| The Old English Bulldog: Everyone's friend | |||||||
| by BUDDY AMATO | |||||||
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The Old English bulldog has its roots in the 19th century and is originally, not surprisingly, from England. It is the ‘first member’ of the “bull family,” which includes the bull mastiff, the bull terrier, the mastiff, the boxer, the French bulldog and dogo Argentino, among others. There is an argument by many bulldog enthusiasts that the pug has a rightful place in this family, based not only on its appearance but also because of its contribution to the ‘bull bloodline,’ but that is another column. Old English bulldogs began their existence, as a breed, as ‘bull baiters’ in the 1700s. There are references to earlier bulldogs, stretching back to the 17th century, but those records are not as firm as ones a hundred or so years later. As hard as it is to fathom today, people created bulldogs to literally fight bulls. They started as fighting dogs and many of the attributes that people find so lovable today about them had darker purposes. For example, the jaws of the bulldog were developed to be powerful. So, once a bulldog latched onto its prey, it was a chore to shake them off. Similarly, the face of the dog was bred to be pushed in, so it would have greater access to its opponent to be able to bite. And, the wrinkled cheeks of the bulldog were intended to be gutters for blood from its opponent to run down its face, while not obstructing its vision. They were gladiators who fought in a ring and their well-muscled bodies (yes, there are muscles beneath all those wrinkles) are very strong, especially in the forward section of the bulldog. The bulldog is determined, so much so that it will often fight to the death rather than lose a fight. It puts its head down and just gets stubborn in conflict. Inevitably, though, the inhumanity of this alleged sport became a public issue and, thankfully, it came to an end. The bulldog’s earlier look changed somewhat in the 20th century. It was bred to be smaller, and less combative, and it has more wrinkles. But, many of the qualities of the older form of the breed remained. Surprisingly, even during bull-bating days, Old English bulldogs rarely attacked humans. It was just not heard of when it comes to that breed. So loyal were these bulldogs to their masters (even during this inhuman “sporting” period) who gladly starved, beat and murdered them, that they would often allow a master to beat them to death rather than harm a human. This is despite the fact that a bulldog is more than capable of defending itself from man or beast in a stand-up fight. As brighter times came in the early 20th century, the bulldog started becoming more of what it is today...the cutest pillow ever put on four legs. Bulldogs enjoy comfort. They are not dogs you give a ready list of commands to execute...they just won’t. They are intelligent enough to seem to know what you are saying, just not ambitious enough to want to go through that much work. They are intensely loyal, and enjoy being part of a human family’s ‘pack,’ but they also want a little space too. They are the most ‘non-sporting’ and ‘non-working’ dogs you have ever seen. In short, it can be argued that they are downright lazy. To put it mildly, you can always talk your bulldog into a nap, but rarely a brisk run through the park. Combative? No. Bulldogs do not harm people, unless they are raised in some sick and violent way. They may play a lot, and wish to roll around and wrestle, but they do not attack people. But, get them into a game of tug-of-war and you better get ready for a long session. As a qualifier to the ‘not attacking people’ line: If someone seeks to harm a member of its family, be it human or canine, a bulldog is a rough customer who will defend its loved ones from harm, and fight to the death for them. In fact, a bulldog will fight harder to protect a member of its family, generally speaking, than it will for its own life. But, good pet owners do not use dogs as protection. Instead, they protect their dogs from harm. Bulldogs are relatively rare in the United States, with quantities that do not nearly match golden retrievers or French poodles. They come with a wide array of potential health problems, including: eye, breathing and hip issues, among others. Some of these are curable through surgery or medications and others are not. The Old English bulldog is also a highly-allergic breed. So, if someone cannot afford regular medical care for these animals, it is best not to buy them. They are social dogs, but require a ‘certain kind’ of owner who is both in-charge and non-violent. Anytime that a bulldog is brought up in a house with violence, it will not be a good result for either the dog or the family. Bulldogs have a certain roughness to their nature without any cultivation whatsoever. If this is encouraged, it is only bad and will lead to predictable behavior. The dogs have an average life span of approximately eight years, though regular medical care will certainly extend this in many cases. They are pricey as pure breeds go, and can cost anywhere between $800 (if you are lucky) and $5,000. (Chief Victor "Buddy" Amato is the chief investigator for the Monmouth County SPCA, headquartered in Eatontown. For more information about this column, call (732) 671-9555.) Buddy Amato is a Hazlet business owner, who operates Amato's Karate and Weapons Academy. For more information, call (732) 671-9555.
Copyright Buddy Amato Amato's Goju-ryu Karate, Nunchaku, Bo-staff, Aikido, Sword, Kendo, Sais, Kick-boxing, Tai-Chi and more 589 Palmer Ave, Keansburg and is the author of Buddys Animal Kingdom, NJ 07734 (732) 671-9555 |
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