The Vanguard Bulldog Standard

                                                                                            Vanguard Bulldog                           'Rosa' model for the Philo-Kuon 

Description: A small to medium sized dog, the Vanguard Bulldog is a very functional and versatile bulldog. They are excellent guardians for the family and or farm with a natural and superb protection drive, active and highly athletic, free breathing dogs that require almost no upkeep. Coat is short and smooth in a variety of colors and markings. 

Temperament: Family companions and protectors, they are affectionate and intuitive of your wishes and another's intents. Highly intelligent and confident, they are capable defenders and make wonderful children's playmates. They are patient and gentle, have a high pain tolerance, are accepting of strangers it's master welcomes, and typically are not dog or animal aggressive if raised around them. A breed that will be ideal for any living situation and will make an ideal house or apartment dog.

The Philo-Kuon Standard Amended

While we use the Philo-Kuon as a guide and foundation for the Vanguard, we have made some changes to the old standard concerning several aspects of the structure that serves no purpose in the Vanguard Bulldog, that was at one time deemed essential to bull-baiting. These changes have been made to eliminate specific physical traits needed for baiting bulls. These traits are no longer required and only serve as a handicap to the dogs in modern society where bull-baiting is not a function they are used or bred for. Changes noted in red.

Head should be large and high, that is, with elevation about the temples, and deeply sunken between the eyes, which indentation is termed 'the stop.' This 'stop' should extend some distance up the head. The skin of the head should be wrinkled, and the cheeks should extend outwards well beyond the eyes. The forehead of the dog should not be prominent, as in the King Charles Spaniel, and not too round or it would be 'apple headed.' The head of a fine dog fifty pounds in weight, should measure round the thickest part about 20".

Eyes should be wide apart, almost black, of moderate size, rather full than otherwise, round, and not deeply set. The line of the eyes should be at right angles with the line of the face, and the eyes placed quite in front of the head, as far from the ear and as near the nose as possible.

Ears should be small, thin and wide apart. They should be either 'rose', button' or 'tulip.' The rose ear falls backwards, while the ends lap over outwards, exposing part of the inside. The button ear differs from the rose only in falling over forwards, which hides the interior. The tulip ear is nearly erect. These are the only distinct sorts of ear, but there are various grades between them, and sometimes one almost merges into the other, for instance, the ear which is naturally a rose ear may become almost a tulip ear when the animal is excited.

Nostrils should be wide and the nose large and almost between the eyes, and black, and deep-thus, taking the depth of the nose and the length from the eye to the end of the nose, the distance ought to be about the same. There should be a well defined line straight up between the nostrils. The best bred dogs will be liable to flesh or spotted noses; this is a blemish, but no sign of bad breeding; true bred bulldogs will occasionally have flesh-colored noses.

Muzzle should be broad, deep, and short, with the skin deeply wrinkled and under hung, but not showing the teeth; for if the mouth be even they are termed 'shark-headed', which is considered a very bad point. The under jaw should be square and well upturned, with plenty of space in a nearly straight line for the six small front teeth in the lower jaw between the tusks. This is an important point, because it denotes width and square ness of under jaw.

Neck should be moderate in length, thick and arched at the back, with plenty of loose, wrinkled skin about the throat. The ribs should be well rounded and the chest wide, deep and rounded. The tail should be inserted rather low down; thick where it joins the body, long and thin, and turned round at the end, in which case it is termed a 'ring' or 'tiger' tail, similar to that of the Greyhound but shorter. The perfect tail is shown in the print of Mr. Lovell's 'Ball' and the tail nearest approaching that is the nearest to perfection. 'The tail thin and taper, curling over the back or hanging down, termed 'tiger-tailed'; rarely erected except when the passions of the animal are aroused.' Vide Cynographia Britannica 1800

Back should be short and arched in the lions, termed 'roach backed', wide across the shoulders and narrow across the loins. The 'roach back' is shown in perfection in the print of 'Crib and Rosa'. Rosa's shape is perfect. Height is no more than 21" and no less than 16" from the top of the withers to the ground. Ideal height should be 18"-19". This addition was made as height had never been included in the original standard.

Legs: Forelegs should be stout, with well marked calves, ¹bowed outwards, short, and ²very wide apart. The hind legs should be slightly longer in proportion than the forelegs, so as to elevate the loins. The ³hocks should approach each other, which involves the stifles being turned outwards, and well rounded, which seems to obstruct the dog's speed in running, but is admirably adapted to progressive motion when combating on his belly. The feet should be moderately round; not so round as a cat's nor so long as a hare's feet, and should be well split up between the toes. The forefeet should be straight, and should show the knuckles well. The pasterns should be strong, that the dog may walk well on his toes. Changes: ¹straight, not bowed; straight line should be formed from the feet through the elbow and to the top of the shoulder. ²moderate width proportionate to overall size of the dog. ³Hocks should be in line with feet and hip; not cow-hocked. These changes have been made to eliminate specific physical traits needed for baiting bulls. These traits are no longer required and only serve as a handicap to the dogs in modern society where bull-baiting is not a function they are used or bred for.

Coat should be fine, short and close. ¹The bulldog has a very peculiar carriage, heavy and rather slow. He rolls very much in his gait, and generally rather sideways; his hind legs are seldom lifted very high, so that his hind feet (which, like the stifles, are turned outwards) appear to skim the ground. Changes: ¹Carry themselves well, with pride, quick, athletic and agile. Smooth, easy gait unobstructed by unnecessary and antiquated structures. These changes have been made to eliminate specific physical traits needed for baiting bulls. These traits are no longer required and only serve as a handicap to the dogs in modern society where bull-baiting is not a function they are used or bred for.

Color should be salmon, fallow, red, brindled, or white, with these colors variously pied. ¹The salmon and fallow with black muzzles, called smuts, are choice colors. Some greatly admire the white, but a bright salmon with a black muzzle would be the choicest of all colors. Black was formerly considered a good color, but black and tan, and blue, are very bad colors. There is a strong resemblance between a brindled bulldog and a striped hyena. Changes:¹Black muzzle disqualifies a dog from breed inclusion. These changes have been made to eliminate specific genetic traits that we believe are markers of the Pug that was being infused into the bulldogs during the time of the writing of the Philo-Kuon standard and was considered an acceptable marker or color of the period. 

Weight: A bulldog seldom weighs more than 60 lbs. If larger, he may be suspected of the mastiff cross. On the other hand, he ought not to be less than 20 lbs. in weight, or he may be suspected of being crossed with the terrier. The large bulldogs are grander and more striking in their proportions than the small ones. Ideal weight should be 40-55 lbs.

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