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Leavitt Bulldog |
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He is not recognized by the F.C.I. |
Origin |
U.S.A. | |
Translation |
Francis Vandersteen | |
This breed is also known as |
Leavitt's Olde English Bulldogge
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Brief historical summary |
| Originally called the Olde English Bulldogge, the Leavitt Bulldog is a rare breed developed by David Leavitt by crossing half English Bulldog, and the other half: Bullmastiff, Pit Bull and American Bulldog. In 1971, he became disenchanted with English Bulldogs because of their breeding and breathing problems. He discovered that they bore no resemblance to their ancestors, who were healthier and less extreme. David's goal was to produce a dog with the looks of an 18th-century bulldog, with the temperament of today's English Bulldogs, yet in good health, with no breathing problems, or any of the other problems that today's English Bulldogs are prone to have. This new breed can now breathe. They'll never be like dogs, able to run for miles in the hottest summer weather, but they're three times better than the restricted modern Bulldog. Cesarean births are not necessary. Artificial insemination, due to male ineptitude and lack of drive, has been replaced by natural bonding. Lifespan is over eleven years. All breeding animals have had hip X-rays. No dogs with bad hips are bred. David says he is now achieving his goal of producing a Bulldog with the health and temperament to be able to serve people, instead of forcing people to serve him. David Leavitt breeds them to a working line type of dog, while OEBKC breeds the dogs as a family-oriented dog. Some Olde English Bulldogge (OEB) lines renamed their dogs in 2005 to the Leavitt Bulldog to separate their dogs from some of the other OEB lines that didn't meet their standards. Founder David Leavitt says: "A big reason I want to change the name of the breed is that there are far more alternative OEB Bulldogs than real ones, and most of these dogs don't have the appearance of the old working bulldog. the pride that drove me to want to make it clear that these heavy dogs are not my creation, I couldn't force them to change and the logical answer was to change a name that wasn't right for the period we're trying to recreate anyway". |
General appearance |
| The Leavitt Bulldog is a muscular dog of medium size, great strength, stability and athleticism. He is well proportioned, without exaggeration. He has the appearance of a dog capable of doing his original job: fighting bulls. It's important to remember that excessive size would have been a disadvantage for the old working bulldog, because he had to work on the ground to avoid the bull's horns and hold on to his muzzle. A heavy weight would also have been a disadvantage because the bull's nose would have been more easily injured, sending the dog flying. |
Behaviour / temperament |
| The Leavitt Bulldog's disposition is confident, courageous and alert. Leavitt Bulldogs are very friendly and affectionate. They are very strong and occasionally show aggression towards dogs of the same sex, so socialization and obedience are important. The best way to channel their high energy is through work and exercise. |
Head |
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Cranial region |
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Head |
The Leavitt Bulldog's head is prominent and important. The circumference of the head should be at least equal to the height of the dog at the withers. The cheeks are broad and well developed, with strong jaw muscles. A slightly wrinkled forehead is acceptable. | |
Skull |
The skull is broad but in proportion to the dog's muscular body and pronounced shoulders. | |
Stop |
There is a hollow between the stop and the occiput. | |
Facial region |
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Nose |
The nostrils are wide, with a vertical line between each nostril, from the tip of the nose to the bottom of the upper lip. The nose is broad and in proportion to the thickness of the muzzle. The nose is black. | |
Muzzle |
The muzzle is square, broad and deep, with a well-defined stop. The distance from the tip of the muzzle (nose) to the stop should not exceed 1/3 of the distance from the tip of the muzzle to the occiput. The height of the muzzle, from the bottom of the chin to the top of the nose, is equal to or greater than the length of the muzzle, giving a square, deep muzzle. There are slight to moderate folds on the muzzle. | |
Jaws and teeth |
The jaw is prognathic and horizontally straight. The prognathism is 18mm or less. The lower jaw is moderately curved from front to back. Dogs have 42 teeth. P1 (4) may be missing. Canines are large. Broken, chipped or extracted teeth are acceptable. There are 6 incisors between the canines. | |
Cheeks |
Half-pendent whisker pads. | |
Eyes |
The eyes are round or fine and of medium size. They are set wide apart, with the outer corner of the eye crossing the outer line of the skull, and are set low, at muzzle level, where stop and muzzle meet. Eye color is brown with black pigmentation around the eyes. | |
Ears |
Ears are rose, bud or tulip-shaped, with rose preferred. They are set high on the back of the skull. Ears are set as far to the sides of the skull as possible. Small to medium-sized. | |
Neck |
| The neck is of medium length, broad and slightly arched. It is slightly smaller than the head where the two meet, and widens from this point to the shoulders. The skin is slightly relaxed from the jaw to the chest, forming a double dewlap. |
Body |
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Body |
The body is robust and powerful. The distance from the tip of the sternum to the back of the thigh is slightly longer than the height from the ground to the shoulders. | |
Back |
