ARBA announces its new Senior Master Championship today in Cheltenham.
Maryland. In order to earn this championship your dog must already be a Master
Champion and your dog
must earn four group ones over the year..
Current News
KENNEL CLUB USA
Kennel Club USA has officially opened
its doors today. Visit us at our website http://www.kennelclubusa.com or give
us a call at (301) 868-8284.
New Entry Page
The American Rare Breed Association
has a new membership and show entry
page. Click on the following URL to
sign-up for membership and to enter one
of our shows. http://arba.memberlodge.org
American Rare
Breed Association
AMERICAN BULLDOG BREED
STANDARD
revised 1997
Background
The American Bulldog originated as a catchdog (mostly
cattle) and property protection dog, in America's
Southeast. He was not bred to put on threat displays or
to look a certain way. But, he did need the right
equipment to take care of his real bulldog duties which
were confrontational personal and property protection
and as a catch dog. He needed to be strong enough to put
unruly bulls on the ground and athletic enough to catch
hogs that were allowed to free range in a semiwild
state.General
Appearance
The American Bulldog should generate the impression of
great strength, agility, endurance and exhibit a
wellknit, sturdy, compact frame with the absence of
excessive bulk. Males are characteristically larger,
heavier boned and more masculine than the bitches. The
AS is a white or white and patched (brindle or red) dog.
When patched he can range from the traditional pied
markings of a patch over one or both eyes or ears, or a
patch on the base of the tail, to a large saddle patch
and various other patches.
For judging purposes, distinctions between an ideal "Scotttype"
and an ideal "Johnsontype" are defined in brackets and
in bold.Size General
Males 23 to 27 inches at the withers and weigh from 75
to 120 Ibs. Females 21 to 25 inches at the withers, 60
to 90 Ibs. The weight should be proportional to size.[Scotttype:
an ideal males should be 23 to 27 inches at the withers
and weigh from 75 to 110 Ibs., females, 21 to 25 inches,
60 to 85 Ibs. The weight should be proportional to
size.][Johnsontype: an ideal male should be
22 to 26 inches at the withers and weigh from 80 to 120
Ibs. Females 20 to 24 inches, 60 to 90lbs.l
Head
Medium in length and broad across skull with pronounced
muscular cheeks. Eyes
Medium in size. Any color. The hew should not be
visible. Black eye rims preferred on white dogs. Pink
eye rims to be considered a cosmetic fault.
Muzzle
Medium length (2 to 4 in.), square and broad with a
strong underjaw. Lips should be full but not
pendulous. 42 to 44 teeth.[Scotttype:
tight undershot (reverse scissors) preferred. Scissors
and even bites are considered a cosmetic fault.
Structural faults are a muzzle under 2 inches or longer
than 4 inches, pendulous lips, less than 42 teeth, more
than 1/4 inch undershot, small teeth or uneven
incisors.][Johnsontype: definite undershot,
1/8 to 1/4 inch preferred. Scissors or even bite is a
disqualification. Structural faults are a muzzle under 2
inches or over 4 inches.]
Nose
Color is black or grizzle. On black nosed dogs the lips
should be black with some pink allowed. A pink nose to
be considered a cosmetic fault.Ears
Cropped or uncropped. Uncropped preferred.
Neck
Muscular, medium in length, slightly arched, tapering
from shoulders to head, with a slight dewlap allowed. Shoulders
Very muscular with wide sloping blades, shoulders set so
elbows are not angled out.Chest,
Back and Loin
The chest should be deep and moderately wide without
being excessively wide as to throw the shoulders out.
The back should be of medium length, strong and broad.
Loins should be slightly tucked which corresponds to a
slight roach in the back which slopes to the stern.
Faults: sway back, narrow or shallow chest, lack of tuck
up.
Hindquarters
Very broad and well muscled and in proportion to the
shoulders. Narrow hips are a very serious fault.Legs
Strong and straight with heavy bone. Front legs should
not set too close together or too far apart. Faults: in
at the elbows or excessively bowlegged. Rear legs should
have a visible angulation of the stifle joint.
Feet
Moderate size, toes of medium length, well arched and
close together, not splayed. Pasterns should be strong,
straight and upright.
Tail
Set low, thick at the root, tapering to a point. Tail
should not curl over back. Docked or uncocked.Coat
Short, close, stiff to the touch, not long and fuzzy.
Color
All white, pied, or up to 75% brindle or red patches,
(red is defined as any shade of tan, brown or red).Disposition
Alert, outgoing and friendly with a selfassured
attitude. Some aloofness with strangers and
assertiveness toward other dogs is not considered a
fault.
Disqualifications
Both types: dogs that are deaf or males without two
testicles clearly descended.[Johnsontype: an
even or scissors bite.]A cosmetic fault is
one of a minor nature. A fault not specified as cosmetic
has to do with structure as it relates to a working dog.
In a show or other evaluation, the dog is to be
penalized in direct proportion to the degree of the
fault. Any fault which is extreme should be considered a
serious fault and should be penalized appropriately.We
have not included a line drawing of a Scotttype or
Johnsontype standard dog because they could not take
into account the variations acceptable within the realm
of the working American Bulldog. The emphasis placed on
specific types in other breed standards has led to the
general disintegration of the breed concerned by
eliminating individuals who might have contributed
significantly to respective gene pool. Attributes
other than cosmetic listed in the standard all relate to
working qualities which include but are not limited to
agility, endurance, leverage, biting power and heat
tolerance.
Point Breakdown for JudgingOverall:
proportion 10 points
Temperament10 points
Total of 20 pointsHead
Size and shape 10 point
Muzzle 5 points
Teeth 5 points
Total of 20 points Neck 5 points
Shoulders 5 points
Chest 10 points
Back 10 points
Hindquarters 10 points
Legs 10 Points
Feet 5 points
Tail & Coat 5 points
Total 60 points Grand Total 100
PointsNote
The distinctions made between the Scotttype and the
Johnsontype depict an ideal representative of their
respective types for show purposes only. A
Summary
of the Scotttype and Johnsontype distinctions.Many
would disagree with the term "pure Scott" or "pure
Johnson", but the names of these two breeders have
become synonymous with the respective types, so we are
using their names with type to designate separate
classifications.In
actuality, many
American Bulldogs are hybrids between the Scott and
Johnson type. The distinctions between the two types
were made to allow separate shows for Scotttypes and
Johnsontypes. Generally the Johnsontype distinction
allows for a slightly larger dog and requires a slightly
(1/8 to 1/4 inch undershot lower jaw, but this
distinction mandates separate shows for the two types.
Copyright 1991-2009.American Rare Breed Association. All Rights Reserved.
