During any extended period oftime, it is quite common to see abreed of dog evolve into a totallydifferent specimen than what itmay have been hundreds or eventhousands of years ago. It wouldbe considered very unusual for abreed to remain fairly consistentin type and temperamentthroughout its development. Thisis certainly true when studyingthe history and growth of theBulldog.

The Bulldog, better known asthe English Bulldog, has changedtremendously since its inception.Although there are some old

Circa 1920, Eng.Ch. BasfordRevivue, Mr.Roddy’s famousBulldog, isremembered foran exquisite headwhich was notexaggerated likemany of themodern-dayBulldogs.

A famousengraving by JohnScott of BulldogsCrib and Rosa,circa 1817.

BULLDOGHISTORY OF THE

10 BULLDOG

attributes that can still be foundin the breed today, specimensthat existed in the 13th centurylooked and behaved nothing likethe “type” of dog we seerepresented in today’s homes andshow ring. Historians are fairlyconfident that the breed derivedfrom ancient war dogs, or othertypes of old Mastiff-like breeds.

HISTORICAL WEIGHTThe Bulldog was slightly smaller inancient times, and the average dogweighed approximately 40 pounds.Today, they are a bit more robust.Males usually weigh 55 to 60pounds and bitches 50 to 55pounds.

In 1914, the leadingBritish dog painter,

R. Ward Binks,illustrated six ofthe best known

Bulldog championsin Britain. These

dogs earned theirchampionships at

the end of the 19thcentury.

H i s t o r y 11

These war dogs were used by theBritish in times of battle andwere excellent protectors of theirmaster’s property and flock. Stillothers believe that the true originof the breed is not entirely clear,and are quick to point out themany loopholes that exist insome of the more favorablyrecognized theories.

Eng. Ch. Dame’sDouble was anoutstanding pillarof the Bulldogbreed at the turnof the century. Hewas owned by Mrs.A. G. Sturgeon andwas a winner of 24ChallengeCertificates, agreataccomplishmentfor any dog inBritain.

12 BULLDOG

HOW THE “BULL” CAME TO BEIN THE BULLDOGOne safe theory is that theBulldog was first developed inthe British Isles, and wasoriginally bred for the solepurpose of bull-baiting, anextremely barbaric pastime thatbecame very popular in England.Its popularity was so great that itbecame the national sport ofEngland from around the 13th tothe 18th century.

Bull-baiting was an event thatwas usually held in conjunctionwith a series of boxing matches,and took place behind ropeenclosures in an indoor arena. Tokeep the fight on more equalterms, the bull was helplesslytied to a rope that was attached to

Advertising a dogfight in 1819 at

the WestminsterPit. Bulldog

fighting was, afterthe days of the

bull-baiting, thepastime of the

sporting fancy inEngland. Bulldogs

were desired tobe as low to the

ground as possibleso that the

underside of thebody was not

vulnerable.

Blossom Westall,the pet Bulldog of

Miss DorothyPearson. Miss

Pearson was theworld’s leadinglady golfer and

had just wonthe English Ladies’

Golf Champion-ship. Photo

circa 1913.

H i s t o r y 13

a large hook in the ground. Thesport involved the use of one dog,or a group of dogs, which wereset loose to pin and hold a bullby the ears and nose in front ofthousands of screaming specta-tors. The nose was considered tobe the bull’s most delicate bodypart and where it was mostvulnerable to injury. The dogswere specifically trained to attackthis area. Despite its popularity,the event was a horrifyingspectacle to watch. It was notuncommon for a group of dogs tobe viciously killed or severelyinjured during a fight. Spectatorsoften wagered on this tastelessevent.

The early Bulldog was bred tobe a fierce and aggressive animalwith enormous strength andcourage. Beauty and conforma-tion were of little importance tothe Bulldog breeders of this earlyera. The breed’s temperament of

BULL-BAITINGDespite its savage characteristics,bull-baiting was a widely acceptedsocial activity in England during the18th and 19th centuries. The sportrequired the breed to be much moremobile and agile than a majority ofthe dogs seen today. The sportdictated form and function of thedogs, and that has ultimately helpedit to develop into what it is at thepresent time.

yesteryear was a far cry from theloving, loyal companion that’snow cherished by fanciers world-wide.

