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Bulldog

The bulldog descends from dogs used for bull-baiting in England until the practice was banned in 1835.

What survived was bred deliberately away from aggression, and within a few generations the breed had become a companion — a rare case of a temperament being turned around on purpose.

Modern bulldogs are thickset and low, with a broad shoulder, a short muzzle and heavy facial folds. They are affectionate, stubborn and famously unbothered. They are also a breed where conformation and health pull hard against each other, and that is the single most important thing to understand before taking one on.

Origin
England
Size
18–25 kg, 31–40 cm at the shoulder
Lifespan
8–10 years
Coat
Short, smooth and fine
Temperament
Placid, obstinate, affectionate, low-energy
Exercise
Two short gentle walks daily, out of the heat

Related: Alapaha blue blood bulldog · American bulldog · French bulldog

3 bulldog photos, newest first

Bulldog feed
  • Tank, a bulldog

    Tank

    Tank stands in front of the sprinkler and waits for it to come round again. Every time.

    FrostyOtter · 6 days ago

  • Cobweb IV, a bulldog

    Cobweb IV

    Cobweb IV was promoted to pastry chef confronting a leaning cake; unfortunately, a ribbon spool rolls across the entire set.

    FrostyOtter · 1 week ago

  • Cobweb IV, a bulldog

    Cobweb IV

    Cobweb IV has opinions about the weather.

    GentleFinch · 2 weeks ago

Living with a bulldog

Clean and dry the facial folds and the tail pocket regularly; damp skin folds go sore quickly and are the most common day-to-day problem.

Breathing is the serious issue. Most bulldogs have some degree of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, and heat is genuinely dangerous — they cannot pant efficiently, cannot swim, and can collapse in conditions another dog would find mild. Never exercise one hard in warm weather.

Hip dysplasia is near-universal in the breed, cherry eye and entropion are common, and most bulldogs are born by caesarean. Keeping weight strictly under control eases nearly all of it.

General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.

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