Читать книгу American Bulldog - Abe Fishman - Страница 17

The head is large and broad, giving the impression of great power. When viewed from the side, the skull and muzzle are parallel to one another and joined by a well-defined stop. The stop is very deep and abrupt, almost at a right angle with the muzzle. Despite the depth of the stop, the forehead is wider than it is high.

The broad head, relatively short muzzle, muscular cheeks and large jaws contribute to the overall expression so distinct in the breed.

An American Bulldog should appear confident and self-assured, like the Bulldog shown here.

Skull: The skull is large, flat, deep and broad between the ears. Viewed from the top, the skull is square. There is a deep median furrow that diminishes in depth from the stop to the occiput. Cheek muscles are prominent.

Muzzle: The muzzle is broad and thick with a very slight taper from the stop to the nose. The length of the muzzle is equal to 35 to 45 percent of the length of the head. Lips are moderately thick but not pendulous. The chin is well defined and must neither overlap the upper lip nor be covered by it.

The American Bulldog should have a complete set of large, evenly spaced, strong teeth. His large nose has wide nostrils; this dog’s dark nose is a desirable color.

Teeth: The American Bulldog has a complete set of large, evenly spaced white teeth. The preferred bite is undershot with the inside of the lower incisors extending in front of the upper incisors up to one-quarter inch. A scissors bite is acceptable. A level bite and extreme undershot bite are considered faults to the degree that the bite interferes with the dog’s ability to work. Teeth are not visible when the mouth is closed. Worn teeth or broken teeth are acceptable. Disqualification: Overshot.

Nose: The nose is large with wide, open nostrils. The nose may be any color but darker pigment is preferred.

Eyes: Eyes are medium in size, round and set well apart. All colors are acceptable but brown is preferred. Haw is not visible. Dark eye rims are preferred. Faults: Very visible haws.

Ears: Ears may be cropped but natural ears are preferred. Natural ears are small to medium in size, high set, and may be drop, semi-prick or rose.

Drop ears: The ears are set high, level with the upper line of the skull, accentuating the skull’s width. At the base, the ear is just slightly raised in front and then hangs along the cheek. The tip is slightly rounded. When pulled toward the eye, the ear should not extend past the outside corner of the eye.

Semi-prick ears: Same as drop ears except that only the tips of the ears drop forward.

Rose ears: Rose ears are small and set high on the skull. Fault: Hound ears.