ALL ABOUT BULLDOGS
Today's bulldog has a very different temperament from those of his ancestors. Although the
English Bulldog's appearance can be somewhat intimidating, it is among the gentlest of
dogs. Strangers will probably keep a distance because of their fierce-looking demeanor, but
friends and family will fall in love with him. Bulldogs are described as very affectionate, and
dependable. Bulldogs are very much a "people" breed: A lot of human attention is required
for the breed's happiness. Generally, the Bulldog is a quiet, even tempered pet. He does not
bounce, dig, or bark a lot. He is easy to take care of, loyal, and will love the entire family
(although he will probably have a favorite). When Bulldogs are young, they are full of energy,
but slow down as they get older. Unfortunately, because bulldogs are quiet and happy to
lounge around in the sun all day, people tend to think that they don't need exercise. Exercise
is very important if you want to have a happy healthy adult dog. Adults do not require a lot of
vigorous exercise -- walking your dog regularly, and playing with them occasionally, should
be sufficient. If left to their devices, even in a very spacious yard, bulldogs will probably not
run around; they will wait for someone to come outside and play with them.
No one could ever complete the sentence “I like a Bulldog best because…” in twenty-five
words or less- the advantages of this breed are far too many. A Bulldog’s good nature is as
proverbial as a Bulldog’s appearance—we almost said beauty. It is beauty when you get
used to it, for a good Bulldog makes any other type of dog look “wrong!” Ask a veterinarian
for his choice of the ideal dog for children. He’ll say, “The Bulldog is one of the gentlest”.
He never starts a fight; he doesn’t have to. He never gets his owner in trouble by being
aggressive, as “peace—or else” is his motto. He assumes that every man or dog is as
friendly as he, not realizing the sobering effect of his countenance upon both man and
beast. But let either start anything, and it is just too bad. The very fact that a 50 pound
Bulldog does not rush forward snarling, but comes rolling in, slowly, silently, with an air of
unflinching determination, is awesome. Children will fling themselves upon him, hug him
breathless, pull his ears, dress him in their play clothes—and bask in his toothy smile.
Bulldogs love to ride in anything---train, auto, boat, or airplane, and are rarely carsick,
providing you take such simple precautions as not feeding just before a ride.
The Bulldog is a medium sized, smooth-coated animal whose appearance and attitude
should display stability, vigor, and strength. According to the Standard, the Bulldog’s
disposition should be kind and courageous, never vicious nor aggressive, and his demeanor
and expression should be dignified and peaceful. The size for adult males is about 50
pounds; for mature females, about 40 pounds.
Broad, sturdy, and strong, the correct Bulldog should have a low and short legged
appearance. The shoulders are heavy and muscular, the back short and strong, and the loin
area comparatively narrow. The chest should be broad and deep; and the sides full, with
well rounded ribs. The belly should be tucked up.
The Bulldog’s forelegs should be short, stout, and straight; they should be muscular, and the
calves well developed. The forelegs should present a bowed outline; however, the bones of
the legs should not be bandy, nor should the feet be brought to close together. The hind
legs should also be strong, straight, and short; and the stifles should turn outward slightly,
away6 from the body. Bulldog feet should be medium-sized and compact. The front feet
may be straight or may turn out slightly; the hind feet, however, should definitely point
outward.
The gait of the Bulldog should seem loose-jointed and shuffling. This sidewise movement is
peculiar to the Bulldog and is called the “roll”. This action must be free and vigorous.
The Bulldog neck is short, thick, and strong; it is well arched at the back. The skin should be
soft and loose all over the Bulldog, but especially so at the head, neck, and shoulders. The
head and face are to be covered with heavy wrinkles; at the throat, from jaw to chest, there
should be two loose folds which form the dewlap.
The skull should be large; in circumference, in front of the ears, it should be measure at least
the height of the dog at the shoulders. From the front, the skull should appear broad and
square; from the side it should appear very high and very short from the point of the nose to
the occiput. The forehead should be flat and not too prominent. Cheeks should be well
rounded; they should protrude outward and sideways beyond the eyes. The temples should
be well defined and square, creating a groove between the eyes. This groove (or stop)
should be broad and deep, extending up the middle of the forehead to the top of the skull.