The back is broad and muscular, showing power. The back line forms a slight arch. There is a hollow, the lowest point of which is behind the shoulders. From this point, the spine rises slightly to the kidneys. The lower back (from the back of the rib cage to the hips) is muscular, of medium length and forms a gentle curve. | |
Loin |
The highest point in the loins is a little higher than the shoulders, giving a gentle curve, forming an arch to the tail. | |
Chest |
The chest is broad and deep, with a muscular tip. | |
Ribs |
The ribs are visible and round, peaking just behind the shoulders. | |
Tail |
| The tail should be set low, tapering from base to tip. It can form a curve (seen from the side) or be straight with a curve at the end being preferred. The tail should meet the hock or be slightly shorter. The tail is carried low, horizontal or high. |
Limbs |
Forequarters |
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Generality |
The forelegs are set well apart, coming straight down from the shoulders. They are vertically straight on the inside of the leg and well muscled, giving a curved forehand appearance. They are moderately boned and in proportion to the body. | |
Shoulders |
Broad, heavily muscled, with a separation between the shoulder blades. The scapula (shoulder blade) should form an angle of approximately 35 degrees to the vertical and an angle of approximately 110 degrees to the humerus (forearm). The scapula and humerus should be of equal length. | |
Elbows |
A vertical line drawn from the tip of the scapula to the ground passes directly through the elbow. Elbows should face neither in nor out. | |
Forearm |
Well-muscled forearm. | |
Pastern |
The metacarpals are of medium length. They are straight, strong, flexible and practically perpendicular to the ground. | |
Hindquarters |
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Generality |
The hindquarters are well muscled, slightly longer than the front legs. In their natural position, the hindlegs are straight, parallel and distinct when viewed from behind. The distance between the hindquarters is shorter than the distance between the front legs. Moderate angulation. | |
Upper thigh |
Hips and thighs are strong and muscular. | |
Stifle |
The knees form a gentle convex curve when viewed from the side. Knee angulation is almost identical to pelvic angulation. | |
Hock |
The hocks are perpendicular to the ground when viewed from the side and back. They are parallel to each other when viewed from the rear. If a line is drawn from the hindmost part of the buttocks, perpendicular to the ground, it should fall in front of the toes. If a line is drawn from the front of the tip of the pelvis, perpendicular to the ground, it should pass through the knee (the previous 2 tests, with good angulation, must be carried out with the dog's hocks placed perpendicular to the ground). | |
Feet |
| The feet are medium-sized, well arched and round (cat feet). They are straight when viewed from the front. The hind feet are smaller than the front feet. |
Gait and movement |
| The gait is fluid, powerful, energetic and confident. The direction is straight. The feet should move back and forth in the same plane. The footfall approaches a central line as the trotting speed increases. There is a slight pose where the hind leg touches the ground just before where the front leg lands. The front and rear legs come together evenly. Feet must not cross or interfere with each other. The dog should have clean movement when viewed from the front and rear. |
Coat |
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Hair |
The coat is short, close and of medium density. It should be glossy, showing good health. | |
Colour |
Color can be brindle red, mahogany, fawn or black; either solid (full) or spotted (with white). Full white. Fawn, red or black; solid or spotted. | |
Size and weight |
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Height at withers |
Males measure from 43.2 cm to 50.8 cm and females from 40.6 cm to 48 cm. A deviation from this height range may be considered a fault, depending on the size of the deviation. |
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Weight |
Males weigh from 27 kg to 36 kg and females from 22.5 kg to 31.8 kg. Weight should be proportional to height, and the dog should not be slouchy or lanky. Any deviation from this weight range may be considered a fault, depending on the size of the deviation. |
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Faults |
| • Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work. • Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness. |
General faults |
 Bangs, longer hair or wavy coat. 360-degree curved tail. Tail circumference identical from base to tip. Feet turned inwards or outwards; long toes. Hips equal in width to shoulders. Narrow ribcage. Very long or very short back. Lack of pigmentation on nose or nostrils. Front leg bones too heavy or too light. Visible canines. Lack of pigmentation around the eyes. Longer or shorter muzzle; excessive folds. Shyness in an adult dog. |
Serious faults |
| Straight knees. Severe cow or bowed hocks. Flat feet; hare feet; and splayed toes. Split nostrils. Simple dewlap. Loose shoulders; vertical shoulders. Loose elbows. Metacarpals weak (too vertical or too sloping). Narrow skull. Domed forehead. Absence of more teeth than P1. |
Disqualifying faults |
| Aggressive or timid dog. Blue, but also black with red or mahogany (like Rottweilers). Knotty, docked, bumpy or twisted tail (a tail with a knot is a tail with one or more breaks). Any color other than black nose. Twisted jaw; overbite (lower jaw placed under the upper jaw). Any eye color other than brown; minnows; strabismus. |
NB : |
| • Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified. • The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying. • Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. • Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding. |
English (United Kingdom)