rather short in proportion to the hind legs, but not so 

 short as to make the back appear long or detract from the dog's activity, and so 

 cripple him. The elbows should be low, and stand well away from the ribs. 

 The ankles, or pasterns, should be short, straight, and strong. The fore feet 

 should be straight, and turn very slightly outward, of medium size, and 

 moderately round. The toes should be compact and thick, being well split up, 

 making the knuckles prominent and high. 



The Hind Legs should be large and muscular, and longer in proportion 

 than the fore legs, so as to elevate the loins. The hocks should be slightly bent 

 and well let down, so as to be long and muscular from the loins to the point of 

 the hock. The lower part of the leg should be short, straight, and strong. The 

 stifles should be round, and turned slightly outwards away from the body. The 

 hocks are thereby made to approach each other, and the hind feet to turn 

 outwards. The latter, like the fore feet, should be round and compact, with the 

 toes well split up and the knuckles prominent. From his formation the dog has 

 a peculiar, heavy, and constrained gait, appearing to walk with short, quick steps 

 on the tip of his toes, his hind feet not being lifted high, but appearing to skim 

 the ground, and running with the right shoulder rather advanced, similar to the 

 manner of a horse in cantering. 



Size. The most desirable size for the Bulldog is about 5olb. 



The Coat should be fine in texture, short, close, and smooth (hard only 

 from its shortness and closeness, not wiry). Its colour should be whole or smut 

 (that is, a whole colour with a black mask or muzzle). The colour should be 

 brilliant and pure of its sort. The colours in their order of merit, if bright and 

 pure, are, first, whole colours and smuts viz. brindles, reds, white, with their 

 varieties, as whole fawns, fallows, etc. ; second, pied and mixed colours. 



