The brave and powerful English Bulldog is both a good guard and an affectionate companion, and it’s very gentle with the children. In a word the Bulldog is a unique animal. Royal Canin took the next step: the in depth study of selected breeds showed the particular sensitivities that go well beyond size alone. A fully grown English Bulldog weighs around the same as a Collie or a Siberian Husky, but who would be so audacious as to say they are not all alike?
The variation between the brachycephalic Bulldog and the dolichocephalic Collie forces us to adapt the way the food is presented. Our aim has been to conceive a kibble that the dog can prehend easily; a kibble that it can eat without any problem. The English Bulldog is famed for calmness and adapting well to life indoors. That’s something that needs to be reflected in the energy content of its food, so that it is able to maintain the weight needed to stay healthy.
History English Bulldog-English Bulldog History
The Bulldog was originally specialized in bull baiting. Its task was to seize the bull by the nose and not let go. The first account of bull baiting comes from the town of Stamford in twelfth century England where bulls were chased across town by local butcher’s dogs. The foundations of the breed’s morphological selection go back to this time: a short, wide nose that allows the dog to breathe without having to let go of its prey, wrinkles around its neck to protect its vital organs, squat, solid limbs to provide stability and keep the dog out of the way of the bull’s horns.
Bull baiting was so widespread that every town had its own bullring, where fights would be staged. But as the centuries wore on, opposition to this cruel practice grew however and the British Parliament finally banned animal fights in 1835. An underground circuit continued to exist, but the gradual reduction in numbers of the Bulldog did not lead to its total extinction. Fortunately, some members of the British dog-fancy community were unwilling to lose a dog with such qualities that had become the country’s emblematic breed. Many breeders promoted the renaissance of the Bulldog, selecting specimens with a good character, while bringing out the dog’s musculature even more. A number of breeds were crossed with the English Bulldog to create new breeds like the Bullmastiff and the Bull Terrier.
The Bulldog has a central place in modern dog-fancy. Its standard was the first to be published back in 1876, on the initiative of the Bulldog Club, which was established in March 1875. In the meantime the Bulldog has become a sheep in wolf’s clothing: gruff and muscular on the outside, but gentle and friendly on the outside. Its balanced character, sociability and attachment to its human companion have become some of its foremost traits. The English Bulldog is highly affectionate with every member of the family, especially children. The English bulldog is loving at heart, although its brooding demeanor can intimidate strangers.
The Bulldog can discourage intruders and has a good guarding instinct, but it’s not a natural watchdog. However, it is very alert to everything that goes on around it and dominant over other dogs, even on their territory. It is a sturdy character and is headstrong. If it feels that it has been unjustly punished, it is capable of sulking for days on end. It needs to be trained very young, so as to understand the meaning of the word “no” as early as possible. The more experiences it has, the fewer quarrels it is likely to pick. The Bulldog’s popularity continues to increase and the explosion in demand has led to a doubling of the number of births in the past five years.
The English Bulldog must be imposing, but should never be fat. Its squat, compact stature is highly characteristic. It’s a large, powerful dog in spite of its weight, which puts it in the medium category. The AKC standard places the breed in the 51-55-pound bracket. The Bulldog’s ancestors used to bait bulls were the lightest, most agile specimens. Now a companion dog, its physical stature has developed greatly, and its gait too. The English Bulldog walks with short, quick steps on tiptoe, not lifting its hind legs, which seem to skim the ground. When the dog runs, the shoulders are pushed well forward.
The dog does need a minimum of activity if it is to avoid putting on weight. At least two walks
a day are recommended, though not in hot periods, especially when the dog has to spend time in the car before starting its walk. This breed cannot bear the heat as a consequence of its very short upper respiratory tract, which means the air has less time to cool down and humidify (Hendricks et al, 1993). On the other hand, the panting (or thermal polypnea) normally used by the dog to regulate internal temperature represents a major effort, because its air circulation is less straightforward than it is for other dogs. The English Bulldog is drained by the effort of combating the heat, and heavy respiration is an outward sign of that.
English Bulldog Standard
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