Anyone spotting an advert announcing ‘English bulldogs for sale‘ needs to know that they are big, hefty chappies.
To those of us who love them, they are easily the most delightful dogs on earth. They’re big, strong, powerful, have a crazy range of facial expressions and absolutely sublime personalities. They are also immensely loyal and faithful.
No Botox for the bulldog
The English bulldog – with his worried brow, soft doe eyes, turned-up nose and pointy teeth – is certainly an unusual-looking dog. But a truly gorgeous one at that.
But English Bulldogs don’t need Botox to make them beautiful. They already are!
Unlike so many of today’s image-conscious humans, these dogs cope admirably with their wrinkly skin. So, no Botox for the bulldog, …yeah?
Shopping expeditions
However, English Bulldogs are not the sort to accompany little old ladies on shopping expeditions.
They do not take kindly to being tied up outside the supermarket while you pop in for a few groceries. Or to stock up on the dog food.
English & American Bulldogs
Both English and American bulldogs make great family pets. The American variety tends to do very well in dog shows. And while they are docile and particularly gentle with children, they are not the sort of sight an average burglar would appreciate being faced with. Particularly in the dead of night.
The ancestors of these dogs, like those of their English counterparts, have been around for several hundred years. Their great-great-great (how many great?) grandfathers and grandmothers were Mastiffs. Big, powerful fighting animals, these old reliables were skilled in bull and bear-baiting.
Thankfully, unlike with pitbull puppies, the aggressive side of the bulldog’s nature has long since been erased.
Taken by nomads
History tells us that the bulldog’s ancestors have been around since the 13th century. First encountered in Asia, they were taken to England by nomads, and expected to earn their living by bringing down any animal that crossed the path of their masters.
These beefy canines could clamp their strong, powerful jaws on animals much bigger than themselves, which is why bull and bear-baiting became such a popular sport among contemporary ghouls.
When animal-baiting was rightly outlawed in England during the 19th century, bulldogs were exported to America and to Germany, where the laws of the day were less stringent.
Not generally aggresive
An advert saying ‘english bulldog for sale’ should not frighten anyone any more. Today’s bulldogs are not generally aggressive, but they do grow up to be big, big, Big.
And, as ever, a salutary word of caution is offered to anyone thinking of going in for one of these dogs. If there are small children in the family do be sure that it is a bulldog you’re thinking of buying and not a pitbull.
Bad Press for the Pitbull
And what about American Pitbulls? We are not decrying the pitbull – a breed that has probably had more bad press than any other – what we are doing is advising parents and guardians to be wary.
Before purchasing any pedigree dog, the breeder’s credentials should be thoroughly checked out in advance. This is even more important with bulldog breeds.
The concept of pitbulls and children left playing together unsupervised is horrendous.
Once again, the importance of not leaving any dog alone with small children cannot be over-emphasied.
Unsupervised dogs
No-one needs reminding about the number of recent Press reports relating to the actions of unsupervised dogs.
But, as always, we do feel that in these cases, the blame usually lies with the owner. All too often somewhere along the line someone has not bothered to train his dog; or worse, has trained him to be aggressive.
Controlled agression is fine for dogs in the Police Force and the Military, but in a family situation where there are children involved, docility in the dog should be top of the agenda.
Just a few points there for you to think about if you see that “English Bulldogs for Sale” sign.
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