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29.09.09

 

AT THE BULLDOG BREED COUNCIL MEETING HELD THIS MORNING ATTENDED BY 16 OF THE MEMBER CLUBS TO DISCUSS THE INTENDED PUBLICATION ON OCTOBER 1.2009 BY THE KENNEL CLUB OF ITS REVISED BULLDOG BREED STANDARD THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WAS RELEASED FOR PUBLICATION IN THE DOG PRESS;
"THE BREED COUNCIL IS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE RESULT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE KENNEL CLUB REGARDING THE STANDARD. WE ARE PARTICULARLY DISAPPOINTED BY THE STATEMENT EMANATING FROM THE KENNEL CLUB THAT THE HEALTH OF THE BREED HAS DETERIORATED WHEN IN FACT THE OPPOSITE IS CLEARLY THE CASE AS EVIDENCED BY THE SUCCESS OF THE BREED IN GROUP AND BEST IN SHOW COMPETITION AND THE HUGE RISE IN POPULARITY OF THE NATIONAL BREED. CONTRARY TO THE RUMOURS, THE BREED COUNCIL WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE KENNEL CLUB TO PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF THE BULLDOG

 

THE WEEK FOLLOWING THIS STATEMENT ROBIN SEARLE THE BREED COUNCIL CHAIRMAN RESIGNED BELOW IS WHAT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE CANINE PRESS (THERE HAVE BEEN FURTHER RESIGNATIONS FROM THE EDUCATION AND HEALTH COMMITTEES)

THE CHAIRMAN of the Bulldog Breed Council, Robin Searle, has resigned after speaking of his disappointment with both the Council and the Kennel club.  After fifteen years as Chairman, which represents eighteen Bulldog clubs, Mr Searle has spoken of his admiration of the Council, which he feels that under his leadership, ‘not just over the last twelve months but over several years, the breed council has made every effort to accommodate the demands of the breed and the Kennel Club and the concerns of the wider public.’  A great deal has been done and in his view 'the Bulldog is the healthiest it has ever been in the last 50 years or more' and, as specialist in several breeds with a wide range of conformations, his view of the Bulldog has to be taken very seriously. 

 

Speaking exclusively to Our Dogs Mr Searle said: ‘It is with great sadness that after 15 years as Chairman of the Bulldog Breed Council I have resigned, I am both disappointed and disheartened, both with the Kennel Club and The Breed Council.’  In March this year Council delegates, including a veterinary surgeon, met with the Kennel Club Breed Standards Committee to discuss the changes proposed to the interim standard. The delegates were of the opinion this was a good meeting, with the committee understanding and appreciating the breed points put forward. Mr Searle continued: ‘This was clearly not the case as in September we heard that all our recommendations had been rejected and that a further change was to be added - making 60 changes in all.’  The Council had planned a Judges’ Day for the end of October to explain the implications of the new standard, to which the KC were invited to send a representative. The KC replied that ‘there was nobody available at that time but they would be happy to meet with the BC on a date of the KC’s choosing.’

 

Suggestions

 

‘Since being in the Chair of the Council I have overseen the establishment of several sub-committees designed to improve the health and welfare of the breed. A Video was produced to explain to judges what they are looking for as regards the health issues associated with breed type and another for seminar organisers showing procedures and suggesting formats for mentoring and tutorials.  ‘The Council also implemented a Health Screening Scheme within which over fifty Veterinary Surgeons across the country agreed to perform a series of health checks on Bulldogs prior to them being bred from. This initiative was developed alongside a legal Puppy Contract which was created with the objective of protecting and safeguarding both buyer and breeder.  ‘The Kennel Club were made fully aware of all these efforts through the period from 2003 when the first modifications to the Standard by the Breed Council. These were all solely to do with health issues and were passed by the KC. Dr. Ruth Barbour has publicly made positive references to all these improvements that the Council has implemented.

‘Now, after making the running, the Breed Council has simply accepted the KCs changes in the Standard saying although they do not agree with them or the KCs demands they will simply “have to go along with it”.

 

Shock

 

‘Make no mistake about it, the Bulldog is the healthiest it has ever been in the last 50 years or more and it is the Breed Council and the constituent Club's which have made this possible – not the Kennel Club. Where is the back-bone, determination, tenacity and grit that the this breed should show in defending its own?  ‘I don't know of any other National breed in any Country worldwide being attacked by their own Kennel Club in this way - why us? 

‘I believe the Kennel Club should be there to protect and promote pedigree dogs - and the National breed should not be exempt from this protection. One can only do so much for your Breed during your lifetime – I feel I have done as much as I can.’  His decision has come as a shock to all those who know him, for his dedication to dogs in general and in Bulldogs in particular is undisputed. Robin was born into a family dedicated to dogs, his grandparents showed Gundogs and his parents owned and bred Borzoi and Terriers, as well as German Shepherds. Robin himself has owned a number of breeds including Borzoi, Shetland Sheepdogs, Bulldogs, Smooth Fox Terriers, Beagles and Papillons, and more recently Great Danes and Australian Cattle Dogs. He and wife Sue, made up 29 U.K. Champions and many, many more overseas. As well as showing and breeding, he is past Chairman of the Greater London OES Club, the Borzoi Club, a branch of the Shetland Sheepdog Club and the English Toy Terrier Club. He been judging since 1959 and is passed for forty breeds and BIS, the Hound, Working, Pastoral Groups (he has already judged two of those groups at Crufts and will be judging the Pastoral Group in 2010. He has officiated extensively abroad  Bulldog breeder and exhibitor, Glynn Payne, told Our Dogs, 'I greatly regret Robin's resignation. He was highly respected among the Bulldog fraternity and he has done a great deal to promote the health of the breed. Bulldogs have improved out of all recognition in the UK over the last few years and they are getting better world wide as UK judges are demanding a healthy dog when the judge abroad.   ‘But I do understand Robin's frustration. The Kennel Club appears to be saying that the Bulldog clubs have accepted the changes the KC has made but the truth is that the clubs and the Breed Council have made it quite clear that they are very unhappy both with the changes and the Kennel Club's heavy handed treatment of them. However, they feel trapped and that they have no choice.'

 

 

The Bulldog Club Inc. Original Bulldog Standard

As originally adopted by this club.

copied from the 1903 rule book of the Birmingham and Midland Counties Bulldog Club.

