French Bulldog

Each breed approved by the American Kennel Club has a standard that provides a word picture of what the specific breed should look like. All reputable breeders strive to produce animals that will meet the requirements of the standard. Many breeds were developed for a specific purpose, e.g., hunting, retrieving, going to ground, guarding or hunting. The French Bulldog was bred to be a companion dog. In addition to describing the breed’s appearance, the standard indicates the desirable Frenchie personality, disposition and intelligence sought after in the breed.

Standards were originally written by dog people who had a love and a concern for the breed as well as a basic knowledge of the function of an animal’s anatomy. Many dog people were also experienced horse people or cattle or sheep farmers. In designing the standard, they strove to preserve the essential characteristics of the French Bulldog that were unlike those of any other breed, insisting that care be taken to maintain these characteristics through the generations.

The general appearance should be that of a sturdy, solid small dog with no exaggeration.

As time progressed, dog breeders, no longer as versed in basic anatomy, became aware that certain areas of the dog needed more specific description or definition. Many standards were “fleshed out” with more detail and elaboration. However, standards for any breed are never changed on a whim, and serious study and exchange between breeders take place before any move is made. The standard presented here for the French Bulldog was approved by the French Bull Dog Club of America and accepted by the AKC.

General Appearance: The French Bulldog has the appearance of an active, intelligent, muscular dog of heavy bone, smooth coat, compactly built, and of medium or small structure. Expression alert, curious, and interested. Any alteration other than removal of dewclaws is considered mutilation and is a disqualification.

Proportion and Symmetry: All points are well distributed and bear good relation one to the other; no feature being in such prominence from either excess or lack of quality that the animal appears poorly proportioned.

Influence of Sex: In comparing specimens of different sex, due allowance is to be made in favor of bitches, which do not bear the characteristics of the breed to the same marked degree as do the dogs.

The head should be square, large and broad with a slightly undershot, well-turned-up jaw and an extremely short nose.

A distinctive feature of the breed is the “bat ears,” which should be wide at base and rounded at top, carried upright and parallel and not set too far apart.

Size, Proportion, Substance: Weight not to exceed 28 pounds; over 28 pounds is a disqualification. Proportion—Distance from withers to ground in good relation to distance from withers to onset of tail, so that animal appears compact, well balanced and in good proportion. Substance—Muscular, heavy bone.

Head: Head large and square. Eyes dark in color, wide apart, set low down in the skull, as far from the ears as possible, round in form, of moderate size, neither sunken nor bulging. In lighter colored dogs, lighter colored eyes are acceptable. No haw and no white of the eye showing when looking forward. Ears: Known as the bat ear, broad at the base, elongated, with round top, set high on the head but not too close together, and carried erect with the orifice to the front. The leather of the ear fine and soft. Other than bat ears is a disqualification.

EAR TYPES

Bat ears: Erect ears, relatively broad at base and rounded at the top, opening directly to the front (French Bulldog).
Rose ears: Mostly small ears that fold, exposing the cartilaginous bumplike formation known as the burr (Bulldog).
Tulip ears: A naturally erect ear that may drop about halfway to the point (Collie).

The top of the skull flat between the ears; the forehead is not flat but slightly rounded. The muzzle broad, deep and well laid back; the muscles of the cheeks well developed. The stop well defined, causing a hollow groove between the eyes with heavy wrinkles forming a soft roll over the extremely short nose; nostrils broad with a well defined line between them. Nose black. Nose other than black is a disqualification, except in the case of the lighter colored dogs, where a lighter colored nose is acceptable but not desirable. Flews black, thick and broad, hanging over the lower jaw at the sides, meeting the underlip in front and covering the teeth, which are not seen when the mouth is closed. The underjaw is deep, square, broad, undershot and well turned up.

Neck, Topline, Body: The neck is thick and well arched with loose skin at the throat. The back is a roach back with a slight fall close behind the shoulders; strong and short, broad at the shoulders and narrowing at the loins. The body is short and well rounded. The chest is broad, deep, and full; well ribbed with the belly tucked up. The tail is either straight or screwed (but not curly), short, hung low, thick root and fine tip; carried low in repose.

Forequarters: Forelegs are short, stout, straight, muscular and set wide apart. Dewclaws may be removed. Feet are moderate in size, compact and firmly set. Toes compact, well split up, with high knuckles and short stubby nails.

Hindquarters: Hind legs are strong and muscular, longer than the forelegs, so as to elevate the loins above the shoulders. Hocks well let down. Feet are moderate in size, compact and firmly set. Toes compact, well split up, with high knuckles and short stubby nails; hind feet slightly longer than forefeet.

Coat: Coat is moderately fine, brilliant, short and smooth. Skin is soft and loose, especially at the head and shoulders, forming wrinkles.

Brindle is seen with varying amounts of white. In some dogs, the brindle predominates; in others, there is more white.

Color: Acceptable colors—All brindle, fawn, white, brindle and white, and any color except those which constitute disqualification. All colors are acceptable with the exception of solid black, mouse, liver, black and tan, black and white, and white with black, which are disqualifications. Black means black without a trace of brindle.

Gait: Correct gait is double tracking with reach and drive; the action is unrestrained, free and vigorous.

Temperament: Well behaved, adaptable and comfortable companions with an affectionate nature and even disposition; generally active, alert and playful, but not unduly boisterous.

Conformation showing evaluates how closely a dog matches the points set forth in the breed standard. The dogs are compared to the standard rather than to the other dogs to determine the winner.

• Nose other than black, except in the case of lighter colored dogs, where a lighter colored nose is acceptable.

• Solid black, mouse, liver, black and tan, black and white, and white with black. Black means black without a trace of brindle.