General Appearance
Smooth-coated, thick set, rather low in stature, broad, powerful and compact.
Head (#), fairly large
in proportion to size but no point so much in excess of others as to destroy the
general symmetry, or make the dog appear deformed, or interfere with its powers
of motion. Face short, muzzle broad, blunt and inclined upwards.
Dogs showing respiratory distress highly undesirable.
Body short, well knit, limbs stout, well muscled and in hard condition with
no tendency towards obesity. Hindquarters high and strong but somewhat lighter
in comparison with heavy foreparts. Bitches not so grand or well developed as
dogs.
Characteristics
Conveys impression of determination, strength and activity.
Temperament
Alert, bold, loyal, dependable, courageous, fierce in appearance, but possessed
of affectionate nature.
Head and Skull
Skull large in circumference. Viewed from front appears very high from corner of
lower jaw to the apex of skull; also very broad and square. Cheeks well rounded
and extended sideways beyond eyes. Viewed from side, head appears very high and
short from back to point of nose. Forehead flat with skin upon and about head,
loose and finely wrinkled, neither prominent nor overhanging face. Projections of
frontal bones prominent, broad, square and high; deep, wide indentation between
eyes. From stop, a furrow, both broad and deep extending to middle of skull
being traceable to apex. Face from front of cheek bone to nose, short, skin
wrinkled. Muzzle short, broad, turned upwards and very deep from corner of eye
to corner of mouth. Nose and nostrils large, broad and black, under no
circumstances liver colour, red or brown; top set back towards eyes. Distance
from inner corner of eye (or from centre of stop between eyes) to extreme tip of
nose not exceeding length from tip of nose to edge of under lip. Nostrils large
and wide and open with well defined vertical straight line between. Flews
(chops) thick, broad, pendant and very deep, hanging completely over lower jaws
at sides, not in front, joining under lip in front and quite covering teeth.
Jaws broad, massive and square, lower jaw projecting (##)
in front of upper and turning up. Nose roll must not interfere with the line of
the layback. Viewed from front, the various properties of the face must be
equally balanced on either side of an imaginary line down centre.
Eyes
Seen from front, situated low down in skull, well away from ears. Eyes and stop
in same straight line, at right angles to furrow. Wide apart, but outer corners
within the outline of cheeks. Round in shape, of moderate size, neither sunken
nor prominent, in colour very dark – almost black – showing no white when
looking directly forward. Free from obvious eye problems.
Ears
Set high – i.e. front edge of each ear (as viewed from front) joins outline of
skull at top corner of such outline, so as to place them as wide apart, as high
and as far from eyes as possible. Small and thin. ’Rose ear‘ correct, i.e.
folding inwards back, upper or front inner edge curving outwards and backwards,
showing part of inside of burr.
Mouth
Jaws broad and square with six small front teeth between canines in an even row.
Canines wide apart. Teeth large and strong, not seen when mouth closed. When
viewed from front under jaw directly under upper jaw and parallel.
Neck
Moderate in length (###),
very thick, deep and strong. Well arched at back, with much loose, thick and
wrinkled skin about throat, forming dewlap on each side, from lower jaw to
chest.
Forequarters
Shoulders broad, sloping and deep, very powerful and muscular giving appearance
of being ’tacked on‘ body. Brisket capacious, round and very deep from top of
shoulders to lowest part where it joins chest. Well let down between forelegs.
Large in diameter, round behind forelegs (not flat-sided, ribs well rounded).
Forelegs very stout and strong, well developed, set wide apart, thick, muscular
and straight, presenting rather bowed outline, but bones of legs large and
straight, not bandy nor curved and short in proportion to hind
legs, but not so
short as to make back appear long, or detract from dog’s activity and so cripple
him. Elbows low and standing well away from ribs. Pasterns short, straight and
strong.
Body
Chest wide, laterally round, prominent and deep. Back short, strong, broad at
shoulders, comparatively narrower at loins. Slight fall to back close behind
shoulders (lowest part) whence spine should rise to loins (top higher than top
of shoulder), curving again more suddenly to tail, forming arch (termed roach
back) – a distinctive characteristic of breed. Body well ribbed up behind with
belly tucked up and not pendulous.
Hindquarters
Legs large and muscular, longer in proportion than forelegs, so as to elevate
loins. Hocks slightly bent, well let down; legs long and muscular from loins to
hock; short, straight, strong lower part. Stifles round and turned slightly
outwards away from body. Hocks thereby made to approach each other and hind feet
to turn outwards.
Feet
Fore, straight and turning very slightly outward; of medium size and moderately
round. Hind, round and compact. Toes compact and thick, well split up, making
knuckles prominent and high.
Tail
Set on low, jutting out rather straight and then turning downwards. Round,
smooth and devoid of fringe or coarse hair. Moderate in length – rather short
than long – thick at root, tapering quickly to a fine point. Downward carriage
(not having a decided upward curve at end) and never carried above back.
Gait/Movement
Peculiarly heavy and constrained, appearing to walk with short, quick steps on
tips of toes, hind feet not lifted high, appearing to skim ground, running with
one or other shoulder rather advanced.
Soundness of movement of the utmost importance.
Coat
Fine texture, short, close and smooth (hard only from shortness and closeness,
not wiry).