STANDARD and DESCRIPTION OF THE CORRECT APPEARANCE AND THE SEVERAL POINTS IN DETAIL OF THE PERFECT BULLDOG

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The following description of the Pure-bred Old English Bulldog has been compiled and adopted by "The BULLDOG CLUB (Incorporated) as the correct standard type of excellence in the breed after carefully comparing all obtainable opinions

-In forming a judgement on any specimen of the breed ,the general appearance ,which is the first impression a dog makes as a whole on the eye of the Judge, should first be considered. 

Secondly, should be noticed it’s size, shape and make, or rather it’s proportions in the relation they bear to each other. (No point should be so much in excess of others as to destroy the general symmetry or make the dog appear deformed, or interfere with it’s powers of motion etc.) 

Thirdly, his style, carriage, gait, temper and his several points should be considered separately in detail, as follows, due allowance being made for the bitch, which is not so grand or as well developed as the dog. 

(1)The general appearance of the Bulldog is that of a smooth-coated, thick-set dog, rather low in stature but broad, powerful and compact. It's head strikingly massive and large in proportion to the dog’s size. It's face extremely short. It's muzzle very broad, blunt and inclined upwards . It's body short and well knit, the limbs stout and muscular. It's hindquarters high and strong but rather lightly made in comparison with it’s heavily made fore parts. The dog should convey an impression of determination , strength and activity, similar to that suggested by the appearance of a thick-set Ayrshire Bull. 

(2). The skull should be very large-the larger the better- and in circumference should measure (round in front of the ears )at least the height of the dog at the shoulders. Viewed from the front it should appear very high from the corner of the lower jaw to the apex of the skull and also very broad and square. The cheeks should be well rounded and extended sideways beyond the eyes. Viewed at the side ,the head should appear very high, and very short from it back to the point of the nose.The forehead should be flat, neither prominent nor overhanging the face: the skin upon it and about the head very loose and well wrinkled. 

(3)The projections of the frontal bones should be very prominent , broad, square and high, causing a deep and wide indentation between the eyes , termed the “stop”. From the “stop” a furrow both broad and deep ,should extend up to the middle of the skull, being traceable to the apex. 

(4)The eyes seen from the front should be situated low down in the skull, as far from the ears as possible. The eyes and “stop” should be in the same straight line, which should be at right angles to the furrow. They should be as wide apart as possible, provided their outer corners are within the outline of the cheeks . They should be quite round in shape of moderate size, neither sunken nor prominent , and in colour should be very dark - almost, if not quite black, showing no white when looking directly forward. 

(5)The ears should be set high on the head- i.e. the front inner edge of each ear should (as viewed from the front) join the outline of the skull at the top corner of such outline, so as to place them as wide apart and as high and as far from the eyes as possible. In size they should be small and thin, The shape termed “rose ear” is correct and folds inwards at it’s back, the upper or front edge curving over outwards and backwards, showing part of the inside of the burr.

(6)The face, measured from the front of the cheekbone to the nose, should be as short as possible, and it’s skin should be deeply and closely wrinkled.

The muzzle should be short, broad turned upwards and very deep from the corner of the eye to the corner of the mouth.                              

The nose should be large, broad and black it’s top should be deeply set back almost between the eyes .(later added was" The distance from the inner corner of the eye (or from the centre of the “stop” between the eyes) to the extreme tip of the nose should not exceed the length from the tip of the nose to the edge of the under lip.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     The nostrils should be large, wide, and black with a well defined ,vertical straight line between them. 

(7)The flews ,called the “chop” should be thick, broad, pendant and very deep hanging completely over the lower jaw at the sides (not in front) They should join the under lip in front and quite cover the teeth which should not be seen when the mouth is closed

(8)The jaw should be broad ,massive  and square, the canine teeth or tusks ,wide apart .The  lower jaw should project considerably in front of the upper and turn up. It should be broad and square, an have the six small front teeth between the canines in an even row. The teeth should be large and strong.

(9) The neck should be moderate in length (rather short than long), very thick, deep and strong.  It should be well arched at the back , with much loose, thick and wrinkled skin about the throat, forming a dewlap on each side from the lower jaw to the chest. The chest should be very wide latterly, round, prominent, and deep, making the dog appear very broad and short legged in front

(10)The shoulders should be broad, sloping and deep, very powerful and muscular, and giving the appearance of having been “tacked on” to the body. 

(11)The brisket should be capacious, round and very deep from the top of the shoulders to the lowest part where it joins the chest, and be well let down between the forelegs. It should be large in diameter and round behind the forelegs (not flat sided, the ribs being well rounded). The body should be well ribbed up behind, with the belly tucked up, and not pendulous.  

(12)The back should be short and strong, very broad at the shoulders and comparatively narrow at the loins. There should be a slight fall to the back close behind the shoulders (it’s lowest part), whence the spine should rise to the loins (the top of which should be higher than the top of the shoulders ). Thence curving again more suddenly to the tail , forming an arch- a distinctive characteristic of the breed-termed “roach back”

(13)The forelegs should be very stout and strong, set wide apart, thick , muscular and straight, with well developed forearms, presenting a rather bowed outline but the bones of the leg should be large and straight, not bandy or curved. They should be rather short in proportion to the hind legs, but not as short as to make the back appear long, or detract from the dog’s activity, and so cripple him. The elbows should be low and stand well away from the ribs The pasterns should be short , straight and strong. The forefeet should be straight, and turn very slightly outwards, of medium size and moderately round. The toes compact and thick ,being well split up ,making the knuckles prominent and high.

(14)The hind legs should be large and muscular, and longer in proportion than the forelegs, so as to elevate the loins. The hocks should be slightly bent and well let down, so as to be long and muscular from the loins to the point of hock. The lower part of the leg should be short, straight and strong The stifles should be round and turned slightly outwards away from the body. The hocks are therebymade to approach each other and the hind feet to turn outwards. 

The latter , like the forefeet, should be round and compact with the toes well split up and the knuckles prominent.                                                                                                                                                        

From its formation the dog has a peculiar , heavy and constrained gait , appearing to walk with short , quick , steps on the tip of its toes, its hind feet not being lifted high, but appearing to skim the ground and running with the right shoulder  rather advanced ,similar to the manner of a horse in cantering.

