398 The Dog Book 



power of the dogs themselves, and it is noticeable in America, perhaps more 

 so than in England, that our staunchest bulldog men have good square jaws 

 and a look displaying strength of character and resolution. It really takes 

 men of that character to hope for success in the disappointments of breed- 

 ing a good dog when the requirements are so many. As a prominent fancier 

 of the breed aptly put it: "Breeding bulldogs is not a weak man's game." 



The difficulties in breeding bulldogs are many. There is first the 

 getting a bitch that will breed, for many are incapable and others are 

 extremely shy. Then the demands of fancy for a waspish waist and pinched 

 loin often renders the birth of puppies very hazardous. Finally, if the 

 puppies are born alive and the dam survives, will she suckle her puppies ? 

 A bull bitch that will rear her own puppies and is a sure breeder is the most 

 expensive thing in the way of a brood bitch that is on the market. For the 

 reasons stated we find that a large number of the best bulldogs are from 

 unknown dams, so far as show records are concerned. These dams are 

 well bred and close relatives to the very best dogs, but individually they 

 are more of the kind that a dog man will style "a rare good one to breed 

 from." While not up to show form these are, if breeders, capable of giving 

 birth to their puppies without any more than the normal amount of risk, 

 and will rear them without assistance. For such a one a breeder of bulldogs 

 will willingly give up in the hundreds of dollars. 



The difficulty of describing what a bulldog should be is happily in our case 

 evaded by the many illustrations we give of good dogs, and with these and 

 the elaborate descriptive points of the standard as a guide to the study of 

 a bulldog's properties the novice will get a clear idea of what is required. 

 It is a case resembling an attempt to convey to someone who has never seen 

 lower Broadway what that wonderful architectural canyon looks like, 

 merely by a written description and without an accompanying photograph. 

 We give the pictures and the key thereto. 



Scale of Points 



Mouth. — ^Width and squareness of jaw (2); projection and upward turn 

 of the lower jaw (2); size and condition of teeth (i) — 5. 



Chop. — Breadth (2); depth (2); complete covering of front teeth (i) — 5. 



Face. — Shortness (i); breadth (i); depth (i); shape and upward turn 

 of muzzle (i); wrinkles (i) — 5. 



