Head Type
PROPERLY IDENTIFYING BRACHYCEPHALY (BRACHYCEPHALISM) IN CANINES
Brachycephaly, (brak-ee-sef-uh-lee), formerly known as Brachycephalism, is in many breeds, an inherent condition wherein the head is wider than it is long, or short/round headed. In some cases, it is due to external factors, such as en utero position or being pinned under the mother within days of birth. It is considered to be a deformity of the skull.
Brachycephalic literally means 'short head' and does not mean 'short face' as many have erroneously come to believe. "BRACHY", meaning short; 'CEPHALIC", meaning skull or head. A 'brachycephalic' dog indicates a short headed or short skulled dog, not a short muzzled dog. It is used also to describe any round headed breeds or dome shaped heads such as the Chihuahua, Shi Tzu, and Pekingnese. The term 'Brachycephalic' is applied when the length of the skull is less than the width, not when the skull is shorter than the muzzle, as this concerns the craniofacial ratio and not the cephalic ratio, or when the skull is round or dome shaped. Many of the Beissers are true representatives of the brachycephalic type, to include the Boxer, English Bulldog, some Bullmastiffs and American Bulldogs, and other various bull breeds due only to the round or dome shape of the skull, and having nothing to do with the length of the skull in relation to the length of the muzzle or with the length of the muzzle.
Determining Brachycephaly requires a view of the skull from at least two angles or a 3 dimensional view. A 3/4 front view is very helpful in making such a determination. To deem a dog as Brachycephalic, the width of the top of it's skull must be greater than the length of it's skull. The dog pictured at left is an example of Brachycephalic head type, not due to its short muzzle, but due to it's cranial width being greater than it's length.
Brachycephaly is more common among Asian dog breeds than any other and it's genetic imprint on many modern breeds is undeniable. Despite the term's common use, canine Brachycephaly as a reality is not nearly as common as one would be led to believe.
Brachycephaly, (brak-ee-sef-uh-lee), formerly known as Brachycephalism, is in many breeds, an inherent condition wherein the head is wider than it is long, or short/round headed. In some cases, it is due to external factors, such as en utero position or being pinned under the mother within days of birth. It is considered to be a deformity of the skull.
Brachycephalic literally means 'short head' and does not mean 'short face' as many have erroneously come to believe. "BRACHY", meaning short; 'CEPHALIC", meaning skull or head. A 'brachycephalic' dog indicates a short headed or short skulled dog, not a short muzzled dog. It is used also to describe any round headed breeds or dome shaped heads such as the Chihuahua, Shi Tzu, and Pekingnese. The term 'Brachycephalic' is applied when the length of the skull is less than the width, not when the skull is shorter than the muzzle, as this concerns the craniofacial ratio and not the cephalic ratio, or when the skull is round or dome shaped. Many of the Beissers are true representatives of the brachycephalic type, to include the Boxer, English Bulldog, some Bullmastiffs and American Bulldogs, and other various bull breeds due only to the round or dome shape of the skull, and having nothing to do with the length of the skull in relation to the length of the muzzle or with the length of the muzzle.
Determining Brachycephaly requires a view of the skull from at least two angles or a 3 dimensional view. A 3/4 front view is very helpful in making such a determination. To deem a dog as Brachycephalic, the width of the top of it's skull must be greater than the length of it's skull. The dog pictured at left is an example of Brachycephalic head type, not due to its short muzzle, but due to it's cranial width being greater than it's length.
Brachycephaly is more common among Asian dog breeds than any other and it's genetic imprint on many modern breeds is undeniable. Despite the term's common use, canine Brachycephaly as a reality is not nearly as common as one would be led to believe.
PROPERLY IDENTIFYING BEISSER HEAD TYPE
"Beisser" is a very old German word used as an affix to describe the ferocious hunting dogs of German Nobility. "Beisser" comes from 'beissen', the latter being the verb meaning to bite, and is in German used to describe a dog that bites and holds, ie a holding dog. These dogs were used to bite & hold bulls, boar and bears, thus the Barenbeisser and Bullenbeisser. These early German hunting dogs were the predecessors to the bulldog.
