There's no dog breed with a more distinctive mug than the English Bulldog. This is a dog breed like no other - combining a solid, muscular frame with an adorably wrinkled face and somewhat compressed snout. To gaze upon the English Bulldog, one would expect him to be tough as nails, but in reality, this dog breed is a real "pussycat", at least where humans and other pets are concerned. These comical and endearing dogs are highly affectionate companions that love children and require little exercise or grooming, making them an excellent choice for families, singles, the elderly and even disabled dog lovers. If you are thinking about adding an English Bulldog puppy to your family or household, read on!
Breed Brief -
History - Appearance -
Temperament - Exercise -
Grooming
Training - Health
- Is Breed Right For Me? -
Breeders/Puppies For Sale
Dog Names -
Pictures - Further Info -
Clubs/Rescues
English Bulldog Size
Variations:
English Bulldog
Colors:
Brindle Bulldogs
Red Bulldogs
Fawn Bulldogs
White Bulldogs
English Bulldog Height: 12 to 15 inches at the shoulder
English Bulldog Weight:
Males: 50 pounds
Females: 40 pounds
English Bulldog
Exercise Needs: Minimal
English Bulldog
Grooming Needs: Reasonable
English Bulldog Life Expectancy (Lifespan):
8 to 12 years
Are English Bulldogs Child-Friendly? Yes
English Bulldog Training:
Easy
Breed Group:
Non-Sporting
Breed Brief -
History - Appearance -
Temperament - Exercise -
Grooming
Training - Health
- Is Breed Right For Me? -
Breeders/Puppies For Sale
Dog Names -
Pictures - Further Info -
Clubs/Rescues
The English Bulldog dog breed originated in United States of
America. The Bulldog is a breed that definitely earned his name. He received his name in the 1700’s when he was placed in a bullring with bulls and was expected to fight them while people placed bets on who would win, him or the bull. This was strictly a form of entertainment at the time.
When he pinned the bull in the least amount of time, compared to other breeds, he became a prize as he did it over and over again, even while injured.
If a Bulldog won over and over again, it was bred to another repeat winner to make even tougher prize pups.
In the early 1800’s animal fighting was outlawed in England, so the Bulldog was then forgotten.
In 1860, dog fanciers decided that the Bulldog should return to the spotlight. He was entered in the England dog shows. By 1862 he had different weight classes.
Breeders eliminated his fighting instinct by selective breeding and his first breed standard was drawn up in 1875. At this time, he had a long tail, long legs, and no pushed-in face.
Breeders interbred him with the Pug which shortened his legs and brought in his muzzle. He was then bred with the Toro, which was a breed that was imported from Spain. This made him heavy. He weighed as much as 100 pounds.
The original Bulldog lovers hated to see the Bulldog bred to the very large Toro, so they joined up and formed “The Bulldog Club”. It only lasted long enough to form the Bulldog’s first breed standard.
In 1880, the Bulldog entered the first US dog show which was held in New York City, and by 1890 “The Bulldog Club of America (BCA) was formed.
By 1891 there were 50 Champion Bulldogs. Today, the Bulldog is one of the top 20 breeds registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC). He is in the Non-Sporting group.
The Bulldog is a medium sized breed, weighing at 40 to 50 pounds max. He has a deep chest, round eyes, high set ears, and a large black nose. If he has a brown or liver colored nose, then he is not of show quality. He should have a massive broad square jaw, large undershot teeth and a short, thick neck. His tail should be straight or screw. He has a short, smooth, glossy coat. He should have loose, heavily wrinkled skin all about the head and face. His colors are red, brindle, solid white, solid red, fawn, solid black is not a desirable trait in the show ring.
He is very dignified, brave, and kind. He loves to snuggle and is considered a companion dog.
He is not a guard dog, even though he looks like one. He is way too loving and compassionate for that. He is really a laid back, carefree individual.
English Bulldogs need very little in the way of exercise. A short daily walk will suffice where this meaty fellow is concerned. English Bulldogs are not able to tolerate heat and humidity, so special considerations need to be made if you live in a hot climate or in summer months. Usually it's best to take your Bulldog out for a walk in the very early morning or very late evening on hot days to avoid heat exhaustion.
