Although a relatively stubborn breed, the English Bulldog is also a very docile breed that as been very popular since the 1800’s. At first they were bred for their ferocious and courageous traits, now they are a member of the non-sporting group and remain a devoted family pet. The earliest reference to the English Bulldog was in literature from 1609. As of the year 2007 the English Bulldog was listed as one of the top ten dog breeds.
The English Bulldog was listed as one of the top ten dog breeds as of the year 2007. The original purpose of the English Bulldog was to help butchers control unruly oxen, as a guard dog and as a hunting dog. Originally the breeds name comes from when they were commonly used to fight the bull in a sport called baiting that was eventually outlawed in 1835. The English Bulldog was first accepted into the American Kennel Club in the year 1976. This complex breed of dog has much to consider.
The English Bulldog will do fine in apartments as long as you take them outside for the occasional walk or trip to the park. The breed isn’t too keen on exercise because of their low energy so they don’t require a whole lot of exercise. The favorite activity of the English Bulldog is to lounge around the house the majority of the time. The English Bulldog enjoys the company of family so they are an excellent pet for anyone who has a child in the household.
The English Bulldog will alert the family to nearby strangers by barking and growling. Since their imposing figure tends to scare off any threats they tend not to attack. At the shoulder they typically stand between twelve to sixteen inches and weight an average of fifty to sixty pounds when full grown.
The tail is often curled with a bowlegged appearance. Their coat color can include liver, tan, black, white or a combination of colors. When it comes to training the English Bulldog doesn’t do well with obedience training. They are a very stubborn breed and don’t want to follow instructions easily.
This doesn’t necessary mean that the dog isn’t smart, rather it just means the dog is actually very smart and wants to think things all the way through before they act. Sadly the increase in popularity of the breed has led to some disreputable breeders that don’t focus on the dog’s temperament.
Therefore, there has been an increase in aggression with the breed. So it is important that you get your English Bulldog from a reputable breeder and as a puppy make sure you properly socialize them. With proper care and training your English Bulldog can live to be about eight to ten years.
Some health concerns you need to be aware of is heat illness which occurs if you expose your English Bulldog to environmental temperature that are excessive and don’t give the dog a way to dissipate the heat quickly.