About The English Bulldog
Despite the stubborn nature of the breed, the English Bulldog is actually a very docile breed that has been extremely popular since the 1800’s. Now a member of the non-sporting group and a devoted family pet, they were at one time bred for their ferocious and courageous traits. Literature from 1609 has the earliest reference to the English Bulldog.
The English Bulldog was originally bred for the purpose of helping butchers control unruly oxen, as a guard dog and as a hunting companion. The name of the breed actually comes from when they were used to fight the bull in a sport called baiting which was outlawed in 1835. In the year 1976, the English Bulldog was finally accepted as a member of the American Kennel Club. There is much to consider when it comes to this complex dog breed.
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.
They are a medium sized dog with a stocky build and broad chest. Their tail is often curled and they always have a bowlegged appearance. The coat colors can range from liver, tan, black, white and a combination of colors.
One area where the English Bulldog is lacking is obedience training. This is because the English Bulldog is a rather stubborn breed that doesn’t follow instructions easily. Some attribute their unresponsiveness to mean the breed isn’t smart. The lack of response however, just means that they are very smart and prefer to think things all the way through before acting.
Unfortunately the popularity of the breed has increased the number of disreputable breeders who don’t focus on the dog’s temperament. Therefore, there has been an increase in aggression among the breed. The key to reducing this aggression is to only get your dog from reputable breeders and properly socialize them when they are young. With proper care and training your English Bulldog can live a long eight to ten years.
Your English Bulldog can live to be about eight to ten years with proper care and training. A health concern that you need to be aware of with the English Bulldog is heat illness which occurs if they are exposed to excessive environment temperatures and don’t have a way to quickly dissipate the heat.