The alleged progenitors of the species and occupation, the reasons for the appearance of toy bulldogs, the import of the species, the basis of which breed these dogs became, the reasons for extinction. The Toy Bulldog, or Toy bulldog, was a miniature variety of the English Bulldog popular during several decades of the 19th century. Bred by crossing an Old English Bulldog and a Pug, the Toy Bulldog was primarily used as a companion. These dogs became popular in France, where they later served as the basis for the creation of the French Bulldogs.
Ignoring the British breeders, who assumed that the demand for a new breed of dogs posed a threat to the English Bulldog, toy bulldogs fell out of favor, and as a result, their livestock completely died out. There are now many breeding programs that develop new "toy bulldogs", but these are just attempts to recreate an earlier type.
The progenitors of the toy bulldog
The story of the Toy Bulldog dates back to the chronicle of the Old English Bulldog, an older species of the English Bulldog that is now widely (though not universally) considered extinct. Perhaps there is no dog breed whose history is as controversial as that of the Old English Bulldog. There are thousands of claims about his ancestry, but almost none of them have the slightest amount of solid evidence to support any of the versions presented. All the data that are known for certain indicate that the dog was bred primarily in the UK, and its peak of popularity and distribution falls on the 1600s. But it is quite possible that it was developed centuries ago.
It is widely believed that the Bulldog, the ancestor of the Toy Bulldog, was equal in height at the withers to such breeds as the Bandogge or Mastiff. Introduced in England since Roman times, and perhaps thousands of years earlier, the English mastiff was originally a warrior animal used in military battles to attack enemy soldiers. As military technology changed and developed, the role of "Mastiff" was redirected mainly to use as a guardian of property. These formidable dogs were kept on chains of heavy metals during the day and released at night.
Mastiff was also used to work on farms. In the Middle Ages, it was common practice to keep livestock in semi-wild habitats. Bulls often wandered around the neighborhood, by and large, becoming semi-wild. Shepherding these massive beasts was challenging and often required the use of mastiffs. The breed was strong enough to catch an adult bull by the nose and hold it in place until the farmer came to take further action. Sometimes the dog had to hold onto the bull for an hour or more. The task of such dogs was not to kill livestock, but only to catch and be able to keep it. The dogs were very hardy. There has never been a claim that Mastiffs died of exhaustion during combat.
For most activities, the brachycephalic (depressed) muzzle of the Mastiff, like that of the Toy Bulldog, is a disadvantage because it becomes harder for the dog to breathe properly under certain activities or weather conditions. However, this structure of the muzzle is in fact their main advantage when holding a large bull, because the extended jaw gives the dog a much larger area to bite. In addition, the bite provided good stability when the bull fought back to allow the dog to hold on tightly. Mastiff-type dogs are so well suited for catching cattle that farmers in other regions also used them for this purpose. The most famous of these animals were the various types of breeds such as the Spanish Alano and Bullenbeiser of the Holy Roman Empire, whose name translates into English as "the one who bites the bull."
Occupation that influenced the development of the ancestors of the toy bulldog
Over time, catching bulls in the field has become a very popular sport known as bull baiting or bull baiting. In these gambling competitions, the bull, which was wearing a collar with a strong rope coming from it, was tied to an iron hook in a ring or pit. The animal had to be able to make turns and observe the enemy. Then the dogs of the mastiff type were released, which had to fight in battle against the bull. The dog approached the animal and tried to grab its nose, and the bull at this time, pressed its nose closer to the ground, protecting it and biding its time to hurt the dog with its horns. If the mastiffs, the possible ancestors of the Toy Bulldog, caught the animal, then they had to reliably hold it by the muzzle alone in place, for a certain time.
Bull-baiting is one of the most, if not the most, popular sport in the UK, where the ancestors of the Toy Bulldog participated. Bull-baiting became so commonplace that it was seen as a necessity, and butchers who sold the meat of unhulled bulls were liable and could face criminal sanctions for selling food unfit for human consumption. Because the meat of a bull slaughtered in a slaughterhouse was considered not as useful as that of the animal that participated in the bull beating.
As bull baiting became more common, breeders worked to create dogs that were more suitable for the activity. Despite the fact that mastiffs have tremendous strength and unsurpassed courageous disposition, they had physical limitations for a quality competition with a bull. Their high height at the withers creates a very high center of gravity for these dogs, which makes it difficult for the dog to resist the enormous force of an enraged heavy animal. The large size of such dogs also had its drawbacks. This allowed the bull to have a much larger punching area. And in addition to that, it can be noted that such a dog was incredibly expensive.
The pedigree canines, the ancestors of the Toy Bulldog, who had to spend most of their lives tied up in chains for centuries, could imply that the mastiffs were not particularly athletic or energetic. Over the centuries, two distinct lines of mastiff have been developed: the larger and taller type used for property guarding and bear baiting, and the lower and sporty type used for bull baiting. Many experts often argue that the breeding lines of mastiffs participating in such competitions were heavily influenced by such breeds as the Spanish Alano and the German Bullen Braiser. This version, of course, takes place and is perhaps quite true, but there is no surviving evidence of such a confusion.
At some point, the Mastiff, the possible ancestor of the Toy Bulldogs, became such a great bulldog worker that it was considered a unique breed. It is unclear exactly when this difference manifested itself. Some researchers claim the breed is over a thousand years old, but it is unclear what these stories are based on. In 1576, Johannes Kai (real name John Caius), scientist, physician and naturalist researcher, wrote the first major book on British dog breeds, describing the many canine species found in Great Britain and their working purposes and uses.
