Discussion A long, arched, tapering neck rising from a well angulated shoulder is a very pleasing
feature and one which is a valued component of the overall balance and symmetry. A
short, upright or "ewe"
neck caused by an upright shoulder breaks the topline which should give the impression
of gentle integrated curves rather than abrupt changes in angles and direction.
This dog has the correct neck,
shoulder and topline. The neck is
well set on and gives a smooth
transition from the sloping shoulder
to the head. The withers are behind
a vertical line from the elbow.
__________________________________________
A straight shoulder with a badly
set on neck rising from withers
forward of a vertical line from the
elbow.
Discussion The rib cage can easily be assessed from a top view, the sides of the dog curving
outwards to accommodate the well sprung ribs, and curving in behind the ribcage to
make a discernible waist.
Looking down on the dog can be helpful. This
bitch demonstrates good spring of rib, the ribline
tapering to the waist behind the rib cage.
The Bull Terrier should be a combination of dense but smooth parts connected by
graceful curves. Beware the heavy, ill-made animal who has a long, straight-cut body
which lacks the graceful quality of the well-knit athlete. Also beware the individual who
lacks substance and spring of rib.
Lacking substance and spring of rib this dog is
also upright in shoulder and high in the rear.
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A short neck, upright shoulder and long straight
body contribute to this animal's lack of shape.
Standard "The LEGS should be big-boned but not to the point of coarseness; the forelegs should be
of moderate length, perfectly straight, and the dog must stand firmly upon them.
The ELBOWS must turn neither in nor out, and the pasterns should be strong and
upright.
The HIND LEGS should be parallel viewed from behind. The thighs very muscular with
hocks well let down. Hind pasterns short and upright. The stifle joint should be well bent
with a well-developed second thigh.
The FEET round and compact with well-arched toes like a cat."
Discussion
The Standard calls for straight front legs with elbows pointing straight back and the
middle toes straight forward. Most deviations from this ideal are characteristics stemming
from the bulldog ancestry; out at the elbows, curved or bowed front legs, feet pointing
"east and west:.
A correct front showing a broad chest and
straight forelegs properly attached to the
shoulders, feet pointing straight ahead.
A bulldog front, with curved forelegs and elbows
pointing outward, wrists and feet pointing "east
and west".
Discussion The hind legs can reflect the bulldog ancestry by being straight in stifle, lacking a
muscular second thigh, and bowing out at the stifle or in at the hocks. Faulty
conformation of the hindquarters can be not only an unsightly weakness in a muscular,
agile dog, but can be a harbinger of arthritis or joint disease, whereas straight shoulders
and crooked front legs are not so pathological.
A muscular hind leg with a well developed second thigh, nicely angulated at the stifle. The bone
between the hock and the foot is short and strong in this excellent example.
Correct hindquarters from the rear. The legs are
muscular, straight and parallel with the front
legs.
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Incorrect hindquarters with "cow hocks". The
hocks are closer together than the feet, which
point outwards.
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Bowed stifles viewed from the rear. This is a weak, unsound construction usually inadequately
muscled and characterized by short, choppy hind action.
A straight hind leg lacking over- all muscling
and showing very little angulation at the stifle
joint.
___________________________________________
This stifle joint is overbent and while
seemingly desirable is actually a weak
construction often associated with "cow
hocks"
A weak hind leg bowed laterally at the stifle
joint. been the hock and the foot is short and
strong in this excellent example.
Standard "The TAIL should be short, set on low, fine and ideally should be carried horizontally. It
should be thick where it joins the body, and should taper to a fine point."
Discussion A properly set on, tapered tail carried horizontally gives a finish to the topline which is
essential to our visualization of the ideal Bull Terrier. Unfortunately, most of today's dogs
have dogs have varying degrees of "gay" tail which brings the lines of an otherwise ideal
animal to an abrupt, angular termination. While "gay" tails have not been considered a
serious fault, they are often associated with a short pelvis and flat croup which detracts
from the finishing lines of this muscular yet gracefully agile dog.
Standard "The COAT should be short, flat harsh to the touch with a fine gloss. The dog's skin
should fit tightly. The COLOR is white though markings on the dog's head are
permissible. Any markings elsewhere are to be severely faulted. Skin pigmentation is not
to be penalized."
