English bulldog

The English Bulldog is a stocky, squat, extremely strongly built short-haired dog with a large, wide head with a very short muzzle. Balanced, forgiving towards children, a cheerful dog of medium temperament.

Nature

The appearance of an English bulldog arouses respect, but with the character of this quadruped has nothing to do. The modern representative of this breed has lost the aggressiveness and militancy that characterized his ancestors. This is a gentle dog, with a moderate temperament, extremely devoted to the owner and attached to him. He likes to be in the center of attention, does not handle closure badly and should not be kept in the pen.

The bulldog is cheerful and willing to play, and at the same time, he has angelic patience, which is why his contacts with children are good. Despite the innate gentleness, however, he can be hardly aware Of course, he is not aware of his weight and strength, which may unintentionally hurt a few-year-old toddler, therefore their contacts must be supervised. Children should not take him for walks alone.

Bulldog quickly makes friends with strangers, provided they do not pose a threat to his family. It should be remembered that although it is difficult to upset him, he remained vigilant, brave and well-developed defense instinct.

As a rule, he does not accost strangers, but some representatives of the breed like to fight. He feels good among the animals with which he grew up, although he may tend to dominate and try to subordinate the other members of the herd.

The English Bulldog is quite busy, but jogging or running by bike are not his favorite sports. To keep the dog in proper condition, regular, not intensive walks are sufficient. Due to the specific structure of the mouth, too much physical effort can cause breathing problems. Some bulldogs like to swim, while others avoid contact with water – in this matter, it is better to leave your pet the choice and have it under control at all times.

The English Bulldog is not very noisy and perfectly adapts to life in the apartment. However, he should not stay alone for the whole day – loneliness and boredom can affect his psyche and cause him to destroy things.

Skills

Formerly English Bulldogs fought dogs, bulls and other animals. The modern representative of the breed acts as a companion dog.

English bulldog. Training and education

English Bulldog – through intelligent – does not get training easily. He hates coercion, he is stubborn and independent. He can be trained in general obedience, but it requires a lot of patience and proper motivation. Bulldogs learn slower than other breeds, which is why in their case individual lessons will bring better results.

The English Bulldog has a strong character, which from the beginning requires great consistency in upbringing. Puppies need to be treated warmly, but never indulge or let anything. They should undergo socialization – they should be taken to new places, allow contacts with people, children and kinsmen; Dog-kindergarten classes will also be useful.

Children should not be restricted too much – it is necessary for their proper development. It is better not to encourage the pet to play strength games, because as a descendant of dogs to fight, he may treat them too seriously.

Who is this race for?

English Bulldog is a dog for a connoisseur – demanding and uncommon. He is not difficult to raise, but he needs consistent, gentle treatment and appropriate living conditions. Usually raises extreme emotions – some people love him, for others he is a strange creature.

English bulldog. Advantages and disadvantages

Disadvantages

• not very resistant to high temperatures
• sometimes stubborn and independent
• difficult inbreeding

Advantages

• devoted and attached to the whole family
• gentle to people
• patient and submissive towards children
• tolerates other dogs and pets
• does not require intensive training
• barely barks
• does not need complicated care

English bulldog. Health

English Bulldog is a breed difficult to breed. If we want to have a healthy and fit dog, we should take a puppy from a proven source. Due to the short muzzle, the representative of this breed is hardly resistant to high temperatures. In summer, protect it from overheating, providing a cool place to rest and constant access to water. It is best to take longer walks early in the morning or evening.

Low temperatures don’t bother him, and he likes to go outside even during cold weather. However, it should be remembered that it is not suitable for a dog in the yard – maintaining it in good health and ensuring proper hygiene requires that it lead a pet life.

A representative of this breed has a tendency to eye diseases: prolapse of the third eyelid (so-called cherry eye) and eyelid defects (ectropium and entropy).

There are dysplasia of the hip and elbow joints, patella prolapse, loose cruciate knee ligament, and in growing puppies – enostosis (juvenile osteitis).

Other ailments are tracheal stenosis, too long soft palate, pulmonary artery stenosis, too shallow – so-called flat – chest (unable to accommodate enlarging lungs and heart) and esophageal diverticulum.

Sometimes duality of the vertebrae may occur – a developmental defect, which is that the puppy is born with double the number of vertebrae (they do not fuse before birth). Initially, this does not affect his health, but over time, the spinal cord is damaged and, as a result, the animal dies.

Bulldogs can suffer from angina and the common cold (mainly juveniles), dermatitis (dogs too wrinkled), sunstrokes, allergies (mainly dogs with a predominance of whiteness in color), and phlegmon, which affects mainly too heavy animals.

The specific structure of the spine (a slight rise towards the tail) promotes polyneuritis (the equivalent of radiculitis in humans), which manifests itself in pain and mobility problems – most often this happens with rapid changes in the ambient temperature. Due to the short muzzle, bulldogs are exposed to problems when using narcosis. There are also common reproductive problems – the need for artificial insemination, cesarean delivery and high puppy mortality.