The eyes should be situated low in the skull, as far from the ears as possible the corners
should be in a straight line at right angles with the stop. The eyes should be round, of
moderate size, and dark in color. They should be neither sunken nor bulging. The eyelid
should not show any haw.
Bulldog ears are set high in the head, as far from the eyes as possible, and are placed far
apart. They are small and thin, and the “rose ear” shape is most desirable. The ears should
not be carried erect, nor buttoned or prick-eared, and they should never be cropped.
The face of the Bulldog should be extremely short, with a short and broad muzzle. The nose
should be large, broad, and black its tip is set back deeply between the eyes. Nostrils
should be large, wide, and black, with a well-defined line between them. The Bulldog nose
should always be black; a brown or liver nose disqualifies. The chops (or flews) should be
thick, broad, and deep, completely overhanging the lower jaw on each side. They join the
lower lip in front and cover the teeth, which would scarcely be noticeable when the mouth is
closed. Jaws are massive, broad, square, and undershot ( the lower jaw projects
considerably in front of the upper jaw and turns upward). The teeth should be large and
strong; the canines are wide apart, and the six small teeth in front, between the canines, are
in an even row.
The Bulldog coat should be straight, short, and flat; it has a fine texture and is smooth and
glossy. It has no fringe, feather, or curl. The coat color should be uniform and brilliant. The
colors are preferred in this order: red brindle; all other brindles; solid white; solid red, fawn,
or fallow; piebald; inferior qualities of any preceding coat color (e.g., a perfect piebald is
preferable to muddy brindle or poor solid color). Solid black is undesirable, but is not so
objectionable if it occurs to a moderate degree in piebald patches. Brindles should have
fine, even distribution of the composite colors. In solids and brindles, a small white patch on
the chest is not considered detrimental. In piebalds, color patches should be well defined, of
pure color, and should be distributed symmetrically.
The Bulldog tail may be straight or screwed (but never curved or curly); it must be short,
hung low with a downward carriage, and must have a thick root and fine tip. The straight tail
should be cylindrical and should be tapered uniformly. The screwed tail should have well-
defined bends or kinks; these may be abrupt or knotty, but no portion should be elevated
above the base or root.
Today's bulldog has a very different temperament from those of his ancestors. Although the
English Bulldog's appearance can be somewhat intimidating, it is among the gentlest of
dogs. Strangers will probably keep a distance because of their fierce-looking demeanor, but
friends and family will fall in love with him. Bulldogs are described as very affectionate, and
dependable. Bulldogs are very much a "people" breed: A lot of human attention is required
for the breed's happiness. Generally, the Bulldog is a quiet, even tempered pet. He does not
bounce, dig, or bark a lot. He is easy to take care of, loyal, and will love the entire family
(although he will probably have a favorite). When Bulldogs are young, they are full of energy,
but slow down as they get older. Unfortunately, because bulldogs are quiet and happy to
lounge around in the sun all day, people tend to think that they don't need exercise. Exercise
is very important if you want to have a happy healthy adult dog. Adults do not require a lot of
vigorous exercise -- walking your dog regularly, and playing with them occasionally, should
be sufficient. If left to their devices, even in a very spacious yard, bulldogs will probably not
run around; they will wait for someone to come outside and play with them.
No one could ever complete the sentence “I like a Bulldog best because…” in twenty-five
words or less- the advantages of this breed are far too many. A Bulldog’s good nature is as
proverbial as a Bulldog’s appearance—we almost said beauty. It is beauty when you get
used to it, for a good Bulldog makes any other type of dog look “wrong!” Ask a veterinarian
for his choice of the ideal dog for children. He’ll say, “The Bulldog is one of the gentlest”.
He never starts a fight; he doesn’t have to. He never gets his owner in trouble by being
aggressive, as “peace—or else” is his motto. He assumes that every man or dog is as
friendly as he, not realizing the sobering effect of his countenance upon both man and
beast. But let either start anything, and it is just too bad. The very fact that a 50 pound
Bulldog does not rush forward snarling, but comes rolling in, slowly, silently, with an air of
unflinching determination, is awesome. Children will fling themselves upon him, hug him
breathless, pull his ears, dress him in their play clothes—and bask in his toothy smile.
