English Bulldog 101 – A Quick Guide About The Gentle Dog Breed

The English Bulldog may look like a sturdy dog with a ferocious look, but in actuality, it is a canine that is kind and affectionate. Also, the dog breed has courage in its personality, but it doesn’t mean that it will start a fight.

What English Bulldog Dog Breed Look Like?

English Bulldog walking at the park

One can identify a Bulldog by its medium-sized body that is low-slung set and short-muzzled head. The dog also has a broad chest and shoulders along with thick, sturdy limbs. The breed’s body is low to the ground, but the body tends to muscular and broad. The bottom jaw of the dog has teeth that stick out farther than its upper teeth. The dog’s jaws are strong and big; thus, they can latch on to their opponent without letting go. The legs of the English Bulldog give it a distinctive gait that is more like waddling than walking.

This dog breed is one of the favorite dog pets in the United States, though some people might not want this kind of dog. The canine’s popularity extends to its being a mascot of schools like Yale University and the University of Georgia. Even the United States Marines and England choose the dog to represent them.

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Overall Stats:

  • Type of dog breed: Companion dogs
  • Weight: Males are 51 to 55 lbs (23 to 25 kg), and females are 40 to 51 pounds (18 to 23 kg). The weight stats only apply to adult Bulldogs. Also, show dogs are 10 pounds heavier than the standard dog.
  • Height:1 foot to 1 foot and 3 inches tall at the dog’s shoulders.

English Bulldogs Origin

A casual glance at an English Bulldog breeds brings to the observer’s mind that this dog is aggressive and a fighting animal. The observer would be correct in his/her speculation if he/she were talking about the dog’s past.

England is where the dog originated. Bulldog breeds originally descended from mastiffs, which in turn were brought by the ancient Romans to the British Isles. The dog at that time had only one purpose: to be a fighting animal. English Bulldogs are the main participants in blood sports like bull baiting. The dog or bull (as well as any other dangerous animal that the dog fights) dies in such an event.

Laws that abolish blood sports gave the breed a reprieve from a life of bloody fighting. Eventually, some breeders decided to breed the dog as a pet companion. Today’s English Bulldog breeds are entirely different from their bullfighting ancestors. The dog still looks like its forebears, but it no longer has its ferociousness. Instead, the dog has a loving disposition towards its family and can be a sweet pet despite its ferocious looks. In addition to being a pet, the English Bulldog is also a favorite mascot for some groups.

White Happy Bulldog

The lifespan of English Bulldogs

The average life expectancy of this dog is usually 8 to 10 years. With proper care and a healthy environment, an English Bulldog can reach up to 12 years old. A dog’s lifespan is important, but it is also important that love and care fill its life.

The personality of English Bulldogs

Today’s Bulldog breeds are entirely different from their ancestors. The dog still has the courage of its ancestors, but it is also sweet, friendly, and is very loving to its family. The canine is an excellent watchdog, although it has a stubborn nature, and its appearance is more than enough to scare off intruders with bad intentions. The English Bulldog is not an active pet, but it tends to take things easy and is a friendly animal to familiar people. Another thing that makes this dog breed an ideal pet is its non-barking nature.

The personality of English Bulldog breeds often depends on several factors like training, socialization, and heredity. Training is essential in instilling discipline and obedience in the dog. Socialization will make the dog less prone to be suspicious of people that it is unfamiliar with it. Finally, being a purebred dog ensures that the dog’s personality is not naturally aggressive hence the importance of its hereditary background.

When training the dog breed, you must give it positive reinforcement and avoid beating the dog as a punishment. For socialization, you can bring the Bulldog along with you to parks, public establishments that allow pets, or just around your neighborhood.

Size

Males are 12 to 6 inches (31 to 40 cm) tall at the shoulders, while females are also 12 to 16 inches at the shoulders.

