Dogued Persistence

A typical young female in the 1990s, Huguette du Terroir Bordelais.

And then if size is one thing, substance is another. If the judges indicate that strong bone is desirable, you must not take them at face value and go toward a disproportionate skeleton, which may impede both function and elegance. In short, we did not rave about the overdeveloped dogs that can unfortunately be seen today in the ring. Is it doom-mongering to say that an excess like gigantism is a congenital malformation linked to monstrosity?  

Paradoxically, in the ’80s and against all odds we saw more bulldoggy heads, with round skulls and eyes, and short muzzles. (I must say that did not displease me at the time, novice Bulldog fancier that I was. Mea culpa!)  

The avoidance and elimination of hypertype – the overexaggeration of elements of desired type – also involves traits other than excessive size, as we have just mentioned. Among them are wrinkles that form excessive folds, which are a source of infection, and excess skin that makes the dog look as if he is wearing oversized and unattractive pajamas.  

Finally, like many of the brachycephalic breeds, the Dogue de Bordeaux can suffer from respiratory obstruction associated with hypertype. We have all been faced with this lack of ventilation when the temperature rises ever so slightly. In principle, the length of the soft palate does not pose problems. Hyperplasia of the trachea, characterized by its narrowing, has not been studied, and that is a pity. However it is clear that the spread of more or less pinched nostrils (stenosis) is a step backward for canine welfare.  

Regarding pearl-like teeth (incisors) I must say that we have heard much more talk of the phenomenon called epulis, which is a benign and fairly common growth on the gums that can cover a good part of the dentition and deceive an unsuspecting judge. The lack of premolars has always existed in the Dogue de Bordeaux. Some breed clubs are vigilant, as it seems logical that departing from a certain number should be faulted.  

On the other end of the spectrum, the Pointer head type – for which we wondered (light heartedly) if the flat skull was broader than the muzzle – was also more common in the ‘80s, with insufficiently pronounced stop and the nose of Pinocchio. That is not to say, incidentally, that the rest of the body was not standard; even some dogs with bulldoggy heads could be rangy.   

Compare this front view of the Dogue de Bordeaux (left) to that of the French Bulldog (above right) and Anglish Bulldog (bottom right).

Gait in turn, was a concern back then, often in connection with imperfectly straight limbs, turning out at the front with feet apart, or more often with hocks too close. This revealed dogs lacking drive or reach that could not get into their stride, crossing their limbs (plaiting) or even limping as if on crutches. It is true that at that time testing for hip dysplasia did not exist, although the clinical signs of this disease are not necessarily associated with movement. The judges, then more severe and a bit perverse, did not hesitate to ask for endless circuits of the ring, leading to the breaking down of the dogs in question but also – and it was funny – revealing their masters to be panting after a few rounds, to the delight of an amused audience. It is unfortunate that the practice of endurance is no longer in tune with the times, probably due to time constraints. For even if the movement of our Dogues has progressed well, it has the advantage of revealing, to the chagrin of their owners, some dogs, dysplastic or not, who suffer from musculoskeletal disorders or respiratory failure.  

White markings – which continues to make the ink flow – was even more extensive on certain dogs, without prompting criticism from the judges. I had always heard it said that color-mania was an insignificant detail compared to health or construction. But, as with all things, it is probably wise to set limits. And the standard, once again, is there to remind us. Otherwise we risk finding ourselves with harlequin Dogues de Bordeaux, which veterinarian and breed expert Maurice Luquet in Dogues and Bouldedogues says were found between Tarbes and Toulouse until the early 20th Century. I understand that out of pique some breeders curse the standard for what they consider an aesthetic detail, but to them I reply that these dogs can improve the breed if they have additional great qualities, without feeling obliged to take them to shows.  

White socks, extending from the toes to the pastern, paradoxically have almost disappeared, and that is no worse for being really unsightly. The key is to ensure that they do not reappear. The recommendations on the invasive white are starting to bear fruit. White on the forechest is decreasing in size and the few stripes and patches that can be observed under the neck should be as unobtrusive as possible.  

Speaking of aesthetics, one also notes of late more unpigmented noses, especially in black-masked Dogues. Besides the fact that the standard says clearly that the nose must be black for that color mask, you have to admit that it is inelegant!  

Eyes are oval, never round, and wide apart. The dog is Rackham Kwan de la Seigneurie des Chartrons.

