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General
Appearance The Dogue De
Bordeaux is a well-balanced, massive, powerfully-built dog with a very muscular
body and a short coat. The Dogue is somewhat low in stature with a huge head,
furrowed by wrinkles, topped with small, pendant ears. The tail is thick at the
base and tapering to the tip and is set and carried low. The breed is presented
in a completely natural condition and should be evaluated equally for correct
conformation, temperament, gait, and structural soundness. Disqualifications:
Any identifiable, disabling defect. Characteristics Careful
breeding has modified the formerly aggressive temperament of this breed. Today,
the Dogue De Bordeaux is a natural guardian, vigilant and courageous without
being aggressive. The Dogue De Bordeaux is very affectionate, devoted to its
master, and excellent with children. Faults:
Overly aggressive; timid. Disqualifications:
Viciousness, marked shyness or cowardliness. Head The massive
head of the Dogue De Bordeaux is an essential breed characteristic. In males,
the circumference of the skull taken at the widest point is roughly equal to the
dog's height at the withers. In females, the circumference may be slightly less.
Viewed from the front and from above, the head forms a trapezoid. The longer top
line of the skull and the shorter line of the under jaw form the parallel sides
of the trapezoid. Faults:
Short, round head; "Bulldog" head, i.e., flat skull & muzzle
shorter than one-quarter of the head length. Disqualification:
Long, narrow head with insufficiently pronounced stop. SKULL
-- The skull is large, slightly domed, and broad between the ears. The volume
and shape of the skull result from the very important development of the
temporal bones, the supraorbital ridges, the zygomatic arches, and the spacing
of the mandibles. There is a deep median furrow that diminishes in depth from
the stop to the occiput. The stop is very deep and abrupt, almost at a right
angle with the muzzle. Despite the depth of the stop, the forehead is wider than
it is high. MUZZLE
-- The muzzle is broad, thick, and short with moderately obvious folds. There is
almost no taper to the muzzle. It is square when viewed from above and the
circumference of the muzzle is equal to two-thirds the circumference of the
skull. The top line of the muzzle rises slightly from the stop to the nose,
forming a very obtuse angle with the line of the forehead. The maximum length of
the muzzle is equal to one-third the total length of the head; the minimum
length of the muzzle is one-quarter of the length of the head. The ideal is
between these two extremes. When the head is held horizontally, the end of the
muzzle extends beyond a vertical line drawn from the tip of the nose. The jaws
are very broad and powerful. Lips are thick and moderately pendulous. When the
mouth is closed, the upper lip hangs over side of the lower jaw. The chin is
well defined and must neither overlap the upper lip nor be covered by it. Disqualifications:
Muzzle longer than one-third head length; muzzle parallel to top line of the
skull or downfaced. TEETH
-- The Dogue De Bordeaux
has a complete set of large, evenly spaced, white teeth. The incisors are
well-aligned, particularly the lower incisors which form an apparently straight
line. An undershot bite is characteristic of the breed with the inside of the
lower incisors extending in front of the upper incisors at least .2 inch and no
more than three-quarters inch. Teeth are not visible when the mouth is closed. Faults:
Incisors always visible when mouth is closed. Disqualifications:
Wry mouth; mouth not undershot. Canines always visible when mouth is closed.
Tongue always protruding when mouth is closed. NOSE
-- Nose color is black on black-masked dogs; brown on brown-masked dogs; or
reddish pink on unmasked dogs. The nose is broad and well-pigmented with
well-opened nostrils. An upturned nose is permissible but the tip of the nose
must not be set back deeply between the eyes like an English Bulldog. EYES
-- The eyes are large but not protruding, oval, and set well apart-at least
twice the length of the eye opening. Color ranges from hazel to dark brown.
Lighter eye colors are acceptable but not preferred in dogs without a mask or
dogs with red masks. Haw is not visible. Pigment of eye rims matches nose
pigment. Faults:
Protruding eyes. EARS
-- The ears are pendant and relatively small. They are set high, level with the
upper line of the skull, accentuating the skull's width. At the base, the ear is
just slightly raised in front and then hangs along the cheek. The tip is
slightly rounded. When pulled toward the eye, the ear should not extend past the
inside corner of the eye. The coat on the ears is slightly darker than the body
coat. NECK The neck is
thick, muscular, and almost cylindrical with very little taper from the shoulder
to the head. The neck is slightly arched at the crest and blends smoothly into
well-laid-back shoulders. There is a slight transverse furrow separating the
neck from the head. The average circumference of the neck is almost equal to the
circumference of the skull. The well-defined dewlap starts at the level of the
throat and forms folds down to the chest. Faults:
Excessive dewlap. FOREQUARTERS The
shoulders are powerful and heavily muscled. The shoulder blade is well laid back
and forms, with the upper arm, an angle just slightly greater than 90 degrees.
