The English Bulldog
"Well, of all dogs it stands confessed, Your English bull-dogs are the best, I say it, and will set my hand to’t, Camden records it, and I'll stand to’t.”
From: 1350 C.E. To: 1910 C.E.
Location: London, England
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
“The Bulldog,” by W.J. Stubbs, from The New Book of the Dog, 1911.
"Well, of all dogs it stands confessed
Your English bull-dogs are the best,
I say it, and will set my hand to’t,
Camden records it, and I'll stand to’t.”
Christopher Smart, 1722-1770.
The Bulldog is known to have been domiciled in this country for several centuries, but many theories are advanced as to the origin of the breed.
It is generally admitted to be a descendant of the “Alaunt," Mastive, or Bandog, described by Dr. Caius, who states that:
"The mastyve or Bandogge is vaste, huge, stubborne, ougly and eager, of a hevy and burthenous body, and therefore but of little swiftnesse, terrible and frightful to beholde, and more fearce and fell than any Arcadian curre. They are called (in Latin) Villatici, because they are appoynted to watche and keepe farme places and country cotages sequestered from common recourse and not abutting upon other houses by reason of distaunce. They are serviceable against the Foxe and Badger to drive wilde and tame swyne out of medowes, pastures, glebelandes, and places planted with fruite, to bayte and take the bull by the eare when occasion so requireth. One dogge, or two at the uttermost, sufficeth for that purpose, be the bull never so monsterous, never so fearce, never so furious, never so stearne, never so untameable. For it is a kinde of dogge capable of courage, violent and valiaunt, striking could feare into the harts of men but standing in feare of no man, in so much that no weapons will make him shrincke nor abridge his boldnes.
“Our English men (to th' intent that theyr dogges might be the more fell and fearce) assist nature with arte, use and custome, for they teach theyr dogges to baite the Beare, to baite the Bull, and other such like cruell and bloudy beastes (appointing an overseer of the game), without any collar to defend theyr throtes, and often- times they traine them up in fighting and wrestling with a man having for the safe-garde of his lyfe eyther a Pikestaffe, a clubbe, or a sworde, and by using them to such exercises as these theyr dogges become more sturdy and strong. The force which is in them surmounteth all beleefe, the faste holde which they take with their teeth exceedeth all credit; three of them against a Beare, foure against a lyon, are sufficient both to try masteryes with them and utterly to overmatch them.
“Which Henry the seventh of that name, King of England (a prince both politique and warlike), perceaving on a certaine time, commaunded all such dogges (how many soever they were in number) should be hanged, beyng deeply displeased, and conceaving great disdaine that an yll faured rascall curre should with such violent villany assault the valiaunt Lyon, King of all beastes."
The Bulldog was, however, well known and appreciated for his unparalleled courage by the ancient Romans, for, as already mentioned, he is given the distinction of pulling down a bull by Claudian, the last of the Latin classic poets, in the words:
"The British hound
That brings the bull's big forehead to the ground."
Symmachus also mentions the presence of British Bulldogs at the Coliseum in Rome. FitzStephen, who lived in the reign of Henry II. (1154-1189), says it was customary on the forenoon of every holiday for young Londoners to amuse themselves with bulls and full-grown bears baited by dogs.
Spenser wrote (1553-1598):
"Like as a mastiff, having at a bay
A salvage bull, whose cruell hornes do threat
Desperate daunger if he them assaye."
Hentzner in his itinerary, printed in Latin (1598), describes the performance of a bull baiting at which he was present. He says:
“There is a place built in the form of a theatre which serves for baiting of bulls and bears; they are fastened behind and then worried by great English bulldogs; but not without risk to the dogs; and it sometimes happens they are killed on the spot; fresh ones are immediately supplied in the places of those that are wounded or tired."
The first mention of the word Bulldog occurs in a letter, now in the Record Office, written by Prestwich Eaton from St. Sebastian to George Wellingham in St. Swithins Lane, London, in 1631 or 1632, "for a good Mastive dogge, a case of bottles replenished with the best lickour, and pray proceur mee two good bulldoggs, and let them be sent by ye first shipp."
The two following advertisements, published in the reign of Queen Anne, are contained in the Harleian MSS.:
"At the Bear Garden in Hockley in the Hole, near Clerkenwell Green, this present Monday, there is a great match to be fought by two dogs of Hampstead, at the Reading Bull, for one guinea to be spent; five lets goes out of hand; which goes fairest and farthest in wins all. The famous Bull of fireworks, which pleased the gentry to admiration. Likewise there are two Bear Dogs to jump three jumps apiece at the Beare, which jumps highest for ten shillings to be spent. Also variety of bull-baiting and bear-baiting; it being a day of general sport by all the old gamesters and a bulldog to be drawn up with fireworks. Beginning at three o'clock."
"At William Well's bear garden in Tuttle fields, Westminster, this present Monday, there will be a green Bull baited; and twenty Dogs to fight for a collar; and the dog that runs farthest and fairest wins the collar; with other diversions of bull- and bear-baiting. Beginning at two of the clock."
