Читать книгу American Bulldog - Abe Fishman - Страница 12

VARIATIONS IN BREED STANDARDS

A breed standard, by definition, describes what the “ideal” example of a particular breed looks and acts like. This written description is devised by fanciers of the breed, usually a parent club, and is submitted to the national kennel club for approval. Since there is such confusion in the American Bulldog breed, we will examine how the dissension among breeders has affected the writing of the breed standard. I began this book by saying that the American Bulldog breed is vastly misunderstood. In order to demonstrate just how misunderstood this breed is in its homeland of the United States, I am going to present to you two current breed standards that supposedly describe the same American Bulldog breed. The NABA (National American Bulldog Association) standard is more of a working-dog standard. The other, the UKC (United Kennel Club) standard is more of an “attempt to appease everyone” standard.

Despite variations in the different breed standards, the American Bulldog has an unmistakable look all its own.

A TRUE DESCRIPTION

Should you find yourself suspicious of the fact that the description of the American Bulldog breed the author has provided differs from one standard you’ve seen or another, simply take note of the fact that each standard differs from the other as well. Trust whichever standard or description provides you with the image of the breed that you can find in photographs that predate 1975. The best standard will be the one that most accurately describes what this breed has always been and not what this breed has been turned into more recently. Also, in reading the two standards on the next few pages, take careful note of fundamental differences between them, such as coat color, bite, size, etc.