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Bulldog
Other names	British Bulldog Bulldog
Country of origin	England
Traits
Classification & standards FCI Group 2 Section 2 #149 standard AKC Non-sporting standard ANKC Group 7 (Non-Sporting) standard KC (UK) Utility standard NZKC Non-sporting standard

The Bulldog, colloquially known as the British Bulldog or English Bulldog, is a medium-size breed of dog that originated in England.

Description

Appearance

Purebred 6 month-old puppy from AKC Champion bloodlines

A bulldog's skull - notice the characteristic underbite (technically called mandibular prognathism)

Adult female bulldog with underbite

The bulldog's appearance attributes to specific health issues. Breathing issues can be prevalent in the breed due to the shape and the shortness of muzzle, which was originally bred for gripping. In particular, bulldogs are known to snore. In the United Kingdom, some dogs can be prone to interstitial cysts, which are 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. Bulldogs have extremely strong jaws and are capable of suspending themselvs off the ground for over an hour by their vice like grip.

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 and 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.

History

The term "bulldog" was first used around 1568 and might have been applied to various ancestors of modern bulldog breeds. Bulldogs were bred in England as a cross between the mastiff and the pug.^[2]

In the 1600s, bulldogs were used for bullbaiting (as well as bearbaiting), a gambling sport popular in the 17th century with wagers laid in which trained bulldogs leapt at a bull lashed to a post, latched onto its snout and attempted to suffocate it.^[3] Bulldogs have many distinct characteristics that were bred into them so they would be better suited to bullbaiting. The bulldog's body is short, low to the ground and compact, allowing it to be able to scuttle or crawl low under the bull's horns. The lower jaw sticks out further than the top one allowing the bulldog to grip on the nose of the animal and still be able to breathe due to the lay-back of the nose. The wrinkles on the bulldogs face allow the blood from the other animal to run down the bulldogs face instead of going into its eyes. However this is a common misconception and the breed in its current form has been so inbred by man over the years that were it to perform the task it was origninally bred for it would fail miserably.

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. 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 version’s looks won over the fans of the breed because they proved they were equally as fit and athletic in the walking competition.

Popular mascot

Main article: List of Bulldog mascots

Because of its tenacity, the bulldog is a symbol of the United Kingdom in general and England in particular and is a popular mascot of dozens of American universities, as well as numerous high schools throughout the United States of America, and of the United States Marine Corps.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Bulldog

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Bulldog

Bulldog rescue

Breed Information

• Dogs.info - Bulldog Breed Information
• History of the Bulldog
• Bulldog History: the extinction

General bulldog information

• Bulldog Abbie; Mascot and Ambassador for the English Bulldog