The object aimed at in the pursuit of bull-baiting was that the dog should pin and hold the bull by the muzzle, and not leave it. The bull was naturally helpless when seized in his most tender part. As the bull lowered his head in order to use his horns it was necessary for the dog to keep close to the ground, or, in the words of the old fanciers of the sport, to "play low." Larger dogs were at a disadvantage in this respect, and, therefore, those of smaller proportions, which were quite as suitable for the sport, were selected.
The average height of the dogs was about 16 inches, and the weight was generally about 45 lbs., whilst the body was broad, muscular, and compact, as is shown in the pictures of "Crib and Rosa" and "Bull Broke Loose," which are reproduced in these pages.
In bull-baiting a rope about fifteen feet in length was fastened to the root of the horns, and the other end was secured to an iron ring fixed to a stone or stake driven into the ground. The dog kept his head close to the ground, or if of large size, he crawled on his belly to avoid being above the animal's horns. The bull, on the other hand, kept his nose close to the ground, and many of the veterans had sufficient cunning, or instinct, to scrape a hole in the ground for themselves when one was not already provided, and would then endeavour to toss the dog with his horns.
The actual ring for bull-baiting still remains in several places in England, such as Hedon, Preston, Colchester, and Brading, in the Isle of Wight. Several towns, such as Birmingham and Dorchester, retain traces of the sport in the nomenclature of the streets.
In the minute and carefully kept household accounts of Sir Miles Stapleton, published in The Antiquary, reference is made to the replacement of the ring for bull-baiting, and the stone to which it was fixed, in the market-place of Bedale, Yorks, in 1661.
Pepys mentions in his diary that he was present at a bull-baiting in Southwark, on August 4th, 1666, when the bull tossed one of the dogs "into the very boxes," describing the performance as "a very rude and nasty pleasure."
Bull-baiting lingered with us much longer than bear-baiting, and was a far more universal sport throughout England. The baited bull was supposed to be more tender for eating than when killed in the orthodox manner, and in various boroughs the butchers who sold unbaited bull beef were subjected to considerable penalties. During the Commonwealth the sport was condemned by the Puritans, but subsequent to the Restoration the pastime was generally resumed with even greater zest.
In 1802 a Bill was introduced into Parliament for the suppression of bull-baiting. but it was resisted, especially by Mr. Windham, as part of a conspiracy by the Jacobins and Methodists to render the people grave and serious, and to uproot constitutional government!
Notwithstanding the efforts of Wilberforce and Sheridan, the bill was defeated by a majority of 13.
A worse fate befell a similar measure which was introduced in 1829; it was defeated by 73, votes to 28.
After the Reform Bill became law the protests could no longer be set at naught, and bull-baiting was made illegal in 1835.
The last recorded bull-baitings held in England were at Wirksworth in 1840, at Eccles in 1842, and at West Derby in 1853, all of which, of course, were held in an illicit manner.
When bull-baiting was prohibited by law the sportsmen of the period turned their attention to dog-fighting, and for this pastime the Bulldogs were specially trained. The chief centres in London where these exhibitions took place were the Westminster Pit, the Bear Garden at Bankside, and the Old Conduit Fields in Bayswater.
In order to obtain greater quickness of movement many of the Bulldogs were crossed with a terrier, although some fanciers relied on the pure breed. It is recorded that Lord Camelford's Bulldog Belcher fought one hundred and four battles without once suffering defeat.
I quote from The Sporting Magazine of 1825 the following account of what, after all, must have been an exhibition disgusting to those who witnessed it and degrading to the dogs themselves:—
"The Westminster Pit was crowded on Tuesday evening, January 18th, with all the dog fanciers in the metropolis to witness a battle between the celebrated dog Boney and a black novice called Gas, lately introduced to the fancy by Charley, to whom the dog belongs. The stakes were forty sovereigns, and everything was arranged to the satisfaction of the amateurs. The pit was lighted with an elegant chandelier and a profusion of wax lights. The dogs were brought to the scratch at eight o'clock in excellent condition, and were seconded by their respective masters. Boney was the favourite at 3 to 1, and so continued till within ten minutes of the termination of the contest — a confidence arising solely from his known bottom, for to the impartial spectator Gas took the lead throughout. The battle lasted an hour and fifty minutes, when Boney was carried out insensible. He was immediately bled and put into a warm bath. There were nearly three hundred persons present."
The method of conducting the fight was for each dog in turn to cross a chalked line and bring his opponent out of his corner. The dogs were handled by their keepers in the ring, and once they were released they flew at each other's throats, and having established a hold they proceeded to grind and tear each other to the death.
The tactics adopted by the dogs varied according to the training they had received. Some would fight at the head, others at the legs, which were frequently broken, whilst others attempted to tear open the throat. When a dog loosened his hold to breathe the "round " was terminated, and each dog was taken to his respective corner and sponged down by his keeper. A minute's grace was allowed between each round, and the fight sometimes lasted for two or three hours.
