|
Rassestandard des DOGUE DE BORDEAUX
Bordeaux Dogge
Deutsche Uebersetzung in Bearbeitung
Official U.K.C. Breed Standard
Revised June 1, 1998
History
The Dogue de Bordeaux is one of the oldest
French breeds. Its actual origins
are obscure but it is probably descended
from one of the strains of Mastiff-type
dogs that accompanied Macedonian and Roman
armies through Asia, Europe, and
Britain. A 14th century writer describing
the Alaunt Veutreres, a probable
ancestor of the Dogue de Bordeaux, wrote
that this dog "holds his bite stronger
than three sight hounds." By the middle of
the 19th century, the Dogue de
Bordeaux was little known outside of
Aquitaine where it was used to hunt
large animals, such as boar; to fight; to
guard homes and cattle; and in
the service of butchers. The Dogue de
Bordeaux was entered under its present
name in the first dog show held in France
in 1863. The breed narrowly missed
extinction during the two world wars but
enjoyed a resurgence in the 1960's.
Sometime in the early 1980's, the first
Dogue de Bordeaux was imported to
the United States. The breed is used today
almost exclusively as a family
companion and house guardian.
The United Kennel Club recognized the
Dogue de Bordeaux on January 1, 1995.
General Appearance
The Dogue de Bordeaux is a well-balanced,
massive, powerfully-built dog with
a very muscular body and a short coat. The
Dogue is somewhat low in stature
with a huge head, furrowed by wrinkles,
topped with small, pendant ears.
The tail is thick at the base and tapering
to the tip and is set and carried
low. The breed is presented in a
completely natural condition and should
be evaluated equally for correct
conformation, temperament, gait, and structural
soundness.
Disqualifications:
Any identifiable, disabling defect.
Characteristics
Careful breeding has modified the formerly
aggressive temperament of this
breed. Today, the Dogue de Bordeaux is a
natural guardian, vigilant and courageous
without being aggressive. The Dogue de
Bordeaux is very affectionate, devoted
to its master, and excellent with children.
Faults:
Overly aggressive; timid.
Disqualifications:
Viciousness, marked shyness or cowardliness.
Head
The massive head of the Dogue de Bordeaux
is an essential breed characteristic.
In males, the circumference of the skull
taken at the widest point is roughly
equal to the dog's height at the withers.
In females, the circumference may
be slightly less. Viewed from the front
and from above, the head forms a
trapezoid. The longer topline of the skull
and the shorter line of the underjaw
form the parallel sides of the trapezoid.
Faults:
Short, round head; "Bulldog" head, i.e., flat skull & muzzle shorter
than one-quarter of the head length.
Disqualification:
Long, narrow head with insufficiently pronounced stop.
SKULL
--
The skull is large, slightly domed, and
broad between the ears.
The volume and shape of the skull result
from the very important development
of the temporal bones, the supraorbital
ridges, the zygomatic arches, and
the spacing of the mandibles. There is a
deep median furrow that diminishes
in depth from the stop to the occiput. 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.
MUZZLE
--
The muzzle is broad, thick, and short with moderately obvious folds.
There is almost no taper to the muzzle. It
is square when viewed from above
and the circumference of the muzzle is
equal to two-thirds the circumference
of the skull. The top line of the muzzle
rises slightly from the stop to
the nose, forming a very obtuse angle with
the line of the forehead. The
maximum length of the muzzle is equal to
one-third the total length of the
head; the minimum length of the muzzle is
one-quarter of the length of the
head. The ideal is between these two
extremes. When the head is held horizontally,
the end of the muzzle extends beyond a
vertical line drawn from the tip of
the nose. The jaws are very broad and
powerful. Lips are thick and moderately
pendulous. When the mouth is closed, the
upper lip hangs over side of the
lower jaw. The chin is well defined and
must neither overlap the upper lip
nor be covered by it.
Disqualifications:
Muzzle longer than one-third head length; muzzle parallel
to top line of the skull or downfaced.
TEETH
--
The Dogue de Bordeaux has a complete set of large, evenly spaced,
white teeth. The incisors are well-aligned,
particularly the lower incisors
which form an apparently straight line. An
undershot bite is characteristic
of the breed with the inside of the lower
incisors extending in front of
the upper incisors at least .2 inch and no
more than three-quarters inch.
Teeth are not visible when the mouth is
closed.
Faults: Incisors always visible when mouth is closed.
Disqualifications:
Wry mouth; mouth not undershot. Canines always visible
when mouth is closed. Tongue always
protruding when mouth is closed.
NOSE
--
Nose color is black on black-masked dogs; brown on brown-masked dogs;
or reddish pink on unmasked dogs. The nose
is broad and well-pigmented with
well-opened nostrils. An upturned nose is
permissible but the tip of the
nose must not be set back deeply between
the eyes like an English Bulldog.
EYES
--
The eyes are large but not protruding, oval, and set well apart-at
least twice the length of the eye opening.
Color ranges from hazel to dark
brown. Lighter eye colors are acceptable
but not preferred in dogs without
a mask or dogs with red masks. Haw is not
visible. Pigment of eyerims matches
nose pigment.