(15) The most desirable size for the bulldog is about 50 lbs. (this was later amended to 50lbs for a bitch and 55lb for a dog)

 

(16) The tail, termed the “stern” should be set on low, jut out rather straight, then turn downwards. It should be round , smooth and devoid of fringe or coarse hair. It should be moderate in length- rather short than long- thick at the root and tapering quickly to a fine point. It should have a downward carriage (not having a decided upward curve at the end), and the dog should not be able to raise it over it’s back.

(17) The coat should be fine in texture, short, close and smooth (hard only from the shortness and closeness, not wiry) Its colour should be whole or smut (that is, a whole colour with a black mask or muzzle). The only colours (which should be brilliant and pure of their sort ) are whole colours, viz; brindles ,reds (with their varieties), fawns, fallows, etc., white and also pied (i.e. a combination of white with any other of the foregoing colours).  (added later was Dudley, black and black with tan are extremely undesirable colours.)

The following 100 points show the relative value of the properties mentioned in the foregoing Standard description.

General Appearance                                                                                                                                                                    10

Skull and Head   ........ size 3, Height 1, breadth and squareness 3 , shape 2,  Wrinkles 4                                            13     

Stop  .......Depth 2, Breadth 1, Extent of furrow 1                                                                                                                      4  

Eyes........Position 2, Size 1, Shape 1, Colour 1                                                                                                                          5   

Ears......  Position 1, Size 1, Shape 1, Colour 1                                                                                                                          4  

Face........Shape and upward turn of muzzle 1,Wrinkles 1, Nose and nostril 5                                                                 10

Chop.......Breadth 1, Depth 1,   Complete covering of front teeth 1                                                                                         3

Mouth.....Width and Squareness of Jaw 2, projection and upward turn of lower jaw 2 Size and condition of teeth 2    6

Chest and Neck... ..Length 1, Thickness 1, Arch 1 Dewlap 1,Width |depth and Roundness of chest 1                           5

Shoulders.....Size 2, Breadth 2, Muscle 1                                                                                                                                    5

Body.....Depth and thickness of brisket 2, Capacity and Roundness of ribs 3                                                                       5

Back (Roach) Shortness 2, Width of shoulders 1.Shape strength and arch at loin 2                                                         5

Forelegs..Stoutness 1 I/2 , Shortness 1, Development 1, Feet 1 1/2                                                                                        5 

Hindlegs .....Stoutness 1  , Length 1, Shape and Development 2, Feet 1                                                                                  5    

Size                                                                                                                                                                                                       5

Tail                                                                                                                                                                                                        5

Coat and |Colour                                                                                                                                                                                 5       

Total                                                                                                                                                                                                 100

DOUBLE CLICK TO MAXIMISE DRAWING

The above standard was also originally adopted by the Kennel Club who "modernised" and slightly amended it in 1987 and later, with input from The Bulldog Breed Council emphasising health requirements , made further amendments in 2003 .This 2003 standard is accepted by the club and is reproduced herewith. 

THE KENNEL CLUB STANDARD (2003)

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 it’s 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. 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 the front appears very high from corner of lower jaw to 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 cheekbone 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 , wide and open with defined vertical straight line between. Flews (chops) thick, broad. pendant and very deep , hanging completely over lower jaw 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 , if present, should not interfere with line of 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 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 at 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 (rather short than long), 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 , latterly 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 t 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).                                                                                                               

COLOUR- Whole or smut (i.e. whole colour with black mask or muzzle ), Only whole colours (which should be brilliant and pure of their sort ) viz., brindles, reds with their various shades, fawns, fallows etc., white and pied (i.e. combination of white with any of the  foregoing colours ).Dudley, Black and Black with Tan highly undesirable.                                                                                                              

SIZE-Dogs 25 kg  (55 lbs ) Bitches 22.7 kg ( 50 lbs.)                                                                                                             

FAULTS- Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with  which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

NOTE- Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

The Breed Council Has Requested that we include the following in our literature for aspiring Judges but   it equally applies to breeders:

*   There has been intensive public debate over several years about the health of pedigree dogs and in our case BULLDOGS. Both breeders and judges have a share in the responsibility of ENSURING that our dogs are at their peak of physical and mental health.

* As a judge ,you can of course only have a share of this responsibility exercised when you go over the dogs presented to you. The Breed Council asks you to be very conscious of this responsibility when you judge.

*   It is a fact that highly prized dogs are used for breeding more often so it is important  to be very careful  not to give awards to dogs showing any evidence of serious defects or other faults that may affect their welfare or their descendants if used for breeding.

*    We cannot emphasize enough how you as a Judge can significantly contribute to the breeds future welfare by awarding prizes only to evidently healthy specimens . 

 

The |Kennel Club's letter of the 3rd .December 2008 ,without warning or consultation despite ongoing dialogue with the breed council has informed all bulldog clubs of its intention to amend the standard as follows:

     Kennel Club Letter of 3rd December 2008 Proposing to change the standard.

Any proposed changes to the breed standard will appear below

 Bulldog

General Appearance Smooth-coated, fairly 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 relatively short, muzzle broad, blunt and inclined slightly upwards. Dogs showing respiratory distress highly undesirable. Body fairly short, well knit, limbs stout, well muscled and in hard condition with no tendency towards obesity. Hindquarters high and strong.  [Delete ‘but somewhat lighter in comparison with heavy foreparts’]. Bitches not so grand or well developed as dogs.

Head and Skull Skull relatively large in circumference. Viewed from front appears [delete – very] high from corner of lower jaw to apex of skull; also [Delete ‘very’] broad and square. Cheeks well rounded and extended sideways beyond eyes. Viewed from side, head appears very high and moderately short from back to point of nose. Forehead flat with skin on and about head, slightly loose and may be finely wrinkled, neither prominent nor overhanging face. [Delete ‘Projections of frontal bones prominent, broad, square and high; deep, wide indentation between eyes’]. From defined stop, a furrow [Delete ‘both broad and deep’] extending to middle of skull being traceable to apex. Face from front of cheek bone to nose, relatively short, skin may be slightly wrinkled. Muzzle short, broad, turned upwards and [Delete ‘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; [Delete ‘top set back towards eyes’]. [Delete ‘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 underlip’]. Nostrils large, wide and open, with well defined vertical straight line between. Flews (chops) thick, broad, [delete ‘pendant and very’] and deep, covering [delete ‘hanging completely over’] lower jaws at sides, [delete ‘not in front’] but joining underlip in front. [Delete ‘and quite covering’] Teeth not visible. Jaws broad, strong, [delete – massive] and square, lower jaw slightly projecting in front of upper,  with moderate turn up.  [delete - and turning up]. Over nose wrinkle, if present, whole or broken, must never adversely affect or obscure eyes or nose. Pinched nostrils and heavy over nose wrinkle are unacceptable and should be heavily penalised. [Delete ‘Nose roll must not interfere with the line of 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 [delete ‘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.

