British breed of dog
This article is about the English Bulldog.
For other uses, see Bulldog (disambiguation)Dog breed
The Bulldog is a British 🍎 breed of dog of mastiff type.
It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog.
It is a medium-sized, 🍎 muscular dog of around 40–55 lb (18–25 kg).
They have large heads with thick folds of skin around the face and 🍎 shoulders, and a relatively flat face with a protruding lower jaw.
The breed has significant health issues as a consequence of 🍎 breeding for its distinctive appearance, including brachycephalia, hip dysplasia, heat sensitivity, and skin infections.
Due to concerns about their quality of 🍎 life, breeding Bulldogs is illegal in Norway and the Netherlands.
The modern Bulldog was bred as a companion dog from the 🍎 Old English Bulldog, a now-extinct breed used for bull-baiting, when the sport was outlawed in England under the Cruelty to 🍎 Animals Act.
The Bulldog Club (In England) was formed in 1878, and the Bulldog Club of America was formed in 1890.
While 🍎 often used as a symbol of ferocity and courage, modern Bulldogs are generally friendly, amiable dogs.
Bulldogs are now commonly kept 🍎 as pets; in 2013 it was in twelfth place on a list of the breeds most frequently registered worldwide.[4]History [ 🍎 edit ]
Painting of a Bulldog from 1790 by English artist Philip Reinagle.
The first reference to the word "Bulldog" is dated 🍎 1631 or 1632 in a letter by a man named Preswick Eaton where he writes: "procuer mee two good Bulldogs, 🍎 and let them be sent by ye first shipp".
[5] In 1666, English scientist Christopher Merret applied: "Canis pugnax, a Butchers 🍎 Bull or Bear Dog", as an entry in his Pinax Rerum Naturalium Britannicarum.[6]
The designation "bull" was applied because of the 🍎 dog's use in the sport of bull-baiting.
This entailed the setting of dogs (after placing wagers on each dog) onto a 🍎 tethered bull.
The dog that grabbed the bull by the nose and pinned it to the ground would be the victor.
It 🍎 was common for a bull to maim or kill several dogs at such an event, either by goring, tossing, or 🍎 trampling over them.
Over the centuries, dogs used for bull-baiting developed the stocky bodies and massive heads and jaws that typify 🍎 the breed, as well as a ferocious and savage temperament.
Bull-baiting was made illegal in England by the Cruelty to Animals 🍎 Act 1835.
[7] Therefore, the Old English Bulldog had outlived its usefulness in England as a sporting animal and its "working" 🍎 days were numbered.
However, emigrants did have a use for such dogs in the New World.
In mid-17th century New York, Bulldogs 🍎 were used as a part of a citywide roundup effort led by Governor Richard Nicolls.
Because cornering and leading wild bulls 🍎 was dangerous, Bulldogs were trained to seize a bull by its nose long enough for a rope to be secured 🍎 around its neck.[8]
Bulldogs as pets were continually promoted by dog dealer Bill George.[9]
In 1864, a group of Bulldog breeders under 🍎 R.S.
Rockstro founded the first Bulldog Club.
Three years after its opening the Club ceased to exist, not having organized a single 🍎 show.
The main achievement of the Rockstro Bulldog Club was a detailed description of the Bulldog, known as the Philo-Kuan Standard.
Samuel 🍎 Wickens, treasurer of the club, published this description in 1865 under the pseudonym Philo-Kuan.[10]
On 4 April 1873, The Kennel Club 🍎 was founded, the first dog breeding club dealing with the registration of purebred dogs and dog breeds.
[11] Bulldogs were included 🍎 in the first volume of the Kennel Club Stud Book, which was presented at the Birmingham Show on 1 December 🍎 1874.
The first English Bulldog entered into the register was a male dog named Adam (Adamo), born in 1864.
[12]Bulldog from 1915
In 🍎 March 1875, the third Bulldog Club was founded, which still exists today.
[13][14] Members of this club met frequently at the 🍎 Blue Post pub on Oxford Street in London.
The founders of the club collected all available information about the breed and 🍎 its best representatives and developed a new standard for the English Bulldog, which was published on 27 May 1875, the 🍎 same year they held the first breed show.
Since 1878, exhibitions of the club were held annually, except during the Second 🍎 World War.
On 17 May 1894, the Bulldog Club was granted the status of a corporation and since then has carried 🍎 the official name "The Bulldog Club, Inc.".
