English Bulldog information about dogs

Modern English Bulldogs were bred in the second half of the 19th century, based on the now extinct breed - the Old English Bulldog. The English Bulldog has a pronounced personality and is considered the national dog of England, embodying the traits often attributed to a "true gentleman": solidity, equanimity, conservatism, some phlegm, on the one hand, and aristocracy, respectability combined with imposing and rude elegance, on the other. Keeping bulldogs requires great responsibility, since the breed in the process of development, having turned from fighting into decorative, lost its working qualities and became very vulnerable.

History of the breed

Bulldogs appeared in England and were used as pickling dogs in the "bloody sport" - bull-baiting (hence the name of the breed - bulldog - literally "bull dog"). The exact time of the appearance of the breed is unknown, but it is known that the British singled out "bul- Great Danes "among the rest of the" mastiffs "already at the beginning of the 17th century. probably there was a mastiff-like dog, Alan.

Animal baiting, one of the oldest mass fun in England, was immensely popular until it was banned in the first half of the 19th century. The popularity of the pickling sport led to the flourishing of dog breeding and the emergence of Old English Bulldogs. Bull-baiting made special demands on the dog's constitution and temperament. She must be hardy, fearless to the point of recklessness, impervious to pain, always in tune with the fight. It was supposed to be a squat, stocky, not too heavy dog ​​with a wide chest and a developed shoulder girdle, with short, smooth coat and a dead grip. She must unquestioningly obey the orders of the owner under all circumstances. All these qualities were possessed by the Old English Bulldogs.

Despite the immense and universal popularity of bull-baiting, the attitude towards bulldogs as a breed has long been dismissive. Ancient documents that have survived state that Bulldogs are stupider than larger dogs; that they form slowly, rarely reaching puberty by the age of one and a half; that, having reached it, they multiply sluggishly; finally, that already at the age of five or six they begin to grow decrepit. At present, it is impossible to say which of these judgments about old bulldogs are fair and which are not, but it is worth noting that later, when the first breed standard appeared, the bulldog was called "undeservedly slandered".

In 1835, the British Parliament passed the "Cruelty to Animals Act", after which bull-baiting was prohibited. And although illegal persecution in different settlements of Great Britain was carried out until the middle of the century, it was not possible to preserve the breed in its original form - by the time the law was passed, there were almost no purebred bulldogs left.

On November 3, 1864, bulldog breeders and lovers created the first bulldog club. He had his own motto - "Death grip", and the objectives of the club in the charter were "perpetuating and improving the Old English Bulldog." The club was formed by about 30 people, among its members were connoisseurs of the breed, many of whom still saw the glorious times of its heyday. The main achievement of the Rockstro bulldog club was a detailed description of the bulldog. Here is how he was described: “The English Bulldog is a majestic, ancient animal, very rare, mostly undeservedly slandered and, as a rule, very little known, brought up in kindness, constant communication and attention from the owner, the dog is calm and obedient; but if she is on a chain and without attention, then she becomes much less sociable and submissive, and when excited, she can become so angry that it becomes extremely dangerous for others. Dogs of this breed are excellent guards, wonderful swimmers; very valuable for crossing with terriers, pointers, hounds, greyhounds, etc., to give them courage and endurance. This is the most courageous and determined animal. <…> A good bulldog does not care who to attack - reckless, dashing and fearless, he will fight to the last drop of blood. This is a native British dog that is ideally associated with Old England - a dog that English people can be proud of. "

The club held its first show in 1875 in the same pub, only 10-15 dogs participated in it, divided into two classes by gender. The club held the next exhibition the following year, more than a hundred applications were submitted for it. The third exhibition was held only on November 2, 1878. This two-year break was the only one in the exhibition history of the club, with the exception of the period of the Second World War. From 1878 to the present day, exhibitions have been held every year, since the interest of the public and specialists in the club has increased again and has remained unchanged since then.

