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The British Bulldog is a very misunderstood breed.  Its history stems from breeding designed to increase its prowess as a fighting dog, but it is now often kept as a family pet.  What is the true character of a British Bulldog?

Bulldogs are so named because of their original role, which was to chase and attack cows and bulls, grabbing them and keeping them still until their owners could get them under control and bring them back to the shed.   Their job also involved pinning bulls to the ground by their nose ring.  This job led to their reputation as an aggressive and cruel breed and coupled with their rather dour facial expressions they do not make many people want to keep them as pets.

But careful breeding over the years has led to a much friendlier dog and bulldog puppies are often bought as family pets. All pedigrees are bred for appearance and for temperament: the features or personality traits that are less attractive are bred out whilst the more attractive features and traits are encouraged. A male dog that has displayed aggression, for example, would not be allowed to breed by a responsible owner.

Bulldogs do have their flaws, but mostly these are seen as charming and rather endearing by people who love that breed. For example, they are stubborn and will not learn anything they do not want to – so don’t expect a very obedient dog that will sit on command. But their lack of willingness to learn tricks and commands has more to do with their general laziness and easy-going nature rather than any unwillingness to obey per se.

They don’t make brilliant guard dogs, but often their mere appearance can be off-putting to a would-be burglar. 

But they love being with their family, they are affectionate and protective. 

Remember always, though, that if you are searching for Bulldog puppies for sale or to buy a Bulldog from a pet shop or breeder, you must research the breeder or shop as thoroughly as you research the breed. Unscrupulous breeders do not care about what personality characteristics they breed into their puppies and do not take care to socialise them properly before sale. Many of these breeders sell directly to pet shops and breed purely for profit. 

A really good alternative to buying Bulldog puppies is to adopt from an animal charity such as the RSPCA. Their staff will carefully check a dog or puppy for temperament and take great care to match a dog with a suitable owner. They will also have their puppies and dogs checked for health problems by a vet (Bulldogs, like all pedigrees, are known to have certain tendencies towards developing health problems, mainly affecting their breathing). You can ask the RSPCA to alert you if a Bulldog becomes available to adopt and to give you advice on how best to settle your new best friend into your family home.