Dogs Worldwide

The Bulldog originates from England, and has a long history dating back to at least the 13th century where during the reign of King John it began its career as a bull baiter. As such it was bred for tenacity; once it caught hold of its prey it would not let go.

The dog was bred to be impervious to pain. In addition, the Bulldog’s weight is primarily in the head so that when the bull shook, the dog was less likely to have its back broken.

In 1835 baiting and dog fighting were outlawed in England and from then on Bulldog owners began selective breeding to eliminate the more aggressive elements of the breed and attempted to establish a determined animal but one that was good natured and suitable as a family pet.

The Bulldog has something of a comical appearance, with a short, stout body and a rather glum and reproachful expression.The overall look of the dog should be powerful and vigorous with a short, sturdy (not stout) body and a peculiar rolling gait. One of the distinctive elements of the Bulldog is its loose skin, especially at the head, neck and shoulders. Another distinctive feature is the massive skull. The Bulldog sort of shuffles along in a loose-jointed manner with some sidewise motion, but he should still be able to move freely and with vitality.

Unfortunately the lifespan of the Bulldog is limited to around 8-10 years and this is not helped by a number of health problems the breed suffer from. These problems include heart problems, thyroid problems, ectropion, entropion, cataracts, elongated palate, a range of eye disorders, inverted tails, recessed tails, stenotic nares, and skin problems. The short muzzle of the dog means that he should not be overly exerted as this may cause breathing problems for him.

While it was originally bred to be a fighting dog it is, nevertheless, a gentle, easy going, and affectionate animal, it is known to be extremely amiable, friendly, and loving, and loves to spend time with his family. Known to be one of the most dependable breeds around, the Bulldog makes a wonderful family pet, and is fine for the more inexperienced dog owners as well as those with experience.

The Bulldog is safe around children and will generally get along with other pets in the family but beware if one of these tries to take his food! If you opt for a Bulldog don’t expect to take him for long country walks, the animal is built for laziness but care must be taken to ensure that he receives sufficent exercise. Exercise should consist of gentle strolls rather than vigrous workouts, short walks in the cool of the evening are ideal.

Height      Min      Max
Bitch     31cm     36cm
Dog     31cm     36cm

Weight     Min     Max
Bitch     23kg     25kg
Dog     23kg     25kg

Tags: dog breeds, The Bulldog

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 26th, 2009 at 08:00 and is filed under Breeds. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.