It will be observed in the picture of the Westminster Pit that three of the dogs outside the arena are being forcibly held back from joining in the fray, into which they appear to be eager to enter. As a matter of fact, it was not necessary to incite the dogs to fight, as they were only too anxious to be at work, and while being restrained they would scream with rage and lick their lips in anticipation of what was to follow. In order that the ears might not form an easy object to hold they were usually cropped close to the head, and this practice was generally followed well into the 'seventies. Dog-fighting gradually declined during the middle of the last century, and practically ceased thirty years ago.
Practices of this nature doubtless led to the lack of interest taken in the breed, and to the expression of opinion in British Field Sports that "the Bulldog devoted solely to the most barbarous and infamous purposes, the real blackguard of his species, has no claim upon utility, humanity, or common sense, and the total extinction of the breed is a desirable consummation "; whilst in Parliament he was described as the incarnation of ferocity, loving bloodshed and combat, and the cause of the perpetuation of the cruelties which it was desired to suppress.
There is no doubt that the Bulldog knew no fear. His tenacity of purpose was present even in his death struggles. Colonel Smith, writing in 1840, states that he saw a Bulldog pinning an American bison and holding his nose down till the animal gradually brought forward its hind feet, and, crushing the dog to death, tore his muzzle, most dreadfully mangled, out of the dog's fangs.
The decline of bull-baiting and dog-fighting after the passing of the Bill prohibiting these sports was responsible for a lack of interest in perpetuating the breed of Bulldogs. Even in 1824 it was said to be degenerating, and gentlemen who had previously been the chief breeders gradually deserted the fancy.
At one time it was stated that Wasp, Child, and Billy, who were of the Duke of Hamilton's strain, were the only remaining Bulldogs in existence, and that upon their decease the Bulldog would become extinct — a prophecy which all Bulldog lovers happily find incorrect.
The specimens alive in 1817, as seen in prints of that period, were not so cloddy as those met with on the show bench at the present day. Still, the outline of Rosa in the well-known print of Crib and Rosa, which is reproduced on p. 35, is considered to represent perfection in the shape, make, and size of the ideal type of Bulldog. The only objections which have been taken are that the bitch is deficient in wrinkles about the head and neck, and in substance of bone in the limbs.
The following description of the Bull-dog contained in Goldsmith's "Animated Nature," 1840 edition, affords interest to present-day readers, inasmuch as modern breeding and environment have eliminated the worst, and improved the best characteristics of the dog:
"The round, thick head, turned-up nose, and thick, pendulous lips of this formidable dog are familiar to all. The nostrils of this variety are frequently cleft.
“The want of that degree of discernment which is found in so many of the canine varieties, added to the ferocity of the bulldog, make it extremely dangerous when its courage and strength are employed to protect the person or property of its owner, or for any domestic purpose; since, unlike many of the more sagacious, though less powerful dogs, which seem rather more anxious to give the alarm when danger threatens, by their barking, than to proceed immediately to action, the bulldog, in general, makes a silent but furious attack, and the persisting powers of its teeth and jaws enable it to keep its hold against any but the greatest efforts, so that the utmost mischief is likely to ensue, as well to the innocent visitor of its domicile as to the felonious intruder.
“The savage barbarity which, in various shapes, is so apt to show itself in the human mind, particularly when unchecked by education and refinement, has encouraged the breed of this variety of the dog, in order that gratification may be derived from the madness and torture of the bull and other animals, when exposed to the attacks of these furious beasts; and it is observed that since the decline of such sports, Bulldogs have diminished in number — an instance whence we may learn how much the efforts of mankind operate on the domesticated genera of the animal kingdom.
"The internal changes which determine the external characteristics of this dog consist in a great development of the frontal sinuses, a development which elevates the bones of the forehead above the nose, and which leads in the same direction the cerebral cavity. But the most important change, and that, perhaps, which causes all the others, although we cannot perceive the connexion, is the diminution of the brain. The cerebral capacity of the Bull-dog is sensibly smaller than in any other race, and it is doubtless to the decrease of the encephalon that we must attribute its inferiority to all others in everything relating to intelligence. The Bulldog is scarcely capable of any education, and is fitted for nothing but combat and ferocity.
“A fifth toe is occasionally found more or less developed on the hind feet of this race. This, like all other races far removed from the primitive type, is difficult of reproduction. Their life, also, is short, though their development is slow, they scarcely acquire maturity under eighteen months, and at five or six years show signs of decrepitude."
The commencement of the dog-show era in 1859 enabled classes to be provided for Bulldogs, and a fresh incentive to breed them was offered to the dog fancier. In certain districts of the country, notably in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, and Dudley, a number of fanciers resided, and it is to their efforts that we are indebted for the varied specimens of the breed that are to be seen on the modern show bench.
Stubbs, W.J. “The Bulldog.” The New Book of the Dog. Robert Leighton, ed. Cassell. 1911.
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