Videos Bulldog Breed Information
Alternative names -
British Bulldog,
English Bulldog
Country of origin -
England
Classification and breed standards
FCI:|Group
2 Section 2 #149|Stds
AKC:|Non-sporting|Stds
ANKC:|Group 7
(Non-Sporting)|Stds
KC
(UK):|Utility|Stds
NZKC:|Non-sporting|Stds
The Bulldog, colloquially known as the
English Bulldog or British
Bulldog, is a medium-size breed of dog that
originated in England.
1. Appearance
The bulldog is a stocky breed, with a compact body and short,
sturdy limbs. Its shape results in a peculiarly unique gait.
Bulldogs are known for their short muzzles and the saggy skin on
their faces, creating the apparent "frown" that has
become a trademark of the breed. Bulldogs come in a variety of
colours and ideally have a smooth, short coat. The only
disqualifier for the breed in the show ring is a liver colored
nose, however a black-coated Bulldog is also not preferred. In the
US, the size of a typical mature male is about 50 pounds; that for
mature females is about 40 pounds. In the United Kingdom, the breed standard is 55
pounds for a male and 50 pounds for a female.
2. Temperament and characteristics
The temperament of the Bulldog is generally docile, friendly and
gregarious but are known to be fiercely loyal. Breeders have worked
to breed aggression out of the breed, and as such the dog is known
to be of generally good temperament. Bulldogs can be so attached to
home and family that they will not venture out of the yard without
a human companion. Due to their friendly nature bulldogs are known
for getting along well with children, other breeds of dog and any
house-broken pet in general.
A bulldog is suitable for houses as well as apartments due to
their size and comparative lack of energy, but puppies may be
destructive until they reach maturity.
3. Health
The bulldog is prone to health issues. Breathing issues can be
prevalent in the breed due to the shape of the lower jaw and the
shortness of muzzle - bulldogs are known to snore. In the United
Kingdom, some dogs can be prone to interstitial cysts, that is
cysts which form between the toes. These cause the dog some
discomfort, though they are treatable either by vet or an
experienced owner. Other problems can include cherry eye, certain allergies and amongst older bulldogs, hip issues.
Because of the large heads in proportion to body size, puppies
are frequently delivered by Caesarean section as they can get stuck
in the birth canal during natural birth, however it is not uncommon
for a bulldog to whelp naturally and successfully.
Bulldogs require daily cleaning of their face folds to avoid
unwanted infections caused by moisture accumulation. Daily teeth
brushing with a regular human soft toothbrush using a vet approved
toothpaste is also recommended.
Like all dogs, Bulldogs require daily exercise. If not properly exercised the bulldog
could gain weight, which could cause health problems relating to
the lungs and heart. Bulldogs are extremely sensitive to heat and
cold and great care should be given to the dog during overly warm
periods. During these times, the owner should ensure that the dog
has plenty of shade, water and should be ideally kept out of
standing heat.
As the breed has developed, the tail in some dogs can be tight
to the body and can cause infection if not treated or cleaned
underneath regularly.
4. History
The term "bulldog" was first used around 1568 and
might have been applied to various ancestors of modern bulldog
breeds.
In the 1600s, bulldogs were used for bullbaiting (as well as
bearbaiting), a wagering sport popular in the 17th century in which
trained bulldogs leapt at a bull lashed to a post, latched onto its
snout and attempted to suffocate it.
The oldest single breed specialty club is The Bulldog Club
(England), which was formed in 1875. Members of this club met
frequently at the Blue Post pub on Oxford Street in London. There
they wrote the first standard of perfection for the breed. In 1891
the two top bulldogs, Orry and Dockleaf, competed in a contest to
see which dog could walk the farthest. King
Orry was reminiscent of the original bulldogs lighter boned
and very athletic. Dockleaf was smaller and heavier set more like
modern bulldogs. Dockleaf was declared the winner that year.
Although some argued that the older version of the bulldog was more
fit to perform, the modern versions looks won over the fans of the
breed because they proved they were equally as fit and athletic in
the walking competition.
Recently, many people have tried to recreate a breed more akin
to the original bullbaiter. Examples of the trend are the Olde Englishe Bulldogge,
Renascence Bulldog, Victorian, Continental and Dorset Old Tyme
Bulldog. The AKC does not recognize any of these newly
"recreated" breeds of dogs.
5. Popular mascot
Because of its tenacity, the bulldog is a symbol of England and is a popular mascot of American universities, such as University of Georgia, Bowie State University, Georgetown University, Alabama A&M University,
Mississippi State
University, Louisiana
Tech University, Fresno
State University, Drake
University, Ferris State
University, The Citadel, Yale University, Butler University, University of Minnesota
Duluth, Western
Illinois University, Truman State University, North Carolina A&T
State University, South Carolina State
University, Bryant
University, Gonzaga
University, Gardner-Webb
University, University_of_North_Carolina_at_Asheville,
University
of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, University of Redlands, as well as
numerous high schools throughout the United States of America.
