| The Bulldog's proud ancestry can be traced back to
the Molossus, the fighting dog named from an ancient
Greek tribe, the Molossi. As its name suggests, it was
bred to bait bulls. According to one story, this "sport"
commenced in Britain in 1204 or thereabouts, when
Lord Stamford of Lincolnshire in England was greatly
amused by the sight of some butchers dogs tormenting
a bull. This gave his Lordship the idea of providing a
field in which bull-baiting tournaments might take
place on condition that the butcher would provide
one bull a year for the "sport." Later, pits were set
up in various parts of Britain where dogs would
also fight other dogs.
When bull-baiting became
illegal in 1835, the Bulldog
was in danger of extinction.
Fortunately, however, a
Mr Bill George continued
to breed Bulldogs and, in
1875, the first specialist
club for the breed was
formed, known as the
Bulldog Club Incorporated.
This was followed in 1891
by the London Bulldog
Society, which still holds
its annual meeting at
Crufts Dog Show.
Despite its fearsome
appearance, the Bulldog
is now a gentle, good-natured
dog. It adores
children and makes a
delightful pet. The only
grooming it requires is a
daily run through with
a stiff brush and a rub-down.
Care must be taken
that it is not over-exerted
in hot weather.
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