This is written for those considering enriching their lives by adding a Bulldog to their family, owners of their first Bulldog who want to learn more about the breed, those who haven't had a puppy for a while and want to be reminded what it is like and for those Bulldoggers everywhere who will see in these experiences reflections of their own lives.
This is not intended to be the definitive statement on Bulldogs - that probably will never be written. This is intended to contain information, useful advice and practical solutions to the everyday problems run into in raising our breed and keeping them healthy. The experiences of breeders who have shared their comments and ideas should make this a helpful, informative, realistic and enjoyable introduction to the world of Bulldogs.
The Bulldog was originally thought to be a butcher's dog, used to subdue an animal for slaughter. It was then bred to participate in the "sport" of bullbaiting, an extremely cruel activity. The original Bulldog had to be courageous, very ferocious and savage. It also had to be almost insensitive to pain. Many of the features in the current bulldog standard are derived from the physical requirements needed by these dogs.
When bullbaiting was outlawed in England in 1835, the Bulldog, as it then existed, had outlived its purpose and would no longer exist as a breed. However, a group of Bulldog lovers felt that the breed should not disappear and decided to preserve it. In order to preserve the breed, they had to remove its undesirable fierce characteristics, while preserving and accentuating its finer qualities. Within a few generations the Bulldog became one of the finest physical specimens of dogdom without the viciousness they previously exhibited. The people who saved the breed formed an organization that eventually became The Bulldog Club, Inc. - the "mother" club of the breed worldwide.
Constant learning, a knowledge of genetics and inheritance, familiarity with health issues, and understanding pedigrees is essential to develop breeding programs devoted to producing of healthy, sound dogs with good temperaments.
These pages provide information and places to obtain the information needed to make intelligent decisions about Bulldogs. Before you bring a dog into your home or breed your dog you should have a basic familiarity with the information contained on the Health pages.