Discussion While hair texture is not generally regarded as important in the overall picture of the ideal
Bull Terrier, a thin, patchy or dull coat detracts from the impression of a vibrant, healthy
animal. Coats marred by bouts with allergies are also a sign of less than ideal health in
addition to being unsightly. Ticking, which occurs in the undercoat and is more prevalent
in the thicker winter coat, is a fault as described in the standard. The severity of the fault
can be minimal, with a few odd ticks in the undercoat, or more heavily penalized if the
coat is heavily ticked. Mismarks, involving both the undercoat and the longer guard hairs,
are also a fault which carries a penalty under the rules of this Standard. Skin
pigmentation, which takes the form of dark spots on the skin which show through the
white hair in a thin coat, are not to be penalized. It has been the usual practice, when
judging Bull Terriers, to view light ticking and small mismarks as a relatively minor fault
in an otherwise worthy animal, and while it is important to be aware of the desirability of
a clear coat in our visualization of the ideal Bull Terrier , it is also important not to
"throw the baby out with the bathwater" and disregard an otherwise virtuous animal due
to minor coat faults.
A correct topline, tailset and carriage. The tail
is broad at the base and tapers to a point. It
does not reach beyond the hock when held
downward against the back of the hind leg.
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A short croup with high set-on tail, with a high
or "gay" carriage.
_______________________________________
An extremely high set "gay" tail set on a flat,
shallow croup.
Standard
MOVEMENT-- "The dog shall move smoothly, covering the ground with free, easy
strides, fore and hind legs should move parallel to each other when viewed from in front
or behind. The forelegs reaching out well and the hind legs moving smoothly at the hip
and flexing well at the stifle and hock. The dog should move compactly and in one piece
but with a typical jaunty air that suggests agility and power."
Discussion A Bull Terrier which is made well is likely to move well, and it is in motion that the
animal passes the true test of construction. From the front (coming toward) the forelegs
should be perfectly straight, with the feet the same distance apart as the elbows. If the
shoulders and elbows are not properly constructed the elbows will visibly turn outward
and the feet will be closer together than the elbows. Any deviations in the straightness of
the forelegs will be noticeable, and these are often accompanied by a crossing or weaving
gait. From the rear (going away) the hind legs should also be parallel. Bowed-out stifles
and hocks will cause the hind feet to turni n and they will sometimes actually cross as the
dog puts one in front of the other. "Cow-hocks", or hocks which turn in toward the center
line, will cause the stifles and hind feet to turn out with a resulting loss of impulsion or
drive. From the side, animals with straight shoulders will usually show some slackness or
a dip behind the withers. A straight hind leg and a badly made croup will cause the hind
end to be higher than the front, giving the impression that the animal is "running
downhill." Because the standing Bull Terrier can be cleverly "stacked" to minimize these
basic construction problems, it is essential for breeders and judges alike to familiarize
themselves with the ideal Bull Terrier in motion. It is in the movement phase of
assessment that the crucial tests are met and passed or failed, and a Bull Terrier which
moves correctly should be recognized and rewarded both in the ring and in a progressive
breeding program.
MOVEMENT FROM THE SIDE This dog is moving correctly, with good extension of the forelegs and flexion and
drive behind. This produces a ground covering gait which is powerful but does not
appear stilted or choppy from the side.
MOVEMENT FROM BEHIND Correct Movement
Hind legs are moving squarely away, parallel with the forelegs.
Base Narrow
Hind feet are put down toward the center line as the dog moves away.
"Cow Hocks"
The stifles are flexed toward the outside and the hocks are pulled inward as the dog
moves, producing a weaving effect sometimes called "knitting and purling".
MOVEMENT FROM THE FRONT Correct
Fore legs moving straight forward, parallel to the hind legs.
Base-Narrow
Forefeet hit the ground toward the center line
"Paddling"
The rotation of the wrist throws the pastern and foot out to the side as the foreleg is
advanced.
Standard
FAULTS-- "Any departure from the foregoing points shall be considered a fault, and the
seriousness of the fault shall be in exact proportion to its degree, i.e., a very crooked
front is a very bad fault; a rather crooked front is a rather bad fault; and a slightly bad
front is a slight fault."
DISQUALIFICATION Blue eyes
Discussion
The Bull Terrier standard is explicit in describing the virtues which the ideal Bull Terrier
should possess. It is virtually unique in stating that a fault is a deviation from the
described virtue, and is faulty in proportion to its degree. Therefore we are charged with
finding that animal, in any group presented for assessment, which possesses the best
combination of breed virtues -- Head, Construction, Movement and Temperament --
which bring it closest to our visualization of the ideal Bull Terrier.
A properly constructed Bull Terrier which combines the essential virtues giving an
impression of strength and agility.
Standard COLORED-- The standard for the Colored Variety is the same as for the White except for
the subhead "Color" which reads: "Color: Any color other than white, or any color with
white markings. Other things being equal, the preferred color is brindle. A dog which is
predominantly white shall be disqualified."
Discussion When assessing a colored Bull Terrier one must be alert to the optical illusions which can
be caused by the lines and areas of the white markings. On the head, a crooked blaze can
give the impression of a dippy profile, or, conversely produce the illusion of curved
profile.
SOME OPTICAL ILLUSIONS Compare the effects of these head markings on the profile and fill of these pairs of
identical heads!
