Whats in a Bulldog and how do you test for it? by Brian Miller

What's in a name?

For the bulldog, most everything you need to know about its purpose and function... Once upon a time, the bulldog did quite well when pitted against a much larger, more powerful bull. Now that bull baiting (and other fun sports) have been outlawed how do we successfully test for a dog to maintain the qualities that made it such a famous breed?

Take a look at the qualities a dog would need to win against a bull. Number one, it would need the proper drives - namely lots of prey and lots of fight. The dog would need to be tenacious and unwilling to give up its task at all costs. Number two, it would need the physical body to make that happen- the size, power, striking speed, and endurance to get the job done.

Now, in this new world in which we live, what are some ways we can test for that? Personal Protection takes care of many of these, but what about tenacity? A dog capable of taking down a bull weighing 10-20 times more than it would need to display some serious commitment to the task. One of the best ways to test grit and determination with the job at hand is weight pull. Moving weights much larger than the dog itself was certainly part of the task of the Bulldog centuries gone by.

Those who wish to maintain the original traits which distinguish a bulldog from all other breeds would do well to employ at least some sort of testing in these two venues. Let us always remember what makes a bulldog so different, and work hard to maintain those traits, or lose the true Bulldog forever.