meet the...English Bulldog
Breed Summary
Breed Group Group 4: Bull Breeds
Sub-group 4-A: Bulldogs
Origin Country Great Britain
Weight Males: 50-58 pounds. Females: 40-52 pounds.
Height Males: 12-17 inches. Females: 12-17 inches.
Other Name(s) British Bulldog, Bulldog
Breed Type Pure
click here for FULL BREED STANDARD
Origins
The English Bulldog’s origin lies in the horrific sport of bull-baiting, which emerged in England around the 13th century. The dog’s purpose was to grasp and hold the bull’s nose until the bull was rendered helpless. Not only was bull-baiting considered entertaining, but many believed baiting the bull before killing made the meat tastier and more nutritious. The cruel sport of bull-baiting remained widely popular until it was outlawed in 1835, nearly resulting in the breed's extinction. Those who admired Bulldogs rescued the breed by carefully choosing those with distinct physical characteristics, not those with ferocious tendencies.
In an effort to tame the Bulldog’s tenacity, as well as tone down the dog’s appearance, early breed aficionados were believed to have infused other breeds, such as the Pug, into the breed’s lineage to result in the squattier, less-agile, and less-capable dog that we see today. Over the past century, the English Bulldog has undergone a profound transformation, which has resulted in a more endearing temperament, but has also had devastating effects on the breed’s health and quality of life. In fact, the characteristics that make the English Bulldog a breed apart have also resulted in an extremely unhealthy phenotype. The extreme brachycephalic skull type, heavy body, and wide chest and forequarters have resulted in breathing difficulties, heat intolerance, inability to whelp naturally, and a number of other debilitating ailments that plague this wonderful breed.
Today, many organizations are out to save the English Bulldog breed by adjusting stringent breed standards that reward physical extremes (such as a flat head profile) to be less punishing and extreme. Allowing the English Bulldog to have a muzzle and less wide forequarters allows the dog to tolerate heat, whelp naturally, breathe better, and enjoy a better quality of life. No other breed is more deserving than the English Bulldog. Responsible breeders are on board with the newer conformation style, which, ironically, is more in line with how the Bulldog originally appeared. CKC encourages all who know and love the English Bulldog to read the English Bulldog standard and strive to apply it to their dogs and breeding stock.Breed Characteristics
Head: Somewhat brachycephalic skull-type, moderate in size, broad, square, and substantial. It should always be in proportion to the rest of the body, never so large as to hinder the natural whelping process. In profile, the head should never appear flat-faced. From the stop to the occiput, the head is high and well-muscled as opposed to elongated and narrow. From the front, the plane of the skull appears flat and not rounded. The cheeks and temporalis areas are well-muscled and filled, giving breadth and depth to the head. Extreme brachycephalic skull types lacking a discernible muzzle or exhibiting a completely flat profile are incorrect. Wrinkling on the head and face should not be excessive to allow for a neat and clean appearance, with the head appearing overall neat and rather clean-cut. The head may exhibit some minimal wrinkling, but never in excess or with exaggeration. A clean, minimally wrinkled head is preferred.
Eyes: Eyes are medium in size and may be open almond, slightly rounded, or lemon-shaped. They are set well apart. The eyes exhibit a fair amount of skull above and between one another. They should appear far from the ears in profile and when viewed from the front. Eyelids should be sufficiently tight as to avoid exposing haw, inner membranes, third eyelids, or whites. There should be no rolling inward, outward, or appearing “droopy.” Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed. The eyes should never appear sunken, bulged, or overly droopy.
Ears: Set wide apart, yet high on the head. They are small in size, thin, and may be buttoned, tulip, or rose. The ears should appear to have sufficient distance from the eyes from any angle. Ears should never be carried erect or cropped.
Muzzle: The muzzle is broad, deep, full, and short. The upper and lower jaws are broad and have good bone substance. There should be enough muzzle length to allow the nose to protrude for easy breathing and prevent the soft palate from extending into the airways of the throat. The lower jaw is slightly longer than the upper jaw and somewhat turned up, giving the English Bulldog a slight pouting appearance when viewed from the front and giving the muzzle a rounded profile; however, the lower jaw should never protrude beyond the break of the lips. The teeth and tongue must be completely concealed when the mouth is closed.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black or self-colored according to the coat in non-standard color varieties. The nostrils are well-opened. The nostrils should never be narrow or closed.
