What are French Bulldogs Bred for? And Why You Should Care

Have you ever thought of the reason why the French bulldog breed was created? Most times, when we think about a bulldog, we think of a big, fierce dog that can tear anything with their teeth and not some cute little Frenchie. French bulldogs are, however, fierce too, but there are large differences from their bull-baiting ancestors.

French bulldogs were bred to be the toy versions of the English bulldogs. They were known as lap dogs for workers in Nottingham, England, in 1800. These workers were majorly immigrants who came from France for a better job opportunity. They came with their dogs as companions.

The French bulldog also has an adorable look just like the typical English bulldog, but they have a lesser chance of being stubborn. They are the perfect match for living in an urban apartment; they are consistently seen as the number one world's dog family.

Here are a few things that might surprise you about the French bulldog; they are known for their laid-back attitude and their ears that detect the lowest kind of sound. However, to know how they came about this cute behavior, you will have to know a little about their history.

The French bulldog has some resemblance to the English tall and swift bulldog of the past. The old bulldog was an athlete, and its peak breeding period was during the reign of Queen Ann at the start of the 18th Century.

At that time of the Queen's reign, a quite rough and dangerous sport was at the peak of its reign. The sport was named 'bull-baiting'; it involves staking a bull against a dog; the aim of the game is for the dog to immobilize the bull without it getting gored by the sharp horns of the bulls.

The bull will be chained to a post and given a chance of 30-feet. And usually, before the fight starts, pepper is pumped into the nose of the bull just to get it angrier and pumped for the fight. If the dog first immobilizes the bull, then the dog wins, but if not, then the bull is the winner. This was how the old English bulldog was named.

The old English bulldogs had a lot of quality that is quite different from the current English bulldog; it had a long-leg and a much more reduced underbite. The old bulldog will prefer running in open fields and biting bulls. It was until in 1835 the British Parliament passed the animal cruelty act and stopped the sport.

After this ban, the English bulldog was unemployed. Since then, bulldogs were bred as companions. Around the year 1850, English bulldogs were bred with terriers, and this led to smaller breeds. This time, the famous toy bulldog, which is now extinct, was created.

The dog was left without a fighting partner and was no longer a popular dog breed as it used to. But the famous dog breeder, Bill George, began to promote the dog as a pet, and at the end of the 19th Century, the bulldog was now very popular as a companion for artisans in Nottingham.

With the rise of the industrial revolution, many workers were unemployed; some English workers migrated to Normandy France to get employed, they're brought with them their miniature bulldogs. It was a popular hit in France; it was sought after by the Parisian and Bourgeois. They were continuously bred with terriers, and this led to reduced size and addition of several characteristics that are quite popular today.

The current French bulldog we have today has very few similarities to the ferocious and robust breed of the past. It was bred to be a companion and a ratter; to keep rat away from the house. The French bulldog today has a proclivity for tug-o-war.

They are quite spectacular in their kindness and their quiet attitude. That has little or no animosity which their ancestor was widely known for. The French bulldog is known for centuries as a lap dog, and it is quite pronounced. They are very good with children and would not hurt them. They can take a lot of abuse and rough handling from toddlers than most other breed of dogs can accept. They are currently seen as one of the best family dogs.