What to know about the English bulldog breed: one of Britain’s iconic dogs, it immediately won everyone’s sympathy. Despite its distant origins as a fighting dog in the arenas, it is a very affectionate, lazy and reserved animal. Let us discover its main characteristics.
General description
The Bulldog loves living indoors. It shows excellent affection towards its family and children and can react calmly to the presence of a stranger. However, it must be cared for regarding health, and its coat must be kept under observation.
The English bulldog needs reasonable daily exercise and should be limited in food intake. The breed standard describes it as follows: It combines the impression of determination, strength, and activity. It is intelligent, bold, loyal, obedient, brave, proud-looking, but affectionate.
Appearance and Attributes
The English Bulldog is a short-haired breed. It is a relatively stocky dog, short in stature, broad, powerful and compact. The head is prominent for its size but not excessive to the point of altering the general symmetry, making the dog look deformed, or interfering with its ability to move.
The muzzle is broad, truncated and turned slightly upwards, but not excessively. The body is relatively short and well built, with strong, well-muscled limbs, without any tendency to obesity. The hindquarters are also strong. Males are more developed and more significant than females.
Physical characteristics permitted by the standard:
- Height: 31 to 40 cm
- Weight: 24 to 25 kg
- Longevity: 8 to 10 years
- Colours: black, silver, fiery
- Fur: short, smooth and soft to the touch
- Coat: mottled white or fawn-white, but never black.
Price and maintenance
The price of an English Bulldog puppy is challenging and high (ranging from £3100 to £3700). Buying a puppy only from serious and conscientious breeders is essential to ensure its origin and health.
The Bulldog’s Achilles heel is, without a shadow of a doubt, its health and the development of certain diseases, and the danger of these must be a central point in the regular care of this breed and the safe purchase.
The English Bulldog is a demanding dog, also in economic terms. The initial purchase of the puppy also requires periodic veterinary check-ups and an excellent-quality diet.
Pros and cons of the English Bulldog breed
Top 5 characteristics:
- Utmost affection for the family
- Very friendly with children
- Quite tolerant in emotional temperament
- Very suitable as a first dog
- Can be left alone for a few hours
The five most problematic characteristics:
- Does not tolerate hot environments
- He does not like the cold at all.
- Low energy level
- Low tendency to hunt prey
- Tendency to gain weight if it does not exercise
Character and sociability
The English Bulldog enjoys relaxing and reflecting on life’s big questions much more than running around in a field. At certain times, he may decide to indulge in a walk. But, despite all the Bulldog’s pleasure from enjoying his home, he should not be left alone for too long like all dogs.
We are dealing with a calm breed that takes life with an almost Zen-like attitude. The Bulldog is a pleasant surprise because it can react confidently regarding emotional temperament without particular headaches. It can put up with everything very well and respond effectively to its owner’s calls but takes offence if they are a little more forceful.
The family is the Bulldog’s true home. This dog loves being close to family members, and being close to them during the day gives him great satisfaction. He is an excellent companion who can be discreet in his outpourings, although he is perpetually playful and always present. The owner of an English Bulldog will always be very attentive to the psychological aspect because this breed is susceptible despite its sullen appearance.
The Bulldog’s great self-control is part of its genetic makeup. People with more than a few forms of anxiety towards dogs generally will appreciate the great calmness in the Bulldog’s welcome. It has good sociability with strangers who pose no danger and welcomes everyone with joy after the first sniff of acquaintance.
History might identify the English Bulldog as a particularly unsociable breed towards other dogs, but this is untrue. On the contrary, the Bulldog is a playful dog that loves contact with other animals and must be very polite towards them. Therefore, early socialisation will benefit from friendship with all other animals. It should be noted, however, that the English Bulldog prefers the company of its owner to any other companion.
If the Bulldog is welcomed into a home with a comfortable sofa, a couple of good meals a day and the reciprocated love of a family, nothing will be able to move him from there. There are no problems with a dog that develops its daily routine in a quiet shared space. A low fence around one’s home will sufficiently contain any Bulldog’s urge to escape.
The Bulldog has a compelling bite when used to defend a member of its family or to defend itself during an aggression against it. In contrast, the Bulldog does not use this ‘weapon’ in daily interaction. Instead, it is a confident dog, even with strangers, using bites only when necessary.
The English Bulldog is not a hunting dog and tends to enjoy sharing interactions with other animals. It is a tame dog that can prey on very few headshots. There is no desire to hunt different animals or chase prey in its DNA, so it is also suitable for owners who already own other animals.
The Bulldog does not tend to bark if there is no reason. This is because it has an intelligent guard and goes out of its way to warn when necessary, i.e. when strangers or other animals arrive in its territory. Therefore, it does not tend to howl. When you hear his modulated voice, however, you should make sure of the reason.
