The Bulldog also known as the British Bulldog or English Bulldog is a breed of dog.
The breed was developed centuries ago in Great Britain.
The average lifespan for a Bulldog is about 8 to 10 years.
Nicknamed the “sourmug,” the Bulldog is a stocky dog that moves with a rolling gait.
The Bulldog stands 33 to 38 cm (13 to 15 in) and weighs 18 to 25 kg (40 to 55 lbs).
It has a large head, folded ears, a short muzzle, a protruding lower jaw, and loose skin that forms wrinkles on the head and face.
Bulldogs are one of the few breeds whose tail is naturally short and either straight, screwed or thin and thus is not cut or docked as with some other breeds.
Its short, fine coat is tan, white, reddish brown, brindle, or piebald.
The Bulldog was developed in England around the 13th century from the ferocious Alaunt, a powerful vicious dog whose Molossian ancestors were brought to Britain by Phoenician traders around the 6th century BC.
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”.
When the English settled in the Americas, their Bulldogs came with them.
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 were dangerous, Bulldogs were trained to seize a bull by its nose long enough for a rope to be secured around its neck.
Dedicated bulldog fanciers formed The Bulldog Club (England) in 1878, and the Bulldog Club of America in 1890.
During World War II, Bulldogs were often likened to Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his defiance of Nazi Germany.
The Bulldog is popularly used to represent England or the United Kingdom.
The designation “bull” was applied because of the dog’s use in the sport of bull-baiting.
Bull-baiting is the setting of dogs on a bull chained to a stake by the neck or leg. 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.
Bull-baiting was popular from the 12th to the 19th century, when they were banned as inhumane, these spectacles were usually staged at theatre-like arenas.
In England during the time of Queen Anne, bull-baiting was practised in London at Hockley-in-the-Hole, twice a week – and was also reasonably common in provincial towns, for instance at Birmingham’s Bull Ring. At Tutbury, a bull was tied to an iron stake so that it could move within a radius of about 30 feet. The object of the sport was for the dogs to immobilize the bull.
Bull-baiting was made illegal in England by the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835.
Though today Bulldogs look tough, they cannot perform the job he was originally created for as he cannot withstand the rigors of running and being thrown by a bull, and also cannot grip with such a short muzzle.
Although not as physically capable as their ancestors, decreased levels of aggression associated with modern bulldogs have resulted in far calmer temperament while remaining physically capable guards and companions.
At the turn of the 20th century, Ch. Rodney Stone became the first Bulldog to command a price of $5,000 when he was bought by controversial Irish American political figure Richard Croker.
Currently, purebred Bulldog puppies are sold between $1,500 and $30,000 in the United States.
The reason Bulldog puppies are so expensive is because they usually have to be delivered by cesarean section because their heads are often too big for the mother to deliver them naturally.