The scientist does not mention the bulldog at all, but he is very deeply versed in such breeds as "Mastiff" or "Bandogg". He describes their immense strength, courageous disposition, endurance and ability to fight bulls. Thanks to the detailed and high-quality description of many breeds in Johannes Kaya's book, it is highly likely that at that time the Bulldog, the ancestor of the Toy Bulldog, was not a separate breed at all, or at least was not considered widespread.
The first clear evidence of the existence of the Bulldog as a unique breed can be attributed to 1631. This year, an Englishman named Prestwich Easton, who lived in the city of San Sebastian, Spain, wrote a letter to his friend George Wellingham in London. Easton asks his friend, “Is the fawn-colored Mastiff-like dog good? I ask you to get some good bulldogs for me. This letter is particularly compelling evidence that the two breeds were separate during this time period, as Prestwich Easton mentions each separately. The species were clearly considered different animals.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, bull baiting reached its peak in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. "Bull-baiting" was one of the main forms of entertainment for the English commoner, as well as a gamble that constantly accompanied the common man through life. Bulldogs, the progenitors of Toy bulldogs, and the main participants in these events, became some of the most famous and widespread dogs throughout Britain. Although these dogs were bred throughout the United Kingdom, those from London, Birmingham and Sheffield were considered the tallest. British explorers and settlers brought Bulldogs with them around the world, where they were used to breed numerous other breeds.
The history and reasons for the appearance of toy bulldogs
By the early 1800s, social mores in England were beginning to change. Blood sports were increasingly considered violent and vicious, and attempts were made to ban them. These efforts were successful in 1835, when a parliamentary decision made such entertainment illegal, including bear-baiting. Without a working goal, the bulldog could disappear. However, the reduction in the breed population of Bulldogs was still in effect and was legal and widespread. But, in any case, bull baiting was still regularly practiced in rural areas for several decades.
Although it is not exactly clear when exactly the process began, at some point in the early 19th century, British breeders began breeding Bulldogs, the ancestors of the Toy Bulldog, solely for communication. These breeders were very fond of small animals and regularly crossed them with a pug, which was very similar to him, and sometimes a small terrier. The resulting dogs were more foldable than the original form, and differed in compactness and less ferocity. In addition, these dogs had a slightly longer body and relatively short legs than other Bulldogs.
Some breeders preferred even smaller dogs and bred bulldogs, which regularly produced offspring that reached a little over three and a half kilograms. These dogs became known as Toy Bulldogs and were widespread by 1850. These pets became popular with factory workers in urban areas, who lived in such cramped conditions that a small dog became a necessity. At the same time, there has been a growing movement towards the standardization of various British dog breeds.
Inspired by the efforts of Foxhound breeders who began keeping stud books in the 1700s, breeders of the Bulldog and other dogs organized breeding records for their breeds. Eventually, dog shows were held so that the best specimens could be selected and used to breed the next generation. Toy Bulldogs were regularly exhibited at the earliest dog shows, independently of each other, and sometimes with other bulldogs or even pugs. At the time, all Bulldogs sometimes had different ears, but the trait was especially common in Toy Bulldogs, which had significant amounts of Terrier blood.
Importing toy bulldogs
An ideal standard for the Bulldog was developed and most breeders began working on a dog's compliance. Toy Bulldogs were much smaller than the criteria demanded, and this was not to the liking of most breeders. Many of these people actually considered the small specimens to be a serious threat to the Bulldog breed, as they could forever change the nature of the predecessor breed.
The Industrial Revolution brought about radical changes, some of which resulted in job losses. This was the case with lace in the English city of Nottingham. Their hand-knitting ceased due to technological advances by the mid-1800s. Craftsmen began to migrate to Normandy, a region of France, directly across the English Channel to continue the practice of their trade. They brought several British breeds with them, but they seem to be particularly fond of Toy Bulldogs.
These small dogs caused a big stir in France and became very popular almost immediately. The French not only preferred the smallest bulldogs, but also those with erect ears. The wealthy French amateurs began to import whatever Toy Bulldogs they could get their hands on from England, especially the ones that most closely matched French fantasies.
The basis of what breed were toy bulldogs
Ironically, British Bulldog breeders thought they would get rich off their French counterparts by selling them what they saw as marriage. Those copies that were less desirable for the British, on the contrary, were necessary for the French. Several Toy Bulldog kennels were actually set up with the explicit intention of selling to the French market.
These dogs will eventually evolve into a completely new breed, the French Bulldog. Records of the selection of early French Bulldogs have not survived. Maybe pugs, terriers and other dogs added to their pedigree. It is also hypothesized that several Toy Bulldogs were exported to America, where they may have influenced the development of the Boston Terrier, but that is only.
The reasons for the extinction of toy bulldogs
During the last few decades of the 19th century, the toy bulldog became rare in Britain. The vast majority of livestock were exported to France, where they were coveted, bringing great profits. The few dogs that remained in England were not particularly bred as they did not meet the accepted bulldog standard. Toy bulldogs were present in Britain at least before the first decade of the 20th century, but they were already quite rare. The breed became completely extinct at an unknown date, but most likely between 1905 and 1925. It is possible that the ordeal caused by the First World War was the last fatal blow to the species.
In recent decades, the popularity of the English Bulldog has skyrocketed, especially in the United States. Breeders around the world have begun developing new versions of the toy and miniature bulldog. Some of these programs exclusively use small bulldogs, while others cross the bulldog with other breeds. These dogs are not the original toy bulldogs and most certainly cannot trace their origins back to the early breed. Instead, they are recreated versions of the earlier type.