The example presented at right is of Beisser head type but is not Brachycephalic due to the width of it's skull being equal to it's length, making it a Mesocephalic head type, which simply means length and width are equal. MESO, meaning square; CEPHALIC, meaning skull or head...literally square-headed. The majority of dogs with a Beisser head type fall under the Mesocephalic classification of the Cephalic Index. The example shown at right is a Mesocephalic Beisser head type.
Determining Beisser head type, while inexplicably difficult to an alarming number of dog fanciers, is easier than determining Brachycephaly. To determine Beisser head type, a simple head profile is all that is required. If the plane of the cranium (skull), intersects with the plane of the muzzle, then Beisser type is present. Many of the world's modern bull and mastiff breeds are of Beisser head type; to include the American Bulldog, Boxer, modern Alano, Bullmastiff, etc. I have as yet to ever see a Dolicocephalic Beisser head type.
"Beisser" is a very old German word used as an affix to describe the ferocious hunting dogs of German Nobility. "Beisser" comes from 'beissen', the latter being the verb meaning to bite, and is in German used to describe a dog that bites and holds, ie a holding dog. These dogs were used to bite & hold bulls, boar and bears, thus the Barenbeisser and Bullenbeisser. These early German hunting dogs were the predecessors to the bulldog.
The example presented at right is of Beisser head type but is not Brachycephalic due to the width of it's skull being equal to it's length, making it a Mesocephalic head type, which simply means length and width are equal. MESO, meaning square; CEPHALIC, meaning skull or head...literally square-headed. The majority of dogs with a Beisser head type fall under the Mesocephalic classification of the Cephalic Index. The example shown at right is a Mesocephalic Beisser head type.
Determining Beisser head type, while inexplicably difficult to an alarming number of dog fanciers, is easier than determining Brachycephaly. To determine Beisser head type, a simple head profile is all that is required. If the plane of the cranium (skull), intersects with the plane of the muzzle, then Beisser type is present. Many of the world's modern bull and mastiff breeds are of Beisser head type; to include the American Bulldog, Boxer, modern Alano, Bullmastiff, etc. I have as yet to ever see a Dolicocephalic Beisser head type.
PROPERLY IDENTIFYING ALAUNT/MASTIFF HEAD TYPE
Alaunt/Mastiff head type, while also inexplicably difficult to many dog fanciers, is very easy to determine, requiring very little expertise. If the plane of the cranium (skull), is parallel to the plane of the muzzle, as shown at left, then Alaunt/Mastiff head type is present.
This head type falls under the classification within the Cephalic Index of Dolicocephalic, which means 'long head' and indicates a length that is greater than the width of the skull. This is the typical head type of the mastiff proper aka Alaunt aka Canis Alani. Dolicocephalic breeds include the Aboriginal Dog of the Caucuses, rustic Alano, Old White English, Wolfhound and other mastiff proper types.
The Mesocephalic head type is also seen within the Alaunt/Mastiff head type. In a dog with parallel cranial and muzzle planes, which defines Alaunt /Mastiff head type, the skull may be equal in width and length, giving it a Mesocephalic classification. Such a dog would be of Mesocephalic Alaunt head type. The example above left shows a Dolicocephalic Alaunt head type.
Alaunt/Mastiff head type, while also inexplicably difficult to many dog fanciers, is very easy to determine, requiring very little expertise. If the plane of the cranium (skull), is parallel to the plane of the muzzle, as shown at left, then Alaunt/Mastiff head type is present.
This head type falls under the classification within the Cephalic Index of Dolicocephalic, which means 'long head' and indicates a length that is greater than the width of the skull. This is the typical head type of the mastiff proper aka Alaunt aka Canis Alani. Dolicocephalic breeds include the Aboriginal Dog of the Caucuses, rustic Alano, Old White English, Wolfhound and other mastiff proper types.
The Mesocephalic head type is also seen within the Alaunt/Mastiff head type. In a dog with parallel cranial and muzzle planes, which defines Alaunt /Mastiff head type, the skull may be equal in width and length, giving it a Mesocephalic classification. Such a dog would be of Mesocephalic Alaunt head type. The example above left shows a Dolicocephalic Alaunt head type.