Neck: Broad, of a moderate length to allow for proud head carriage, and powerfully muscled, with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is fairly clean-cut, but somewhat loose skin or a very slight dewlap may be present.
Chest: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows (preferred) but may drop just below.
Body: Compact, deep, solid, and of good substance and strong bone. The body is never racy or refined. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Feet: Oval to round, compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads. Front feet may be slightly toed-out.
Tail: Set low on the croup, thick at the base, and tapering toward the tip. The tail may be short to medium in length and straight, pump-handled, or gently curved, or it may be curled over the back in a loose or tight single or double curl. Preference is given to straight, curved, and pump-handled tails. Inverted tails, corkscrew tails, and kinked tails are extremely undesirable and potentially unhealthy. Docked tails that can hide such faults are not preferred. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level but never tucked.
Movement: The English Bulldog should demonstrate movement that is capable, powerful, effortless, and efficient; all of the characteristics that one would expect to see in a dog once used to apprehend livestock. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the center line of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament: A true English gentleman, the English Bulldog is renowned for their noble, calm, yet amiable character. Any fearful or unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Breed Standard
BREED GROUP 4: Bull Breeds
Proportions: Somewhat low-set, strong-boned, and medium in size. The body is somewhat off-square to slightly rectangular in proportions, with the length of the body measured from the point of the forechest to the point of the rump, being just slightly greater than the height at the withers. The ideal body height-to-length ratio is between 5:4 and 10:9. The body is well-put-together, with sturdy substance and solid bone. Males should appear masculine, being more substantial in size and mass, while females should appear more feminine and slightly less substantial. Neither should lack overall type. The weight of a male or female is always in proportion to height. The English Bulldog recognized by the Continental Kennel Club is a capable and healthy dog without extremes in breed type.
Head
General Appearance: Somewhat brachycephalic skull-type, moderate in size, broad, square, and substantial. It should always be in proportion to the rest of the body, never so large as to hinder the natural whelping process. In profile, the head should never appear flat-faced. From the stop to the occiput, the head is high and well-muscled as opposed to elongated and narrow. From the front, the plane of the skull appears flat and not rounded. The cheeks and temporalis areas are well-muscled and filled, giving breadth and depth to the head. Extreme brachycephalic skull types lacking a discernible muzzle or exhibiting a completely flat profile are incorrect. Wrinkling on the head and face should not be excessive to allow for a neat and clean appearance, with the head appearing overall neat and rather clean-cut. The head may exhibit some minimal wrinkling, but never in excess or with exaggeration. A clean, minimally wrinkled head is preferred.
Expression: Regal, capable, alert, and intelligent.
Stop: The stop is definite, preferably forming a 90-degree angle between the topskull and muzzle.
Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is between 1:5 and 1:8, with the topskull being longer than the muzzle.
The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is convergent.
Muzzle: The muzzle is broad, deep, full, and short. The upper and lower jaws are broad and have good bone substance. There should be enough muzzle length to allow the nose to protrude for easy breathing and prevent the soft palate from extending into the airways of the throat. The lower jaw is slightly longer than the upper jaw and somewhat turned up, giving the English Bulldog a slight pouting appearance when viewed from the front and giving the muzzle a rounded profile; however, the lower jaw should never protrude beyond the break of the lips. The teeth and tongue must be completely concealed when the mouth is closed.
Lips or Flews: The lips are wide and thick, yet rather clean and well-fit. They just conceal the lower jaw without extending well below the lower jawline. Lips meet in an inverted “U” or an inverted “V” in the front.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black or self-colored according to the coat in non-standard color varieties. The nostrils are well-opened. The nostrils should never be narrow or closed.
Cheeks: The cheeks are well-developed and well-filled. The protrusion of the cheeks should extend to or beyond the corner of the eyes. The cheeks should never appear chiseled or flat. Some minimal wrinkling around the cheek, extending from the outer corner of the eye to the corner of the mouth, may be present.
Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth. The bite may be level, reverse-scissor, or slightly undershot. Less than ¼ inch of space between upper and lower incisors is permissible. Contact preferred between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth as a result of routine work are not to be penalized.
Eyes: Eyes are medium in size and may be open almond, slightly rounded, or lemon-shaped. They are set well apart. The eyes exhibit a fair amount of skull above and between one another. They should appear far from the ears in profile and when viewed from the front. Eyelids should be sufficiently tight as to avoid exposing haw, inner membranes, third eyelids, or whites. There should be no rolling inward, outward, or appearing “droopy.” Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed. The eyes should never appear sunken, bulged, or overly droopy.
Ears: Set wide apart, yet high on the head. They are small in size, thin, and may be buttoned, tulip, or rose. The ears should appear to have sufficient distance from the eyes from any angle. Ears should never be carried erect or cropped.
Body and Tail
General Description: Compact, deep, solid, and of good substance and strong bone. The body is never racy or refined. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Neck: Broad, of a moderate length to allow for proud head carriage, and powerfully muscled, with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is fairly clean-cut, but somewhat loose skin or a very slight dewlap may be present.
Chest: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows (preferred) but may drop just below.
Topline: Straight and level from slightly prominent withers to croup or may be just slightly arched at the loin. The back is broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is taut, flat, level, slightly arched, and yet supportive. The back is never swayed or roached. Although not incorrect, a slight dip behind the withers does detract from the dog’s overall soundness and strength of the back and is, therefore, not preferred.
Croup: May be flat and level with the topline or gently sloped (preferred).
Underline: A slight tuck-up is present or the underline may run parallel to the topline. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
Tail: Set low on the croup, thick at the base, and tapering toward the tip. The tail may be short to medium in length and straight, pump-handled, or gently curved, or it may be curled over the back in a loose or tight single or double curl. Preference is given to straight, curved, and pump-handled tails. Inverted tails, corkscrew tails, and kinked tails are extremely undesirable and potentially unhealthy. Docked tails that can hide such faults are not preferred. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level but never tucked.
Forequarters and Hindquarters
Forequarters: The forequarters are always balanced with the hindquarters and well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. Shoulder blades are approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
NOTE: The shoulders and elbows should never be loose or so broad that they appear disproportionate or like a person's shoulders. Loose elbows detract from agility and stamina, causing the dog to work harder to move them properly. Excessively broad shoulders also place more weight and strain on the dog’s front end, throwing the dog’s center of gravity off, detracting from balance, and further detracting from efficient and agile movement. Broad shoulders coupled with narrow hindquarters also hinder the dog’s ability to whelp naturally and should be disqualified.
Elbows: The elbows are close to the body. The distance from the withers to the brisket may be equal to or greater than the distance from the elbows to the ground.
Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, strong bone, and parallel to one another.
Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
Hindquarters: The upper and lower thighs are equal in length, strong, sturdy, of strong bone, and well-muscled.
Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
NOTE: Excessively narrow hindquarters, in comparison to forequarters, strain the forequarters with more weight, throwing the dog’s center of gravity off, detracting from balance, and further detracting from efficient and agile movement. Narrow hindquarters also result in a narrow pelvis, which hinders the dog’s ability to whelp naturally and should be disqualified.
Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
Angulations: The angulation of the hindquarters is always in balance with the angulation of the forequarters.
Feet: Oval to round, compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads. Front feet may be slightly toed-out.
Coat
Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
Coat Type: Short, close, glossy, fine, and straight without feathering, fringing, or waves.
Coat Color or Pattern: CKC recognizes two color varieties of the English Bulldog breed: the standard and nonstandard colors.
Standard coat color variety: Solid white, solid colors in various shades of fallow to light tan to red, various brindles, fawn, and smut, all with or without white markings (piebald).
Non-standard coat color variety: Black, liver, blue, all with or without tan or brindle points, all with or without white markings (piebald).
Movement
The English Bulldog should demonstrate movement that is capable, powerful, effortless, and efficient; all of the characteristics that one would expect to see in a dog once used to apprehend livestock. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the center line of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament
A true English gentleman, the English Bulldog is renowned for their noble, calm, yet amiable character. Any fearful or unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Faults
All dogs should be in proper healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.