Feeding

English Bulldogs usually have an excellent appetite, although they do not eat well. According to the pattern, it should have an athletic figure: well-defined muscles and a slight indentation in the weaknesses. It can not be obese, so the type of food should be adapted to the lifestyle of the quadruped. You can use ready-made high-quality food containing anti-flatulent agents and substances that protect and regenerate articular cartilage (glucosamine and chondroitin).

Home menu must be supplemented with calcium, vitamin and mineral preparations. The daily portion for an adult dog is best divided into at least two meals.

Puppies require particularly careful nutrition – their body weight increases disproportionately to the skeleton, so it’s best to choose high-quality ready-made food for breeds that develop quickly (specialized bulldog food is available on the market). Calcium supplements should not be given to growing dogs without consulting a veterinarian, because they have easily overdosed.

Care

The English Bulldog usually molts three times a year, although it loses small amounts of fur almost all the time. The frequency and intensity of coat replacement depend to a large extent on the type of nutrition and care. The coat is short and hard, it easily sticks into the upholstery or rug and it is quite difficult to remove it from there.

It’s best to comb your dog with a furminator once a week. It is also worth wiping it with a damp cotton towel soaked in a solution of water and 5% vinegar (in a 2: 1 ratio).

We bathe bulldogs when necessary in shampoos for short-haired dogs, e.g. with selenium or chamomile; you can also use dry cosmetics. Wash the folds around the eyes and nose with an eye care product – the frequency of the treatment depends on the degree of the wrinkled face. If necessary, discoloration removers are also used.

Once every two weeks, a self-cleaning agent is instilled in the ears (the auricle is wiped with the same preparation). Regularly check the perianal glands and shorten claws that are too long. Formulations added to the water to prevent plaque buildup can be used.

English Bulldogs are displayed in a natural position on a ring adapted to the coat color. From the puppy, you have to get used to showing teeth and the touch of strangers. The new regulations impose an obligation on the judge to pay attention to dogs’ physical capacity. Those with breathing or movement problems should not be evaluated.

English bulldog. Accessories

For a bulldog, the best will be a solid strong leather or tape collar and a solid leash (you can also use automatic leashes). Do not use collars and clamping chains as this may cause choking. Braces are also not recommended, because they can deform the elbows and shape the hauling habit.

The toys should be strong and large so that the animal does not swallow them – balls, thick cords or squeaking mascots work well. We do not give bulldogs smoked ears, prepared bones from the skin or other chews, because swallowing them can cause choking. It is also worth getting the dog used to the transport cage.

English bulldog. History

The ancestors of the English bulldog were probably ancient dogs. They were used to hunt big animals, as well as war dogs. On Phoenician merchant ships, these quadrupeds reached Great Britain. In turn, during the Romans’ invasion of the British Isles, many dogs later went to the empire, where they participated in bloody shows – they fought wild animals, bulls and people.

For several centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, they did not attract much interest. It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that they appeared again in the arenas – this time in England. Probably the first fight took place around 1204. In addition to the so-called bull teething was also organized between dogs. King Edward III was even to issue a decree recognizing this barbarism as folk fun.

In the 17th century, old bulldogs and mastiffs were already distinguished and the former were preferred as better suited in combat. In 1835, the British Parliament issued a law prohibiting the organization of fights, but they really stopped only in the second half of the nineteenth century. Bulldogs lost their main occupation and threatened with extinction. However, there were fans of the breed who decided to save her, but her image had to be changed completely.

The modern English Bulldog differs significantly from the original in both physical and mental terms. The name of the breed is associated with the original purpose of these dogs – the word “bull” means bull in English. Earlier, other terms were used in the literature – butcher dog or English dog.

One of the first people to start breeding bulldogs as companion dogs was Bill George, and his activities had a big impact on the modern appearance of the breed. The English bulldog was shown for the first time at an exhibition in Birmingham in 1860. In 1875, the Bulldog Club existing until today was established, and a year later the first breed standard was developed.

In 1891 the London Bulldog Society was founded. The English Bulldog was recognized as a national race in his homeland. He accompanied the legendary John Bull (a literary personification of the stereotypical impetuous and rude Englishman, created by the Scottish writer John Arbuthnot), was the favorite of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a mascot of politicians from the Labor Party.

Template

English Bulldog – Group II FCI, section 2.1, model number 149

• Country of origin:  Great Britain
• Size: the  standard only takes into account the weight: dogs 25 kg, bitches 23 kg
• Coat: delicate, short, close-fitting hair, smooth, not rough
• Ointment:  uniform or with a mask; brindle, red in various shades, fawn, pinto – each of the listed colors in the form of patches on a white background; black, tan and black coat undesirable
• Maturity:  2-3 years
• Lifespan:  8-12 years
• Weather resistance:  medium

Interesting facts

Due to the specific structure of the mouth, too much physical exertion can cause breathing problems for the English Bulldog. For this reason, the bulldog is not very resistant to heat, but it tolerates low temperatures well.