English Bulldog

About the breed

The English Bulldog is one of the few dog breeds whose very appearance - a low-slung, thickset body, a wrinkled face and a broad head - is directly linked to a long list of health challenges that veterinary schools and breeding organisations worldwide are now actively debating. The breed originates in Great Britain and is officially classed as a companion breed, even though its history tells a very different story.

History: from bull-baiting to the sofa

The English Bulldog's ancestors were bred in England for centuries for bull-baiting, a blood sport in which the dog attacked and clamped its muzzle onto the head of a tethered bull. Dogs with a short, wide muzzle (which let them keep breathing while gripping the animal), a low centre of gravity and an exceptionally powerful jaw were selected for the task. When the UK Parliament banned bull- and bear-baiting with the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835, the breed lost its original purpose. Over the following decades, breeders deliberately selected for a calmer, less aggressive temperament, while largely keeping or even exaggerating the breed's physical traits for the show ring. The first breed club was founded in 1864, and from then on the breed increasingly became a family companion rather than a fighting dog.

Appearance and build

The English Bulldog is a medium-sized, thickset and muscular breed weighing roughly 18 to 25 kilograms, standing 31 to 40 centimetres at the shoulder, with males typically larger and heavier than females. The head is marked by pronounced skin folds, a short, broad muzzle and an undershot bite (the lower jaw is longer than the upper), which the official FCI standard (No. 149) lists among the breed's defining features. This same extreme head shape is also the main driver of the health problems described below.

Temperament

Despite its origins in a blood sport, the English Bulldog today is one of the calmer, more patient breeds. It is devoted and affectionate toward family members and generally shows little territorial or predatory aggression. It tends to be reserved rather than fearful around strangers. Because it has a low natural energy level and overheats quickly, it is not a dog that needs long runs or intense training - its favourite "activity" is often resting next to its owner.

BOAS and breathing: the breed's central health issue

Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) is so common in the English Bulldog that veterinary researchers treat it as almost a breed trait rather than an exception. In a University of Cambridge study (Liu et al., 2017) that used a functional test (whole-body barometric plethysmography) to assess 201 bulldogs, 51.2% of the dogs were classified as clinically affected by BOAS (grade II or III). A large-scale analysis of UK veterinary records from the VetCompass programme (O'Neill et al., 2022, Canine Medicine and Genetics), covering a sample of 2,662 English Bulldogs, found these dogs to have roughly 19 times the odds of a BOAS diagnosis compared with other dogs, and roughly double the overall odds of any recorded health disorder compared with other breeds. BOAS shows up as loud, laboured breathing, poor exercise tolerance and a heightened risk of overheating; severe cases require surgery to widen the airway.

Skin folds, eyes and overheating

Beyond breathing, skin fold dermatitis (VetCompass recorded close to a 40-fold increased risk compared with other breeds) and prolapse of the third eyelid gland, popularly known as "cherry eye," are also extremely common in the English Bulldog and considerably more frequent than in most other breeds. The folds on the face and tail need regular cleaning and drying, or bacterial and yeast infections develop inside them. Because of its short muzzle and reduced ability to cool itself through panting, the breed is also highly heat-sensitive and can overheat, sometimes dangerously, even at moderately warm temperatures or after only brief exertion.

Reproduction: caesarean section as the norm

The English Bulldog's build - large puppy heads relative to the mother's narrow pelvis - means natural whelping is often not possible. According to data from Evans and Adams (2010), summarised by the UK charity UFAW, an estimated 86% of English Bulldog litters are delivered by caesarean section, one of the highest rates of any dog breed. This is an important fact for prospective owners and a central point in debates about the ethics of breeding the breed.

Care, exercise and everyday life

Thanks to its low energy needs, the English Bulldog copes well with apartment living and needs no more than a short, gentle walk a day, ideally during the cooler part of the day. The facial skin folds should be cleaned several times a week, while weekly brushing is enough for the coat. Because the breed is prone to obesity, which further strains breathing and joints, portion control is important. Prospective owners should factor in above-average and frequent veterinary costs - the VetCompass life-table study (Teng et al., 2022, Scientific Reports) put the UK population's average life expectancy at around 7.4 years, lower than the commonly cited 8-10 year range, reflecting the breed's health burden.

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