THE
KENNEL CLUB
Breed Standard of The Mastiff
("OLD
ENGLISH STYLE MASTIFF")
GENERAL APPEARANCE
Head,
in general outline, giving a square appearance when viewed
from any point. Breadth greatly desired: in ratio to length
of whole head and face as 2/3. Body massive, broad, deep,
long, powerfully built, on legs wide apart and squarely
set. Muscles sharply defined. Size a great desideratum,
if combined with quality. Height and substance important
if both points are proportionately combined.
CHARACTERISTICS
Large,
massive, powerful, symmetrical and well knit frame. A combination
of grandeur and, courage.
TEMPERAMENT
Calm,
affectionate to owners, but capable of guarding.
HEAD
AND SKULL
Skull
broad between ears, forehead flat, but wrinkled when attention
is excited. Brows [superciliary ridges] slightly raised.
Muscles of temples and cheeks [temporal and masseter] well
developed. Arch across skull of a rounded, flattened curve,
with a depression up centre of forehead from median line
between eyes, to half way up sagittal suture. Face or muzzle,
short, broad under eyes and keeping nearly parallel in width
to end of nose; Truncated, i.e., blunt and cut off squarely,
thus forming a right-angle with upper line of face, of great
depth from point of nose to under-jaw. Under jaw broad to
end. Nose broad, with widely spreading nostrils when viewed
from front, flat [not pointed or turned up] in profile.
Lips diverging at obtuse angles with septum, and slightly
pendulous so as to show a square profile. Length of muzzle
to whole head and face as 1/3. Circumference of muzzle [measured
mid-way between eyes and nose] to that of head [measured
before the ears] as 3/5.
EYES
Small,
wide apart, divided by at least space of two eyes. Stop
between eyes well marked but not too abrupt. Coloured hazel
brown, darker the better, showing no haw.
EARS
Small,
thin to touch, wide apart, set on at highest points of sides
of skull, so as to continue outline across summit, and laying
flat and close to cheeks when in repose.
MOUTH
Canine
teeth healthy, powerful and wide apart; incisors level,
or lower projecting beyond upper but never so much as to
become visible when mouth is closed.
NECK
Slightly
arched, moderately long, very muscular, and measuring in
circumference about one or two inches less than skull before
ears.
FOREQUARTERS
Shoulder
and arm slightly sloping, heavy and Muscular. Legs straight,
strong and set wide apart; bones being large. Elbows square.
Pasterns upright.
BODY
Chest
wide, deep and well let down between forelegs. Ribs arched
and well rounded. False ribs deep and well set back to hips.
Girth one-third more than height at shoulder. Back and loins
wide and muscular; flat and very wide in bitch slightly
arched in a dog. Great depth of flanks.
HINDQUARTERS
Broad,
wide and muscular, with well-developed second thighs, hocks
bent, wide apart, and quite squarely set when standing or
walking.
FEET
Large
and round. Toes well arched up. Nails black.
TAIL
Set
on high, and reaching to hocks, or a little below them,
wide at its root and tapering to end, hanging straight in
repose, but forming a curve with end pointing upwards, but
not over back, when dog is excited.
GAIT/MOVEMENT
Powerful,
easy extension.
COAT
short
and close lying, but not too fine over shoulders, neck and
back.
COLOUR
Apricot-fawn
silver-fawn, fawn or dark fawn-brindle. In any case, muzzle
ears and nose should be black with black around the orbits,
and extending upwards between them.
FAULTS
Any
departure from the foregoing points should be considered
a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should
be regarded in exact proportion to its degree.
Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal
testicles fully descended into the scrotum
Printed
by permission from
The OLD ENGLISH MASTIFF CLUB (OEMC) of England.
