History of the Bulldog

This breed was originally a sporting dog. They were heavier and even more tenacious. Why? They were bred for "Bull Baiting", an English sport in the 1700s. This sport was to put the dog in a ring with an actual bull, then the dog would grab the nose ring of the bull and fight and hang on until the bull gave in. Quite barbaric and that is not the half of it.

Every detail of these dogs was manufactured to get the best sport dog possible. The wrinkles around their nose were to divert blood from their eyes and nose. The short muzzle was so they could breath while hanging on to their beast. They were heavier then (90-105 pounds), compared to our current standard (45-55 pounds). It has even been said that breeders would latch a bitch onto a log and cut her leg off, if she held on to the log, she was breeding quality.

Thank goodness the Bulldog and humanity have changed significantly since then.