GENERAL APPEARANCE
Typical concave lined brachycephalic mollossoid (short-headed Mastiff type). 
The Dogue de Bordeaux is a very powerful dog, with a very muscular body yet retaining a harmonious general outline. He is built rather close to the ground, the distance sternum to ground being slightly less than the depth of the chest. Stocky, athletic, imposing, he has a very dissuasive aspect. 
The length of the body, measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock, is greater than the height at the withers, in the proportion of 11:10. 
The depth of the chest is more than half the height at the withers. 
The length of the muzzle varies between one third and one quarter the length of the head, with the ideal being between these two.
The head of the Dogue De Bordeaux is described as voluminous, angular, broad and rather short. 
In the male, the circumference of the skull measured at the level of its greatest width corresponds roughly to the height at the withers.  In bitches, it may be slightly less. 
CHARACTERISTICS & CARE
The undershot bite is a characteristic of the breed. 
Bitches have identical characteristics as males but less pronounced.
Temperament: An ancient fighting dog, the Dogue de Bordeaux is gifted for guarding, which he assumes with vigilance and great courage, but without aggressiveness. A good companion, very attached to his master and very affectionate. Calm, balanced with a high stimulus threshold. The male normally has a dominant character.
Height: Should more or less correspond to the perimeter of the skull. 
Dogs: 60-68 cm at the withers. 
Bitches: 58-66 cm at the withers.
Self-coloured, in all shades of fawn, from mahogany to lightish fawn with  or without a black or brown mask A good pigmentation is desirable. Limited white patches are permissible on the chest and the extremities of the limbs.
HISTORY
1863 saw the first canine exhibition held in Paris and the breed was given the name of the capital of their region of origin. To this day the breed is still called the Dogue de Bordeaux. A distinctly recognisable type of the Bordeaux Dog did not exist before about 1920 but after that you could see uniformity. The Dogue de Bordeaux shares the same common links as all modern molossers.
The breed was devastated during World War II with as few as three breeding pairs remaining.  The breed was re-established during the 1960’s with Dr Raymond Triquet heading the rebuilding.  The breed was recognised in Australia in 1995 with 15 imported Dogues initially re-registered. 

GENERAL APPEARANCE
A medium sized, middle weighted, well-muscled dog of powerful and well-balanced structure. A dog with lots of endurance, a lively temperament and an intelligent expression. Depending on the coat the breed is distinguished in the following varieties; short, long and wire haired.
The length of the body (from point of shoulder to point of buttock) exceeds the height at the withers at a ratio of 10.9 as suits a trotting dog.
Height at the withers (shoulders); Dogs: 57-62 cm: Bitches: 55-60 cm
Short Hair: All over the body, quite hard, close-fitting, not too short coat, with woolly undercoat. 
Long Hair: All over the body, long, straight well fitting, harsh to touch, without curl or waves and with a woolly undercoat. 
Wire Hair: Dense, harsh tousled coat and a woolly, dense undercoat all over the body except for the head. 
The coat should be close.  
Colour: Brindle: The basic colour is golden or silver. Golden can vary from light sand-coloured to chestnut red, The brindle is clearly present all over the body, in the ruff, breeches and tail. Too much black is undesirable. A black mask is preferable. Heavy white markings on chest or feet is not desirable.
CHARACTERISTICS & CARE
In a modern family environment he needs regular exercise.  He is very loyal and reliable, always alert, watchful, active, independent, with persistence, intelligence, prepared to be obedient and gifted with true shepherding temperament. The Dutch Shepherd Dog works willingly together with its owner and deals independently with any task which is assigned to him. When herding larger flocks he must have the capacity to work together with several other dogs. 
HISTORY
Originally the main function of the Dutch Shepherd Dog was that of a shepherd’s dog in the countryside. From early times, the Dutch had an arable culture that was, among other things, maintained by flocks of sheep. The dogs had to keep the flocks away from crops, which they did by patrolling the borders of the road and the fields. They also accompanied the flocks on their way to the common meadows, markets and ports.
At the farm, they kept the hens from the kitchen garden; they herded the cows together for milking and pulled the milk carts. They also alerted the farmers if strangers entered the farmyard. Around 1900, sheep flocks had for the greater part disappeared in the Netherlands. The versatile skills of the Dutch Shepherd Dog made him suitable for dog training, which was then starting to become popular. Thus he started on a new career as a police dog, as a search and tracking dog and as a guide dog for the blind. He is however, still capable of herding sheep. The breed’s first standard dates from 12 June 1898.