1995 FCI Standard
- CURRENT FCI STANDARD: 1995 FCI-Standard No 116 / 30.06.1995 / GB
- DOGUE DE BORDEAUX TRANSLATION : Tim Taylor And Raymond Triquet.
- ORIGIN : France
- UTILIZATION : Guard, Defence And Dissuasion.
- FCI CLASSIFICATION : Group 2 (Pinscher And Schnauzer Type, Molossian And Swiss Mountain And Cattledogs) Section 2.1.(Mastiff Type) Without Working Trial.
- GENERAL APPEARANCE: Typical Concave Lined Brachycephalic Molossoid. The Dogue de Bordeaux Is A Very Powerful Dog, With A Very Muscular Body Yet Retaining A Harmonious General Outline. He Is Built Rather Close To The Ground, The Distance Sternum-Ground Being Slightly Less Than The Depth Of The Chest. Stocky, Athletic, Imposing, He Has A Very Dissuasive Aspect.
- IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: The Length Of The Body, Measured From The Point Of The Shoulder To The Point Of The Buttock,Is Superior To The Height At The Withers, In The Proportion Of 11/10. The Depth Of The Chest Is More Than Half The Height At The Withers. The Maximum Length Of The Muzzle Is Equal To One Third Of The Length Of The Head. The Minimum Length Of The Muzzle Is Equal To One Quarter Of The Length Of The Head. In The Male, The Perimeter Of The Skull Corresponds More Or Less To The Height At The Withers.
- BEHAVIOR / TEMPERAMENT: An Ancient Fighting Dog, The Dogue de Bordeaux Is Gifted For Guarding, Which He Assumes With Vigilance And Great Courage But Without Aggressiveness. A Good Companion, Very Attached To His Master And Very Affectionate. The Male Normally Has A Dominant Character. FAULTS: Hyper Aggressive, Timid.
- HEAD: Voluminous, Angular, Broad, Rather Short, Trapezoid When Viewed From Above And In Front. FAULTS: Head Short And Round With Protruding Eyes DISQUALIFYING FAULTS: Long, Narrow Head With Insufficiently Pronounced Stop, With A Muzzle Measuring More Than A Third Of The Total Length Of The Head.
- CRANIAL REGION - In Male : The Perimeter Of The Skull Measured At The Level Of Its Greatest Width Corresponds Roughly To The Height At The Withers.
- CRANIAL REGION - In Bitches : It May Be Slightly Less. Its Volume And Shape Are The Consequences Of The Very Important Development Of The Temporals,Supra-Orbital Arches, Zygomatic Arches And The Spacing Of The Branches Of The Lower Jaw. The Upper Region Of The Skull Is Slightly Convex From One Side To The Other. Fronto-Nasal Depression Or Stop Is Very Pronounced, Almost Forming A Right Angle With The Muzzle ( 95o to 100o ). The Frontal Groove Is Deep, Diminishing Towards The Posterior End Of The Head. The Forehead Dominates The Face. However It Is Still Wider Than High. The Head Is Furrowed With Symmetrical Wrinkles, Each Side Of The Median Groove. These Deep Ropes Of Wrinkle Are Mobile Depending On Whether The Dog Is Attentive Or Not. FAULTS: Hyper typical Bull-Doggy: Flat Skull, Muzzle Measuring Less Than A Quarter Of The Total Length Of The Head.
- FACIAL REGION MUZZLE: Powerful, Broad, Thick, But Not Fleshy Below The Eyes, Rather Short, Upper Profile Very Slightly Concave, With Moderately Obvious Folds. Its Width Hardly Decreasing Towards The Tip Of The Muzzle. When Viewed From Above It Has The General Shape Of A Square. In Relation To The Upper Region Of The Skull. The Line Of The Muzzle Forms A Very Obtuse Angle Upwards. When The Head Is Held Horizontally The Tip Of The Muzzle, Truncated, Thick And Broad At The Base, Is In Front Of A Vertical Tangent To The Anterior Face Of The Nose. Its Perimeter Is Almost Two Thirds Of That Of The Head. Its Length Varies Between One Third And One Quarter Of The Total Length Of The Head, From The Nose To The Occipital Crest. The Limits State( Maximum One Third And Minimum One QuarterOf The Total Length Of The Head )Are Permissible But Not Sought After. The Ideal Length Of The Muzzle Being Between These Two Extremes.
