STUDY ON THE HEAD OF OLDE ENGLISH BULLDOGGES

HEAD STUDY ON THE OLDE ENGLISH BULLDOGGE

I see much emphasis & bragging on the head of the OEB, but truth be told, the OEB is not a "head breed". It is a total package dog that has far too many factors for it to be a one part dog. I do believe that the OEB head is the biggest way to identify the breed, but is by far not the biggest factor in the breed. Head structure and build is important.

SKULL
A large, thick skull is desired but only if it is proportioned to the rest of the head. In most breeds, the heads of the females are smaller than the males, this is not always the case in the OEB. The OEB head should be broad and squared. Far too many Olde's have round, bowling ball heads. The skull should be broad, flat, and thick. No one should ever brag about an exaggerated head. In the OEB, its all about proportions. For a functional bulldog of any breed, the head should be 2/3rds the width of the front of the dog. Meaning the head fits into the middle 66% of the chest, with a remaining 17% on the left side of the head, and 17% on the right side.The skull and the muzzle should be joined together by a distinct stop.

MUZZLE
The stop is slightly more vertical than that of an apbt. The nose should abruptly end the muzzle & not turn upwards into the topline of the muzzle. The nose should be thick, broad, and pronounced. It should have wide open nares. Variations of brown colored noses are also ok but pink and dudley noses represent a lack of pigment and should be avoided. The nose should be wedge shaped, not circular or triangular. The muzzle of the OEB should be wide, deep, and box like. A wider, deeper muzzle allows for a longer, stronger grip. It also contributes to a more powerful masseter & mandible which equals more jaw strength and biting power. Muzzle should be 2/3rds total head length(not as short as an EB or as long as typical bullmastiff) The bottom jaw should slightly curve upward. the lips should be dark pigmented, relative to the nose color, and should be full and pendulous. The bottom jaw should be deep and visible. The cheek muscles should be visible but not bulky. If the cheek muscles are too heavy or thick they will detract from the jaw power and will encourage overheating in the dog. They should be chiseled, proportioned muscles which overlay the cheek bones. The cheek muscles should be pronounced but not wrinkly. The deeper the jaw goes into the head, the more power and leverage the jaw has.

EYES & EARS
The eyes of the olde should be round or almond shaped, and rest on top of the muzzle line. Dark colors are preferred. Eyes should be open, communicative and full of expression. Eyes should be well protected by a furrowed brow. They should never bulge like the EB, BT, or pug. Ears should be set even and proportioned to the head. Forward flap or rose eared preferred.
That does it for now. Lets build some bulldogs!