His daily life is regularly and unequivocally marked. He is not a dog capable of developing high energy levels, and any attempt on the owner’s part in the opposite direction to this attitude may prove to be a washout. However, this should not be an excuse for allowing this dog to live an exaggeratedly sedentary life. A little daily exercise will enable the Bulldog to keep fit.
Little energy but sufficient vigour in the moments that count. As far as meekness is concerned, the Bulldog asserts itself among the champions. It is indeed a meek and patient dog with an innate intelligence that makes it respect the parameters of a life that is indeed sedentary but full of great satisfaction when it comes to gentleness and affection.
Play is not his primary occupation; if stimulated, he can respond somewhat effectively. This type of interaction can also be developed as an efficient way to get him moving. Any excuse is good to keep a Bulldog active. When this dog is interested in interacting, he can develop activities that are very enjoyable and satisfying for him and the family.
Intelligence and training of the English bulldog breed
The English Bulldog needs no special attention during training, as it naturally tends to moderate certain behaviours that may be undesirable during its development. It is a docile and curious dog, rather touchy if not appropriately treated, so its training will be based on gentle socialisation and education. Firmly in love with its owner, it will not be a serial executor of his wishes. It is enough for the Bulldog to be polite and respectful so that you can have a happy and fulfilled companion.
Relationship with children
As with all family members, the Bulldog has a very formal but affectionate approach to children. In general, the bulldog is not a dog that likes to develop varied interactions with small children, but he can be great company when in the mood. The speciality of this dog is the excellent care and attention it can reserve for the smallest members of the family. A type of inclination that is not always easy to find in dogs. In Great Britain, it is nicknamed ‘the nurse dog’.
health
This breed, despite at first sight appearing to be a bit on its own, loves cuddles and caresses. So if you let him live with you at home, you will often find him beside you for company.
We are dealing with a calm breed that takes life with an almost Zen-like attitude. The Bulldog is a pleasant surprise because it can show great confidence in its character and emotional temperament without any particular headaches. It can handle everything well and respond effectively to its owner’s calls, but it takes offence if they are more forceful.
Environments with relatively high temperatures and high humidity can cause the Bulldog to suffer noticeably. A dog with these physical characteristics must be precisely controlled during the hottest periods of the year. Unique strategies must be developed to allow it to cool down at these times, such as placing a small pool outside.
The Bulldog was, until recently, a breed with very fragile health. Not to the detriment of morphology, breeders worked hard to ensure that the most apparent pathologies were downhill. The result has improved in recent years, and the English bulldog is now in average health compared to other breeds. Nevertheless, the English Bulldog may suffer from dysplasia, soft palate, demodectic mange, interdigital cysts, cyclic flank alopecia, ingrown tail and eye diseases. The careful owner, however, will know how to keep his Bulldog healthy by having him periodically visited for a check-up by a veterinary expert in the breed.
A worrying problem for Bulldogs is their tendency to gain weight. This breed has no enviable figure from its first months and is characterised by a strong structure. Tending to a relatively sedentary life, the Bulldog owner’s challenge will be finding a perfect balance between nutrition and exercise.
Caring for the English Bulldog Breed
The Bulldog’s physical structure in the jaw area is that of a dog that may develop relatively ineffective drool containment. As a result, it may have more critical losses during hot weather when the mouth remains perpetually open as a matter of dynamics. However, preferring this breed will not be an obstacle, as it is a shortcoming that will not put off those who like cuddly and playful dogs and those with great personalities.
grooming
Like all dogs, the English Bulldog undergoes two annual moults, during which it is helpful to use a hair remover glove or carder to speed up the replacement. A bath at the beginning of the moults will help keep the skin in excellent condition and the new coat regrowing. As the hair is silky and very short, if care is taken to follow the instructions, hair loss will not significantly impact carpets, clothes and sofas.
Of course, regular grooming and daily attention to specific body areas must be ensured. Thus, the mouth area must be checked after meals, the tail area after daily outings, and the ears must be inspected at least weekly. An occasional bath and using a hair remover glove or carder will keep the coat and skin tidy and well-groomed.
Exercising the English Bulldog
With the Bulldog, you must bring out a personal trainer’s talent. This can be a real challenge for this breed. First, the passive dog likes a quiet life and a relaxed everyday routine. Second, exercise is essential for its health and figure. So arm yourself with patience, and do not allow it to develop a life characterised by idleness and bingeing.
Buying advice
The English Bulldog is a dog that adores balanced life. This place is somewhat its ‘kingdom’ in that a Bulldog in the home acts like a king, always lying on his throne, be it a carpet, an armchair or a sofa. It is a dog that does not need large spaces for its daily life. But, of course, he also needs to move around not to accumulate excess weight.
This dog loves being indoors, close to its owner. It is very suitable as a first dog because it is playful and good-natured. The Bulldog is a knowledgeable dog, which hardly needs to be taught anything as it is a calm dog with an excellent temperament. However, the owner of a Bulldog will have to pay close attention to health requirements, which are relatively poor in the breed.
English Bulldog Club and other links to sources:
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