The English Bulldog originated in mid-16th Century
England as a bull and bear baiting dog for those who indulged in and
bet on the blood sports of the times. Bred for strength and tenacity
in the fight ring, the dogs would seize the bull by the nose and not
let go, even though the maddened creature swung the hapless dog to
and fro in its attempts to dislodge his tormenter. In Elizabethan
times, an even match for a fight was three Bulldogs for a bear and
four for a lion.
The breed probably developed from many crosses from Mastiffs and Bandogges, the original bull-baiting dogs from the 16th Century. The
breed was also out-crossed on various other breeds, including the
Greyhound, in an effort to instill the courage of the Bulldog in
these other breeds. As time went by, the size, color, and shape of
the Bulldog became apparent. Most of the better breeding was done in
London, Birmingham, and Sheffield areas of Britain.
Syndenham Edwards wrote the first graphic description of the Bulldog
as follows: "The Bulldog is in height about 18 inches and weighs
about 36 pounds; head round and full, muzzle short, and ears small .
. . chest wide, body round with limbs muscular and strong, the hide
loose and thick, particularly about the neck; the hair is short and
the feet turned outwards, hocks rather approaching each other, which
seems to obstruct their speed when running; but the most striking
character is the under-jaw almost uniformly projecting beyond the
upper, for if the mouth is even, they become very sharp- headed,
which is considered a bad point.
By the early 19th Century, bull and bear baiting came into disfavor
in English society and Bulldogs were bred and sold as fighting dogs.
In 1840, the breed was crossed with the Pug, and most of the dogs
weighed about 20 pounds. The breed rounded a corner, and, by the
start of World War I in 1914, more than 12 thousand of the animals
enjoyed a safe, comfortable home life in their native country.
However, during the war, it was necessary to obtain a breeding
license in order to breed dogs, and the licenses were hard to come
by. These breeding licenses and food shortages caused by the war
reduced the population by 50 percent as fewer dogs were bred and many were euthanized.
By World War II, the breed again flourished in England, regaining
about two-thirds of its former population. As early as 1774, there
was a small scattering of Bulldog owners in the US. An advertisement
placed in the Virginia Gazette by Governor Dunore on April 8 that
year declared that the governor's dogs, including a Bulldog with an
iron collar, had been stolen. Today the mug-ugly Bulldog is mascot
of Yale University and the US Marines and is a beloved companion of
many who see beyond his tough exterior to his gentle heart.
Bulldogs showed at the Westminster Kennel Club show in 1877, and
Americans began breeding in earnest in the early 1900s.
"Copyright by Canis Major Publications. Reprinted by Permission"
