28 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



io. Back, Loins and Flanks. — Back and loins 

 wide and muscular ; flat and very wide in a 

 bitch, slightly arched in a dog. Great depth of 

 flanks. 



ii. Hind Legs and Feet. — Hind quarters broad, 

 wide, and muscular, with well developed second 

 thighs, hocks bent, wide apart, and quite squarely 

 set when standing or walking. Feet round. 



MR. W. SHEARER CLARK'S BRINDLE LORD JIM 



BY TOM BOWLING SELINA. 



AN EXAMPLE OF THE SHORT-FACED MASTIFF. 

 Pholograj'li by C ffei'rf, Wishaw. 



12. Tail. — Put on high up, and reaching to 

 the hocks, or a little below them, wide at its 

 root and tapering to the end, hanging straight in 

 repose, but forming a curve, with the end point- 

 ing upwards, but not over the back, when the 

 dog is excited. 



13. Coat — Colour. — Coat short and close lying, 

 but not too fine over the shoulders, neck, and 

 back. Colour, apricot or silver fawn, or dark 

 fawn-brindle. In any case, muzzle, ears, and nose 

 should be black, with black round the orbits, and 

 extending upwards between them. 



Scale of Points. 



General character and symmetry . 10 



Body (height and substance) . . 10 



Skull 12 



Face and muzzle iS 



Kars 4 



Eyes 6 



Chest and ribs S 



Fore-legs and feet 6 



Back, loins, and flanks .... S 



Hind legs and feet ro 



Tail 3 



Coat and Colour 5 



Grand total . . 100 



There are one or two points to which I 

 should wish to direct particular attention. 

 One of the most important of these is 

 width of muzzle combined with depth. 

 This is, I admit, very difficult to obtain in 

 anything like perfection, and I cannot but 

 think that it is one that has been too much 

 overlooked by breeders in their efforts to 

 produce Mastiffs with the shortest muzzle 

 possible. That the muzzle of a Mastiff 

 should be short is an admitted fact, but it 

 should be in proportion to the size 

 of the head, which is given in the Club's 

 points as " length of muzzle to whole head 

 and face as 1 to 3." I am doubtful whether 

 the muzzles of many Mastiffs of the present 

 day will be found to correspond with this 

 measurement. Mr. J. Sidney Turner's Or- 

 lando was a grand-headed dog, but very 

 defective in hind quarters. He got many 

 good-headed Mastiffs and the length of 

 muzzle in proportion to the whole head 

 and face was as nearly in accordance with 

 the Club's requirements as possible. It is 

 to the inordinate desire to obtain the short- 

 est muzzle possible which existed some 

 few years ago, and which I am afraid is 

 not altogether absent at the present day, 

 that the falling off in many desirable quali- 

 ties of the breed, unfortunately so notice- 

 able in recent years, may be attributed. 

 It is practically impossible for breeders to 

 breed dogs with abnormally short muzzle, 

 and yet at the same time obtain size, 

 length of bodv, and other attributes of 

 this breed. 



Opinions seem to differ as to whether 

 the Mastiff should have a level mouth or 

 be somewhat undershot. Personally I pre- 

 fer a level mouth, and should always try 

 to get it if possible, and I am inclined to 

 think that many who uphold the undershot 

 jaw are in agreement with me, and would 

 prefer the level mouth were the difficulty 

 of combining it with squareness of muzzle 

 not so great. There can be little doubt 

 that more Mastiffs are bred with undershot 

 jaws than without, and there is no gain- 

 saying the fact that many, if not most, 

 of the best specimens of the breed have 

 possessed undershot jaws. 



