GENERAL APPEARANCE.
English Mastiff 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, 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
English Mastiff have small, wide apart, divided by at least space of two eyes. Stop between eyes well
marked but not too abrupt. Colour 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 lying 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
English Mastiff chest is 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 . 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
owerful, easy extension.
COAT
short and close-lying, but not too fine over shoulders, neck and back.
COLOUR
Apricot-fawn, silver-fawn, fawn; brindle; non standard. In any case, muzzle,
ears and nose should be black with black around 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.