A LEGENDARY, DIVERSIFIEDFIGHTING DOGIt wasn’t until 1778 that an outcryagainst the barbaric nature ofbull-baiting was finally acknowl-edged and acted upon by theDuke of Devonshire in Stafford-shire, who officially abolished theharrowing sport. Unfortunately,this was not the end of theBulldog’s use as a fightingmachine. Although bulls were no

An etching by E. C.Ash illustratingbull-baiting, a“sport” whereindogs were used tohold a chargingbull by its nose.Bulldogs, withshort faces andundershot jaws,were the bestsuited to performin this sport.

Eng. Ch. HeftyMaster Grumpy,owned by Mr.George Creswell,and considered tobe the ideal dogof the day (circa1915), wasunfortunatelysuffocated in hiskennel owing tomail bags beinginadvertentlythrown over him.His death wasconsidered a greatloss to the fancy.

14 BULLDOG

longer used, the fightingcontinued with rats, lions,monkeys, bears, other Bulldogsand any other animal the Englishpeople could get their hands on.It wasn’t long before dog-fightingand bear-baiting had taken theplace of bull-baiting. In fact, these“sports” became just as popular—if not more so. Bear-baitingquickly developed into one of themost widespread baiting sports.Eventually, because of the highcost associated with importingbears, the sport gradually came toa halt in the 18th century.

After bull-baiting and bear-baiting came to an end, manybelieved that the breed as awhole would disappear.Fortunately, there were manyindividuals who were stillinterested in keeping the breed

BULL -RUNNINGIt wasn’t long before bull-runningbecame almost as popular as bull-baiting. The scenario included a bullbeing set loose, and a pack ofravaging Bulldogs that would followand chase. The sport developed inthe town of Stamford, and itattracted large enthusiastic crowdsthat gathered to watch and wageron the event. Its popularityincreased throughout England andspread to several other townsincluding Tutbury and Tetbury.

Born in 1893,these two great

Bulldogs,Boomerang and

Katerfelto,belonged to Mrs.L. Crabtree. Their

sire was KingOrry, and theyrepresented afamous strain

noted for theirsize, long skulls,good turn up of

underjaw andexcellent layback.

This lovelypainting was

made especiallyfor the wonderful

Hutchinson’sPopular and

Illustrated DogEncyclopaedia by

F. T. Daws.

alive and were concerned withtransforming it into a worthypure-bred dog. These dedicatedbreeders set their sights ondeveloping a breed that would besuitable for the family environ-ment, as opposed to one that wasa combative fighting dog. It wasn’ttoo long before breeders switchedfrom breeding for fighting andcombat to breeding for showingand exhibiting.

By the late 18th and early19th centuries, early breedspecimens were of poor qualitycompared to today’s standards.Many fighting-dog qualities werestill evident in their physicalappearance. They had smallskulls, long noses and no wrinklecovering their head. They wereextremely crippled, and for themost part considered veryunhealthy.

H i s t o r y 15

FROM FIGHTING DOG TOSHOW DOG AND FAMILYCOMPANIONIt wasn’t until the official BulldogClub was formed in England thatthese poor physical qualitiesbegan to be worked out byconcerned breeders and fanciers.Long before the English KennelClub was founded, the BulldogClub was the first group toattempt to standardize the breed,and the first to hold a conforma-tion show for them in 1859. Jacob

From the 1930s,Lady Vansittart,wife of Sir RobertVansittart, KCB,CMG, MVO, a greatlover of animals,seen here atDenham Place,Bucks, with herBulldog.

Don Brae and Smasher (1876). Don Brae wasconsidered to be the best Bulldog under 40pounds and was the property of Capt.Holdworth. Smasher was 20 inches round theneck and weighed 43 pounds.

16 BULLDOG

Lamphier is credited withdrawing up the first “official”standard of Bulldogs in 1864, butit wasn’t until 1879 that it madeit to print. The first real standardwas the Philo Kuon, which wasadopted in 1865 in London. Manyof the first dogs that appeared in

FEROCIOUS ANCESTORFortunately, the Bulldog is nothinglike the ferocious dog that it wasseveral hundred years ago. In ancienttimes it was a persistent fighter.Some written reports include talesof Bulldogs hanging on the lips ofthe bull long after their insides hadbeen ripped completely apart by theravenous animal. Many dogs werekilled during this era, and the harshsports in which they were forced toparticipate would be consideredunethical by today’s standards.

