Buldogue Americano
Introduction: In historical terms the American Bulldog was basically developed as a working (utility) breed on farms. On farms in the southern and southeastern parts of the United States, where the breed originated, they were used to handle cattle and wild pigs. It was also an integral part of families, guaranteed in personal and property protection. The essential characteristics of the American Bulldog are that they make it capable of catching both cattle and wild pigs, as a personal and property guard dog. These tasks await a powerful, agile and confident dog with a large head and powerful jaws. The American Bulldog is brave enough to face a fearsome ox or an intruder.Aggressive enough to fight a bear or wild pig,
– General Appearance: The American Bulldog is a well-balanced, short-haired, athletic and muscular animal. They demonstrate great strength, stamina and agility, powerfully built but active. Males are characteristically larger, heavier boned and more muscular than females.
– Bone structure: medium to heavy, able to support a large dog.
– Temperament: American Bulldogs should be alert, outgoing and confident, with no sign of fear or shyness. Keeping your distance and reserve with strangers is acceptable. The demonstration of certain aggression towards other dogs is also not considered a fault.
Faults: Aggressiveness or excessive shyness
– Size: Standard Type: Males of the Standard type should preferably measure between 55 and 68 cm at the withers and weigh between 34 and 43 kilos. Females: 53 to 63 cm, 27 to 38 kilos.
Bully type: Bully type males should preferably measure between 55 and 68 cm at the withers and weigh between 40 and 55 kilos. Females: 53 to 66 cm, 33 to 47 kilos.
Note: The general proportions of the dog are of great contrast in weight assessment.
– Head: The head must be large and wide, flat on the top, square in appearance, with the stop (union of the focus with the skull) very well defined. It should be of medium length, with well-pronounced facial muscles.
Standard Type: A compact or wedge shape is ideal.
Bully Type: A large rounded shape is ideal.
– Muzzle: The muzzle should be broad with well-opened nostrils. Lips should be full and pigmented; some pink pigmentation is allowed. The chin is well defined and should not overlap or cover the upper lips.
Standard Type: The muzzle must measure from 5 to 10 cm. Proportionally, it should represent between 35% and 45% of the total length of the head.
Bully type: The muzzle should measure between 5 and 7.5 cm. Proportionally, it should represent between 25% and 35% of the total length of the head.
Faults: Hanging Lips. Narrow muzzle. Full black mask.
Note: The muzzle must be proportionate to the size and type of the head.
– Truffle: The preferred color is black. Red, brown, gray or pale are also accepted.
Aesthetic flaws: Pink or unpigmented nose.
– Dentition: Teeth should be medium to large and not visible when the mouth is closed. The lips are moderately thick, and preferentially pigmented; some depigmented parts are allowed.
Standard type: a slight undershot (inverted scissors) is preferred. Undershot to 0.6 cm it is acceptable.
Bully type: inferior prognathism between 0.6 and 1.3 cm, depending on the size of the dog and the shape of the skull. A margin of error of plus or minus 0.3 cm it is acceptable.
Faults: small teeth or crooked incisors.
Disqualification: Overshot mouth, overshot (“overshot”), or crooked mouth (jaw thrust).
Bully Type: Disqualification: Pincer bite or in scissors.
Observation: The American Bulldog is a working breed and should not be imposed on for broken or missing teeth.
– Eyes: They should be round or seam-shaped, of medium size, set apart. Color: Preferably it should be brown. The occurrence of blue, gray and green colors is also common. The third eyelid should not be visible. Pigmented eyelids are preferable.
Cosmetic faults: Eyes of different colors from each other. Pink eyelids. Excessively visible third eyelid.
Serious Fault: Glazed, crossed and/or asymmetrical eyes.
– Ears: Ears should be set high and small to medium in size, carried close to the head. They can be dropped, semi-raised, or in pink.
– Faults: Cropped ears. Very long ears.
– Neck: Slightly arched, very muscular, and of moderate length, tapering slightly from the shoulder towards the head.
Bully Type: The neck should be about the same size as the head
Faults: Neck too short and wide; slender or fragile neck.
– Body: Wide, with deep chest; it should be compact and well balanced. The chest should not be narrow or excessively wide, nor should the shoulders be pushed in or out. The back should be broad and moderately short, showing great strength.
– Chest: The chest should be deep (with ample room for the heart and lungs) and moderately wide, giving the appearance of power and athleticism. In general the front part should be straight and well balanced. The chest should not be narrow or excessively wide.
– Ribs: Well sprung close to the spine, giving the body enough depth to reach at least the elbows, or in adult dogs, a little lower;
– Topline: Slopes smoothly (descending) from a well-marked withers to the muscular and broad back;
Faults: The back must not be narrow, excessively long, or saddled.
– Loin: Short and broad, and slightly arched, joining a moderately sloping croup;
– Flank: moderately tucked up and firm;
Note: The degree of the fault will depend on how it(s) affect the dog's working and movement skills.
