The Recreation Of The Once Extinct Olde English Bulldogge

Bull baiting is a popular bloody animal sport during 1800s England and this is a game where in vicious dogs are used to attack and kill bulls, bears and other raging animals. This event made popular the once remarkable fighter dog but now extinct Old English Bulldog. This dog was highly praised for its superior strength and power and it is the forerunner of some of the world’s leading companion dogs today such as the Pit Bull, Boxer and more.

The bull baiting recreation was attended by almost all citizens of the kingdom including the royals, nobles, and commoners. Famed locations for this gruesome activity were the Westminster Pit, Old Conduit Fields and Bear Garden. At the turn of the century, however, the glory days of this past time came to an end with the approval of Cruelty to Animals Act 1835 which ordered the prohibition of bull baiting.

With the prohibition of bull baiting, so did the drop of Old English Bulldog breeding. Breeders knew that there wouldnt be any need for an aggressive and fearless dog and so they started to crossbreed the Old English Bulldog with other breeds in order to develop a much amiable companion dog. Today, the traces left by the once popular bull baiting dog are only seen in some of the world’s popular house pets.

It is said that the ferocious Old English Bulldog was developed from the ancient warrior breeds called Mastiff and Alaunt. The most notable aspect of this Bulldog was its tight-clenching jaw grip and its superb overall body power. The last portraits of this breed were the Bulldogs of the Duke of Hamilton namely Wasp, Billy and Child.

This dog was not lost entirely in history though as expert breeders attempted to recreate this marvelous line through the help of modern science. In 1971, a man named David Leavitt from Coatesville, Pennsylvania instigated the recreation of the Old English Bulldog using the cattle line breeding technique of Dr. Fechimer of Ohio State University. The result was the Olde English Bulldogge, a new purebred dog that’s a dead ringer of the extinct Old English Bulldog.

The creation of this new breed resulted to a dog that resembles the appearance, athleticism and health of the Old English Bulldog but with a tamer and gentler temperament. This new breed is said to be composed of 1/6 Bullmastiff, 1/6 American Pit Bull Terrier, 1/2 Bulldog and 1/6 American Bulldog. It should be clear, however, that this new breed is not the Old English Bulldog because the latter is an extinct breed that can no longer be revived but merely recreated as close as possible to its original look and disposition.

The Olde English Bulldogge is very agile and powerful but very sociable and loving as well. It still has an aggressive instinct but it is directed only towards the same sex dog of another breed. This can be avoided, however, through proper exposure of the dog to different animals and humans, and obedience training.

The Olde English Bulldogge is a highly active creature and so allowing it some intense exercises daily are necessary to keep it healthy mentally and physically. This new breed, unlike the extinct one, is a bit heavier in weight and larger in size. If this dog will have to be used in bull baiting again, it couldn’t duck the bull’s horn as much or avoid from being thrown away because of its seemingly disadvantageous new size.