24 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM 



not be so short as those of the fore-legs. The hind-feet, whilst 

 being smaller than the forefeet, should be round and compact, 

 with the toes well split up, and the knuckles prominent. 



The most desirable weight for a Bulldog is about 50 Ibs. 



The coat should be fine in texture, short, close, and smooth, 

 silky when stroked from the head towards the tail owing to its 

 closeness, but not wiry when stroked in the reverse direction. 



The colour should be whole or smut, the latter being a 

 whole colour with a black mask or muzzle. It should be 

 brilliant and pure of its sort. The colours in order of merit 

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

 with their varieties, as whole fawns, fallows, etc., and, 

 secondly, pied and mixed colours. Opinions differ considerably 

 on the colour question ; one judge will set back a fawn and 

 put forward a pied dog, whilst others will do the reverse. 

 Occasionally one comes across specimens having a black-and- 

 tan colour, which, although not mentioned in the recognised 

 standard as being debarred, do not as a rule figure in the prize 

 list. Some of the best specimens which the writer has seen 

 have been black-and-tans, and a few years ago on the award 

 of a first prize to a bitch of this colour, a long but non-conclu- 

 sive argument was held in the canine press. Granted that the 

 colour is objectionable, a dog which scores in all other pro- 

 perties should not be put down for this point alone, seeing that 

 in the dog-fighting days there were many specimens of this 

 colour. 



In action the Bulldog should have a peculiarly heavy and 

 constrained gait, a rolling, or " slouching " movement, 

 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 ad- 

 vanced, similar to the manner of a horse when cantering. 



The foregoing minute description of the various show 

 points of a Bulldog indicates that he should have the appear- 

 ance of a thick-set Ayrshire or Highland bull. In stature he 

 should be low to the ground, broad and compact, the body 



