There is much debate about how we came to know the Bulldog, the predecessor to today’s English and French Bulldogs. Many canine historians believe it is the result of cross breeding a Pug with a Bullmastiff. Indeed, we can see similarities in an English Bulldog’s “smashed in muzzle” to that of the beloved Pug. French bulldogs for sale We can also see a close resemblance between today’s Bulldogs and Bullmastiffs, especially in their hindquarters.
If you have ever seen a photo of the early bulldogs, they resemble little the English Bulldog we know and love today. Shorter in stature, by nearly half today, what was once a more angled head is now round, wide with a protruding jaw.
Although English Bulldogs have only been recognized as a breed since 1902, they share many common traits with their cousins and grandparents, the Bulldogs. Bulldogs, as they name might imply, were bred to bait bulls in the bullring. Dating back to the mid 1500s in England, people, in their infinite wisdom put bulldogs in the middle of bullfights to entice the bulls into doing what they do, thanks to combination of testosterone and people’s need for a show. In the process, these dogs were often pinched, abused and even eviscerated.
Although it would take 300 years, the British eventually outlawed this inhumane act in 1835. This left an entire breed of dogs with no job. Cruel is it sounds, knowing that every dog is bred for a job and now this dog’s job has been eliminated, now what?
Loving certain physical traits of the Bulldog, but not the temperament, breeders went to work to create the one we adore today. Indeed, a far kinder version of the ferocious one who held his own against a bull, English Bulldogs are without a doubt, one of the sweetest of breeds.
Although more prone to hip dysplasia, overall, are larger breed dogs, such as German Shepherds, Akitas and Australian Shepherds, the English Bulldog has a chance of developing the hip dysplasia in his lifetime. This can be directly attributable to favoring the shorter, stockier bulldog over the taller version of the 1700 and 1800s. There is much debate about how we came to know the Bulldog, the predecessor to today’s English and French Bulldogs. Many canine historians believe it is the result of cross breeding a Pug with a Bullmastiff. Indeed, we can see similarities in an English Bulldog’s “smashed in muzzle” to that of the beloved Pug. We can also see a close resemblance between today’s Bulldogs and Bullmastiffs, especially in their hindquarters.
If you have ever seen a photo of the early bulldogs, they resemble little the English Bulldog we know and love today. Shorter in stature, by nearly half today, what was once a more angled head is now round, wide with a protruding jaw.
Although English Bulldogs have only been recognized as a breed since 1902, they share many common traits with their cousins and grandparents, the Bulldogs. Bulldogs, as they name might imply, were bred to bait bulls in the bullring. Dating back to the mid 1500s in England, people, in their infinite wisdom put bulldogs in the middle of bullfights to entice the bulls into doing what they do, thanks to combination of testosterone and people’s need for a show. In the process, these dogs were often pinched, abused and even eviscerated.
Although it would take 300 years, the British eventually outlawed this inhumane act in 1835. This left an entire breed of dogs with no job. Cruel is it sounds, knowing that every dog is bred for a job and now this dog’s job has been eliminated, now what? A trainer known for his work with big dogs was asked to try his hand at training a small dog. The small dog was put on a leash and led along, and the trainer pulled a treat out. Perfectly reasonable size for the dogs he was used to dealing with. Right before he threw the treat to the unsuspecting little dog, an observer warned him that the treat was too big and would just end up hitting the little dog in the head.
Just as some people have preferences for dogs over cats, some people have a special place in their heart for either a large dog or a small dog. Both sides have their positives and negatives; here we’ll be focusing on the small dog.
Your little English Bulldog, or any of the common small breeds of dogs has many benefits. They can live up to twenty years, often are hypoallergenic, shed less than their larger counterparts, can fit in your lap, and are portable. If you have a misbehaving small dog, you can just pick it up and remove it from ‘the scene’! Which brings us to the negatives. Little dogs are often much more difficult to house train, can get into anything to chew up, and are more fragile.
House training your little Sadie does not have to be an impossible battle. The most important thing to remember is consistency and commitment to training. It is an easy trap to fall into to see training of Sadie as not as important as a big dog because it doesn’t make ‘that’ big of a mess, or it isn’t ‘that’ much of a pain, or ‘how much trouble can a ten pound animal get into? ‘. But when the years pile on, you will not regret taking the time to train your little dog when she’s still a puppy.