Country/Date of Origin: Great Britain/1800s
A member of the Mastiff family, the distinctive shape of the Bulldog enabled this butcher's dog to control unruly oxen. Later, the Bulldogs' skill was used in the so-called sports of bull baiting, bear baiting and dog fighting, where they exhibited the qualities of courage, tenacity and ferocity. The dog's courage and tenacity remain, but the ferocity has long been bred out. In fact, the sterling attributes of the breed were legend and it was used to give pluck and staying power to many other breeds such as Boxers, Bullmastiffs, Bull Terriers and even the Airedale Terrier. It has been popular as a show dog since these contests began in the United States.