A JUDGING PERSPECTIVE OF THE FRENCH BULLDOG By Christopher Jefferies, Chrishell Kennels. The immediate impression of a French Bulldog on entering the ring should be of a small, powerful dog, but above all else, perfectly in-balance. Alert with flexibility and mobility with a personality not always lending itself to the statuesque picture some breeds portray. Allow the Frenchie time to settle by moving it to the table. When the dog is settled on the table, stand back and take an overall view. The Frenchie is a dog of sweeping curves, from the top line and the tuck-up to the curved underjaw. All parts of the dog flow together. Approach the dog from the front, offering the back of your hand to scent. DO NOT excite the dog by being over friendly, as once stirred up they are impossible to judge accurately. THE HEAD should be proportionately large in comparison with the rest of the dog. The term ‘massive’, in the Standard, must be read, in conjunction, with the evenly balanced statement found in the ‘General Appearance’. The points of the Standard in relation to the head and skull are quite descriptive and should be checked visually and manually. Feel for turn of underjaw, which must be curved, not straight. This can be confirmed when mouthing the dog, noting the curvature of teeth placement in the gums. To mouth, hold the lips at their sides between first finger and thumb, roll the lip over the finger with the thumb, keeping clear of the dog’s air passages. The ring finger can then be used to push down the lower lip, to identify a slightly undershot bite and regular teeth placement. If in doubt I insert my small finger in the gap between top and bottom jaw and providing contact is made on both sides of the finger the bite is acceptable. If the gap is greater than this, the jaw is tending to be too far undershot. If the dog is un-cooperative while being mouthed, a finger check inside the mouth, will confirm most of the requirements. A visible lower lip gives correct expression when flush with the upper lip completely covering the teeth. In profile the turned up lower jaw, the nose & the forehead should be near to an angled back straight line. THE EAR SET must be high, ears upright and rounded at the top, (bat ears), which are a unique feature of the breed and as such should receive due attention. The ears are elongated and should never be small. While a medium size is required in the standard, a dog with correct ear placement can give the impression of a larger ear. Ears are mobile, not rigid & are used to display emotions. EYES are round and dark, set wide apart & low down in the skull., The French expression is lost if they are not. PLEASE NOTE, the Standard states that pieds SHOULD have black eye lashes and eye rims (this is the ideal). The Fawn dog MUST have black eye rims and eye lashes. A GOOD STOP creates a furrow between the eyes, but this must not extend onto the forehead. These points combine to personify The French bulldog Expression. Run your hands down the powerful well-arched neck. There is loose skin but not to excess (there should be no dewlap) and along to the withers, checking for moderate angulation at the shoulder and musculature. Check for deep wide brisket, well rounded ribs, short, strong, straight legs and relatively small compact feet
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