THE ENGLISH MASTIFF 13 



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 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 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 forehead from the medium line between the eyes, to half way up 

 the sagittal suture. Face or Muzzle 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 1 to 3. Cir- 

 cumference of muzzle (measured midway between the eyes and nose) 

 to that of the head (measured before the ears) as 3 to 5. Ears Small, 

 thin to the touch, wide apart, set on at the highest points of the sides 

 of the skull, so as to continue the outline across the summit, and lying 

 flat and close to the cheeks when in repose. Eyes Small, wide apart, 

 divided by at least the space of two eyes. The stop between the 

 eyes well marked, but not too abrupt. Colour hazel-brown, the 

 darker the better, showing no haw. Neck, Chest and Ribs Neck 

 Slightly arched, moderately long, very muscular, and measuring in 

 circumference about one or two inches less than the skull before the 

 ears. Chest Wide, deep, and well let down between the fore-legs. 

 Ribs arched and well-rounded. False ribs deep and well set back to 

 the hips. Girth should be one-third more than the height at the 

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

 Fore-legs and Feet Legs straight, strong, and set wide apart; bones 

 very large. Elbows square. Pasterns upright. Feet large and 

 round. Toes well arched up. Nails black. 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. 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. 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 pointing 

 upwards, but not over the back, when the dog is excited. 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. 



