This entry was posted on 2014-07-28 by Schalk.

Personality and Temperament

The English Bulldog has quite an intimidating appearance but is said to be one of the gentlest. This is a great characteristic to have, as it allows the English Bulldog to scare off any intruders. It is very reliable, courageous and loving. It does well with children. It is also known to be a very determined and tenacious breed that doesn’t stand down easily.

The English Bulldog enjoys human attention and requires a lot of it to be happy. It can also tend to be dominating and will require a strong leader who understands alpha canine behavior to guide him. The English Bulldog is the ideal pet if its place is clearly defined and understood within the human pack. It can easily get along with other pets that my live in the house but may be aggressive towards strange dogs.

Young English Bulldogs have lots of energy but this will decrease with age. It tends to snore very loudly and are grubby eaters that like to salivate and slobber. If you find you’re English Bulldog guarding things in the house like food, furniture, certain spots in the house, toys or being aggressive to other dogs, then their isn’t a human acting as its pack leader. This will only occur if you have allowed your English Bulldog to take over. The owner can fix this behavior by assuming the proper position of leader. Dogs that know they are human followers are much happier then those who feel obligated to manage the house. This is because it’s very demanding for a dog to have to try and keep the family in line.

Traits

•    Other names: Bulldog, British Bulldog
•    Weight: Males: 24 – 25 kg, Females: 22 – 23 kg
•    Height: 31 - 40 cm
•    Coat: Flat, short, straight, silky and shiny.
•    Colour: Solid white, red brindle, solid red, fawn, shades of brindle, white, fallow, piebald, washed out yellow, light red.
•    Litter size: 4 - 5 puppies (As the breed has a large head a caesarian section is often needed)
•    Life span: About 8 years

Physical Characteristics

The English Bulldog which is medium in size, has a broad, tight body and short legs. Both the head and body are huge; there is additional skin that falls into folds on the forehead and skull. The muzzle, which has a broad deep stop, is pug and short. The nose has large nostrils and is black and broad. It has dark deep-set eyes and thin small ears that are positioned high on its head. It has huge jaws, with hanging top lips and the teeth should consist of a under bite. The tail can either be screwed or straight and is set low to the ground. The coat is flat, short and straight with a silky and shiny texture. The coat comes in many different colours namely; solid white, red brindle, solid red, fawn, shades of brindle, white, fallow, piebald, washed out yellow, light red.

Care

The English Bulldog has a natural tendency to want to migrate and therefore you’ll need to take him on walks every day in order to fulfill this need. It is more likely to have behavior issues if this need isn’t met. You need to make sure that when you take your English Bulldog for walks, he must heel behind or beside you. If you allow the dog to walk in front of you, you are implying that he is the leader and you need to be the leader. Make a point of teaching your English Bulldog to enter and exit all doors after the human. If you give your English Bulldog the required amount of exercise it will be able to sprint quickly for short intervals.

As the English Bulldog is pretty inactive indoors its suited for apartment life and will do fine without a garden as it enjoy being indoors. Mild climates are the best for this breed as it gets cold easily and takes a while to cool down in hot temperatures.

This is a relatively easy breed to groom; a firm bristled comb/brush and a bath now and again will meet its grooming requirements. To make sure that the wrinkles on its face stay clean wipe them with a wet cloth daily.

Health

This breed is prone to breathing problems and some have even been said to have small trachea's. Susceptible to eyesight problems, cherry eye. It is very prone to heatstroke in warm conditions or if left in a car, or hot room for a period of time. It is also very sensitive to the cold and prone to mast cell tumors. There has also been evidence of birth defects in some lines. Prone to skin illness, knee and hip difficulty. Can get flatulence, especially if you give your English Bulldog food that is different to its usual diet.

Often puppies are delivered via a caesarian section because of myth stating that the English Bulldogs head is very large. Others claim that the head of a puppy English Bulldog is basically the same size of any other kind of breed and that because of this myth people have been scared to try and deliver the puppies naturally. Increasing the risk of a caesarian section some English Bulldogs may have weak labors.

History & Background

The English Bulldog which is descended from the ancient Asiatic Mastiff originated in the British Isles. The name “Bull” was given to the dog because its appearance is similar to that of a small bull and for its participation in bull baiting. The English Bulldog was able to assault a full grown bull displaying characteristics of brutality, aggression, and courage. It's strategy was to attack from the bottom while aiming for the neck, which made it hard for the Bull to defend itself. In the 19th century they banned the practice by law. The English Bulldog today don’t quite share the same disposition but is still very well know for its powerful determination.

Nutrition

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