- NOSE: Broad, Well Opened Nostrils, Well Pigmented According To Mask. Upturned Nose Permitted But Not If It Is Set BackTowards The Face. DISQUALIFYING FAULTS: Muzzle Parrallel To The Top Line Of The Skull Or Downfaced, Roman Nose.
- JAWS: Very Powerful, Broad. Undershot ( The Undershot Condition Being A Characteristic Of The Breed ). The Back Of The Lower Incisors Is In Front Of And Not In Contact With The Front Face Of The Upper Incisors. The Lower Jaw Curves Upwards. The Chin Is Well Marked And Must Neither Overlap The Upper Lip Exaggeratedly Nor Be Covered By It. FAULTS: Important Lateral Deviation Of The Lower Jaw. DISQUALIFYING FAULTS: Twisted Jaws; Mouth Not Undershot.
- TEETH: Strong, Particularly The Canines. Lower Canines Set Wide Apart And Slightly Curved. Incisors Well Aligned Especially In The Lower Jaw Where They Form An Apparently Straight Line. DISQUALIFYING FAULTS: Canines Constantly Visible When The Mouth Is Closed.
- UPPER LIP: Thick, Moderately Pendulous, Retractile. When Viewed In Profile It Shows A Rounded Lower Line. It Covers The Lower Jaw On The Sides. In Front The Edge Of The Upper Lip Is In Contact With The Lower Lip, Then Drops On Either Side Thus Forming A Reversed Wide V.
- CHEEKS: Prominent, Due To The Very Strong Development Of The Muscles.
- EYES: Oval, Set Wide Apart. The Space Between The Two Inner Angles Of The Eyelids Is Equal To About Twice The Length Of The Eye ( Eye Opening ). Frank Expression. The Haw Must Not Be Visible.
- Eye Color : Hazel To Dark Brown For A Dog With A Black Mask, Lighter Colour Tolerated But Not Sought After In Dogs With Either A Brown Mask Or Without A Mask. EARS Relatively Small, Of A Slightly Darker Colour Than The Coat. At Its Set On The Front Of The Base Of The Ear Is Slightly Raised. They Must Fall Back, But Not Hang Limply, The Front Edge Being Close To The Cheek When The Dog Is Attentive. The Tip Of The Ear Is Slightly Rounded; It Must Not Reach Beyond The Eye. St Rather High, At The Level Of The Upper Line Of The Skull, Thus Appearing To Accentuate Its Width Even More.
- NECK: Very Strong, Muscular, Almost Cylindrical. The Skin Is Supple, Ample And Loose. The Average Circumference Almost Equals That Of The Head. It Is Separated From The Head By A Slightly Accentuated Transversal Furrow, Slightly Curved. Its Upper Edge Is Slightly Convex. The Well Defined Dewlap Starts At The Level Of The Throat Forming Folds Down To The Chest, Without Hanging Exaggeratedly. The Neck, Very Broad At Its Base, Merges Smoothly With The Shoulders.
- BODY TOPLINE : Solid With A Broad And Muscular Back, Withers Well Marked, Broad Loin, Rather Short And Solid, Rump Moderately Sloping Down To The Root Of The Tail.
- CHEST : Powerful, Long, Deep, Broad, Let Down Lower Than The Elbows. Broad And Powerful Breast Whose Lower Line (inter-axillae) Is Convex Towards The Bottom. Ribs Well Let Down And Well Sprung But Not Barrel Shaped. The Circumference Of The Chest Must Be Between 0.25to 0.30m Greater Than The Height At The Withers.
- UNDERLINE: Curved, From The Deep Brisket To The Rather Tucked Up, Firm Abdomen, Being Neither Pendulous Nor Whippety.
- TAIL: Very Thick At The Base. Its Tip Preferably Reaching The Hock And Not Below. Carried Low, It Is Neither Broken Nor Kinked But Supple. Hanging When The Dog Is In Repose, Generally Rising By 90o to 120o From That Position When The Dog Is In Action, Without Curving Over The BackOr Being Curled. FAULTS: Fused By Not Deviated Vertebrae Of The Tail DISQUALIFYING FAULTS: Tail Knotted And Laterally Deviated Or Twisted; Atrophied Tail.
- LIMBS/FORE QUARTERS : Strong Bone Structure, Legs Very Muscular. FAULTS: Forefeet Turning Inwards Even Slightly. feet Turning Outwards Too Much. DISQUALIFYING FAULTS: Fiddle Front With Splay Feet.