English Bulldogs are not runners, nor can them swim, so if you are a triathlete looking for a canine companion to keep you company, this is probably not the breed for you. However, if you are more couch potato than athlete, the English Bulldog will enjoy lying beside you on the couch as you watch the latest reality TV shows.
Jumping is also a no-no for English Bulldogs, since doing so can injure their knees, which can be prone to luxating patella. If your couch or bed is too high for your "big guy" it's a good idea to invest in a couple sets of doggie steps to help ease your Bulldog's ability to get up and down from his favorite sleeping spots.
Breed Brief -
History - Appearance -
Temperament - Exercise -
Grooming
Training - Health
- Is Breed Right For Me? -
Breeders/Puppies For Sale
Dog Names -
Pictures - Further Info -
Clubs/Rescues
Little coat care is required, but he should be given special attention by keeping the folds of his skin clean, especially around the face. They should be cleaned daily to avoid your Bulldog developing a condition called skin fold dermatitis.
Don't let his tough guy looks fool you - the English Bulldog is a pushover that wants nothing more than to please his humans. This comical, gentle and easygoing dog breed is a snap to train, and will be willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy. That having been said, the Bulldog does have a slightly stubborn streak which can present itself on occasion. The liberal use of treats with training is a sure way to overcome any obstinate behavior your Bulldog may exhibit.
Breed Brief -
History - Appearance -
Temperament - Exercise -
Grooming
Training - Health
- Is Breed Right For Me? -
Breeders/Puppies For Sale
Dog Names -
Pictures - Further Info -
Clubs/Rescues
He should be kept cool at all times. He is very prone to heat stroke. Giving him plenty of cold water and shade will prevent such an occurrence. Keeping him indoors if at all possible is best.
Most female Bulldogs have to undergo caesarean sections in order to give birth and are 10 pounds lighter than males. That is why the Bulldog has a very high price tag. If it weren’t for caesareans, there would be fewer Bulldogs in the world and their price would be much higher due to their rarity. A female Bulldog has an average of three puppies.
The breed has many breed prone problems. Like, hip dysphasia, elongated soft palate, entropion and ectropion (eyelid abnormalities), muzzle pyoderma and wrinkle dermatitis.
The Bulldog breed lives an average of 10 years. Keeping him from becoming overweight can add two to three more years to his life expectancy.
Bulldogs sometimes have trouble breathing, especially during hot weather. Do not take your Bulldog out for runs on hot days, and don’t leave him outside in the sun.
If your Bulldog snores or has noisy breathing, then he could have “soft palate”. This could cause respiratory failure after strenuous exercise. Surgery can fix this. Eyelid abnormalities can also be fixed with surgery. Hip dysphasia can become very painful causing a limp. A dog with this should never be bred due to genetically passing this trait on.
A female who has been spayed before her first heat has a 90% less chance of getting cancer. The statistics on cancer are better for males too, if they are neutered at an early age.
A Bulldog is considered a senior at age seven. At this time his food should be changed. His muzzle will become gray and he may develop cataracts. He may also have trouble holding his urine. He may have trouble getting around. If he is in a lot of pain, a baby aspirin may be given.
Although the Bulldog started out as a fighter, he is now considered a lover, a lover of people that is. Enjoy this sweet little bundle of wrinkles, for although they don’t live on average as long as other breeds, they make a bigger impact on your heart than most.
Now that you have decided that the English Bulldog is the right breed
for you, it's time to start the process of finding a responsible
English Bulldog breeder from which to buy a healthy, well-socialized
puppy. Not all breeders are alike; there are good breeders - and bad
breeders. Don't be in a hurry to buy the first English Bulldog puppy
you find at the cheapest price available! To buy a puppy from a
responsible English Bulldog breeder, you may need to pay more and wait
longer. The additional money and waiting time will be well worth it.