Neck Moderate in length, [Delete ‘very’] thick, deep and strong. Well arched at back, with some loose [delete ‘thick and wrinkled’] skin about throat, forming slight dewlap on each side. [Delete ‘from lower jaw to chest’].

Forequarters Shoulders broad, sloping and deep, very powerful and muscular giving appearance of being ’tacked on‘ body. Brisket [delete ‘capacious’], round and [delete ‘very’] deep [delete ‘from top of shoulders to lowest part where it joins chest’]. Well let down between forelegs. [Delete ‘Large in diameter, round behind forelegs’]. Ribs not flat-sided but well rounded). Forelegs very stout and strong, well developed, set wide apart, thick, muscular and straight, [Delete ‘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. [Delete ‘and so cripple him’]. Elbows low and standing well away from ribs. Pasterns short, straight and strong.

Body Chest wide, [delete ‘laterally round’] prominent and deep. Back short, strong, broad at shoulders [delete ‘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 slight arch [delete ‘(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, slightly longer in proportion than forelegs, [delete ‘so as to elevate loins’]. Hocks slightly bent, well let down; legs long and muscular from loins to hock. [delete ‘short, straight, strong lower part’] Stifles [delete ‘round and’] turned very slightly outwards away from body. [Delete ‘Hocks thereby made to approach each other and hind feet to turn outwards’]

Gait/Movement
[Delete ‘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.

Characteristics, Temperament, Ears, Mouth, Feet, Tail, Coat Colour Size, Faults, Note no change.

[Amendments underlined, deletions in brackets]

The Breed Council elected a sub committee  to review the Kennel Club's interim standard in detail  and select four delegates to meet with he KC sub committee and propose what we believe should be  the new standard. The  persons elected to the sub committee were  Gwen Biddle-Edwards,Norman Davis,Tony Darmanin , Peter Janes (Veterinarian) Vicky Collins-Nattras ,Robin Searle and Chris Thomas ,   

                                                                  

 

We have today received a letter from the KC dated the 3rd Sept 2009 with their final version of the revised portion of the standard standard which when read in conjunction with their original letter of the 3rd December  shown above demonstrates that not only have the Kennel Club ignored any proposals (but one changing nose wrinkle to nose roll) put forward by the Breed Council but added a new sentence which now makes a down faced bulldog the norm and an upfaced bulldog faulty.

The Kennel Club have now published their new standard for the bulldog which can be viewed on their website.

Our members have asked what were the proposals put forward to the Kennel Club  by the delegates compared to what the Kennel Club   have now decided to confirm and we give below an analysis of how much the sub committee tried to meet the Kennel Clubs proposals while protecting the fundamental characteristics of the breed.

The comments in red show what the breed council delegates requested and the result

Kennel Club Review of Breed Standard – Bulldog

In January 2009 the General Committee approved interim changes to the Breed Standard for your breed. This was part of the ongoing initiative to ensure that the Kennel Club was not encouraging exaggerations in breeds and to promote health and welfare as a prime objective for dog breeders and enthusiasts. Additionally, a new ‘Introductory’ paragraph was included on every Breed Standard, and all references within standards to the removal of dewclaws were deleted. These two elements of the Breed Standard review have not been subject to further consideration and will now be finalised.

During the six month consultation period the feedback from breed clubs has been carefully considered.  In the light of this, the interim changes to the Bulldog Breed Standard have been amended and finalised as follows:

General Appearance Smooth-coated, fairly 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 relatively ( we asked for the removal of ‘relatively’. (rejected) short, muzzle broad, blunt and inclined upwards (interim standard said ‘slightly’ upwards. They have removed slightly as requested and  added- although not excessively so. Dogs showing respiratory distress highly undesirable. Body fairly short, well knit, limbs stout, well muscled and in hard condition with no tendency towards obesity. Hindquarters high and strong. Bitches not so grand or well developed as dogs.

Head and Skull Skull relatively large in circumference. Viewed from front appears  high from corner of lower jaw to apex of skull; also broad and square. Cheeks well rounded and extended sideways beyond eyes. Viewed from side, head appears very high and moderately short from back to point of nose. Forehead flat with skin on and about head slightly loose and finely wrinkled -took out ‘may be’ slightly wrinkled, as requested, added - without excess, neither prominent nor overhanging face. Here we asked for the reinstatement of ‘Projections of frontal bones prominent, broad, square and high, deep, wide indentation between eyes.’ (rejected). From defined stop, a furrow (asked to include ‘distinct’ furrow (rejected) extending to middle of skull being traceable to apex. Face from front of cheek bone to nose, relatively short, skin may be slightly wrinkled. Muzzle short, broad, turned upwards and deep from corner of eye to corner of mouth. Nose and nostrils large, broad and black, under no circumstances liver colour, red or brown;(asked to reinstate ‘top set back towards eyes’ (rejected) Distance from inner corner of eye (or from centre of stop between eyes) to extreme tip of nose should not be less than distance from tip of the nose to edge of the underlip. Although this measurement had been removed from the interim standard we asked for it to be reinstated. The KC have altered the wording so as instead of the length given being the maximum length of the muzzle it is now the minimum with no length of muzzle limit. Nostrils large, wide and open, with well defined vertical straight line between. Flews (chops) thick, broad, and deep, covering lower jaws at sides asked to reinstate  ‘not in front’ (rejected), but joining underlip in front (asked to reinstate ‘and quite covering teeth (rejected) Replaced with. ‘Teeth not visible’. Jaws broad, strong and square, lower jaw slightly (asked for ‘slightly’ to be removed (rejected) projecting in front of upper, with moderate turn up (asked to reinstate ‘and turning up’ as ‘moderate’ not appropriate (rejected). Over nose wrinkle (asked to change wrinkle to roll (rejected), if present, whole or broken, must never adversely affect or obscure eyes or nose. Pinched nostrils and heavy over nose roll are unacceptable and should be heavily penalised. 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, 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.                                      

Neck Moderate in length, thick, deep and strong. Well arched at back, with some  (asked to remove ‘some’ rejected) loose skin about throat, forming slight (asked to remove ‘slight’ rejected) dewlap on each side. Asked to reinstate ‘from lower jaw to chest’ (rejected)

Forequarters Shoulders broad, sloping and deep, very powerful and muscular giving appearance of being ’tacked on‘ body. Brisket, (asked to reinstate ‘capacious’ rejected) round and deep. Well let down between forelegs. Ribs not flat-sided but well rounded. Forelegs very stout and strong, well developed, set wide apart, thick, muscular and straight, bones of legs large and straight, not bandy nor curved and short in proportion to hindlegs, but not so short as to make back appear long, or detract from dog’s activity. Elbows low and standing well away from ribs. Pasterns short, straight and strong.                        