Bulldogs love to ride in anything---train, auto, boat, or airplane, and are rarely carsick,
providing you take such simple precautions as not feeding just before a ride.
The Bulldog is a medium sized, smooth-coated animal whose appearance and attitude
should display stability, vigor, and strength. According to the Standard, the Bulldog’s
disposition should be kind and courageous, never vicious nor aggressive, and his demeanor
and expression should be dignified and peaceful. The size for adult males is about 50
pounds; for mature females, about 40 pounds.
Broad, sturdy, and strong, the correct Bulldog should have a low and short legged
appearance. The shoulders are heavy and muscular, the back short and strong, and the loin
area comparatively narrow. The chest should be broad and deep; and the sides full, with
well rounded ribs. The belly should be tucked up.
The Bulldog’s forelegs should be short, stout, and straight; they should be muscular, and the
calves well developed. The forelegs should present a bowed outline; however, the bones of
the legs should not be bandy, nor should the feet be brought to close together. The hind
legs should also be strong, straight, and short; and the stifles should turn outward slightly,
away6 from the body. Bulldog feet should be medium-sized and compact. The front feet
may be straight or may turn out slightly; the hind feet, however, should definitely point
outward.
The gait of the Bulldog should seem loose-jointed and shuffling. This sidewise movement is
peculiar to the Bulldog and is called the “roll”. This action must be free and vigorous.
The Bulldog neck is short, thick, and strong; it is well arched at the back. The skin should be
soft and loose all over the Bulldog, but especially so at the head, neck, and shoulders. The
head and face are to be covered with heavy wrinkles; at the throat, from jaw to chest, there
should be two loose folds which form the dewlap.
The skull should be large; in circumference, in front of the ears, it should be measure at least
the height of the dog at the shoulders. From the front, the skull should appear broad and
square; from the side it should appear very high and very short from the point of the nose to
the occiput. The forehead should be flat and not too prominent. Cheeks should be well
rounded; they should protrude outward and sideways beyond the eyes. The temples should
be well defined and square, creating a groove between the eyes. This groove (or stop)
should be broad and deep, extending up the middle of the forehead to the top of the skull.
The eyes should be situated low in the skull, as far from the ears as possible the corners
should be in a straight line at right angles with the stop. The eyes should be round, of
moderate size, and dark in color. They should be neither sunken nor bulging. The eyelid
should not show any haw.
Bulldog ears are set high in the head, as far from the eyes as possible, and are placed far
apart. They are small and thin, and the “rose ear” shape is most desirable. The ears should
not be carried erect, nor buttoned or prick-eared, and they should never be cropped.
The face of the Bulldog should be extremely short, with a short and broad muzzle. The nose
should be large, broad, and black its tip is set back deeply between the eyes. Nostrils
should be large, wide, and black, with a well-defined line between them. The Bulldog nose
should always be black; a brown or liver nose disqualifies. The chops (or flews) should be
thick, broad, and deep, completely overhanging the lower jaw on each side. They join the
lower lip in front and cover the teeth, which would scarcely be noticeable when the mouth is
closed. Jaws are massive, broad, square, and undershot ( the lower jaw projects
considerably in front of the upper jaw and turns upward). The teeth should be large and
strong; the canines are wide apart, and the six small teeth in front, between the canines, are
in an even row.
The Bulldog coat should be straight, short, and flat; it has a fine texture and is smooth and
glossy. It has no fringe, feather, or curl. The coat color should be uniform and brilliant. The
colors are preferred in this order: red brindle; all other brindles; solid white; solid red, fawn,
or fallow; piebald; inferior qualities of any preceding coat color (e.g., a perfect piebald is
preferable to muddy brindle or poor solid color). Solid black is undesirable, but is not so
objectionable if it occurs to a moderate degree in piebald patches. Brindles should have
fine, even distribution of the composite colors. In solids and brindles, a small white patch on
the chest is not considered detrimental. In piebalds, color patches should be well defined, of
pure color, and should be distributed symmetrically.
The Bulldog tail may be straight or screwed (but never curved or curly); it must be short,
hung low with a downward carriage, and must have a thick root and fine tip. The straight tail
should be cylindrical and should be tapered uniformly. The screwed tail should have well-
defined bends or kinks; these may be abrupt or knotty, but no portion should be elevated
above the base or root.
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