Buy a puppy in haste from a newspaper ad, pet store or "backyard
breeder", and you'll likely also purchase a great deal of additional
expense and heartache, since you will likely end up falling in love
with a puppy with health and behavioral problems that will likely
need special care, plenty of veterinary visits, regular medication -
or even euthanasia. But do your homework and find a responsible,
caring English Bulldog breeder who home-raises their puppies with
love, screens their breeding dogs for health problems, offers a
health guarantee and post sale support, and who genuinely loves the
English Bulldog breed and is in it for the love of the breed, rather
than profit, and you can be fairly well assured of getting a
healthy, happy, long lived and affectionate family companion that
will provide you and your family with many years of joy, laughter
and companionship.
Further information about choosing a responsible breeder...
Here are a few breeder directory sites that we recommend. These
sites attempt to screen advertisers to ensure that the breeders
listed are responsible and sell healthy, home-raised English Bulldog puppies to carefully screened buyers. There are many, many
sites now online that advertise dog breeders - many are a Mecca for
puppy mills and backyard breeders. We recommend that you steer clear
of these resources in favor of sites that are more selective in the
breeders whom they allow to advertise.
We Highly Recommend:
Breed Brief -
History - Appearance -
Temperament - Exercise -
Grooming
Training - Health
- Is Breed Right For Me? -
Breeders/Puppies For Sale
Dog Names -
Pictures - Further Info -
Clubs/Rescues
Choosing a name for your English Bulldog puppy can be a daunting
task! There are so many names to choose from that it can take a lot
of thought and research to find just the right name for your
English Bulldog. Usually, it's best to get to know your puppy for a
few days or weeks. Often your puppy's personality will help you
decide on just the right name to choose. Does he have a sense of
humor? A serious side? A goofy way of cocking his head to one side?
A strange love of cantaloupe? By observing your new English Bulldog
puppy over the first days or weeks, you should at least have a clue
about what type of name you want to give. There are a ton of dog
names and pet names web sites on the internet. Some are wonderful
information resources, while others, unfortunately, are just
"garbage" sites set up with the sole purpose of cashing in on
visitor hits for this popular subject.
We recommend the following sites to assist you in choosing a name
for your new English Bulldog puppy. These sites offer inventive,
unique, original and creative pet names suggestions that have helped
thousands of new puppy owners in selecting just the right name for
their new baby!
English Bulldog Dog Names
Breed Brief -
History - Appearance -
Temperament - Exercise -
Grooming
Training - Health
- Is Breed Right For Me? -
Breeders/Puppies For Sale
Dog Names -
Pictures - Further Info -
Clubs/Rescues
English Bulldogs are a very photogenic dog breed. By looking at
English Bulldog pictures, you can usually gain more insight into
what these dogs and puppies are like as a breed, and this can help
you decide if you really want to become an English Bulldog owner.
The following sites below offer pictures of English Bulldog dogs,
English Bulldog puppy photos, funny English Bulldog photos and
more. Enjoy!
Breed Brief -
History - Appearance -
Temperament - Exercise -
Grooming
Training - Health
- Is Breed Right For Me? -
Breeders/Puppies For Sale
Dog Names -
Pictures - Further Info -
Clubs/Rescues
There are a wealth of resources online that can help you learn
more about the English Bulldog dog breed. We've compiled a list of
English Bulldog information sites to assist you in quickly locating
quality information about the English Bulldog dog breed, while
avoiding the "garbage" sites that are nothing more than poor
attempts to capitalize on the popularity of dog breeds in general.
If you know of an English Bulldog information site that offers
unique, quality information and photos of the English Bulldog
breed, please contact us with the URL and a brief description so
that our editors can consider it for inclusion in our list below.
Breed Brief -
History - Appearance -
Temperament - Exercise -
Grooming
Training - Health
- Is Breed Right For Me? -
Breeders/Puppies For Sale
Dog Names -
Pictures - Further Info -
Clubs/Rescues
English Bulldog clubs and rescues web sites can help you learn
even more about the English Bulldog dog breed, help you locate a
responsible English Bulldog breeder, or help you find an English Bulldog dog or puppy in need of a second chance for a loving,
forever home. We've compiled the following list of English Bulldog
clubs and English Bulldog rescues web sites for your convenience:
English Bulldog Clubs -
English Bulldog Rescues