Eng. Ch. NovoNivo, one of thebest Bulldogs of1933, was owned

by Mrs. Shaw. Hewon many high

honors. Note thestrong legs,

massive back andhead, jaws and

muzzle.

The famedmagazine Punch

published thiscaricature in 1846.

The caption read“Mr. Punch visits a

very remarkableplace. Mr. Punch’s

visit to BillGeorge at Canine

Castle.”

Sir Tristramfrom 1933,

exemplifying theroach back and

good body asdesired during

that period.

H i s t o r y 17

years. There are severalhundreds. Some of the famousdogs during the late 1800s andearly 1900s still have a strong-hold on today’s offspring, andmany of the present top sires andpedigrees can still be traced tothem. Some of these influentialdogs include: Monarch, Donald,King Dick, Old King Cole, Crib,Rosa, Thunder, Sir Anthony,Brutus and Sancho Panza.

In the 1800s, “Crib” and“Rosa” were two dogs that wereconsidered the foundation for theBulldog standard. Both dogs haddeep chests, incredible muscle

From the mid-1930s, these fourBulldogs were allprize winners. Topleft is Mr. GeorgeRoscoe’s My LordBill, top right isMrs. Edward’sbitch Eng. Ch.Mountain Queen,lower left is Mr.Barnard’s Eng. Ch.Keysoe GoldenSovereign andlower right is SirTristram.

the show ring had splayed feetand bowed legs. To make mattersworse, show judging was equallypoor and did not in any way helpwith the breed’s physicaldevelopment. Even today, theBulldog is considered a verydifficult dog to judge correctly inthe show ring, and years ofdedicated experience are requiredto do it properly.

It is nearly impossible tomention the long list of influen-tial breeders and dogs fromEngland and America that areresponsible for the Bulldog’sdevelopment in the last 200

18 BULLDOG

Drawn for theHutchinson’s

Encyclopaedia,this sketch

depicting theBulldog’s

character is thework of notedanimal artist, J. Nicholson.

tone, roach backs and low tailsets. Crib was a brindle-and-whitedog that was considered to be“the best ever” for his day. Hewas a multi-purpose dog that wasused as both a guard dog and as afamily companion. Prominentbreeders of this time frame wereMr. S. E. Shirley, Mr. G. Roper,Mr. R. J. Lloyd Price, JesseOswell, Mr. Clement and Mr.Henshaw. By the late 1800s,Robert Hartley, Charles Hopton,Walter Jeffries and SamWoodiwiss had become widelyrecognized and respectedbreeders in America and England.

James Hinks is credited withbeing one of the first Bulldogexhibitors. Hinks actively showedBulldogs for four years from 1860to 1864. One of the first showsthat Hinks participated in washeld at the Birmingham Agricul-tural Hall. The show attracted anentry of 40 Bulldogs includingthe famous red dog “King Dick”who was owned by JacobLamphier. King Dick had a verysuccessful show career. He wouldbecome the first show championand the first Bulldog to beregistered in the English KennelClub stud book. The first BritishBulldog club was organized in1864 by Mr. R. S. Rockstro.

Most of the Bulldog stock wasexported to America, and the UKhad the most influence on thebreed’s development in theStates. The first dog to be

exhibited in America was“Donald,” who was shown inNew York in 1880. He was abrindle and white dog owned bySir William Verner.

Like several other breeds, theill effects of World War I andWorld War II took their toll on theBulldog. At the outbreak of WorldWar I, there were approximately12,000 Bulldogs in the UnitedKingdom. By World War II, dogshows had been completelyceased and the Bulldog popula-tion decreased to 8,000. Someinfluential kennels of this timeincluded Merstham, Pearson andCloverleys. Mrs. Pearson ofPearson Westall’s kennel becamethe first lady president of theEnglish Bulldog Club in 1936.

After World War II many newimportant faces emerged thatwould have a great influence onthe breed. Jack and KathleenCook were credited with breeding

H i s t o r y 19

Ch. Pugilist,posing with hisporcelain model,was the winner of30 ChallengeCertificates. Hewas bred by Mrs.B. J. Walz and wasvalued for hissuperiorconstruction.Circa 1930.