It is commonly accepted that Handsome
Dan, the Bulldog mascot for Yale
University, is the oldest-running traditional live mascot in
the United States, since some incarnation of Handsome Dan has
served at Yale for more than a century.
Uga (mascot), the bulldog
mascot for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, has become one of
the most popular and beloved bulldogs of all time.
In addition, a bulldog, named Chesty, is widely recognized as a
symbol of the United
States Marine Corps.
6. Notable bulldogs
Some bulldogs and bulldog characters are notable for their
accomplishments or cultural cachet.
* The lazy, lovable Lola from MTV's TV series 'The
Osbournes'.
* Jake and the Fatman. A tv
show in the 80's, starring William Cannon, Jake Penny and the
handsome star of the show, Max -- the dapper English bulldog!
* Hector the Bulldog,
Spike the Bulldog, Butch the Bulldog and Marc Antony are animated
cartoon characters in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes
Merrie Melodies and Disney series
of cartoons. Spike is also the name of Tom's nemesis in the MGM
theatrical cartoon series Tom and Jerry. In this
series, Spike was often accompanied by a puppy, his son Tyke.
* Butch is Droopy Dog's nemesis
in the theatrical Droopy Dog cartoons.
* A bulldog named Cyril is the titular character in Connie
Willis's Victorian time-travel comedy, To Say Nothing of the
Dog.
* A bulldog named Regi starred in the feature film About a Dog, along with dog expert
Ian Dickinson. Regi played a dog
named Sprinkles, and two dog-mad rivals fought over Sprinkles'
love.
* Dribble in Wario Ware
* Tech XIX (also known as "Champ") is Louisiana Tech
University's mascot.
* Uga V, a former University of Georgia mascot, was the first
live college mascot to be featured on the cover of Sports
Illustrated magazine ( April 28, 1997 ) and he was also named
College Mascot of the Year by Sports Illustrated magazine. Uga V
also earned a co-starring role in the feature film Midnight in the
Garden of Good and Evil, directed by Clint Eastwood. Uga V also
gained notoriety in the media when during a football game on
November 16, 1996 he lunged at an Auburn University receiver (
Robert Baker, #21 ) in an apparent attempt to bite the rival player
and bring him down. Uga V, March 6, 1990 to November 22, 1999, was
buried in Sanford Stadium with the epitaph "Defender of his
Turf."
* Meaty from the MTV show Rob and Big
* Jack the Bulldog is Georgetown University's tenacious
mascot.
* Handsome Dan, a bulldog, is the athletics mascot at Yale University.
* Butler Blue II, a bulldog, is
the athletics mascot at Butler
University.
* Winston, the English commander's pup on a beach at Normandy
in "The Longest Day"
* Tyson, the famous skateboarding bulldog. He also made a cameo
appearance on Rob and Big.
* Eric Byrnes of the Arizona Diamondbacks owns a bulldog named
Bruin (as Byrnes is a UCLA alum). The bulldog accompanied Byrnes in
McCovey Cove during the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco's
AT&T Park.
* Matilda, who was the mascot of the British Bulldogs (Davey Boy
Smith and Dynamite Kid) in the World Wrestling Federation
* Winston, who Davey Boy Smith often brought to the ring during
part of his singles career in the World Wrestling Federation.
* Meatball and Matzohball, of Adam
Sandler
* "Mr. Beefy" from Little Nicky
* Boomer from Scrubs, Dr. Kelso's new dog after the death of
Baxter.
* Sluggo, who is owned by Ron White
and is referred to in some of his comedy routines.
* Hemingway, owned by Pete Wentz of
Fall Out Boy. The dog is often
mentioned by Wentz in interviews and is the focus of the video for
the band's single, The Take Over, The Breaks
Over, as well as being featured on shirts produced by
Wentz's company, Clandestine Industries. 'Hemmy' is
also notable for the large attention he draws on his Myspace account operated by many people.
* Chris Potter owns a bulldog
named Weezy.
* The movie Van Wilder
features a well-endowed bulldog.
* Tatonka Gold (also known as "Bully" and
"Tonka") is the current bulldog mascot for Mississippi
State University.
* Since 1922, the mascot of the United States Marine Corps has
been a bulldog. The current mascot is Chesty VII.
* In the Disney movie, The Game Plan, the character Joseph
"Joe" Kingman played by The Rock owns a bulldog named
Spike.
* Lily (IV), aka "Rufus" in 2001 Legally Blonde as Paulette's bulldog
that is rescued from a custody dispute by Reese Witherspoons'
character.screen credits
* Milly, the guard dog at Fore Season Golf in Augusta, Maine
photo
* Toby, Murray Hewitt's (Rhys Darby's) dog from the HBO
TV show Flight of the Conchords. Jemaine Clement and Bret Mckenzie
sing about him in their song "Cheer Up Murray."
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
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