It is the oldest mono-breed dog kennel club in the world.[15]
The Bulldog was officially 🍎 recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1886.[16]
In 1894 the two top Bulldogs, King Orry and Dock Leaf, competed in 🍎 a contest to see which dog could walk 20 miles (32 km).
King Orry was reminiscent of the original Bulldogs, lighter 🍎 boned and very athletic.
Dock Leaf was smaller and heavier set, more like modern Bulldogs.
King Orry was declared the winner that 🍎 year, finishing the 20-mile (32 km) walk while Dock Leaf collapsed and expired.
[17] Though today Bulldogs look tough, they cannot 🍎 perform the job they were originally bred for, as they cannot withstand the rigors of running after and being thrown 🍎 by a bull, and also cannot grip with such a short muzzle.
Although not as physically capable as their ancestors, modern 🍎 Bulldogs are much calmer and less aggressive.[18]
Description [ edit ]Appearance [ edit ]
A 4-year-old Bulldog of Champion bloodlines, side view.
Note 🍎 the "rope" over the nose, and pronounced underbite
Bulldogs have characteristically wide heads and shoulders along with a pronounced mandibular prognathism.
There 🍎 are generally thick folds of skin on the brow; round, black, wide-set eyes; a short muzzle with characteristic folds called 🍎 a rope or nose roll above the nose; hanging skin under the neck; drooping lips and pointed teeth, and an 🍎 underbite with an upturned jaw.
The coat is short, flat, and sleek with colours of red, fawn, white, brindle, and piebald.
[16] 🍎 They have short tails that can either hang down straight or be tucked in a coiled "corkscrew" into a tail 🍎 pocket.
In the United Kingdom, the breed standards are 55 lb (25 kg) for a male and 50 lb (23 kg) 🍎 for a female.
[19] In the United States, the standard calls for a smaller dog - a typical mature male weighs 🍎 50 lb (23 kg), while mature females weigh about 40 lb (18 kg).[20]
Temperament [ edit ]
Six-month-old Bulldog puppy from AKC 🍎 Champion bloodlines
According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), a Bulldog's disposition should be "equable and kind, resolute, and courageous (not 🍎 vicious or aggressive), and demeanor should be pacifist and dignified.
These attributes should be countenanced by the expression and behavior".[21]
Breeders have 🍎 worked to remove aggression from the breed.
[16] Most have a friendly, patient, but stubborn nature.
Bulldogs are recognized as excellent family 🍎 pets because of their tendency to form strong bonds with children.
[16] Generally, Bulldogs are known for getting along well with 🍎 children, other dogs, and other pets.
[22][23]Health [ edit ]Lifespan [ edit ]
Despite slow maturation so that growing up is rarely 🍎 achieved by two and a half years, Bulldogs' lives are relatively short.
At five to six years old, they start to 🍎 show signs of aging.
[citation needed] A 2004 UK survey of 180 Bulldog deaths puts the median age at death at 🍎 6 years 3 months.
The leading cause of death of Bulldogs in the survey was cardiac related (20%), cancer (18%), and 🍎 old age (9%).
Those that died of old age had an average lifespan of 10 to 11 years.
[2] A 2013 UK 🍎 vet clinic survey of 26 Bulldogs puts the median lifespan at 8.
4 years with an interquartile range of 3.2–11.3 years.
[3] 🍎 The UK Bulldog Breed Council website lists the average life span of the breed as 8–10 years.[24]
Breed-linked disorders [ edit 🍎 ]
Evolution of brachycephalia in Bulldogs.
Left to right, the skulls are from approximately the 1910s, 1960s, and 1980s.
A study by the 🍎 Royal Veterinary College found that Bulldogs are a much less healthy breed than average, with over twice the odds of 🍎 being diagnosed with at least one of the common dog disorders investigated in the study.[25]
The English Bulldog is among the 🍎 breeds that are most severely affected by brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome, due to extreme brachycephalia (shortened snout), a large tongue 🍎 and palate, and other morphological issues.
[26][27] Like all brachycephalic dogs, bully breeds often suffer from brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome (BAOS).
A 🍎 degree of BOAS has been normalized in the breed, as an inevitable consequence of their distinctive face.
[26] The condition manifests 🍎 in a variety of ways, often in the form of intolerance to heat and physical exertion.