Health Issue of English Bulldogs

Some people may not know that Bulldog breeds have various health problems. Knowing what disease can afflict or affect a Bulldog is important to keep it healthy or at least mitigate those conditions. Here is a list of at least five health issues that plague this dog breed:

Some people may not know that English Bulldog breeds have various health problems. Knowing what disease can afflict or affect an English Bulldog is important to keep it healthy or at least mitigate those conditions. Here is a list of at least five health issues that plague this dog breed:

  1. Eye problems – Some examples of eye problems are the dry eye, which is a result of inadequate tear production, cherry eye in which the gland under the third eyelid sticks out, and entropion a condition that causes the eyelashes to turn inward and rub the eye.
  2. Hip dysplasia – An all too common affliction that you can find in any dog breeds. When a dog’s thigh bone doesn’t slide into the hip joint, then hip dysplasia occurs. This problem can cause lameness in a Bulldog, and if the problem is severe, surgery is the solution.
  3. Brachycephalic syndrome – Canines that have brachycephalic syndrome tend to snort or snuffle when breathing. The obstruction of the airways of a dog causes this problem. If your pet has labored or noisy breathing, then it may be experiencing this affliction.
  4. Patellar luxation – This problem occurs when a Bulldog’s femur (thigh bone), patella (knee cap), and tibia (calf) do not align with each other appropriately. Abnormal gait and lameness are results of patellar luxation. Patellar luxation can eventually lead to arthritis.
  5. Tail problem – Bulldogs, have tight tails that are inverted or screw types. The result of this kind of tail shape is that the tail becomes dirty, which can lead to bacterial infection and some skin problems. Cleaning the dog’s tail can quickly solve this issue.

Just because English Bulldog breeds have health problems does not automatically mean that they’re not suitable pets for you and your family. If you are willing to take time and effort to maintain a dog’s physical health, you can at least mitigate those afflictions. It also advisable that you go to a veterinarian to give your pet a checkup.

Essential Tips on How to Take Care of Your English Bulldog

Knowing how to take care of the physical well-being of your pet is a must if you want it to be healthy and active. Here are some helpful tips to aid you in your task:

  • English Bulldogs are indoor dogs, and they need a comfortable environment and a relaxing lifestyle to fit in.
  • Give the dog 15 minutes of play and then let it rest afterward.
  • To prevent unnecessary weight, you must walk the dog at least a mile or two
  • Alternatively, a brief stroll in your neighborhood or street is also a good exercise for it
  • Do not bring your pet in an environment with extremely cold or hot weather.
  • Do not let your pet go outdoors if it is an 85-degree temperature. This temperature can be lethal to the dog.
  • Put the dog in a cool environment to prevent it from getting a heat stroke. If the said environment has to air-condition, then it is the perfect place for the dog.
  • Always make sure that the Bulldog has access to freshwater to help alleviate the heat.
  • Brushing your pet’s teeth daily will get rid of bacteria and tartar. Alternatively, you do teeth cleaning at least two or three per week.
  • Always check for signs of rashes, infection or sores so that you can prevent them as soon as possible.
  • Give your pet a good ear cleaning. Gunk or wax that accumulates in the dog’s ears will cause it to go smelly.
  • A dog’s nose can become dry and flaky. Wash the nose thoroughly and apply some petroleum jelly to prevent it from drying and flaking.

Food and Feeding Tips

Food is essential to a Bulldog’s health since it contains various minerals and nutrients it needs for its body. See some tips on how to feed your dog below:

  • Avoid overfeeding since it can cause obesity and put physical stress on the canine’s joints.
  • The amount of food that Bull Dog breeds can eat varies from each dog. Take into account the age, size, metabolism, build, and activeness of the dog when feeding it.
  • Fresh, healthy, and high-quality foods are the ideal things to serve to the dog.
  • For your pet to get used to eating other foods like vegetables, try mixing them in its main meal. Alternatively, if your pet is still a puppy, feed it some veggies as soon as possible.
  • Try alternating the type of food you serve now and then. Some foods can be harmful to a dog if eaten day after day.
  • Remember that treats are not the main meals. Use them only when rewarding your pet for good behavior. The same thing goes for snacks.
  • Know first what kind of foods is suitable for your dog. Some foods that we humans eat are not healthy for dogs. Avoid those types of food.
  • If you are preparing homemade meals for your pet, then make sure that your hands are clean to prevent bacteria from contaminating the food.
  • The same process above also applies to raw foods. Additionally, just make sure that raw foods don’t have salmonella.
  • Choose carefully as to what dog food you buy in supermarkets or stores. Make sure that the dog food is legit and avoid the economy types since they lack the necessary minerals along with nutrients.
  • Make sure that a puppy’s weaning period is over before feeding it solid foods.
  • A Bulldog is a greedy eater, unfortunately, and if you give them a chance, they will eat more than they can handle. Keeping an eye out on the dog’s food intake is a must.

