Bulldogs World

I STILL have trouble seeing how very different Champion bulldogs look! There seems to be so much variation!

This is the same thing that struck me when I first started doing shows, that there was such variation amongst Champions. I've come to think that it is partly because of the difficulty in breeding a conformationally correct, structurally sound and healthy Bulldog and partly due to the apparent differences in judging from breed specialists and all-breed judges. The Bulldog standard is as complex as the breed is and takes years to fully understand. It isn't a breed that an all-breed judge can do justice with after a seminar or 2. (my opinion)

There is another factor to the variations, that is that judges can only award what is presented to them in the ring. If the quality isn't great, they work with what is there. Of course a judge always has the option of withholding ribbons (or awarding points) if they feel there is no exhibit worthy of a Championship title. But this doesn't happen often, or often enough. (my opinion)

For example, I thought Audrey's topline was WAY way off because it is rounded, and her rump is NOT the highest point. But on the standard you linked, it is SUPPOSED to be rounded. (Audrey's is off because her highest point is too far forward (camel-backed), not because it's rounded). I have seen so many pictures of show/champion bulldogs with their rumps the highest point (swaybacked) I really thought this was the standard. Is it very common? I guess there isn't much value placed on the topline, as compared to the head?

I have also seen MANY dogs awarded that have swayback toplines. This is a weak back structure and quite common, although it isn't correct. Over the years I've been showing I think toplines have gotten worse, a correct one is the rarity now. Also over the years I've seen the trend in back length move from shorter to longer and then return towards shorter. I think it is more difficult to have a correct topline with an extremely short back length (too often flat or straight) and also difficult for  a longer backed dog to not have a sway back. Which leaves a moderate back length as a happy compromise and most inclined to have the correct roach. (my opinion)

The Bulldog is considered a 'head breed' as there are 39 out of 100 points placed on qualities of the head. But I like to mention that although there are 39 points in the head, there are 61 points placed on qualities of the rest of the dog. Again, the breed is complex and not easy to judge well.

Most of the head pics I understood. I wish there were more show people here to discuss conformation! I knew Audrey was not a show dog, I wasn't looking for a show dog, but I would still love to be able to have a discussion with REAL dogs as examples of what exactly the standard means.

The short headed one I do NOT get at all. To me it's just overall smaller.

If you look closely at the illustrations of the correct head verses the short head, note that you can draw an imaginary circle around the short head, but you can draw an imaginary oval around the correct head. There is greater length to the skull (from ears to nose) and greater length to the foreface (from the nose to the turn-up of the jaw) on the illustration labeled correct head. This is another area where I think the breed has lost quality over the past 10-15 years and is only in the past 2-3 years began to show any but isolated improvements. (my opinion and a giant pet peeve for me too!)

There have been several very big winning dogs campaigned that have incorrect heads (think round, like a basketball) and breeders have flocked to breed their bitches to these dogs, who have sired more dogs with incorrect heads. This look has become so pervasive that there are many newer judges that have never seen a Bulldog with the correct length of head. If a dog displaying good skull and foreface length ever does come into their ring, it looks odd to them and they don't recognize it's value. But at the Nationals in 2009 & 2010 I saw more and more dogs with better length of head then in the past 10 years combined! I surely hope this is a trend that continues. There are benefits to the breed beyond pure aesthetics, this style of head structure allows for a longer nasal passage and therefore better breathing capacity.

Does the BCA come up with the standard or the AKC?

And is there a visual of the AKC's? I am no where near the stage where I can mentally visualize on a real life dog what is written on the akc standard.

It looks like she has a short back so that probably makes her waistline even more pronounced. My Morgan is like that but she is very compact. Bulldogs should have a very noticable waistline. But, not all of them do since there is no perfect Bulldog. I'll try to find a pic of Trace from above. He has a nice waistline.