Champion Beaufort’s Black Prince.
Origin.—Its origin is purely conjectural. It certainly is a dog of the British Isles, as at the time of Cæsar it was in existence there.
Uses.—A grand, awe-inspiring dog; an excellent guardian, courageous and most companionable.
* Scale of Points, Etc.
| Value. | |
|---|---|
| Shape of skull | 10 |
| Girth of skull | 10 |
| Ears—carriage and size | 5 |
| Muzzle—bluntness, breadth, depth, lips, color (each 3 points) | 15 |
| Neck | 4 |
| Breadth of breast | 4 |
| Loins and back | 4 |
| Girth of chest | 4 |
| Shoulders | 4 |
| Length | 4 |
| Thighs | 3 |
| Stern | 3 |
| Legs | 3 |
| Feet | 2 |
| Size, height, and general appearance of bulk | 15 |
| Coat | 5 |
| Fawns, dark ears and muzzle, or brindle with dark ears and muzzle | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
General Character.—Large, massive, powerful, symmetrical, and well knit; a combination of grandeur and good nature, courage and docility.
Head.—Square when viewed from any point; breadth greatly to be desired, and should be in ratio to length of the whole head and face as 2 to 3.
Body.—Massive, broad, deep, long, powerfully built; legs wide apart, squarely set; muscles sharply defined; size a great desideratum if combined with quality; height of less importance than substance.
Skull.—Broad between ears; forehead flat, wrinkled; muscles of temples and cheeks well developed; arch across skull a rounded, flattened curve, and a depression up center of forehead.
Face or Muzzle.—Short, broad under eyes, keeping nearly parallel in width to end of nose; blunt, cut off square, 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. Teeth powerful, wide apart; incisors level, or the lower projecting beyond the upper, but never sufficiently so as to become visible when mouth is closed. Length of muzzle to whole head and face as 1 to 3; circumference of muzzle (between eyes and nose) to that of head (before the ears) as 3 to 5. Ears small, thin, wide apart, set on high, flat, and close to cheeks when in repose. Eyes small, wide apart, divided by at least the space of two eyes; stop well marked, but not too abrupt; color hazel brown, the darker the better, showing no haw. Nose broad, with widely spreading nostrils; flat (not pointed nor turned up). Lips slightly pendulous.
Neck.—Slightly arched, moderately long, very muscular.
Chest.—Wide, deep, well let down; ribs arched and well rounded; false ribs deep and well set back to hips.
Shoulder and Arm.—Slightly sloping, heavy and muscular.
Fore Legs and Feet.—Straight, strong, set wide apart; bones very large; elbows square; pasterns upright. Feet large and round; toes well arched up; nails black.
Back, Loins, and Flanks.—Wide and muscular; flat and very wide in a bitch, slightly arched in a dog.
Hind Quarters and Thighs.—Broad, wide, muscular; well-developed second thighs; stifles straight; hocks bent, wide apart, and squarely set when standing or walking; feet round and without dew-claws.
Tail.—Put on high up, reaching to hocks, or a little below; wide at root, tapering; hanging straight in repose, but forming a curve with end pointing upward, but not over the back, when the dog is excited.
Coat.—Short and close-lying, not too fine over shoulders, neck, and back.
Color.—Apricot or silver fawn, or dark fawn-brindle; muzzle, ears, and nose should be black, with black round the orbits and extending upward between them. Fawns and brindles without dark points, reds without black muzzle, and pies, award no points for color.
Weight.—Dogs 27 inches should weigh 120 pounds.