According to many
historians, the bulldog breeds originate form the fighting dog breeds of the Greek
Molossian dogs and the “pugnace britannicci” of British origins. However, it was
not until the year 1632 when the word bulldog was first mentioned in writing in
a letter from San Sebastian, Spain. In that letter, the word bulldog was used
to refer to those fighting dogs that are smaller than the mastiff.
In the
beginning, the bulldog has been used primarily for bull baiting because of its
capacity to bite strongly and do not let go of the nose of the bull. Technically,
the general built of the bulldog is such that it can actually hang on to its prey
with such ferocity and do not let go. If you take a look at a bulldog, you will
notice that it has a short and wide nose that allows it to breath even when its
mouth is latched on its prey. The wrinkles around its neck are very suitable in
protecting its vital organs during a fight. Furthermore, the squat solid limbs
of the bulldog gives it stability and help it keep out of the harms way when the
bull tries to retaliate during a fight.
The Bulldog As A Bullfighter
In
the 17th and 18th century, bullfighting was very popular that almost very town
have their own bullring where they hold some bullfighting activity. Unfortunately,
as the bulldog was seen as a suitable bullfighter, most people began keeping bulldogs
for bullfighting purposes. This cruelty to animals went on for many years that
all over the world, bulldogs became few in the long run. Thankfully, the British
parliament passed a law that banned animal fighting, as it is a form of cruelty
towards animals. However, although the law has been passed, there are still some
underground organizations that still continue to use the bulldog for animal fighting.
Luckily, animal fighting did not drive the bulldog into extinction.
Some
of the members of the British dog fancy community helped in promoting the renaissance
of the bulldog. These dog lovers selected specimens of bulldog characters and
used it to breed a new type of bulldog, which are the bullmastiff and the bull
terrier. As more and more people come to view the bulldog not just as a fighting
dog, the bulldog is now seen in another light. People begin to see the bulldog
as a sheep in a wolf’s coat. Although the bulldog may appear to be ferocious in
the outside, it is actually very good tempered and kind in the inside. In fact,
over the years, the bulldog has been viewed with more respect especially on its
courageous nature and loyalty to its owner. For more about bulldog
temperament, please read separate article.
Attention: To discover how
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get a copy of this Bulldog Guide
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