FCI STANDARD

GENERAL APPEARANCE
TYPICAL CONCAVE LINED BRACHYCEPHALIC MOLOSSOID. THE DOGUE DE BORDEAUX IS A VERY POWERFULL DOG, WITH A VERY MUSCULAR BODY YET RETAINING A HARMONIOUS GENERAL OUTLINE. HE IS BUILT RATHER CLOSE TO THE GROUND, THE DISTANCE FROM STERNUM TO GROUND BEING SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE DEPTH OF 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 LENGHT OF THE MUZZLE IS EQUAL TO ONE THIRD OF THE LENGTH OF THE HEAD. THE MINIMUM LENGTH OF THE MUZZLE IS EQUAL TO ON 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.

BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPREMENT
AN ANCIENT FIGHTING DOG, THE DOGUE DE BORDEAUX IS GIFTED AT GUARDING, WHICH HE DOES WITH VIGILANCE AND GREAT COURAGE BUT WITHOUT AGGRESIVENESS. A GOOD COMPANION, VERY ATTACHED TO HIS MASTER AND VERY AFFECTIONATE. CALM, BALANCED WITH A HIGH STIMULUS THRESHOLD. THE MALE NORMALLY HAS A DOMINANT CHARACTER.

HEAD
VOLUMINOUS, ANGULAR, BROAD, RATHER SHORT, TRAPEZOID WHEN VIEWED FROM ABOVE AND IN FRONT.

CRANIAL REGION
IN THE MALE THE PERIMITER OF THE SKULL MEASURED AT THE LEVEL OF ITS GREATEST WIDTH CORRESPONDS ROUGHLY TO THE HEIGHT AT THE WITHERS. 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. FRONTONASAL DEPRESSION OR STOP IS VERY PRONOUNCED, ALMOST FORMING A RIGHT ANGLE WITH THE MUZZLE (95 TO 100 DEG). THE FRONTAL GROOVE IS DEEP, DIMINISHING TOWARD THE FACE. HOWEVER, IT IS STILL WIDER THAN HIGH. THE HEAD IS FURROWED WITH SYMETRICAL WRINKLES, EACH SIDE OF THE MEDIAN GROOVE. THESE DEEP ROPES OF WRINKLE ARE MOBILE DEPENDING ON WHETHER THE DOG IS ATTENTIVE OR NOT.

FACIAL REGION
NOSE: BROAD, WELL OPENED NOSTRILS, WELL PIGMENTED ACCORDING TO THE MASK. UPTURNED NOSE (SNUBBED) PERMISSIBLE BUT NOT IF ITS SET BACK TOWARDS THE FACE.
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, FROM THE NOSE TO THE OCCIPITAL CREST. THE LIMITS STATED (MAXIMUM ONE THIRD AND MINIMUM ONE QUARTER OF THE TOTAL LENGTH OF THE HEAD) ARE PERMISSIBLE BUT NOT SOUGHT AFTER, THE IDEAL LENGHT OF THE MUZZLE BEING BETWEEN THESE TWO EXTREMES.
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 OF THE UPPER INCISORS. THE LOWER JAW CURVES UPWARDS. THE CHIN IS WELL MARKED AND MUST NEITHER OVERLAP THE UPPER LIP EXAGGERATED NOR BE COVERED BY IT.
TEETH: STRONG, PARTICULARY THE CANINES. LOWER CANINES SET WELL APART AND SLIGHTLY CURVED. INCISORS WELL ALIGNED ESPECIALLY IN THE LOWER JAW WHERE THEY FORM AN APPARENTLY STRAIGHT LINE.
UPPER LIP: THICK, MODERATELY PENDULOUS, RETRACTILE. WHEN VIEWED IN PROFILE IT SHOWS A ROUNDED LOWER LINE. IT COVERES 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. COLOUR: 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. THE EARS MUST FALL BACK, BUT NOT HANG LIMPLY, THE FRONT EDGE BEING CLOSE TO THE CHEEK WHEN THE DOGS ATTENTIVE. THE TIP OF THE EAR IS SLIGHTLY ROUNDED; IT MUST NOT REACH BEYOND THE EYE. SET 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 EGUALS THAT OF THE HEAD. IT IS SEPERATED 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.
CROUP: MODERATELY SLOPING DOWN TO THE ROOT OF THE TAIL.
CHEST: POWERFULL, 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 0.25 TO 0.30 M 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. HAHGING WHEN THE DOG IS IN RESPONSE, GENERALLY RISING BY 90 TO 120 DEGREES FROM THAT POSITION WHEN THE DOG IS IN ACTION, WITHOUT CURVING OVER THE BACK OR BEING CURLED.

LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS:STRONG BONE STRUCTURE, LEGS VERY MUSCULAR.
SHOULDERS: POWERFUL, PROMINENT MUSCLES. SLANT OF SHOULDER-BLADE MEDIUM (ABOUT 45 DEGREES TO THE HORIZONTAL), ANGLE OF THE SCAPULAR-HUMERAL ARTICULATION A LITTLE MORE THAN 90 DEGREES.
ARMS: VERY MUSCULAR.
ELBOWS: IN THE AXIS OF THE BODY, NEITHER TOO CLOSE 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.
METERCARPAL REGION: POWERFUL. VIEWED IN PROFILE, SLIGHTLY SLOPING. VIEWED FROM THE FRONT SOMETIMES SLIGHTLY OUTWARDS, THUS COMPENSATING FOR THE SLIGHT INCLINATION OF THE FOREARM INWARDS.
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 AS BROAD AS THE FOREQUARTERS.
THIGH: VERY DEVELOPED AND THICK WITH VISIBLE MUSCLES.
STIFLE: IN A PARALLEL PLANE TO THE MEDIAN PLANE OR SLIGHTLY OUT.
SECOND THIGH: RELATIVELY SHORT, MUSCLED, DECENDING LOW.
HOCK: SHORT, SINEWY, ANGLE OF THE HOCK JOINT MODERATELY OPEN.
METATARSUS: 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.

COAT
HAIR: FINE, SHORT AND SOFT TO THE TOUCH.
COLOUR: SELF-COLOURED, 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.

MASK
1. BLACK MASK: THE MASK IS OFTEN ONLY SLIGHTLY SPREAD 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 EYE-RIMS ARE ALSO BROWN.
3. NO MASK: THE COAT IS FAWN; THE SKIN APPEARS RED (ALSO FORMALLY CALLED 'RED MASK'). THE NOSE IS THEN REDDISH OR PINK.

SIZE
HEIGHT SHOULD MORE OR LESS CORRESPOND TO THE PERIMETER OF THE SKULL.
DOGS: 60-68 CM AT THE WITHERS. BITCHES: 58-66 CM AT THE WITHERS. 1CM UNDER AND TWO CM OVER TOLLERATED.
WEIGHT
DOGS: AT LEAST 50KG. BITCHES: AT LEAST 45KG.
BITCHES: IDENTICAL CHARACTERISTICS BUT LESS PROMINENT.

N.B. MALES SHOULD HAVE TWO APPARENTLY NORMAL TESTICLES FULLY DESCENDED INTO THE SCROTUM.



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.







Federation Cynologique Internationale.