Bit of advice to anyone owning a bull x Lurcher : due to the new guidelines for identification of XL Bullies, it would be sensible to get your Bull Lurcher neutered if you haven't already and get them used to wearing a muzzle in public. Make sure their vet and microchip registration has them as a Lurcher.

There's a LOT of things in the guidelines which will apply to bull Lurchers and if you get reported for having an XL Bully, it's going to be a whole world of pain to prove that your dog is a Lurcher

Conformation standard: XL Bully type

The XL Bully breed type is a variant of the wider American Bully breed type. The XL Bully breed type is typically larger (both in terms of height and body shape) and more muscular than other

American Bully breed types such as the ‘Micro’, ‘Pocket’, ‘Standard’ and ‘Classic’.

Characteristics Description

General impression

Large dog with a muscular body and blocky head, suggesting great strength and power for its size. Powerfully built individual.

Height • Adult male from 20 inches (51 cm) at the withers.

• Adult female from 19 inches (48cm) at the withers.

Head Heavy, large and broad.

The length from the tip of the nose to a well-defined stop (indentation between muzzle and the head) is equal to around a 1/3 of the length from the stop to the back of the head.

Muzzle blocky or slightly squared to fall away below the eyes.

Topline of muzzle straight.

Prominent cheek muscles with strong, well-defined jaws and lips semi-close.

Often having prominent wrinkles on face.

Nose is large with well opened nostrils.

Teeth Level or scissor bite.

Neck Heavy, muscular, slightly arched, tapering from the shoulders to the base of the skull.

Medium in length.

Forequarters Shoulder blades are long, well-muscled and well laid back.

Upper arm length is about equal to the length of the shoulder blades and joined at a 35-45 angle to the ground.

Front legs straight, strong and very muscular with dog standing high on the pasterns. (area between feet and ankles).

Elbows set close to the body.

Distance from the withers to elbows about the same as the distance from the elbow to the bottom of the feet.

Characteristics Description

Body Heavily-muscled.

Large, blocky body giving impression of great power for size.

Broad, deep chest with well sprung ribs.

Chest may be wider than deep.

Topline level and straight.

Loin short and firm.

Generally appears square shaped from point of the shoulder to the point of the buttocks compared with the withers (tallest point on the dogs body excluding head and shoulders) to the ground.

Hindquarters Strong, muscular and broad.

Thighs well developed with thick musculature.

From behind, both pasterns are typically straight and parallel to each other.

Muscular development, angulation and width in balance with forequarters.

Feet Rounded, medium in size and in proportion to body.

Compact and well arched.

Tail Medium length and low set.

Tapers to a point to end at about the level of the hocks.

Generally assumes a straight or pump handle shape when dog relaxed.

Coat Glossy, smooth, close, single.

Reader notes: Descriptors such as ‘Medium in length’ and ‘long’ will be assessed by Dog Legislation Officers relative to the conformation of the rest of the dog.

Glossary

Description

Bite The relative position of the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed.

Coat The hairy outer covering of the skin.

Description

Croup Part of the back from the front of the pelvis to root of the tail.

Forequarters The front part of dog excluding head and neck.

Hindquarters Rear part of dog from behind the loin.

Loin The region between the last rib and the beginning of the pelvis.

Musculature The muscles on an animal’s body.

Muzzle The length from the tip of the nose to the stop.

Pasterns The pastern is the lower part of the foreleg, just above the foot and below the wrist. Similarly, in the hind leg, the pastern is the portion located above the foot and below the heel (also known as the hock). Every canine possesses a pair of front and rear pasterns.

Scissor bite The upper front teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Spring of rib Degree of curvature of rib cage.

Tail set The position of the tail on the croup.

Tapering Becomes progressively smaller towards one end.

Top line An outline after the withers to the tail set. Viewed from the side of the dog or from above.

Withers The highest point of body immediately behind the neck where height is measured