Since dogs regulate heat primarily 🍎 by panting, Bulldogs are very sensitive to heat; they may actually gain rather than lose heat due to their inefficient 🍎 breathing, leading to a vicious cycle.
Bulldogs must be given plenty of shade and water, and must be kept out of 🍎 standing heat.
[16][28] They can even die from hyperthermia.
[16] Bulldogs can be heavy breathers and tend to be loud snorers with 🍎 interrupted sleep; another indicator of brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome.
[29] Many airlines ban the breed from flying in the cargo hold 🍎 due to a high rate of deaths from air pressure interacting poorly with their breathing problems.[30]
Statistics from the Orthopedic Foundation 🍎 for Animals indicate that of the 467 Bulldogs tested between 1979 and 2009 (30 years), 73.
9% were affected by hip 🍎 dysplasia, the highest amongst all breeds.
[31] Similarly, the breed has the worst score in the British Veterinary Association/Kennel Club Hip 🍎 Dysplasia scoring scheme, although only 22 Bulldogs were tested in the scheme.
[32] Patellar luxation affects 2.9% of Bulldogs.[33]
Like all dogs, 🍎 Bulldogs require daily exercise, which is often made difficult due to their breathing problems, hip dysplasia, and other health issues.
If 🍎 not properly exercised it is possible for a Bulldog to become overweight, which could lead to heart and lung problems, 🍎 as well as stress on the joints.[34]
Some individuals of this breed are prone to interdigital cysts-cysts that form between the 🍎 toes.
These cause the dog some discomfort, but are treatable either by vet or an experienced owner.
Other problems can include cherry 🍎 eye, a protrusion of the inner eyelid (which can be corrected by a veterinarian), allergies, and hip issues in older 🍎 Bulldogs.
[citation needed] The folds, or "rope", on a Bulldog's face should be cleaned daily to avoid infections caused by moisture 🍎 accumulation.
[35] Some Bulldogs' naturally curling tails can be so tight to the body as to require regular cleaning and ointment.
Due 🍎 to the high volume of skin folds on the Bulldog's body, they have high prevalence of skin-fold dermatitis.[36]
Over 80% of 🍎 Bulldog litters are delivered by Caesarean section because their characteristically large heads can become lodged in the mother's birth canal 🍎 and to avoid potential breathing problems for the mother during labor.[37][38]
Controversies and legal status [ edit ]
In January 2009, after 🍎 the BBC documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed, The Kennel Club introduced revised breed standards for the British Bulldog, along with 209 🍎 other breeds, to address health concerns.
Opposed by the British Bulldog Breed Council, it was speculated by the press that the 🍎 changes would lead to a smaller head, fewer skin folds, a longer muzzle, and a taller thinner posture, in order 🍎 to combat problems with respiration and breeding due to head size and width of shoulders.
[39] In 2019 the Dutch Kennel 🍎 Club implemented some breeding rules to improve the health of the Bulldog.
Among these is a fitness test where the dog 🍎 has to walk 1 km (0.
62 miles) in 12 minutes.
Its temperature and heart rate has to recover after 15 minutes.[40]
In 🍎 2014, the Dutch government forbade breeding of dogs with a snout shorter than a third of the skull, including Bulldogs, 🍎 a law which it began enforcing in 2019.
[41] In 2022, the Oslo District Court made a ruling that banned the 🍎 breeding of Bulldogs in Norway due to their propensity for developing health problems.
In its verdict the court judged that no 🍎 dog of this breed could be considered healthy, therefore using them for breeding would be a violation of Norway's Animal 🍎 Welfare Act.[42][43]
Cultural significance [ edit ]
Chesty XIII, Marine Corps mascot
Bulldogs are often associated with determination, strength, and courage due to 🍎 their historical occupation, though the modern-day dog is bred for appearance and friendliness and not suited for significant physical exertion.
They 🍎 are often used as mascots by universities, sports team, and other organizations.
Some of the better known Bulldog mascots include Butler's 🍎 Blue IV, Yale's Handsome Dan, the University of Georgia's Uga, Mississippi State's Bully, and United States Marine Corps' Chesty.[34][44]
The Bulldog 🍎 originated in England and has a longstanding association with British culture; the BBC wrote: "to many the Bulldog is a 🍎 national icon, symbolising pluck and determination".
[45] During the Second World War, the Prime Minister Winston Churchill was likened to a 🍎 Bulldog for his defiance of Nazi Germany.
[46]See also [ edit ]