20 BULLDOG

Sirloin of Pugilistwas exported to

America bybreeder Mrs.

Walz and wasimportant in thedevelopment of

the breed in the US.

the most United KingdomBulldog champions. Les andEllen Cotton of the AldridgeKennels were responsible forbreeding Eng. Ch. AldridgeAdvent Gold. This dog went on tosire nine UK champions. Otherinfluential dogs that made theirpresence known were Eng. Ch.Maelor Solorium, Eng. Ch. Princeof Woodgate and Eng. Ch.Noways Chuckley. “Chuckles”was the first Bulldog to go on towin Supreme Champion at Cruftsin 1952. Arthur Westlake, Doraand George Wakefield and Haroldand Audie Hayball producedmany fine dogs that will foreverhold a place in the history of thebreed.

THE BULLDOG IN THE US Just as the Bulldog has enjoyed along and colorful history ofcompanionship in its homeland,Britain, so also have Americans

embraced this remarkable breed.Sources reveal that Bulldogs werein the US since the moment of itsinception (around 1776 orearlier). The breed was countedamong the first breeds recognizedby the American Kennel Club(AKC), and participated in thefirst Westminster Kennel Clubshow in 1877. Ten participantswere Bulldogs, and they wereowned by fanciers like F. M.David of Montreal; A. VanCortland, Jr., F. T. L. Lane, J.Matthews and J. B. Miller ofManhattan; A. Van Cortland ofKingsbridge, NY; J. Mortimer ofManhattan; George Raper of theUK; and J. D. Townsend ofManhattan. The first AKCchampion of the breed wasRobinson Crusoe, who earned thetitle in 1888. His brother,

H i s t o r y 21

Eng. Ch. CloverleyBright Star,produced by Mr.Palmer’s notedBulldog championbitch, wasatypical of theBulldogs inEngland in the1930s.

Eng. Ch.Novonero, one ofMrs. Shaw’s bestdogs, displayed agood broad head,a well-balancedbody and properstance.

22 BULLDOG

In the mid-19thcentury, attempts

were made tocross the Bulldogwith long-leggedterriers to get a

more activeBulldog. Shown

here are threeBulldog-Terrier

crosses withcropped ears,

which werefashionable at the

time.

Britomartis, also a champion, wasconsidered to be another fabulousspecimen in the day.

Established in 1890, theBulldog Club of America (BCA)was incorporated in New York onFebruary 29, 1904. The firstpresident was J. E. Thayer and T.L. Parks was the first vice-president. The first specialty washeld in 1907, under the auspicesof the AKC. The officialnewsletter is called TheBulldogger and is available to allclub members. More informationabout the club can be foundonline by visiting the website,www.thebca.org.

In the early days of the BCA,the breed was only represented atthe major shows by smallnumbers, perhaps as few as tendogs. The formation of the newparent club served to organize itsmembers, and breeders moreconsistently participated in theshows. At the 1891 WestminsterKennel Club show, some 51Bulldogs participated, in part dueto the 16 silver trophies andmedals the BCA offered to thewinners. For the next few years,the breed became a major force atshows all across the US. TheGrand Trophy, originally calledthe Parke Cup, was the mostprestigious of the awards, and thefirst such victor was “Harper,” arecent English import who causeda great stir on the American dogscene. The brindle Ch. Saleni was

another Bulldog who won grandlyon both sides of the Atlantic.Another great brindle Englishimport was Ch. His Lordship,who along with Ch. LordYarmouth, Facey Romford andGlenwood Queen won consis-tently at the shows at the turn ofthe century. His Lordship wonthe first two national specialtiesin 1894 and 1895, with Ch. Salenitaking BOS both years. Yarmouthwon BOB at the national in 1897.

Richard Croker, owner of thefamed Deal Kennels, importedCh. Rodney Stone in 1901. Thishighly valuable dog (said to be$5000, a dear sum for a dogtoday, no less in 1901!) won theGrand Trophy twice (1905 and1906) as well as the national

H i s t o r y 23

Eng. Ch. Guido, atthe turn of the19th century, wasconsidered topossess thesoundest bodyever seen on aBulldog.Illustration by E.C. Ash.