Body Chest wide, prominent and deep. Back short, strong, broad at shoulders (asked to reinstate ‘ comparatively narrower at loins (rejected). 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 slight arch Asked to reinstate ‘termed roach back’ – a distinctive characteristic of the breed (rejected). Body well ribbed up behind with belly tucked up and not pendulous.                                                                                      

Hindquarters Legs large and muscular, slightly longer in proportion than forelegs. Hocks slightly bent, well let down; legs long and muscular from loins to hock. Stifles turned very slightly outwards away from body. Asked in include ‘hocks thereby made to approach each other and hind feet to turn very slightly outwards’ (rejected)         

Gait/Movement Requested ‘Controlled gait’ This term was suggested  as an alternative to ‘Peculiarly heavy and constrained’ by a member of the committee we met at the KC (it was still rejected) 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.

We asked for ‘Absent, inverted or extremely tight tails to be heavily penalised’ to be added to the faults section at the end of the standard. Although applauded by the KC in several articles it was rejected.

The amendments to the standard will be effective from 1 October 2009 when they will be published in the October 2009 Kennel Gazette and on the Kennel Club website.

 

The modified standard which the Breed Council delegates stated would meet the Breed CouncilThe modified standard which the Breed Council delegates stated would meet the Breed Council's approval reads as follows:

General Appearance
Smooth-coated, fairly 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 fairly short, well knit, limbs stout, well muscled and in hard condition with no tendency towards obesity. Hindquarters high and strong. 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 relatively large in circumference. Viewed from front appears high from corner of lower jaw to apex of skull; also broad and square. Cheeks well rounded and extended sideways beyond eyes. Viewed from side, head appears very high and moderately short from back to point of nose. Forehead flat with skin on and about head slightly loose and finely wrinkled, neither prominent nor overhanging face. Projections of frontal bones prominent, broad, square and high, deep ,wide indentation between .  From defined stop, a distinct furrow extending to middle of skull being traceable to apex. Face from front of cheek bone to nose, relatively short, skin may be slightly wrinkled. Muzzle short, broad, turned upwards and 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 the nose to edge of the underlip. Nostrils large wide and open, with well defined vertical straight line between. Flews (chops) thick, broad and deep, covering lower jaws at sides not in front. Joining underlip in front and quite covering teeth. Jaws broad, strong and square, lower jaw  projecting in front of upper and turning  up. Over nose roll, if present, whole or broken, must never adversely affect or obscure eyes or nose. 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, 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, thick, deep and strong. Well arched at back, with 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 deep. Well let down between forelegs. Ribs not flat-sided, but well rounded. Forelegs very stout and strong, well developed, set wide apart, thick, muscular and straight, bones of legs large and straight, not bandy nor curved and short in proportion to hindlegs, but not so short as to make back appear long, or detract from dog’s activity. Elbows low and standing well away from ribs. Pasterns short, straight and strong.

Body
Chest wide, 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 slight arch(termed a roach back) – a distinctive characteristic of breed. Body well ribbed up behind with belly tucked up and not pendulous.

Hindquarters
Legs large and muscular, slightly longer in proportion than forelegs. Hocks slightly bent, well let down; legs long and muscular from loins to hock. Stifles turned very 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
Controlled Gait 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).

Colour
Whole or smut, (i.e. whole colour with black mask or muzzle). Only whole colours (which should be brilliant and pure of their sort) viz., brindles, reds with their various shades, fawns, fallows etc., white and pied (i.e. combination of white with any of the foregoing colours). Dudley , black and black with tan highly undesirable.

Size
Dogs: 25 kgs (55 lbs); bitches: 23 kgs (50 lbs).

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog. . To be heavily penalised :Pinched nostrils and heavy over nose roll  ; Absent, inverted or extremely tight tails.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Some historical documents:

The initial reaction from the Bulldog club members of the Breed Council upon receiving the interim standard proposal was to write to the KC and reject the changes asking for a reason to be provided as to how these changes will improve the health of the Bulldog and asking that a meeting of Breed Council delegate be held with the KC . The reply received from the Kennel Club was that was not possible as the proposed amendments would be presented to the General Committee by the 6th January 2006 and unless written alternatives were received from the Breed Council by the 5th January then the above would be presented to the General Committee for approval.

This club's committee has sent the following letter to The Breed Council Chairman.

Hi Robin
I have not yet received my copy of the K.C. Letter but have had sight of it from different sources. From the deadline indicated in their letter ,the Officers and administrators of the Kennel Club must feel under extreme pressure to go ahead with the changes they have put forward. Their letter simply rubber stamps this and no matter what we say there appears to be a steely determination to go ahead regardless.
The Birmingham & Midland Counties Club feel that the Bulldog Breed Council has been treated very badly by the Kennel Club especially since they have gone out of their way to agree changes to the standard with the Kennel Club and continued through the health sub committee to seek new ways of promoting and ensuring health vetting in the breed with a request for a two tier registration system which would have induced more non club breeders to comply with health screening.
We must not lose sight of the fact that it is in all our interests to breed healthy bulldogs and I am sure that is the aim of all the current active people in the breed however this must be done within the framework of the breed standard ,its mastery by judges and breeders alike and through teaching up and coming fanciers how to judge and understand the breed .
We have come a long way from those early days when the breed council was first formed and we have Bulldogs that are demonstrably healthier than ever before. We must acknowledge that there are unhealthy specimens bred as there are in all other breeds and as there are in human beings. The breed standard is not at fault here. One may put the blame on bad breeders .However to combat this there must be in place a health screening test which passes or fails breeding stock. Those specimens who pass should be awarded a first class certificate and the others an ordinary one ,this should then attract more people over whom the KC and our clubs have no control.
Attached is a preamble only for the breed council which seeks to explain why the original standard was constructed the way it was. There is then our view of the proposed changes to the current KC changes.
Items with which we have no problems are indicated in blue those we are absolutely against we have stated must not be changed and the others that we feel should not be changed. However if the KC ignores our protests and goes ahead anyway as seems to be the case it will be the creation of a new dog and if judges are meant to judge Bulldogs in accordance with the proposed interim standard then no qualified dogs at Crufts should be given any awards.

