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P U P P Y P A C K

History of the Breed

The English Bulldog, colloquially
known as the British Bulldog or
Bulldog, is a medium-sized dog that
originated from England. The breed
was first registered by the AKC in 1934
in the non-sporting group.
Today the English Bulldog is one of the
most popular dog breeds throughout
the world. The stout structure and
folds of skin on the face are the unique
identity of this breed. Most
researchers agree that the Bulldog is
either a cross between a Mastiff and a Pug, or a descendant from the Alaunt.
The earliest mentions of the Bulldog breed date back to the early in 13th century when butchers used
to keep dogs that were bred to catch and hold wild cattle. Later on, Bulldogs were bred for cruel blood
sports known as bull baiting. Bulldogs were not only forced to fight with bulls, but also badgers, lions,
bears and even elephants. The blood sports were the popular pastimes of the masses that can be
traced back to the year 1209. This was a sick form of animal cruelty to entertain the people back then.
This form of animal cruelty as a ‘sport’ was finally banned in 1835.

Bull-Baiting

Normally the fight was staged in a field, a pit, or an arena.
The concept of bull-baiting was for the dog to engage the
bull. Bulldogs were trained to crouch low to the ground to
shield their bodies from the bull’s horns when it charged.
The shoulders were placed on the outside of the body.
This was to make sure it could crouch low.
Similarly, the hindquarters of the Bulldog are not as well
developed as the forequarters, allowing the dog to be
shaken violently without suffering any spinal injuries. The head of the Bulldog, like his body, is also the
part of the fighting strategies that men wanted to develop. The short jaws (lower jawbone is longer
than the upper jawbone) allows the dog to hang onto whatever it wants with a surprising
tenaciousness.

The grip of a Bulldog is very strong and so is the structure of the jaws. Should the Bulldog be able to
latch onto the bull’s nose, the Bulldog has a short snout on the face upwards to allow breathing, while
retaining its grip on the bull’s nose.

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