Authorities are of the opinion that the French Bulldog is strictly of French origin, yet they are willing to admit that in recent years importations from England have been used as a cross with the native dog, and that this cross has led to a nearer approximation to the British type.
The chief difference between English and French specimens is in fore face and front; in most other points the two breeds are very nearly identical. The body of the Frenchman should be short and rotund, with a distinct roach and light but sound quarters. His shoulders should be strong, and he should stand on short, fairly stout limbs for his size. He should not exceed 22 pounds, be extremely agile, and indeed almost terrier-like in action and movement. The fundamental difference is seen in the fore face, which in the French should show some slight protrusion of the under jaw and some turn-up but no lay-back, which, through English Bulldog optics, give the dog the appearance of being frog faced. The eyes should be set far apart and a good distance shown between the eye and the ear, and the skull should be flat. The ears, of course, should be on the lines of the ears of a bat, but it is satisfactory to note that large ears are deprecated. The tail again, like that of the English variety, should be short, low set, and tapering to a point, but nothing is said in the standard about a “screw” tail. The chief points to look for in the selection of the French Bulldog puppies at from two to four months old and after, are: Squareness and shortness of fore face, massiveness of skull, large eye, deep stop, small, neat ears; shortness of body; good spring of rib; and straight legs, showing great bone.
The following is the description of the breed as approved by the French Bulldog Club of America:
GENERAL APPEARANCE.-The French Bulldog should have the appearance of an active, intelligent, muscular dog, of heavy bone, smooth coat, compactly built, and of medium or small stature.
PROPORTION AND SYMMETRY.-The points should be well distributed and bear good relation one to the other, no feature being in such prominence from either excess or lack of quality that the animal appears deformed or ill proportioned.
INFLUENCE OF SEX.-In comparison of specimens of different sex, due allowance should be made in favor of the bitches, which do not bear the characteristics of the breed to the same marked degree as do the dogs.
WEIGHT.-A lightweight class under 22 pounds; heavyweight class, 22 pounds, and not over 28 pounds.
HEAD.-The head should be large, square, and broad, cranium almost flat; the underjaw large and powerful, deep, square, broad, undershot, and well turned up. The muzzle should be well laid back and the muscles of the cheeks well developed. The stop should be strongly defined, causing a hollow or groove between the eyes and extending up in the forehead. The nose should be extremely short, broad, and very deep; nostrils broad and black, with well-defined line between them. (Dish-face undesirable.) The nose and flews should be black. The flews should be thick, broad, pendant, and very deep, hanging over the lower jaw at sides. Tusks must not show. Front teeth may show slightly. EYES.-The eyes should be wide apart, set low down in the skull, as far from the ears as possible, round in form, of moderate size, neither sunken nor bulging, and in color dark. No haw and no white of the eye showing when looking forward. NECK.-The neck should be thick and well arched, with loose skin at throat.
EARS.-The ears shall hereafter be known as the bat ear, broad at the base, elongated, with round top, set high in the head, but not too close together, and carried erect, with the orifice to the front. The leather of the ear fine and soft.
BODY.-The body should be short and well rounded. The chest broad, deep, and full, well ribbed, with the belly tucked up. The back should be a roach back, with a slight fall close behind the shoulders. It should be strong and short, broad at the shoulders and narrowing at the loins.
LEGS.-The forelegs should be short, stout, straight, and muscular, set wide apart. The hindlegs should be strong and muscular, longer than the forelegs, so as to elevate the loins above the shoulders. Hocks well let down.
FEET.-The feet should be moderate in size, compact, and firmly set. Toes compact, well split up, with high knuckles, and short, stubby nails; hindfeet slightly longer than forefeet.
TAIL.-The tail should be either straight or screwed (but not curly), short, hung low, thick root and fine tip, carried low in repose.
COLOR, SKIN, AND COAT.-Acceptable colors are: All brindle (dark preferred) and any color except the following, which constitute disqualification: Solid black, black and white, black and tan, liver and mouse color. (Black as used in the standard means black without any trace of brindle.) The skin should be soft and loose, especially at head and shoulders, forming wrinkles. Coat moderately fine, brilliant, short and smooth.
DISQUALIFICATION.-Other than bat ears, any mutilation, solid black, black and white, black and tan, liver and mouse color, eyes of different color, nose other than black, and hare lip.
VALUE OF POINTS.-Proportion and symmetry, 5; expression, 5; gait, 4; color, 4.; coat, 2; skull, 6; cheeks and chops, 2; stop, 5; ears, 8; eyes, 4; wrinkles, 4; nose, 3; jaws, 6; teeth, 2; shoulders, 5; back, 5; neck, 4; chest, 3; ribs, 4; brisket, 3; belly, 2; forelegs, 4; hindlegs, 3; feet, 3; tail, 4. Total, 100.