Proposed Reply to the Kennel Club …………………………………….

The Kennel Club describes the Bulldog Breed “at risk”  ???????Puppy registrations during 2008 are in excess of 4000 with the breed rising steadily in popularity not only in the UK but worldwide. The Bulldog is also regarded worldwide as a British icon representing its steadfast and phlegmatic character and Is growing in popularity everywhere. In the USA the official AKC figures indicate that there were 234830 bulldogs registered there since 1995 of which 11880 were registered between January and November 2008.

G.G. Keller , D.V.M,.MS Diplomate ACVR, Chief of Veterinary Services . Orthopedic Foundation for Animals  writes this month that there were 63 bulldog submissions in the tracheal hypoplasia pilot study (which the Bulldog Club of America has initiated, with an initial goal of 100 bulldogs) he says ALL BUT ABOUT SIX I FELT WERE IN NORMAL LIMITS. See http://www.ofa.org/

The BCA health committee is also working CERF see http://www.vmdb.org/cerf.html

which is an eye registry. The CHIC program which monitors dogs that have passed their testing protocol see http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/brdreq.html?breed=BU

The proposed changes which have been put forward so hastily  by the KC, without prior consultation ,if  agreed without modification will completely change the shape of the bulldog  not only making  it totally unfit for the function for which it was evolved which is no longer practiced  but  if read carefully turns the dog into a completely different animal  akin to a pit bull .This is a banned breed in this country and we may well have bulldog owners and breeders prosecuted under current legislation it will also further encourage crossing to other fighting dogs eventually leading to a ban on the breed 

We agree that all dogs should be healthy.  However, changing the phenotype of dogs without knowing the genetic changes that underlie them is unsound scientifically.  Genetic diversity with species is important to the existence of the breeds and unintended consequences of changes to the phenotype without understanding the underlying genetic changes is irresponsible animal husbandry.
The Kennel Club proposes to change the appearance of the breeds without any scientific basis to understand the implications of those changes on related genetic components.  Some of the suggested changes in appearance are totally unrelated to any supposed health problems claimed to exist in the breeds.  It is well accepted that there may be dangers associated with the unanticipated consequences of purposive social changes such as these.  It is precisely because the consequences cannot be predicted that care must be taken in altering the underlying genetic composition of any sentient animal based on their appearance alone.
The better approach would be to perform scientific studies to determine the genetic basis for the health problems observed and then develop breeding programs that would change the genotype of the breed to eliminate the health problem with as minimal impact on the appearance of the breed as is possible.  This would keep the unique characteristics of the breeds while improving the health and fitness of the population.  This approach would meet the goals of the Kennel Club to ensure improvement in the health of dogs, while protecting the breeds from unnecessary changes in genetic makeup and appearance that are not directly related to the health of the animal.

Comment on proposed changes and some of the words which have been added using the OXFORD CONCISE ENGLISH DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS

“Fairly” 1.in a fair manner.2. moderately,acceptable.3.to a noticeable degree 4.actually   

“Relatively” 9 different definitions are given for “relative” of which relatively is an adverb. Its main definition is “in relation to….”

GENERAL APPEARANCE

(1)The use of the word fairly (as in fairly thickset  )provides for a much wider interpretation than the current “thickset” which is more concise, similarly affected is the introduction to the wording “Body fairly short” We propose the current definition should remains as is.

(2) The use of the word “ relatively” as in   “face relatively short” also provides for confusion .The current “face short” is more concise and should remain as is .(the face had to be short to ensure the upward curve of the jaw was not too long thus weakening it)

(3)The Muzzle must be inclined upwards otherwise slightly upwards would provide for a spoon jaw.( It had to be inclined upwards to seize the flesh without tearing it. Much of the character of the face lies in the depth and strength of the jaw forward.) the word ”slightly” must not be inserted

(4) Hindquarters are somewhat lighter than forequarter (why are we removing it?) one can add ssstrong and sturdy

Head and Skull

“Relatively” large in circumference (relative to what ?) Should leave as is.

The deletion of the word “very” from “very high” and  “very broad and square” removes the expectation of how we perceive the bulldog head today. ( It had to be very high and very broad to accommodate the jaws and muscles while maintaining the eyes within the outline of the face. Should leave as is

The addition of the word “moderately short from back to point of nose” implies the nose should be lower than it is now giving a down faced appearance. (same as a pit bull)

The addition of “slightly loose and may be finely wrinkled” implies that a plain head is preferred. The fine wrinkle, when the dog is aroused, is a distinct feature of this breed and IS in no way injurious to its health .Must leave as is.

Defined stop is obtained when the description “ Projections of frontal bones prominent , broad square and high :deep wide indentation between eyes” must be left in the standard. There should be no real objection to its inclusion as long as the rest of the description is left in.

The addition of the word relatively in “Face……relatively short” makes for ambiguity. should leave as is.

Skin may be slightly wrinkled implies no wrinkle is preferred. Should leave as is

Deleting very  in “very deep from corner of eye to corner of mouth” will lose the emphasis in head so desired in the breed .must leave as is

“top set back towards the eyes” is a précis from the original standard which stated the tip of the nose should be inclined upwards toward the eyes .this enabled the dog to breathe while he gripped the bull and is a distinguishing feature of the bulldog. What has happened to the Kennel Club’s much vaunted form follows function????  must be left as is

Deleting “Distance from inner corner of the eye (or from centre stop between the eyes) to extreme tip of nose not exceeding length from tip of nose to edge of underlip” will make for a down faced bulldog looking very much like a pit bull which must be avoided. Must leave as is

Flews are “pendant and very deep” in a bulldog or you get tight lips as in a Stafford .Should leave as is

Jaws broad, massive and square (definition of massive :large and heavy or solid) changing massive to strong is purely an exercise in semantics. should leave as is

Lower jaw slightly projecting. With moderate turn up Adding slightly  and moderate instead of the very original “considerable” which we agreed to remove earlier in consultation with the KC  means we will lose the curve of the underjaw  which provides for the “Jaws broad massive square” description above and will lead to spoon faced bulldogs. No change is required to this description

Eyes why delete “in shape” should leave as is

Neck The dewlap should be thick and go from lower jaw to the chest

Forequarters (what health grounds are there for deleting the very explicit description of the brisket???)

