As the name suggests, the Old English Bulldog is closely related to the English Bulldog.
However, their breeding aims to combat the Bulldogs’ various health issues and produce a healthy dog.
Do you like the stubborn, fun-loving English Bulldogs? Then this article will bring the Old English Bulldog even closer to your heart!
Old English Bulldog wanted poster
HeightMale: 43 to 51 cm, Female: 40 to 48 cmWeightMale: 27 to 36 kg, Female: 22 to 32 kgColoursall except black, blue and albinoLife expectancy9 to 14 yearsOriginUSACharacter/Temperamentintelligent, confident, affectionateFCI group not recognised
Look
Old English Bulldogs look very much like their ancestors, the English Bulldog.
However, theirs are Snout and legs longerthey have less or even no wrinkles on the facea less pronounced underbite and a long, kink-free tail.
Their skull is also slightly more prominent and angular due to the healthier snout, with a more elongated than square skull.
But so is your body muscular and compact with a broad chest and one strong neck muscles.
The coat of the Old English Bulldog is always short and allowed in almost all colors except black and blue. Likewise, no albinos are allowed breed-typical.
The nose is black in all coat colors.
The males can up to 51 cm tall be, with the females with 48 cm not much smaller. The minimum size is 40 cm.
The Old English Bulldogs get surprisingly heavy. Up to 36kg can bring the males on the scales!
The ears are small and usually snapped off, giving them a great deal droll appearance gives.
History & Origin of the Old English Bulldog
The Old English Bulldog breed is still quite young.
It wasn’t until 1971 that the American began David Leavitt in Pennsylvania, the breeding of a bulldog to follow the early 19th century standard.
At that time, the English bulldog was already regarded as a torture breed that had major health problems.
To breed the breed back to Regency dogs, Leavitt used the guidelines of a cattle breeding program originated at Ohio State University.
He used Bullmastiffs and the American Bulldog to make the airways clearer and the body more resilient.
After 20 years, however, Leavitt and a few breeders broke away from the breeding program of the now established Old English Bulldog.
They found that the breed standard had developed too far away from the original breeding goal.
That’s why they called their own breeding die Leavitt Bulldog. To date, she is only a small breed line and is not recognized by most Bulldog clubs.
The FCI did not recognize the Old English Bulldog as a separate breed and therefore did not list it in any group.
Nature & Character of the Old English Bulldog
The Old English Bulldog has inherited the best of its ancestors.
she is friendly and open towards all people and also wants to make friends quickly with strangers.
She enjoys closeness and playing together and can be enthusiastic about many things, including training.
However, she is more of a steamroller than a fine motor genius.
Your cuddling is always in full physical effort. The Old English Bulldog is not always aware of their size and weight, making it difficult for them to self-regulate.
For this reason, children and small animals should only play with these dogs under supervision, as they can inadvertently be injured.
Playing and playfully tussling with other dogs can quickly be perceived as bullying and lead to aggression.
In training, both the Enthusiasm for new tricks and employment as well as the big stubbornness of the breed.
They are outspoken self-assured and therefore take some training ideas more as a suggestion than as a command.
However, they are not rebellious and do not challenge their humans, at the same time they are not afraid to ignore commands that they do not feel like taking.
attitude & upbringing
Overall, the Old English Bulldog is quite the breed willing to learn and also willing to learn.
Your upbringing is nonetheless not suitable for every beginnerbecause a will to please is only weakly pronounced.
If they are bored, they quickly cause mischief and do not shy away from destruction.
They also tend to ignore or avoid commands they don’t like for as long as possible.
So owners should be prepared to have certain discussions about what is allowed over and over again.
With the right motivation, however, training is a piece of cake: Most bulldogs are outspoken food motivated.
The attitude is mostly unproblematic.
However, one should not underestimate the size and power of these animals. Owners must be able to counter the dog enough to avoid being dragged through the park.
Otherwise, the Bulldog is very frugal. She becomes as happy in a rented apartment as in a house.
Because of her weight, she shouldn’t have to climb too many stairs.
Health & Care
Grooming an Old English Bulldog is a breeze. The fur is so short and smooth that dirt simply falls off.
So she just has to rarely bathe: Whenever she has rolled into something very disgusting.
Nevertheless is occasional brushing recommended because it also stimulates blood circulation and you can examine the skin for parasites and wounds.
The short coat is very helpful in the summer, but in the winter your Old English Bulldog will need a coat when temperatures drop sharply.
The breeding goal of the dogs was to create a healthy bulldog, so health problems are usually kept to a minimum.
Due to the often impetuous nature, there is only a higher risk of tripping and injuring the ligaments.
Hip, elbow, and knee bone malformations can occur, but are rare.
It is important that you make sure that not overweight forms.
Because not only is this a very high strain on the joints of the already heavy dog, it also increasingly obstructs the airways.
Dogs with wrinkles on their face need special care there, otherwise skin diseases such as fungi can form between the wrinkles and become inflamed.
Is the Old English Bulldog right for me?
The Old English Bulldog is almost a dog for everyone.
She likes busy families as well as life with just one person.
However, you have to be able to counteract their power, so families with small children or other pets are well advised to exercise caution.
They are good candidates for a shared hobby such as obedience or agility that is not very demanding.
Sports such as jogging are also not for bulldogs, whereas they find barbecues in the garden to be the best.
Danger:
In Brandenburg and NRW the dogs are so-called list dogs.
In Brandenburg, because of their ancestors, they are regarded as a cross with an irrefutably dangerous dog.
In NRW they are at least classified as a dog of a specific breed. If they closely resemble a pit bull, they are also considered a dangerous dog.
There are many conditions for keeping and acquiring list dogs!
Fun facts about the Old English Bulldog
Old English Bulldogs are popular movie dogsif a bulldog is to play along.
Because they love attention and rarely question the sense of fun games that the film needs.
In addition, they are healthier and more attractive than other bulldogs, but are still sufficiently recognizable as bulldogs.
Thus, they can mime the clowns in comedies as well as increase the tension as menacing watchdogs.