With the kind permission of the Kennel Club, we are able to present the current Breed Standard.     In addition to the KC document, the clubs Illustrated Breed Standard has been published for the help and improvement of the breed. Printed on high quality paper and illustrated by Jo Campion. Copies of this publication are available to purchase. The artist Jo Campion is happy to accept commissions Click here for ordering information The name Mastiff derives from the Anglo-Saxon word "masty" meaning stout or powerful. It was first recorded in a Court role in l251. Although the dogs of today are not perhaps exactly in the same form as they were then, the breed still retains the courage and guarding instincts so prized in his ancestors.

GENERAL APPEARANCE.   Head, in general outline, giving a square appearance when viewed from any point. Breadth greatly desired: in ratio to length of whole head and face as 2/3. Body massive, broad, deep, long, powerfully built, on legs wide apart and squarely set. Muscles sharply defined. Size a great desideratum, if combined with quality. Height and substance important if both points are proportionately combined.     CHARACTERISTICS   Large, massive, powerful, symmetrical, well knit frame. A combination of grandeur and courage.     TEMPERAMENT   Calm, affectionate to owners, but capable of guarding.     HEAD AND SKULL   Skull broad between ears, forehead flat, but wrinkled when attention is excited. Brows [superciliary ridges] slightly raised. Muscles of temples and cheeks [temporal and masseter] well developed. Arch across skull of a rounded, flattened curve, with a depression up centre of forehead from median line between eyes, to half way up sagittal suture. Face or muzzle short, broad under eyes and keeping nearly parallel in width to end of nose; Truncated, i.e., blunt and cut off squarely, thus forming a right-angle with upper line of face, of great depth from point of nose to under-jaw. Under jaw broad to end. Nose broad, with widely spreading nostrils when viewed from front, flat [not pointed or turned up] in profile. Lips diverging at obtuse angles with septum, and slightly pendulous so as to show a square profile. Length of muzzle to whole head and face as 1/3. Circumference of muzzle [measured mid-way between eyes and nose] to that of head [measured before the ears] as 3/5.     EYES   Small, wide apart, divided by at least space of two eyes. Stop between eyes well marked but not too abrupt. Colour hazel brown, darker the better, showing no haw.     EARS   Small, thin to touch, wide apart, set on at highest points of sides of skull, so as to continue outline across summit, and lying flat and close to cheeks when in repose.     MOUTH   Canine teeth healthy; powerful and wide apart; incisors level, or lower projecting beyond upper but never so much as to become visible when mouth is closed.     NECK   Slightly arched, moderately long, very muscular, and measuring in circumference about one or two inches less than skull before ears.     FOREQUARTERS.   Shoulder and arm slightly sloping, heavy and muscular. Legs straight, strong and set wide apart; bones being large. Elbows square. Pasterns upright.     BODY   Chest wide, deep and well let down between forelegs. Ribs arched and well rounded. False ribs deep and well set back to hips. Girth one-third more than height at shoulder. Back and loins wide and muscular; flat and very wide in bitch, slightly arched in a dog. Great depth of flanks.     HINDQUARTERS   Broad, wide and muscular, with well-developed second thighs, hocks bent, wide apart, and quite squarely set when standing or walking.     FEET   Large and round. Toes well arched . Nails black     TAIL   Set on high, and reaching to hocks, or a little below them, wide at its root and tapering to end, hanging straight in repose, but forming a curve with end pointing upwards, but not over back, when dog is excited.     GAIT/MOVEMENT   Powerful, easy extension.     COAT   short and close-lying, but not too fine over shoulders, neck and back.     COLOUR   Apricot-fawn, silver-fawn, fawn; brindle; non standard. In any case, muzzle, ears and nose should be black with black around orbits, and extending upwards between them.     FAULTS   Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded in exact proportion to its degree. Note Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum       Reproduced with kind permission of Kennel Club.