Faults:
Protruding eyes.
EARS
--
The ears are pendant and relatively small. They 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 inside corner of the eye.
The coat on the ears is slightly
darker than the body coat.
Neck
The neck is thick, muscular, and almost
cylindrical with very little taper
from the shoulder to the head. The neck is
slightly arched at the crest and
blends smoothly into well-laid-back
shoulders. There is a slight transverse
furrow separating the neck from the head.
The average circumference of the
neck is almost equal to the circumference
of the skull. The well-defined
dewlap starts at the level of the throat
and forms folds down to the chest.
Faults:
Excessive dewlap.
Forequarters
The shoulders are powerful and heavily
muscled. The shoulder blade is well
laid back and forms, with the upper arm,
an angle just slightly greater than
90 degrees. The forelegs are heavily boned
and very muscular. The elbows
are set on a plane parallel to the body,
neither close to the body nor turned
out. Viewed from the front, the forelegs
are perpendicular to the ground
or may, especially in a dog with a very
broad chest, incline slightly inward.
The pasterns are short, powerful, and
slightly sloping when viewed in profile.
Viewed from the front, the pasterns are
either straight or may turn slightly
outward in compensation where the foreleg
inclines inward around a wide chest.
Faults:
Toeing inward; extreme toeing outward; fiddle front.
Body
The chest is deep and broad. The ribs are
well sprung from the spine and
then flatten to form a deep body extending
below the elbows. The topline
inclines very slightly downward from
well-developed withers to a broad, muscular
back. The short, broad loin blends into a
moderately sloping croup. The flank
is somewhat tucked up and firm.
Faults:
Barrel chest; roached back.
Hindquarters
The hindquarters are powerful but slightly
less broad than the forequarters.
The angulation of the hindquarters is in
balance with the angulation of the
forequarters. The thighs are
well-developed with thick, easily discerned
muscles. Stifles may turn slightly outward
and hocks may turn slightly inward.
The lower thighs are muscular and short.
Rear pasterns are sinewy and well
let down with the angle of the hock
moderately open. Viewed from behind,
the rear pasterns are parallel.
Faults:
Flat thighs; straight stifles; straight hock, sickle hock, cow hock
or barrel hock.
Feet
Feet are large, oval, strong, and tight,
with hind feet slightly longer than
front feet. Pads are well developed, with
strong nails, preferably pigmented.
Despite its weight, the Dogue de Bordeaux
is well up on its toes. Dewclaws
are not removed.
Faults:
Splay feet.
Tail
The tail is uncut, very thick at the base,
and tapering to the tip. The tail
is set low at the base of the croup. When
the dog is relaxed, the tail is
carried low, just reaching to the hock.
When the dog is moving or excited,
the tail is carried level with the back or
only slightly above level, but
never over the back or curled.
Disqualifications:
Kink or screw tail. Atrophied tail.
Coat
The coat is short, fine and soft to the
touch.
Color
Solid color in any shade of fawn, ranging
from mahogany to isabella. Color
on the ears is somewhat darker than the
body coat. Limited white patches
are permissible on the chest and feet.
Good pigmentation is preferred. Dogs
may or may not be masked as follows:
Black mask. There may be slight black
shading on the ears, neck, top of the
body, and on the skull, except that the
mask may not extend past the supraorbital
ridges to the topskull. Black-masked dogs
have black nose pigment.
Brown mask (formerly called "red mask" or
"bistre"). Brown shading in the
same places as for a black masked dog.
Brown-masked dogs have brown nose
pigment.
No mask (also formerly called "red mask"
or "bistre"). The coat is fawn and
the skin appears red. An dog without a
mask has a nose that is reddish or
pink.
Faults:
White on tip of tail or on the front part of the legs above the pasterns.
Disqualifications:
White on the head or body. Albinism.
Height and Weight
Desirable height at maturity, measured at
the withers, ranges from 23½ to
26½ inches for males and 22½ to 25½ inches
for females. Dogs in good condition
should weight at least 110 pounds and
bitches at least 99. All other things
being equal, the larger dog should be
given preference over the smaller.
Gait
The gait of the Dogue de Bordeaux is free,
smooth, and powerful. When viewed
from the side, reach and drive indicate
maximum use of the dog's moderate
angulation. As the gait quickens, the head
tends to drop and the feet tend
to converge toward the center line of
balance but do not cross over. The
Dogue de Bordeaux is capable of great
speed over short distances.
Faults:
Stilted movement; serious rolling in the rear.
Disqualifications
Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid.
Viciousness, marked shyness or cowardliness.
Long, narrow head with insufficiently
pronounced stop. Muzzle longer than
one-third head length. Muzzle parallel to
top line of the skull or downfaced.
Wry mouth. Mouth not undershot. Canines
always visible when mouth is closed.
Tongue always protruding when mouth is
closed. Kink or screw tail. Atrophied
tail. White on the head or body. Any coat
color other than fawn. Albinism.
Any identifiable disabling defect.
Quelle U.K.C. |
