Old English Bulldog

The original bull dog or Old English Bulldog was used not only for cruel purposes such as practicing the English sport of bull-baiting, but also as a butcher's dog and bear-hunting dog as research by David Leavitt has demonstrated, which made it a working dog commonly used by cattle breeders and nobles during bear hunting. The main sites of bull-baiting in London were: Westminster Pit, Bear Garden and Old Conduit Fields. Historians believe that the Old English Bulldog is derived from ancient war dogs, such as the ancient Mastiff or Alaunt. Others believe that the true origin of the breed is not entirely clear. Representations in old engravings show that the variety was probably a small Mastiff, with a relatively long head. David Leavitt was an enthusiastic English Bulldog breeder who eventually became disappointed by the lack of physical ability and the health and breeding problems of the current breed. In the eighteenth century, the Bulldog combined endurance, speed, agility, tenacity; qualities it has since lost. Unable to find a valid source to breed an old type of Bulldog, he decided to recreate it by taking statues and engravings from the eighteenth century as a model. To do this, he started his breeding programme in 1971 using a method that Ohio University had developed for livestock selection. He wanted to recover the qualities and appearance of the old Bulldog while avoiding reproducing the character that commentators of the time described as irritable, dangerous, brutal. Today's breed now possesses a gentle, stable character, it is even used as a therapy or search and rescue dog, it is an ideal family dog with children. He also did not wish to create a placid and friendly animal that would remain without reaction if required. He thus describes the ideal character: courage and determination without excessive aggression. However, there is one character trait it has in common with the modern Bulldog, which is its exceptional patience with children. Selection was made on 2 batches of 3 unrelated dogs and this took 8 and 9 generations. Result: natural matings replace artificial insemination, bitches give birth naturally, it is a very athletic dog that breathes without difficulty and is free from genetic defects. Leavitt created a Bulldog capable of being a working dog able to serve its masters, rather he said a Bulldog that needs to be served by its masters. The first 'finished product' he presented to his cynophile friends was a bitch named Polly, which served as the foundation for his breeding (under the Bull Mead affix). This bitch lived 18 years, as did one of her daughters, and both remained very active until the end. He named his breed the Olde English Bulldogge. In 2006, David Leavitt formed the 'Leavitt Bulldog Association' and renamed the breed Leavitt Bulldog to differentiate the dogs of his original lineages from new ones with no connection but using the name and good reputation of Mr. Leavitt's Olde English Bulldogge. In fact, only dogs registered with the Leavitt Bulldog Association (LBA), the Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club (OEBKC) and the United Kennel Club (UKC) are true Olde English Bulldogges. All others use the name but are not part of the genetic stock of Leavitt's breeding programme. The LBA emphasizes the development of the working dog and thus represents the true vision of David Leavitt to recreate the eighteenth century dog, since at that time it was a working dog on farms and was also used for hunting. Although the UKC registers the breed in the guard dog class, the breed is

The old English bulldog was compact, broad and muscular as shown by the drawing representing Crib and Rosa. The average height was about 40 cm and it weighed about 20 kg. A particular characteristic of the breed was the lower jaw. The deeply embedded nose in the face allowed the dog to grasp bulls when fighting.