This site is dedicated to the celebration of English Bulldogs.
Welcome!
By virtue of the fact that you have found this page, we know that we share a common interest. We love English Bulldogs! This website was developed as a tribute to three dogs that changed our lives forever. Our first bullie, Callie, who passed away at nine months old left us with a void in our hearts that, for the rest of our lives, can only be fulfilled by Bulldogs. Our current bullies, Cassius and Chloe, are the most loving creatures we have ever found.
The History of English Bulldogs
It is difficult to pinpoint the beginning of any species due to the nature of adaptation through selection. Even artificial selection or, as Darwin wrote, "Variation Under Domestication" takes a considerable amount of time over many generations for changes to be effected. This slow succession of minor variations creates this difficulty and makes in nearly impossible to determine where exactly one species begins and the other ends. Furthermore, it is clear that if a distinct species exists, it must be a combination of traits traceable to one or more wild, or natural species. This makes it even more difficult to determine the primordial specimen.
That having been said, the best we can do for the history of the English Bulldog is to seek the earliest accounts of descriptions most similar to the current bulldog specifications. The Bulldog was first recognized by the AKC in 1886. The AKC describes Bulldogs as having medium size and smooth coat; with heavy, thick-set, low-swung body, massive short-faced head, wide shoulders and sturdy limbs. The general appearance and attitude should suggest great stability, vigor and strength. The disposition should be equable and kind, resolute and courageous (not vicious or aggressive), and demeanor should be pacific and dignified. These attributes should be countenanced by the expression and behavior.
One of the earlier descriptions of English Bulldogs is found in chapter 15 ( Of Our English Dogs and Their Qualities) of William Harrison's Description of England (1577) where Bulldogs are recounted as a huge dog, stubborn, ugly, eager, burthenous of body (and therefore of but little swiftness), terrible and fearful to behold, and oftentimes more fierce and fell than any Archadian or Corsican cur. The chapter goes on to discuss the tenacity with which even the early and vicious Bulldogs cared for and protected their owners. Earlier descriptions can be found but generally these descriptions pertain to all Mastiffs, not Bulldogs in particular.
Our Bulldogs
After we had to have Callie put down, our family mourned the loss of our pet and companion. Though we were afraid that another bulldog would be unable to ease the pain from the loss and we feared that we would not be able to love another dog like we loved Callie, we knew that we couldn't give up on pets altogether. We knew that we couldn't give up on Bulldogs altogether. We bought Cassius in March of 2003. He is Callie's younger half-brother (they have the same father). We learned that not only did we have enough love for a new bullie, but we had never experienced the joy of owning a healthy one. We were in love! Three short months after Cassius came to his new home, we bought Chloe, Callie's younger sister! It was like having Callie with us again, only healthy and happy! This is where we begin our adventure.