24 BULLDOG

In the 1920s, Bulldogs wereproving most successful, led bysuch kennels as Silvent White,Warleigh, Sparrow Bush, Ther-E-Aults and Ricelands. The1930s marked the beginning ofthe legacy of Mrs. Edna Glassand her remarkable Bulldogsthat would win for decades inthe ring, including suchchampions as Sandow’sSmasher, Sugarlite’s Baby Doll,Ashford Superb, Dwael’sSmasherjoe, Cherokee Morganand others. Dorothy Whipple-Sutcliff began her Charl-DoroKennels in 1935 and became aforce for many decades. Manyother breeders entered thearena, including Dr. EdwardVardona, Mrs. Robert Horne,George Hargreaves, JohnPrescott, Harry Isaacs, as someexamples of dedication andgreatness.

Charles G. Hopton, a notedBulldog man from this period,produced many championsunder his Rodney prefix,including the aptly named Ch.L’Ambassadeur, the first Bulldogbred in the US to win a KennelClub championship in the UK.R. W. Lyons, Dr. J. H. Elwin, Billand Helen Armstrong and C. D.Richardson began their careersin the 1940s. Other influentialkennels arose in the 1950s,including Romed, Vardona,Maxmal, Rockledge, ThornMeadow and Ne Mac.

Int. Ch. Jasperdinof Din was the

first major winnerfor breeder Mrs.M. B. Montgom-

ery. She became awell-respected

producer of fineBulldogs.

Eng. Ch.Pressgang,

pictured around1903, has been

called a leader inthe breed and oneof the most noted

Bulldogs inhistory.

specialty in 1901. Other topwinners from this early periodwere Ch. La Roche, GlenwoodQueen and Alex Stewart’sStrathway Prince Albert, thefirst Bulldog to win theWestminster show, having doneso in 1913.

H i s t o r y 25

The only other Bulldog towin the prestigious Westminstershow was Ch. KippaxFearnought, owned by Dr. JohnA. and Billie Saylor and bred byBill Lawlor and Harold Dooler,this win in 1955. VardonaKennels produced the great Ch.Vardona Frosty Snowman, whobecame the American-bred Bestin Show winner in 1959. From1958 to 1960 Snowman won thenational specialty.

From 1960 on, there havebeen hundreds of breeders whohave made a mark on the breed

In the early 1900s,the Bulldog OakLeaf illustrates thechanging style inthe breed and washailed as one ofthe best to date.

Lord CharlesBereford, one ofBritain’s mostfamous admirals,is seen here withhis noted team ofStone dogs.

26 BULLDOG

in the US, far too many to listhere, but one is deserving ofmention. Bob and Jean Hether-ington, who have been breedingBulldogs since 1964 under theHetherbull prefix, haveproduced over 100 championsand obedience titlists, includingno fewer than 14 top producers,including the top-winningBulldog of all time, Ch. Hether-bull Bounty’s Frigate. JeanHetherington earned thedistinction of placing the firstUtility Dog title on a Bulldog inthe 1970s.

Ch. Silent Duchessas she appeared in this beautiful

oil painting from 1907.

Published in theSportman’s

Cabinet in 1803,this famous

illustration is thework of Reinagle.

Most of the top-winningdogs and accomplished Bulldogkennels have originated fromEnglish descent. In recent years,several new faces have emergedin the Bulldog show ring in bothAmerica and England. Manyreputable breeders are producingquality stock and establishingreputable bloodlines. Severalhave done exceptionally wellboth in and out of the show ring.Bill and Margaret Goodwin ofBritishpride Kennel have

produced several champions.The most famous being Eng. Ch.Ocobo Royal Heritage of British-pride who won Best in Show atthe British Bulldog ClubCentenary Show. Pat andNorman Davis of Ocobo Kenneldid exceptionally well with Eng.Ch. Ocobo Skipper and Eng. Ch.Ocobo Tully. A few othernoteworthy breeders includeBrenda Price of EsclushamKennel, and Peter and JackieNew of New Rock Kennels.

H i s t o r y 27

Published in 1892,this illustrationshows BulldogsBathos, the HolyTerror and theGraven Image.