Body  By deleting “comparatively narrower at the loins” one loses the desired pear shape.

Must be left in

Why delete the term “roach back” must leave as is (it has not been changed in the French Bulldog standard we note)

Hindquarters why delete “Hocks thereby made to approach each other and hind feet to turn outwards “ when that Is what happens when the stifles turn outward from the body?

must leave as is

Our club requests that the breed council resist these changes with the exception of the items for which we do not perceive an objection. What the Kennel club needs to do is to remind judges that the standard as written actually ensures good bulldog health if judges and breeders adhere to it .There is nothing wrong with the current standard only its interpretation,
eg:large nose with open nostrils ensures good airway.
Broad, deep and full chest ensures quality lung room.
Necks thick and well arched provide for comfortable gait and could assist with
breathing function.

If the proposed changes are made, the K.C should change the name of the breed.

The original general description of the breed which was amended by the Kennel Club in 1987 emphasised great stability, vigour and strength, which is not possible in cripples who cannot breathe or walk. The current standard also states "no point so much in excess of others as to destroy the general symmetry, or make the dog appear deformed" already covers the concern the Kennel Club has for extremes being promoted.
Nothing in the standard suggests anything but healthy and clear eyes and lids are expected.
As indicated above, In the USA ,where the Bulldog has become the 10th most registered breed last year ,the Bulldog Club of America has initiated health testing .They have a trachea registry which is an attempt to grade trachea width as excellent to poor. Many excellent show bulldogs have submitted films that show normal (for any breed) trachea width. Some bulldogs are participating in a spinal study.
Their participation in the CHIC program insists on dogs that pass patella and cardiac tests (dogs must be graded "normal" to get a number). Show quality bulldogs are passing these tests easily. They are in early production of a short film that will showcase show quality
bulldogs doing very rigorous 'normal dog" activities with no ill effects and performing them easily. We must bring the public away from the misconception that the breed is inherently unhealthy due mainly to their conformation to the concept that the bulldog is a fully functioning, active healthy breed that easily conforms to our very treasured 125+ year old standard.

In France Each Breed  Club is licensed  by the French Kennel Club and the Ministry of Agriculture. It is entrusted by both to ensure that only Healthy typical to the FCI standard dogs are allowed to breed. So when a new buyer buys a puppy he/she receives a certificate of birth upon reaching 9 months of age(not before)  the owner can take the puppy for a health and character check known as TAN= (TEST D'APTITUDES NATURELLES ET DE SOCIABILITE) Part of the test requires the dog to move at a trot around an equilateral triangle not less than 150 metres in length and then at a gallop If at the end of this exercise the dog is roaring it does not pass the test. A vet and two independent Judges are the assessors. Opportunity for this test is offered several times in the year .Having passed this test the dog the dog submits to another test when it reaches one year of age or over, This is a conformation test generally carried out by An approved Breed Specialist and is known as LOF = (Le livre des Origines Francaises.) there are 200 occasions during the year when this test can be performed. The dog will pass if it meets the standard ,the test does not seek a fault free individual or a paragon of the breed does not penalise minor faults. The faults which will cause the dog to fail the test are Lack of type (especially in head) the dog will not look like a bulldog does. Hyper (i.e. grossly exaggerated), aggressive, Blue eyes, long coat ,any non conforming colour i.e. black, blue, etc Dudley, monorchid , cryptorchid, ingrowing tail, excessive obesity. Once the dog passes the LOF test it can be inscribed in LOF and the birth Certificate gets stamped by the French Kennel Club as an authorised pedigree. Only puppies whose parents are so inscribed may have such a pedigree. A dog that has not passed these tests can not be Champion Of France even if it is judged Best of Breed.

Instead of creating a new breed of dog as the proposed interim standard seeks to do and destroying one that has stood the test of time in its present form since at least 1890 and whose history can be traced to 1500,  it would be advisable to put into place a proper regime of health tests similar to those occurring in the countries cited above ,as the Breed Council’s health sub committee have been attempting to develop in consultation with the Kennel Club requesting the introduction of a two tier registration system eliminating unhealthy dogs  and encouraging the breeding of Bulldogs of the true type recognised worldwide.

We could then investigate the incidence of uterine inertia and water puppies which are two reasons given why elective caesareans have become so popular in the breed.

We ask the general committee not to act in haste when deciding the course of action it wishes to adopt especially where the Bulldog Standard is concerned.                                      

If judges were to Judge in accordance with the KC new proposed interim standard as is at any show in the new year , then they would have to withdraw awards  in every class especially at Crufts since every dog presented does so having been judged to the pre Jan1 standard.

 

 

 

 

 

From Salina Chan Australia

Re the proposed K.C. interim standard for the Bulldog.

The purpose of this document is to outline and visually demonstrate the consequences of altering the existing British Bulldog standard. Figures1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 11 & 12 illustrate the British Bulldog by the current standard. Figures 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 13 & 14 illustrate the resultant change of appearance if the interim standard were to be implemented.

  Illustrations by Salina M. Chan [Artist, Animal Attendant, Animal Therapist (Massage and laser acupuncture), British Bulldog breed association since 1960, Registered Dog Breeder from 1980, and Group 7 Dog Judge ( AUSTRALIA )].

 

 

General Appearance

·       smooth-coated, fairly thick set ……………………….. Face relatively short, muzzle broad, blunt and inclined slightly upwards …………………….. Body fairly short, well knit ……………….. hindquarters high and strong [delete ‘but somewhat lighter in comparison with heavy foreparts’)…….