Appearance

The very first breed standard of 1865 places the greatest emphasis on the qualities of the bulldog, which directly affect the dog's performance in the ring. All parts of the bulldog described in it are extremely functional. The massive head with a short and wide muzzle and undershot jaws provided a large grip area and allowed the bulldog, hanging on the bull, to hold on tightly. At the same time, the pushed back nose allowed the dog to breathe freely, and the bull's blood flowed down the folds on the face and head to the ground, without flooding the eyes and nostrils. Due to its short stature, the dog could instantly snuggle to the ground, dodging the bull's horns. Its weight was not too small - so that the bull felt it and, trying to get rid of the load, quickly tired. But too much weight, on the one hand, would reduce the bulldog's maneuverability, and on the other, would not allow him to stay on the bull's muzzle, the dog would fall under his feet with a torn piece of flesh in his teeth. It is not surprising that the authors of this standard are quite free to consider the acceptable shape of the ears or tail of the English Bulldog. The ears should be such that it would be convenient to hold a dog tearing at a bull for them, so their shape could be almost any: "rose", "bud" or semi-erect ("tulip"). And the tail should be long and thinning from the base to the end, which means, sensitive, so that, by biting for it, the bulldog can be guaranteed to be taken out of the fight. Currently, these articles are receiving close attention. The tail of the present English Bulldog should be short, and of the various types of ears, the most desirable type is "rose". Neither tail nor ears are docked under any circumstances.

The Bulldog is a smooth-haired, stocky, short dog, powerful and compact. His head is large, but does not create the impression of disproportion, its circumference in the frontal projection is approximately equal to the height of the dog. The limbs are strong, rigid, very muscular. The hind legs are high and strong, somewhat lighter than the front ones. The body of the bulldog is short, tightly articulated. The neck is very thick, deep and strong, with a noticeably curved nape line. The back is short, strong ("sail"), the belly is tucked up. The tail is short, set low, straight or corkscrew. The muzzle is short and wide; the jaws are wide, massive, square, undershot. When viewed from the front, the eyes are set low, as far from the ears as possible, and as wide apart as possible. The ears are set wide apart, as far from the eyes as possible, small and thin, set high, preferably hanging from the cartilage. The color of the bulldog can be variegated (brindle, red with white, etc.), monochromatic (white, fawn, red of different shades, reddish or brownish yellow, etc.) or confusion - a monochromatic suit with a black mask or black muzzle. The optimal weight of males is 25 kg, bitches - 23 kg, height reaches 50-55 cm.

The movements of the bulldog are heavy, heavy, the stride is short and fast. The hind limbs hardly rise and seem to float above the ground, the shoulders alternately move forward. The impression is that the dog moves "on tiptoe".

In the course of the development of the breed, the dog turned from a fighting dog into a decorative one, which was achieved by exaggerating the characteristic features of the original breed: an increase in the head, shortening of the muzzle, body and paws, an expansion of their posture, an increase in skin folds, etc. due to the peculiarities of the anatomy, the load from the body weight of the bulldog falls mainly not on the bones of the limbs, but on the muscles. The body of the bulldog "hangs" on them when the dog is just standing or walking, and therefore bulldogs quickly gain large muscle mass. At the same time, bulldogs get tired quickly, suffer from shortness of breath, and often have problems with the cardiovascular system. A bulldog needs a lot of rest and sleep to maintain vital functions of the body, which, in turn, if the regime and diet are not followed, often leads to obesity, leading to a heavy load on the heart and liver and, ultimately, to early aging and shortening of life.

Character

English Bulldogs are very serious and loyal dogs. This breed was bred as a companion dog, so Bulldogs are in great need of human attention and are not suitable for people who do not have enough time for their pets. Dogs of this breed are usually very calm and well-behaved, although they are considered the dominant breed and should know who is in charge.

English Bulldogs are very attached to their family, so a family change is a hard blow for them. They are always happy to please the owner, and quickly understand what they want from them. Bulldogs are a great companion not only for humans, but also for dogs and other pets.

Early socialization is important for this breed, primarily because some English Bulldogs can be somewhat aggressive, especially in non-neutered males. Most English Bulldogs are well suited for keeping with young or older children, as they can be patient with children and the elderly. However, if the child wants a dog that will run and play with him all day, then the slow-moving English Bulldog is not very well suited for such a role.

English Bulldogs have a unique personality. Some people mistake their slow response to commands as lazy, but those familiar with the breed know that Bulldogs prefer to think about a command before executing it. English Bulldogs are by nature thinkers and love to solve a variety of problems. They are also very good travelers and would love to travel by car.

Care and maintenance features

English Bulldogs are calm, balanced and good-natured dogs, well suited for keeping in an apartment or a country house. Due to their phlegmatic nature, they usually do not cause trouble for the owner with their behavior. Bulldogs do not require exertion: you do not need to walk with them for a long time or do jogging, on the contrary, serious physical exertion is contraindicated for bulldogs.