The forelegs are heavily boned and very muscular. The elbows are set on a plane
parallel to the body, neither close to the body nor turned out. Viewed from the
front, the forelegs are perpendicular to the ground or may, especially in a dog
with a very broad chest, incline slightly inward. The pasterns are short,
powerful, and slightly sloping when viewed in profile. Viewed from the front,
the pasterns are either straight or may turn slightly outward in compensation
where the foreleg inclines inward around a wide chest. Faults:
Toeing inward; extreme toeing outward; fiddle front. BODY The chest is
deep and broad. The ribs are well sprung from the spine and then flatten to form
a deep body extending below the elbows. The topline inclines very slightly
downward from well-developed withers to a broad, muscular back. The short, broad
loin blends into a moderately sloping croup. The flank is somewhat tucked up and
firm. Faults:
Barrel chest; roached back. HINDQUARTERS The
hindquarters are powerful but slightly less broad than the forequarters. The
angulation of the hindquarters is in balance with the angulation of the
forequarters. The thighs are well-developed with thick, easily discerned
muscles. Stifles may turn slightly outward and hocks may turn slightly inward.
The lower thighs are muscular and short. Rear pasterns are sinewy and well let
down with the angle of the hock moderately open. Viewed from behind, the rear
pasterns are parallel. Faults:
Flat thighs; straight stifles; straight hock, sickle hock, cow hock or barrel
hock. FEET Feet are
large, oval, strong, and tight, with hind feet slightly longer than front feet.
Pads are well developed, with strong nails, preferably pigmented. Despite its
weight, the Dogue De Bordeaux is well up on its toes. Dewclaws are not removed. Faults:
Splay feet. TAIL The tail is
uncut, very thick at the base, and tapering to the tip. The tail is set low at
the base of the croup. When the dog is relaxed, the tail is carried low, just
reaching to the hock. When the dog is moving or excited, the tail is carried
level with the back or only slightly above level, but never over the back or
curled. Disqualifications:
Kink or screw tail. Atrophied tail. COAT The coat is
short, fine and soft to the touch. COLOUR Solid colour in any shade of fawn, ranging from mahogany to Isabella. Colour on the ears is somewhat darker than the body coat. Limited white patches are permissible on the chest and feet. Good pigmentation is preferred. Dogs may or may not be masked as follows: Black mask.
There may be slight black shading on the ears, neck, top of the body, and on the
skull, except that the mask may not extend past the supraorbital ridges to the
top skull. Black-masked dogs have black nose pigment. Brown
mask (formerly called "red mask" or "bistre"). Brown shading
in the same places as for a black masked dog. Brown-masked dogs have brown nose
pigment. No
mask (also formerly called "red mask" or "bistre"). The coat
is fawn and the skin appears red. An dog without a mask has a nose that is
reddish or pink. Faults:
White on tip of tail or on the front part of the legs above the pasterns. Disqualifications:
White on the head or body. Albinism. HEIGHT
& WEIGHT Desirable
height at maturity, measured at the withers, ranges from 23½ to 26½ inches for
males and 22½ to 25½ inches for females. Dogs in good condition should weight
at least 110 pounds and bitches at least 99. All other things being equal, the
larger dog should be given preference over the smaller. GAIT The gait of
the Dogue De Bordeaux is free, smooth, and powerful. When viewed from the side,
reach and drive indicate maximum use of the dog's moderate angulations. As the
gait quickens, the head tends to drop and the feet tend to converge toward the
center line of balance but do not cross over. The Dogue De Bordeaux is capable
of great speed over short distances. Faults:
Stilted movement; serious rolling in the rear. DISQUALIFICATIONS Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid. Viciousness, marked shyness or cowardliness. Long, narrow head with insufficiently pronounced stop. Muzzle longer than one-third head length. Muzzle parallel to top line of the skull or down faced. Wry mouth. Mouth not undershot. Canines always visible when mouth is closed. Tongue always protruding when mouth is closed. Kink or screw tail. Atrophied tail. White on the head or body. Any coat colour other than fawn. Albinism. Any identifiable disabling defect.
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