General Description :  The Bantam Bulldogge is what many “Toy Bulldogs” phenotypically looked like in the early 1800’s when the Bulldog that had been used in previous centuries for bull and bear baiting had been bred down in size to a small bulldog weighing between 20lbs – 40lbs.  

The perfect Bantam Bulldogge should be of short to medium height with a square-looking head and a strong, muscular body.  The disposition of the Bantam Bulldogge should be friendly, brave, and loyal.  The Bantam Bulldogge’s temperament is to be steady and dependable.

As a rule male Bantam Bulldogges should be free breeders and female Bantam Bulldogges should free whelp.  The Bantam Bulldogge should not have the same breathing or activity limitations of some modern bull breeds. 

Their lifespan is between 10 and 14 years.

Head :  Large and square compared to the body with a nice, furrow (rope) over the nose.  Fault:  Head too small in proportion to the body.

Ears :  Short set high, natural or cropped.  If natural, semi-prick or rose are preferred.  Prick or flat, wide ears are non preferred.  Upright ears are allowed if natural but are non preferred.

Muzzle :  Broad, deep and short with moderate wrinkling.  The bite is undershot with the bottom jaw turning up noticeably.  Lower canines should not protrude.  Muzzle too long (more than 3 inches), scissor bite or even bite are disqualifying faults.  Muzzle should be no shorter than 1 ½”.  Fault:  Muzzle too long, scissor or even bite.  Wry jaw is a disqualifying fault.

Eyes :  Wide apart and of moderate size.  Any color is acceptable, however, odd eyes (one dark, one blue or light) should be considered non preferred.  Lacking pigment around the eyes is undesirable.  Fault:  Misshapen or bugged eyes are a serious fault.  Crossed eyes or non-symmetrically shaped eyes are a disqualifying fault. 

Nose :  Wide and broad.  The nose should have nice open nostrils.  Nose all colors acceptable.  The nose should be a solid color.  Lacking pigment should be considered non preferred.  Fault: Completely pink nose (a small amount is acceptable).

Neck :  Short in length and very muscular flowing into the shoulders and should not be set on the dog so it appears to stop at the shoulders.  Fault:  Long or weedy appearing neck.

Chest :  Ribs should be well sprung (rounded) and the chest wide and deep.  Depth of chest should be at least to the elbows.  Fault:  A hollow or narrow chest (slab sided) should be considered a serious fault.

Back :  Males should appear square and balanced.  Females should appear similar with consideration given for body length.  Short with a very slight rise from the shoulders to the rump is preferred.  A level back is acceptable as long as the tail does not come straight off the top of the back.  Fault:  Excessive sway-back. 

Shoulders :  Shoulders should be well laid back with significant angulations to allow for good movement.  Straight shoulders are a fault.

Legs :  Forelegs should be straight and wide apart, neither bowing out nor turning in.  There should be significant bone substance.   Elbows should be relatively close to the body.  Lacking bone and substance is very undesirable.  Fault:  Bowed or turned out resulting in poor movement.  Rear legs should exhibit significant bend of stifle so to allow for good movement.  They should be well muscled.  Fault: Straight or “posty” rear legs are a serious fault.  Cow hocks are a disqualifying fault.

Feet :  Round, tight both front and rear coming from strong pasterns.  Fault:  Weak  pasterns and/or splayed feet.

Height :  Males: 10 – 16 inches at the shoulder.  Females: 9 -15 inches at the shoulder.

Weight :  Between 18 – 39 pounds.  Weight over 40 lbs up to 45 lbs allowed in breeding stock or pets, but will be penalized in the show ring.

Color :  Any color is acceptable with no preference for one over another.    

Coat :  The coat should be short, glossy and stiff to the touch.

Tail :  Should be natural, with a short screw or straight tail being preferred.

Temperament :  Disposition should be outgoing and happy.  While a watchful nature may be expected at home, human aggression without provocation is a disqualifying fault.