Taking care of the bulldog's coat and claws is not difficult, but should be regular. Its short and very smooth coat is easy to care for. Brush your English Bulldog two or three times a week with a stiff-bristled brush. Especially carefully you need to clean and wash the folds on the face and the area under the tail, which can be very twisted and very tightly pressed against the dog's body, in order to avoid the accumulation of secretions in these places and the development of infections. In some cases, special ointments are used. Bathing the English Bulldog is necessary only as needed. Bathing too often leads to dry skin and can cause itching, flaking and irritation of the skin. If the dog becomes dirty it can be wiped off with a damp cloth. Check your dog's nails regularly, trim them in time, they should not flake and be sharp. The teeth of the English Bulldog also require regular brushing.

Bulldog food should be high in calories, consist of easily digestible foods that do not lead to the formation of fatty deposits - according to the standard, the bulldog should not be fat, but powerful and strong.

Bulldogs have very short airways due to severe brachycephaly (shortening of the muzzle) and compressed body. As a result, they are prone to colds and are extremely sensitive to overheating. One of the most common causes of death for Bulldogs is heatstroke. Hot weather with high humidity is especially dangerous for the bulldog, he begins to breathe heavily, "puff", and if this continues for several days, it can lead to swelling of the larynx. A viscous or foaming secret begins to accumulate in the pharynx, which the dog does not cough up, which makes breathing even more difficult. As a result, the bulldog can faint and die. If a bulldog has experienced heatstroke once, it becomes even more sensitive to overheating in the future. The second consequence of the extreme shortness of the airways of the Bulldogs is loud snoring during sleep.

The Bulldog is the only dog ​​breed that is usually born as a result of a planned caesarean section. This is due to the fact that many bitches find it difficult to give birth naturally. The large head of the puppy has difficulty passing through the uterine canal, as the pelvis of a good bitch should be narrow by breed standards. In addition, Bulldogs are phlegmatic, and even childbirth may not bring the muscle tone of some bitches to the desired state. During childbirth, a variety of complications are possible, and the most reliable way to avoid risks is a cesarean section. Currently, only about 6% of Bulldog breeding bitches puppies on their own.

Feeding puppies can also become a serious problem if their mother does not have enough milk. In such cases, the puppies can be fed with a bottle, a toy bottle, or a syringe with a teat on. Renowned American breeder and author of classic bulldog books, Bailey S. Haynes, recommends dipping puppies in a bowl of liquid oatmeal with milk. In this case, you need to ensure that the puppy does not choke in porridge. Puppies quite quickly understand what is required of them, and begin to absorb the porridge, at first immersing their muzzles in it and making sucking movements, and then they learn to lap. After feeding the puppy is given to the bitch and she licks it. This method is especially useful when there are many puppies in the litter, and it is very time consuming to feed each one individually.

In general, it should be noted that English Bulldogs are more dependent on humans than other dogs. Because of their structure, they, for example, cannot even scratch themselves, they need regular massage. Experts compare the maintenance of a bulldog with the maintenance of a child, which is completely dependent on its parents.

Despite their awkwardness and stockiness, English Bulldogs are quite active dogs that need regular walks. Very solid by nature, they are not very inclined to active movements of their own free will, so sometimes they need to be forced or motivated to a more active lifestyle.

The English Bulldog is a breed of dog, as if deliberately created for lazy people or busy people. Compliant and calm, rather even phlegmatic, the English Bulldog is a balanced and self-possessed dog. Outwardly, he looks somewhat intimidating and, it seems, as if for the slightest disrespect for himself or his master, the dog will rush into the attack to defend the wounded honor. However, this is far from the truth. Although the Bulldog will come to the rescue in a critical situation, the breed was not bred to protect the owner, and it is better not to rely on protection from a dog that was not specially trained in this. Bulldogs, on the other hand, can definitely make good watchmen.

To train an English Bulldog not only because of the innate obstinacy of the breed, but also because the bulldog always has its own opinion about what is happening. In general, training a bulldog is not much different from training other breeds, but you have to be more persistent in your requirements and spend a little more time studying. Bulldogs do not learn new commands quickly, but reliably. If you want to participate in exhibitions, you need to accustom the bulldog to noise and a large crowd of people and dogs so that he does not get confused at the show. To do this, you need to regularly drive him through the busiest places in the vicinity. It is also necessary that the bulldog be able to calmly and measuredly walk alongside on a leash, regardless of who is leading him - the owner or a stranger. At exhibitions, bulldogs compete in the exterior and obedience, they are not given workloads.