An eyepatch on a White can affect the impression of fill and downface. This
marking changes the profile impression.
The blaze on a Colored often deceives the eye an creates a false profile.
The wide white blaze on the right makes the same head look more filled.
The same dog from different angles!
Discussion White markings on the chest and belly can extend upward toward the sides to interrupt
the underline and give a false impression of shallowness in body depth and substance.
Markings on the limbs can be particularly deceptive by carrying the eye in a crooked line.
This is especially true on the hind legs as the pattern of the Bull Terrier's "socks" is
almost always in a diagonal line across the back of the leg, making the leg look "cowhocked,"
especially when moving. White splotches on the body of the Colored Bull
Terrier are not considered a fault according to the standard unless they are so numerous
as to cover more than half the surface area of the animal. If more than half of a Colored
Bull Terrier is white, it is disqualified from competition. Since the dog cannot be skinned
and the areas measured, this is usually a judgment call. Remember, however, that the
head and limbs are in most cases about half color and half white, and the chest and belly
are usually totally white, so that if over half of the visible body area is white, this should
be grounds for disqualification.
Brindle is the preferred color in Bull Terriers due to the genetic facts of inheritance. Since
the brindle gene is dominant, it is visible in the coat color when it is present. Due to the
character of dominant genes, once this color is lost from the breed there is no way to
replace it. The "brindle preferred" clause in our Standard is a recognition that breeders
wish to preserve this color pattern in the breed. Currently there does not seem to be any
danger of losing this color pattern and according to the Standard, the brindle color should
only be used as a deciding factor between two animals which have an equal sum of breed
virtues. Since this is an unlikely event, the clause stands to remind us of the importance
of maintaining brindle as a color option in the breed.
Standard DISQUALIFICATION--Blue eyes. Any dog which is predominantly white.
The markings on the neck and underbelly of
this dog create the impression of an upright
shoulder and a shallow depth of brisket.
The same dog with a sloping collar and dark
under belly which visually enhances his
shoulder, "shortens" his back and "deepens"
his brisket.
The same hind legs appear more "cow hocked"
on the Colored due to the diagonal markings.
Discussion The Bull Terrier Standard is simple and straightforward, just as the ideal Bull Terrier
should be. Each section is a description of how the dog should look, move or behave. The
skillful judge will be able to select those animals which represent the best combination of
virtues as described in the standard, and which carry the lest harmful deviations from
these virtues. The judge should always carry in mind, along with that essential
visualization of the ideal Bull Terrier, an alarm system which alerts him to those
deviations from the ideal which are most likely to signal bad new for the physical and
mental integrity of the animal standing before him. We must give high priorities to four
essential categories of our assessment.
The HEAD is a key feature of the ideal Bull Terrier and must demonstrate the correct
shape with mass and power. Without the correct shape and strength, the animal fails this
category. Slight deviations eye and ear placement, pink spots on the nose, and minor
dentition faults are not considered to be as serious as severe malocclusion or deficiencies
in the mass, power and egg-like shape of the head.
BODY SHAPE, CONSTRUCTION AND DENSITY is the second category in which the
ideal Bull Terrier must demonstrate a combination of virtues as described in the Standard.
While the Standard does not specify any ideal height or weight, we know that the Bull
Terrier, "the maximum dog in the available space" and his body must be short-coupled
with graceful curves and lines connecting his muscular parts. A light "whippety" body,
insufficient bone, or poorly constructed and loosely integrated parts would be tantamount
to a failing grade in this category.
MOVEMENT is the third category and is the test of construction and soundness. While
few Bull Terriers move absolutely to the standard, defects of construction which may
compromise the soundness and health of the animal are emphasized in the moving dog,
and if these are present the dog should fail this category.
TEMPERAMENT is the fourth category which is essential to breed type. Our standard
describes the ideal temperament, and any animal which deviates from this ideal to the
extent that it is exceptionally timid or overly aggressive will fail this category.
Bull Terriers usually exhibit a degree of animation and individuality in the ring. They
should not be penalized for their exuberant approach to life if they are not overly
disruptive or aggressive. They should, of course be under control at all times and be
amenable to handling by the judge.
TYPE: To sum up, the ideal Bull Terrier is the integrated sum of the above described
parts. TO BE AN OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL, IT MUST DEMONSTRATE
POSITIVE VIRTUES IN EVERY CATEGORY AND MAY NOT "FAIL" IN ANY
CATEGORY. It must also be free of such faults as are detrimental to its health and to
those of the breed at large. We expect some deviation from the ideal in some pieces of the
whole, but the overall dog must exhibit virtues of head shape and power, strength and agility
of construction, soundness, and an outgoing yet amenable temperament which
marks it, above all, a BULL TERRIER
THE END