KENNEL NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 215, 11 August 1937, Page 16

KENNEL NOTES

THE BULLDOG. (By “Fancier.”) In point of popularity the bulldog probably attained its zenith in the years which immediately preceded the Great War, when it was not an uncommon thing to see something approaching 20U individual dogs benched at the annual championship shows of the Bulldog Club, and the London Bulldog (society, with an entry of 4CO or more. The attractiveness of the breed today undoubtedly lies in the difficulty of producing the “perfect bulldog” and its docile disposition and its faithfulness to and affection for its master or mistress. By some it may be looked upon as a clumsy mass of ugly Hesh, but there is not the slightest doubt that a piopcrly proportioned bulldog, in spite of its clumsy gait, can have great activity, and its power to twist and turn whilst running at a fast speed is ramurkablc. The dog is frequently depicted as our national emblem of British, pluck and endurance, and is generally considered to be of purely British origin. Of its great antiquity there cannot be any doubt. It is claimed by some to have been descended from the pugnaces or war dogs of the early LVitons, which were broadmouthed dogs of a large size and tremendous strength. The bulldog is stated to he first referred to in literature by W. Wulcher in 1500 a.s the Bond dogge, because of its fierce nature, which necessitated its being chained or tied up for I ear it caused injury to man or beast. Dr. Caivs, in his’ “Treatise of the Dc*. ’ (157 G), refers to the huiidog as the “Bandogge,” a vast, huge, stubborn, ugly and eager dog, of a heavy, burdensome body serviceable to bait a bull, and that two dogs at the most were capable of subduing the most untamable bull. About 1 GUI or 1632 the breed was first mentioned in literature by an approach to the modern spelling when it became known as the “Bulldog".’” The origin of the breed and its antiquity have been the subject of much speculation and dispute, mastiff breeders claiming that it is descended from the mastiffs, and bulldog breeders claiming the reverse. In all probability both breeds arc descended from the “alaunt,” a breed which is supposed to have had a short, thick head, short muzzle, short body with great strength in forequarters, noted for its high courage and for its capacity, to retain its grip when it got hold. These’ are all characteristics of our national breed, and the bulldog has lor long years been used by artists to depict the true “John Bull” character. A claim has been put forward that the breed originally came from Spain, and this was founded upon the fact that an old bronze plaque was found in Paris by an Englishman, Mr John Proctor, which portrayed what appears to bo that of a cropped bulldog with an inscription above the head which reads “Dogue do Burgos Espaque,” and bearing the date 1625. It must be remembered, however, that Phillip 11, who became Kijiig of Spain in 1556, is supposed to have imported many of the English fighting dogs into Spai.n and that we had a meeting with the Spanish Armada in 1588. It is quite possible that some of the British ships might have been manned with members of the national breed in addition to our sailors, and that in the hand-to-hand fighting which took place some of our dogs got aboard the Spanish ships and were carried back to Spain and founded the breed there. There is also some record of a letter written from St. Sebastian in 1631, in which the recipient “should procure him two good bulldogs and send them by the first ship.” There can be little doubt that the bulldog was originally bred for the purpose of fighting and baiting, and was popular with all classes of society, and the dog in those days was a large one and weighed from 801 b to over 1001 b. BRUTAL SPORT.

The fighting dog was treasured by our ancestors, and all over the country, and particularly in London and tho Midlands, bear gardens, bull-rings and dog-pits abounded where tho sport was carried on. Bull, bear, and boar baiting appears to have been tho first of the sports enjoyed, and the dogs were supposed to attack or lay the baited animal by the ears. Later, the attack was at tho animal’s nose, and a smaller and more active dog became fashionable. As bull and bear baiting declined, tho more brutal sport of dog-fighting became popular, and as a consequence the dog suffered from the degenerate and uneducated minds of the owners. Thus bulldogs were trained to bo cruel and dangerous brutes, who would undergo the most brutal treatment and, dog-like, they naturally responded to their owners’ repulsive instincts. Anyone wishing to read of the horrible cruelties of those times should read E. Farmer’s book on the bulldog, published in the early part of the present century. Although dog fighting became illegal in 1835, it was continued for a time, and as it was gradually suppressed the bulldog lost favour, but later it was cultivated as an attractive and docile member of the canine race and became universally popular. The gradual change in character and temperament was brought about by selecting the most suitable for breeding purposes. The present-day bulldog is generally quiet, docile, and not given to barking, whilst its appearance is sufficient to keep most intruders at a distance. It is a difficult breed to master from a fancier’s point of view, as really good specimens are seldom seen, and in breeding there is frequently difficulty at birth owing to tho large heads the puppies have and, in addition, brood bitciies appear to have a habit of nqt breeding. A lot of the trouble in whelping is occasioned by breeding from unsound and unhealthy stock, and lack of exercise and improper feeding. Some veterinary surgeons are to-day so clever at performing a successful Caesarean operation, whereby both whelps and dam are saved, that the risk in breedin"- is not nearly so great as it used to°be. It is frequently stated that a bitch should be left alone and undisturbed during the birth, but this is very questionable as regards a bull bitch. . One of the great merits of the bulld0" is that it requires no trimming fo “ the show bench and, as a consequence, the novice stands on a level with the experienced breeder, and there is no need to engage an expert to get the dog up to show form or to handle it. Ring manners are essential, but these can be taught by anyone with patience, and consist of the dog being taught to stand in position in the ring and to move with his owner when required by the judges. .In appraising the merit of any bulldog, it is of the most importance to take into account tho impression its general symmetry as a-whole makes on the mind, due allowance being made for sex, as tho fqmalo is seldom so massive as the male.

In this general survey should he noticed to what extent all properties are in due harmony -with, and in proportion to, each other. A perfect show specimen shouk! be of uniform merit throughout, and should not excel in one point more than another, although

ti animals with certain points superlative are useful for breeding purposes. The standard provides 60 points for general appearance, 130 for head properties, and 110 for body; total, 300. The points are split up into numerous sub-headings, and a most comprehensive scale is set out for breeders and judges. Some interesting points of the standard are:— (1) That the lips should cover the teeth. (2) That a flesh-coloured nose is a total disqualification, as is a liare-lip. (3) The skull cannot be too large, if in proportion to the face, and should be of great length from ear to eye. (4) Ears should be of the “rose” type, i.e., folding at the back, the tip and upper edge lapping in a backward and outward direction, thus '.exposing some part of the burr or inner folds of the ear. “Button” ears (similar to a fox terrier) are objectionable, as are “bat” ears and “tulip” ears, but a semi-pricked ear like a collie’s may be passed, as in many cases it merely betokeiis an excess of muscle. (5) A screw or twisted tail is undesirable, and a dog without a tail cannot win a prize. (6) Any deformity or weakness is highly objectionable, and the animal should have perfect freedom of movement and activity. (7) The forelegs should be set wide apart, should be thick, stout and strong, straight and rnederately short.