- SHOULDERS: Powerful, Prominent Muscles. Slant Of Shoulder-Blade Medium ( About 45o To The Horizontal ), Angle Of The Scapular-Humeral Articulation A Little More Than 90o.
- ARMS : Very Muscular.
- ELBOWS : In The Axis Of The Body, Nither To Cose To The Thoracic Wall Nor Turned Out.
- FOREARMS : Viewed From The Front, Straight Or Inclining Slightly Inwards Thus Getting Closer To The Median Plane, Especially In Dogs With A Very Broad Chest. Viewed In Profile, Vertical.
- METACARPIAL REGION : Powerful. Viewed In Profile, Slightly Sloping. Viewed From The Front Sometimes Slightly Outwards Thus Compensating For The Slight Inclination Of The Forearm Inwards.
- FEET : Strong. Toes Tight, Nails Curved And Strong, Pads Well Developed And Supple : The Dogue Is Well Up On His Toes Despite His Weight.
- HINDQUARTERS : Robust Legs With Strong Bone Structure; Well Angulated. When viewed From Behind The Hindquarters Are Parallel And Vertical Thus Giving An Impression Of Power Even Though The Hindquarters Are Not Quite As Broad As The Forequarters.
- THIGH : Very Developed And Thick With Visible Muscles. FAULTS: Flat Thighs
- STIFLE : In A Parallel Plane To The Median Plane Or Slightly Out.
- LEG : Relatively Short, Muscled, Descending Low.
- HOCK : Short, Sinewy, Angle Of TheHock Joint Moderately Open. FAULTS: Angle Of The Hock Too Open, Angle Of The Hock Too Closed,Dog Standing Under HimselfBeing; Cow Hocks or Barrel Hocks. DISQUALIFYING FAULTS: Angle Of The Hock Open Towards The Rear.
- METATARSUS : Robust, No Dewclaws. HINDFEET : Slightly Longer Than The Front Feet, Toes Tight.
- MOVEMENT: Quite Supple For A Molossoid. When Walking The Movement Is Free, Supple, Close To The Ground. Good Drive From The Hindquarters, Good Extension Of The Forelegs, Especially When Trotting, Which Is The Preferred Gait. When The Trot Quickens, The Head Tends To Drop, The Topline Inclines Towards The Front, And The Front Feet Get Closer To The Median Plane While Striding Out With A Long Reaching Movement Of The Front Legs. Short Gallop With Vertical Movement Rather Important. Capable Of Great Speed Over Short Distances By Bolting Along Close To The Ground.SKIN : Thick And Sufficiently Loose Fitting.
- HAIR : Fine, Short And Soft To The Touch.
- COAT : Self-Colored, In All Shades Of Fawn,From Mahogany To Isabella. A Good Pigmentation Is Desirable. Limited White Patches Are Permissible On The Chest And The Extremities Of The Limbs. FAULTS: White On The Tip Of The Tail or On The Front Part Of The Forelegs, Above The Carpus And The Tarsus DISQUALIFYING FAULTS: White On The Head Or Body, Any Other Color Of The Coat Than Fawn. MASKS : 1. BLACK MASK : The Mask Is Often Only SlightlySpread Out And Must Not Invade The Cranial Region.There May Be Slight Black Shading On The Skull, Ears, Neck And Top Of Body. The Nose Is Then Black. 2. BROWN MASK : ( Used To Be Called Red Or Bistre). The Nose Is Then Brown; The Eyerims Are Also Brown. 3. No Mask : The Coat Is Fawn : The Skin Appears Red (Also Formerly Called "Red Mask"). The Nose Is Then Reddish Or Pink.
- SIZE : Height Should More Or Less respond To The Perimeter Of The Skull. -Dogs : 60-68 cm; 23.5" to 27" At The Withers -Bitches : 58-66 cm;22.5" to 26.5" At The Withers 1 cm Under and 2 cm Over Will Be Tolerated.
- WEIGHT : - Dogs : at least 50 kg; 110 lbs. - Bitches : at Least 45 kg; 99 lbs. BITCHES : Identical Characteristics But Less Prominent. FAULTS : Any Departure From The Foregoing Points Should Be Considered A Fault And The Seriousness With Which The Fault Should Be Regarded Should Be In Exact Proportion To Its Degree.