Check Our Guide About

  1. The Best Dog Food For American Bulldog (Adult & Dry Food)

Grooming/Color

It is a good thing that Bulldogs don’t shed that too much hair since it makes collecting their shed hair easy. Though your pet may not have that much hair, you still need to give it a brushing at more than once a week. Brushing will reduce the number of hairs that sometimes stick to furniture or clothes. Use a brush with firm bristles when brushing the dog’s coat.

A Bulldog’s facial wrinkles need cleaning every day. Use a damp cloth to wipe the dog’s face and clean the interior of the lines. After cleaning the wrinkles, make sure that to dry them completely. If there is some irritation inside the wrinkles, use an ointment to soothe the irritation. However, you need a recommendation as to what ointment to use from a vet.

If the nails of the dog grow too long, then it is time to clip them. Nail care for your pet is essential, so trimming those nails once or twice a month is a requirement. On the other hand, there are times that you need to cut those nails immediately. If your pet is making clicking sounds on the floor when moving, it’s a sure indication that those nails need cutting at once.

The dog’s coat has a beautiful texture hair that is short and straight as well smooth and glossy to the touch. The skin is loose and soft, especially on the canine’s head, neck, and shoulders. Bulldog breeds have a variety of colors in their coats, and those coats need some grooming as well.

You can see colors like brindles (especially red brindle) along with solid colors like a solid fawn or solid white. There are also colors such as fawn, fallow, yellow-red, pale yellow, pale cream, and light fawn. Piebald, which are large patches of two or colors, is also present in a Bulldog’s coat. The color solid black is either rare or uncommon, and although it is not a common color, only a few people like it.

FAQS About English Bulldogs

Are English Bulldogs Safe for Children?

This question is an excellent one since some people are at best wary of letting their kids play with a Bulldog. Despite their looks, Bull Dog breeds have pleasant personalities and affectionate nature. In fact, the dog breed is friendly to children as well as being an excellent pet companion.

Sometimes when kids play with the dog, things can go rough for the latter. Often kids will pull the dog’s tail or mess around with their ears. The dog can only endure this rough playing for so long until it walks away. Hence it is important to teach the children how to approach and touch the pet. Also, kids must know never to try and take food from the dog, and they should even never approach as well as disturb a dog’s sleep. Finally, adult supervision is a must for the dog when it is interacting with kids.

A Bulldog is not sociable to strange dogs, but due to their gentle nature, it can get along with familiar dogs and other pets.

Rescue Groups

It is a sad fact of life that a Bulldog owner will abandon or give up often his/her pet. Some reasons for abandoning is due to the owner having no idea or understanding on how to take of this dog breed. Things like the death of the owner and divorce are some of the reasons for abandonment.

Thankfully there rescue groups that dedicate themselves to helping abandoned Bulldogs. Here are some rescue groups that you find a dog to adopt or at least foster:

  1. Bulldog Rescue Network – This rescue group has many members nationwide in the United States. They accept dogs whose owners can no longer care for them, and they rehabilitate the animal. The group also screens applicants who want to adopt and provide them info about taking care of this dog breed.
  2. Lone Star Bulldog Rescue – Dallas-Fort Worth is the area where this rescue group operates. Lone Star Bulldog Rescue does it best to make sure that the family adopting the dog are both compatible with each other. The process takes time, but it is necessary to ensure that the Bulldog has a happy home.
  3. South Carolina Bulldog Rescue – This group provides re-homing assistance, shelter, and medical treatments to Bulldogs. They will accept dogs whose owners are willing to surrender them.

English Bulldog Pictures

Happy Bulldog With Hat

Cute English Bulldog

English Bulldog #2

One of the advantages of taking in an adult dog is that it has gone through obedience training, and you don’t have to endure its destructive puppy stage.

Hopefully, the information has helped you decide if you want an English Bulldog as a pet for you and your family. Before getting such a dog, find a breeder who has a reputation for breeding quality English Bulldogs. Steer clear of puppy mills, pet stores, and backyard breeders who only have dogs or puppies of inferior quality.

If you want a dog with a gentle personality, loves kids, and require little activity (aside from exercise), then this dog is suitable for you. There is one important to remember concerning your pet: give it lots of love, take good care of it and make sure it is happy in your home.