 

Dogs with entropion in days past were also more numerous, or visible, depending on the skill of the surgeon. I must say that in this area we have progressed well. Still, it is necessary now take into account this condition, together with ectropion, which should not be taken lightly, and is actually quite easy to eradicate. Let us hope that reasoned selection takes over; and of course it is well understood that there is no omertà, or honor, in surgically altered dogs.  

Another topic that is close to my heart is that today you see fewer timid dogs. What a disappointment to have a Molosser hiding behind the skirts of his mistress at the slightest suspicious sound. That is a long way from the Dogue de Bordeaux described as having “indomitable courage to the point of ignorance of fear, animated by the desire to conquer” by Achille Bares and Gaston Jagourt, those immensely influential Dogue breeders in Bordeaux during the early decades of the 20th Century. On the other hand, these “unperturbed” dogs occur rarely now, as if the selection of temperament had improved to a middle ground, which is a lesser evil.  

The 1990s were a springboard for the Dogue de Bordeaux population. Generally, this boom was accompanied by more or less controlled mistakes, and crosses between specific types contributed to it. As a result, in Italy we saw Dogues de Bordeaux crossed with Pit Bull Terriers. The size of the ensuing dogs was smaller, with atypical heads that had non-convergent longitudinal axes of the skull and muzzle; their excitability knocked holes in the relatively low reactiveness that suited the Dogue. Today the availability of DNA identification can help us filter out these crosses, which adversely affect the purity of the breed. But many countries do not do enough to curb this unwanted cross-breeding. Even today these crosses, which theoretically had the potential to increase hybrid vigor, have brought their share of surprises: The famous chocolate coat seen in Russia (from the Labrador?), and the one called “pied” observed in Australia (from the St. Bernard?), for their part have created a buzz.  

The use of the first-cousin English Bullmastiff could have gone unnoticed, even if this backcross has been around for a long time. In fact, some do not hesitate to speak of strains and not of breeds between these two. Except for the noted brindle coat, there is little different about a Dogue de Bordeaux to make things any clearer. The slightly straighter rear angulation of the Bullmastiff could constitute a developmental link. But as aptly emphasized by Eugenie Chichkina (an experienced French breeder originally from Russia), the Bullmastiff’s forehead is flat (slightly convex in the Dogue) and it’s lower (remember, it must dominate the Dogue face), and its eyes are a little more rounded (almond shaped in the Dogue) and closer together.  

 

 

In the Dogue de Bordeaux, the forehead dominates the face, as this head study shows.

 

 

Celebrated French breeder Elisabeth Coiffard has noted that while some of these Bullmastiff crosses have the typical trapezoidal head of the Dogue, the spacing of the eyes has not followed that of the skull, which tends to have a bigger circumference. The Dogue de Bordeaux with straighter front angulation is usually accompanied by a short forearm (radius). Conversely, the laid-back shoulder is too close to the Bulldog – for certain, the Dogue needs a forechest to project in front of its forelegs.  

 

In the same vein, the chest of the Dogue de Bordeaux is deep with a low suspension; his forechest inter-axillae (the area between the armpits) is convex when viewed from the front. He is built rather close to the ground (distance from the sternum to the ground just less than the depth of chest). But his center of gravity should never approach that of the French Bulldog, where a square must register between the forelegs, or that of the Bulldog, which makes a reverse rectangle to the Dogue and gives the impression of a toad (see sketches above). If we push the argument a step further, let’s refer to Baron’s law of correlative variations, which says: “The elements of width and thickness vary in the same way and in inverse proportion to the elements of length.” In other words, a dog tends to become broader and deeper as it becomes shorter bodied. (Further insights into canine morphology from the work of Raoul Baron, a late 19th-Century French veterinarian, can be found in Raymond Triquet’s The Saga of the Dogue de Bordeaux, now out of print but a must-have for any serious Dogue enthusiast.)  

 

It would be interesting to know the body proportions of the Dogue de Bordeauxs outside of France; in theory, the ratio of length to height at the withers should not be less than 11 to 10. And, finally, to conclude these very important thoughts on the shortening and broadening of body regions, we should say that while the Dogue de Bordeaux must have a powerful neck, it must not have its head on its shoulders – that is, too short a neck.  

 

In summation, if I may allow myself: Watch out and just to take into consideration that improvement should not become personalization. Our dear breed will thank you.  

 

Translation by Clive Fray