Breed in the spotlight: The English Bulldog
The English Bulldog: friendly, courageous and loves attention. This struishly built, short-legged and well-muscled powerhouse may have a wrinkled and "sourpuss" face, yet they symbolize courage and tenacity. This loyal four-legged companion adapts tremendously well within a family, is good with children and suitable for families with a smaller yard or even an apartment.
CHARACTERISTICS:
- Origin: United Kingdom
- Life expectancy: 8 to 10 years
- Character: docile, friendly, stubborn and social
- Weight: Bitch: 18-23 kg, dog: 23-27 kg
- Height: bitch: 31-40 cm, male: 31-40 cm
- Colors: White, Light Brown, Piebald, Fawn & White, Brindle & White, Red Brindle, Red, Red & White
The Bulldog in summary
The Bulldog can hardly be compared to any other breed. The look with their loose skin, wrinkles across their face, their compressed nose, small ears and drooping jaws makes them stand out very well. In addition to their expressive appearance, Bulldogs have some fun facts! Curious?
Stubborn
English Bulldogs are extremely friendly and gentle little dogs. They are cheerful, like to be with their family and they do not often say no to a hug. An occasional game can charm them but let them do something they do not want to do? That is another matter. Thanks to their stubborn and headstrong character, they do not easily do anything they do not feel like doing.
Fighting with bulls
The name says it all but Bulldogs used to fight with bulls. Biting bulls was a bloody sport that was common in the UK around 1200. The idea was that the Bulldog had to keep himself as low as possible so he could bite the bull in the nose. Fortunately, this bloody sport was completely banned in 1835.
Redundant Bulldog
After the ban on 'bull biting', the Bulldog became 'superfluous' so to speak as they were bred entirely for sport. Their days seemed numbered, luckily there were fanciers who still saw enough potential in the breed. They were bred again but this time to be more gentle. Since then, the dog was used as a loyal four-legged friend in the home.
Do not leave them alone with water
Their build, large head and short legs make it very difficult if not impossible for a Bulldog to manage in the water. Although some like to swim, it's still best to keep an eye on them!
Mascot
The Bulldog was often used as a mascot, just like the Soldiers of the United States. They were often called 'dog faces' or 'dog face soldiers'. But in the 3rd Infantry Division, they took the nicknames in a very different way. The Bulldog was officially approved as a mascot. In 1965, Walt Disney was even commissioned to draw out their mascot, thus Rocky the Marne Bulldog was born.
Health issues
Because the Bulldog is bred in a special way, there are often health problems. Therefore, there are now many variants of the English Bulldog, such as the Olde English Bulldog. This is a healthier and more active variant of the original Bulldog. It stands taller and straighter on its legs and has a less short nose which allows it to breathe easier.
Op zoek naar de ideale hondenvoeding voor je Bulldog? Die kan je hier terugvinden!