 

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

The British Bulldog

 

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

(The British Bulldog as per the proposed KC interim standard)

  ·       skull relatively large

·       in profile – head appears moderately short from back to point of nose

·       skin on and about forehead slightly loose and may be finely wrinkled

·       flews [delete ‘pendant and very’] and deep, covering  [delete ‘hanging completely over’] lower jaws and sides [delete ‘not in front’] but  joining underlip in front [delete ‘and quite covering]

·       teeth not visible

·       jaw broad, strong [delete ‘massive’]

·       lower jaw slightly projecting in front of upper with moderate turn up [delete ‘and turning up’]

·       over nose wrinkle if present, whole or broken, must never adversely affect or obscure eyes or nose …………………………[delete ‘nose roll must not interfere with line of layback’]

·       eyes round [delete ‘round in shape’]

  To achieve the above changes I had to shorten the mandible and extend the nasal bones. The resultant skull type is closer to mesoticephalic than brachycephalic.

  Neck

·       moderate in length, [delete ‘very’] thick, deep and strong

·       some loose [delete ‘thick and wrinkled’] skin about throat

·       forming slight dewlap on each side [delete ‘from lower jaw to chest’]

  By changing the skulls width and depth I have reduced the circumference of the neck and length of dewlap.

  Forequarters

·       brisket [delete ‘capacious] round and [delete ‘very’] deep [delete ‘from top of shoulders to lowest part where it joins chest’]

·       well let down between forelegs [delete ‘large in diameter, round behind legs]

·       ribs not flat-sided but  well rounded

·       forelegs very stout and strong, well developed, set wide apart, thick, muscular and straight [delete  ‘presenting rather bowed outline, but’] …………………….not bandy nor curved………..or detract from dog’s activity [delete ‘and so cripple him’]

 

 

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

The British Bulldog

 

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

(The British Bulldog as per proposed KC interim std.)

 

 

To reduce depth and diameter of brisket the length and shape of the ribcage had to be reduced. Doing so brought the forelegs closer together and in turn increased the angulation of scapula/humerus articulation. To prevent the forelegs from being too short the humerus needed to be lengthened.

  Body

·       chest wide [delete ‘laterally round’]

·       back short, strong, broad at shoulders [delete ‘comparatively narrower at loins’]

·       spine- curving again more suddenly to tail, forming slight arch [delete ‘(termed roach back)]

 

 

Fig. 9

The British Bulldog

Fig. 10

(As per the proposed KC interim std.)

  For the chest to be wide and not laterally round I had as previously stated reduced the diameter of the ribcage. By reducing the curve of part of the spinal column starting with the thoracic vertebrae, lumbar vertebrae, sacrum and caudal vertebrae it created the slight arch of back.

  Hindquarters

·       slightly longer in proportion than forelegs [delete ‘so as to elevate loins’]

·       hocks – [delete ‘short, straight, strong lower part’] Stifles [delete ‘round and’] turned very slightly outwards away from body [delete ‘hocks, thereby made to approach each other and hind feet to turn outwards’]

 

 

Fig. 11

Fig. 12

The British Bulldog

 

Fig. 13

Fig. 14

(The British Bulldog as per proposed KC interim std.)

 

 

By reducing the spinal curve we changed the angle at which the scapula meets the spinal column and caused the angle of the pelvic girdle to become steeper and this in turn produced greater angulation of the stifle joint.

Gait

·       [delete ‘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.

 

The problem with this statement is that by creating all the aforementioned changes the dogs reach and drive will have changed. No longer does he skim the ground or lead with one or other shoulder.

  The proposed interim standard stated that the Characteristics, Temperament, Ears, Mouth, Feet, Tail, Coat, Colour, Size and Faults remained unchanged.

 

However by implementing the changes to produce Figures 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 13 & 14 some changes have occurred. Ear placement is closer together as the skull is narrower. By shortening the mandible the bite will be much closer. The tail as a continuation of the spinal column will be higher set and straighter. His size will alter, as he is not as thick set.

 

In conclusion,

By comparing the illustrations of the current standard and those of the proposed interim standard we can see that all the breed hallmarks which make up the British Bulldog of today will be gone. 

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The Chairman of the Bulldog Breed Council , Robin Searle called an open  meeting  on Tuesday 30th December 2008  to discuss a letter received from the KC stating that there was no time to meet with a delegation and unless a reply with our own alternative amendments was received prior to the 6th January the KC version of the amended standard would be submitted to  the KC General Committee for approval.

The meeting  convened  and agreed to review the proposed changes and vote on each item after discussing it. At the end a document containing the meeting's proposal was produced which is now being prepared and as I understood it , will be sent to the Kennel club with explanations and a covering letter to be presented to the General Committee. It will state that this document is the product of discussion at an open meeting called by the Chairman of the Breed Council which was attended by forty people as individual bulldoggers which included the Secretary and President of the Bulldog Club Incorporated and who voted on each amendment, in addition a letter of support was received from the Bulldog Club of Scotland and there were over 1000 signatures on a petition which backed the Breed Council decision on how to act following the meeting. This will also be sent to the committees of all clubs for ratification (probably at their forthcoming AGM's) and The KC general committee will be requested to give us more time for this to be done. Great care was taken to ensure that the conformation of the Bulldog was not changed as a result of these amendments. 

 

Below is the document which received the majority vote of those present at that meeting.

Bulldog 2009 proposed revised standard

General Appearance Smooth-coated, fairly 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 fairly 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.

Head and Skull Skull relatively large in circumference. Viewed from front appears high from corner of lower jaw to apex of skull; also 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 on and about head, slightly loose and should be finely wrinkled, neither prominent nor overhanging face. Projections of frontal bones prominent, broad, square and high; deep, wide indentation between eyes. From defined 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 should be slightly 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 underlip. Nostrils large, wide and open, with well defined vertical straight line between. Flews (chops) thick, broad, and deep, covering lower jaws at sides, but joining underlip in front and quite covering teeth. Jaws broad, strong and square, lower jaw projecting in front of upper and turning up. Nose roll, if present, must not interfere with the line of 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.

Neck Moderate in length, thick, deep and strong. Well arched at back, with some loose  skin about throat, forming a 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 deep from top of shoulders to lowest part where it joins the 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, 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. 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 an 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, slightly 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 slightly outwards.

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.

Under the heading of ‘Faults’.

Pinched Nostrils, Heavy over- nose rolls and Inverted or extremely tight tails all to be heavily penalised.

Characteristics,Temperament,Ears,Mouth,Feet,Tail,Coat,Colour,Size

No change.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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