– HINDQUARTERS: Broad, well muscled, with well set muscles showing speed and power, but not as wide as the shoulders. There should be no lack or excess of angulation of the hind legs.
Serious Faults: Narrow or stiff hindquarters; angular or straight respiratory viruses; weak quarters; closed or open hocks; legs forming scissors; curved legs.
– Legs: Legs should be strong, with moderate to heavy bones. The forelegs must not be inserted too close together or too far apart. The pasterns must be strong, firm and straight. The hind legs should be moderately angulated and parallel to each other.
Faults: Straight or puffy shoulders; headdresses played out or “stuck” under the breastplate; curved front legs; weak quarters; feet turned in or out.
Serious Faults: Excessively arched front legs; Straight or excessively bent knees; cow hocks or open hocks; fragile hocks; bow legs.
– Feet: The feet should be rounded, of medium size; the fingers should be arched, close together and firm.
Faults: Flat feet or crooked nails.
Note: The seriousness of this fault must be proportional to the number of faults presented by the animal's feet.
– Tail: Strong at the root narrowing towards the heel in the relaxed position. The tail is carried raised when excited or walking. A raised tail is preferred, but any form of tail charging from raised when the dog is excited to relaxed between the heels is acceptable. The tail must not end in a complete circle.
Faults: Tail curled over back; “corkscrew” or crooked tail.
Note: Raw tail is preferred. A docked tail is acceptable, but is considered a cosmetic fault.
– Gait: When trotting the gait must be “balanced and smooth”, demonstrating great speed, agility and power. The gait is effortless, smooth, powerful and well-coordinated, showing good range and direction. The dog must not walk with an excessively open step. When speed increases, the paws tend to converge towards the central line of the body, in order to maintain balance. The topline remains firm and upright, parallel with the line of movement.
Viewed from any position, the legs turn neither in nor out; the paws do not cross or interfere with the movement of the other. Poor movement should be penalized as it impairs their ability to carry out their tasks.
The Bully Type's strides will have less range and flexibility than the Standard Type.
Faults: Legs not moving in the same plane; front and hind legs crossing each other; front or hind legs moving too close together, or touching; “rowed” strides; walk sideways.
– Coat: The coat should be short and smooth, but rough to the touch.
Disqualification: Long or wavy hair.
– Colors: Solid white; Any color or any pattern including: black, red, tan, beige, fawn, brown, grey, mahogany, cream, caramel and all brindle variations (white, red, yellow, blue, brown, black or gray).
Faults: Any color without at least 25% white.
Disqualification: Dogs with any amount of Merle.
Grades:
– Males must present both testicles, of normal appearance, descended and accommodated in the scrotum.
– Any dog that shows any sign of physical anomaly, blindness or deafness, unilateral or bilateral, must be disqualified.
– Any dog showing signs of deviant behavior should be disqualified (extremely aggressive or shy dogs). Shyness: A dog must not be overly shy, refusing to stand up for examination, shrinking in the judge's presence; if he is startled by an approach from behind, if he is overly startled by unusual and sudden noises. Puppies should not be punished severely in this regard. With maturity and socialization, their confidence should improve. Excessive Aggression: A dog that attacks, or attempts to attack, the judge or handler without being provoked should be considered excessively aggressive. However, a dog with an aggressive or provocative attitude towards other dogs is considered acceptable.
– Dogs with long and curly hair, with retroprognathism (“superior prognathism”), in the bully type are disqualified: Straight or scissor bite.
– Cosmetic faults: Cosmetic faults are those of minor severity. A fault not specified as “cosmetic” must necessarily be related to the dog's structure, as the latter is related to the animal's ability to work.
– Structural faults: These faults are associated with the structure or movement of the animal. These absences must be measured according to their severity and the animal's work capacity.
In a show or other type of assessment, the dog must always be penalized in direct proportion to the seriousness of the fault. Any foul that is extreme must be considered a serious foul and must be penalized appropriately.
Note: Factors that are disqualified or penalized in beauty and conformation shows must in no way be considered as disqualifying in “trials of work”, or even to take away any merit that a dog may have achieved in “trials of work”. A conformation show is just that, conformation, and is in no way to be considered a judgment of a dog's working abilities. There are, however, no excuses for dogs with inappropriate temperaments and these dogs should be, as far as possible, disqualified from both work and conformation events.
It is preferred that non-estrus females do not participate in exhibitions.
Conformation Judging Score
Body
Shoulders: 10 points
Chest: 10 points
Hinds: 10 points
Legs: 05 points
Neck: 05 points
Feet: 05 points
Tail: 05 points
Hair: 05 points
Subtotal: 60 points
Temperament: 10 points
Proportion: 05 points
Movement: 05 points
Subtotal: 20 points
Head
Size and Shape: 10 Points
Muzzle: 05 Points
Bite/Teeth: 05 Points
Subtotal: 20 Points
Grand Total: 100 Points