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Old English Bulldog

The first historical traces of bull-baiting occur in the time of the regency of King John. Enraged steers, specially bred for their aggressive nature, were used to test the keenness of dogs. A collar around the bull's neck was fastened to a thick rope about three to five metres long, attached to a hook, then fastened to an embedded stake that turned, allowing the bull to watch its antagonizer.The dog's goal in the attack was to pin and steadfastly hold onto the bull's nose, which is its most sensitive spot. If the dog gripped tightly, the bull became completely tractable. The practical purpose that pre-dated the sport was that the working butcher's dogs rendered the semi-wild cattle available to the butcher for slaughter without human injury. To avoid this attack, experienced fighting bulls lowered their heads as much as possible in the direction of the attacking dog, protecting their noses and meeting the attacker with only their horns, tossing the dog into the air. The dog reciprocated by staying low to the ground as it crept towards the bull. These tactics resulted in a specialized breed in the form of the now-extinct original Old English Bulldog. This breed was extremely compact, broad, and muscular. Modern oral history describes a particular characteristic of the breed as a lower jaw that projected considerably in front of the upper jaw, which made possible the strong, vice-like grip. This is highly doubtful since all modern working catch dogs have a level or reverse scissors bite. The story continues that the nose was deeply set, which allowed the dog to get enough air as it gripped the bull. A certain small amount of "layback" of the nose may possibly have been desirable, but a more important characteristic would have been a large nasal opening for airflow. The contemporary recreation of this breed of lore is called the Olde English Bulldogge.

Old English Bulldog

Appearance:

Two other recognized members of the breed 'Crib and Rosa' can be seen in a painting of that period, with Rosa being considered to represent perfection in the shape, make, and size of the ideal type of Old English Bulldog; however, being deficient in wrinkles about the head and neck and in substance of bone in the limbs.The Old English Bulldog was compact, broad and muscular as reflected in the well-known depiction Crib and Rosa. The average height was approximately 15 inches and they weighed about 45 pounds. A particular characteristic of the breed was the lower jaw that projected considerably in front of the upper jaw, which made possible a strong, vice-like grip. The nose was deeply set in the face, which allowed the dog to get enough air as it gripped the bull.

Breeding

Historians are fairly confident that the Old English Bulldog is derived from ancient war dogs, such as, the old Mastiff or Alaunt. Others believe that the true origin of the breed is not entirely clear. Depictions in old prints show that the variety was without doubt a small Mastiff, with a comparatively long head. The word 'Mastiff' was eventually dropped when describing these smaller Mastiffs, as the Mastiff proper was found too slow for bull-baiting. Eventually, the Greyhound was crossed into the breed increasing the mastiff's speed, without losing the breed's ferocity. This step reduced the Old English Bulldog's size and weight, with the Greyhounds features seen in specimens of that time.

Bulldog Striker - Bulldog Jubilant - Bulldog Tully, tre fratelli a tre anni.

One contemporary recreation of the breed is called the Olde English Bulldogge. Starting in the 1970s, a breeding program developed for cattle at Ohio State University was used, with the aim of recreating the Old English Bulldog. This modern day version with its similar physical abilities does not include the violent temperament of the Old English Bulldog. This recreation was done by line-breeding starting with a half Bulldog, and the other half Bullmastiff, a Pit Bull, and an American Bulldog.

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