Bulldog information

The Bulldog is one the world’s most famous dog breeds.  This small dog wears a short and smooth coat normally wrinkled on the face and body.  The distinctive facial feature of the breed is its liver-colored nose and droopy cheeks.  In appearance, it resembles the Boston Terrier and the Pug.  Its tail is short and low. The breed comes in different colors of red, white, fawn, pale yellow, brindle and washed-out red.  Most of them have occasional spots on the face and body.  The average weight of a typical bulldog in the US is 40 to 50 pounds.

The British or English Bulldog is actually the formal name for the dog breed which originated from Great Britain and can be traced as far as the mid 1500s.  A cross breed from the mastiff and the pug, the early versions of the bulldog was utilized for bull baiting, a gambling sport that involves a bulldog leaping unto a bull as it tries to suffocate the it.  This is where the name bulldog was derived from because the dog  was described to be aggressive enough to attack the bulls in the said combat arena.  Bull baiting, however was one of the inhumane practices prohibited by the law during the 19th century.

The bulldog is famous for its arrogant looks and droopy eyes that more or less reflect its stubbornness and laziness.  But despite its intimidating looks, it is among the most sweet-natured of dogs.   It is often referred to as a very affectionate and reliable companion.  They are also believed to be very gentle even with children.  But because they seem to be hungry all the time, they can sometimes be very possessive when it comes to food.  This is why kids should not be allowed to feed them or come near them when they are eating.  However, this possessiveness trait is also a reflection of its guarding behaviour which also makes bulldog a very good watch and guard dog.

Although they sport a very short coat, they are notorious shedders and would usually leave coat shedding everywhere.  They are also popular for their loud snoring, snorting, snuffling, grunting and wheezing.  They also have the tendency to drool a lot.  Like other mastiffs, they are also known to be slobs when eating and drinking and are also notorious for their gassiness as they usually emit foul-smelling gas.  Since most of them choose to just lie around, move slowly and would seldom bark or do any activity, they usually have the most health problems among dog breeds.  They usually have breathing problems, poor eyesight, heatstroke tendencies and gastric problems.  They are also most susceptible to other problems related to the skin, hip and knee.

As a result of the bulldog’s many health issues, they would expectedly have a short lifespan of only up to 8 years.   Also, since they have big heads, their pups are usually born of caesarean section because of the bulldog mother usually have difficulties in birth delivery. Despite these negative traits, the bulldog is considered one of the most expensive dog breeds.