Friday, July 18, 2008

Boston terrier and French Bulldog

Boston terrier and French BulldogThe Boston terrier, is an American made animal, whose bull and terrier ancestors came from England between 40 and 50 years ago. Many of them settled in Boston,
where they became so refined that in a few generations much of the bulldog was bred out of them.

When, about 1801, their owners formed the American Bull Terrier Club of Boston and applied to the American Kennel Club for the registration of the breed, the application was refused on the ground that the dogs were no longer "bull" terriers.
It was suggested that the breed be named simply "Boston terrier." This suggestion was
accepted, the club changed its name to the Boston Terrier Club, and the breed received full recognition in 1893.

It is said to be the most scrupulously courteous dog having any bulldog blood in his veins, and is generally recognized as the most conservative terrier in the world. The Boston terrier is not as large as the bull terrier, weighing from 15 to 27 pounds, and being judged in three classes, according to weight. The most popular "middleweight" class is from 17 to 22 pounds.

The ideal markings are brindle (dark preferred, some are almost black), with white muzzle, blaze, neck all round, chest and all or part of fore legs and hind legs below hocks. The coat is short, smooth, and bright. The ears are commonly trimmed. The deformities of the bulldog are here happily lacking, and we have a bright, playful, courageous little dog that stands well over (not hangs between) his legs, which, while well apart, are not bowed nor bandied, but strong, fairly heavy in bone, and straight. The stifle, however, is well bent.

He is all in all a very compact little dog. The tail, "screw" or straight, must be carried low. The face is intelligent, rather square, the nose, while short, is not pushed in, and the jaws are even, broad, and fairly deep. He is in every sense a good practical dog.

THE FRENCH BULLDOG - formerly used in Spain for baiting bulls. But dogs of the original type found their way to France, where they were eventually reduced in size and "beautified," until today a normal specimen of this breed is not unlike a miniature bulldog, except that his teeth do not show when his mouth is closed, and that he has well rounded "bat" ears, which form perhaps his most noticeable characteristic.

This bat-eared, flat-faced little gnome among dogs has a wide and enthusiastic following. The reason for this is doubtless that he is such a nice little dog in spite of all man can do to make him unfit for life, by condensing the nasal region and developing an oversize jaw. The bulldog tendencies arc exaggerated. The head is similar, but the face is flatter and more vertical in profile, with the jaw somewhat less turned up.

They are perky, inquisitive little things, but much given to asthma and the sniffles, which is not their fault but ours. The proper color is dark brindle, though light brindle is not frowned upon. More than a trace of white on toes and chest is discountenanced. The tail, carried low, should be either screwed or straight. In form he is all bulldog, the only radical differences being the flat face and the large upstanding ears, graphically called "bat-ears" by the fancy.

These are important, and should be wide at the base, tapering up to a rounded point, carried high but not too close together, and with the orifice directed forward. The light weight should weigh under 22 pounds, the heavy weights from 22 to 28 pounds. Next to toy dogs, the French bulldog and the "miniature" bulldog are among those best suited to city life. Neither of them requires a great deal of exercise, and with intelligent, thoughtful owners may be kept successfully, even in a flat. Rut life in a flat, even for dogs of this kind, is a hard one unless they are in the care of some conscientious person who will give them daily exercise.

From The Book of Dogs: An Intimate Study of Mankind's Best Friend By National Geographic Society (U.S.), Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Ernest Harold Baynes Published 1919. 109 pages Original from Harvard University.

This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.

This applies to the United States, where Works published prior to 1978 were copyright protected for a maximum of 75 years.

See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" from the U.S. Copyright Office. Works published before 1923 are now in the public domain In the United States,

This inage is also in the public domain in countries that figure copyright from the date of death of the artist (post mortem auctoris in thi case Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874 – 1927) and that most commonly runs for a period of 50 to 70 years from that date. If your use will be outside the United States please check your local law.

Tags: and or and or

No comments:

Post a Comment