A Bulldog video to make you smile - not just because it's funny but because this dog is an example of a a longer-legged, longer-muzzled Bulldog - that is still indubitably a Bulldog. You can still hear a rasp in his bark - possibly an indicator of an imperfect airway - and he could do with a tail, but this boy looks pretty athletic and fit. Love the name, too.
Now, let's see more Bulldogs like this in the show-ring.
A reminder again, of the Bulldog that went Best of Breed at Crufts 2013.
I've been having an exchange with one Breed Club health rep over the past couple of days who feels I am being unfair. "I just do not understand what your part is, because you seem intent on continuing to bash the minority of breeders in the show world who are doing the most and are already accountable?"
The answer is because, very often, there are so much more moderate dogs being bred outside of the show-ring. That could could be changed overnight - literally. And yet it isn't, because show breeders and judges continue to cling to a warped sense of normal.
Why does the show Bulldog have a backside higher than its shoulders? Surely that can't be good for the dog's back?
ReplyDeleteAny canine physios on here?
Funnily enough but the none showdog bulldog that was paraded on here as the pinicle of health was incredibly roach backed, so not a feature unique to show dogs!
DeleteAble Mabel? I've just gone back and checked the photos and whilst there is a slope from her backend to her shoulders, it's nowhere near as pronounced as in this dog. You can check for yourself here: http://pedigreedogsexposed.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/able-mabel-revisited.html
DeleteMudd reminds me of the Continental Bulldogs being bred in Switzerland as the healthier alternative to the traditional English Bulldog. The breed has been recognised by the Swiss Kennel Club since 2004 but as yet is not recognised by the FCI.
ReplyDeleteMore photos to be found here: http://www.pickwick-bulldogs.ch/
Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the Continental and the Olde English Bulldogge. I Know the Continental Bulldog is a cross between Olde English Bulldogge and traditional English Bulldogs. Besides that I can't tell how they differ. They are all free whelping, able to mate on their own, have longer legs and nose
DeleteI just read recently on a post I found somewhere "Inga's gang
12.02.2009, 12:27
A "visual" difference there is little .. When Continental Bulldog, ALL dogs that are used for breeding HD & ED X-rayed, by an independent expert assessed and must be presented for approval in Switzerland. Breeding of the CB's is most exactly monitored by the Swiss and the German Club. Dogs only the papers of the CBCS (Continental Bulldog Club Switzerland) or the CBCD eV (Continental Bulldog Club Germany) have, Continental are bulldogs."note this was translated from German to English
Still is that the only real difference?
Daniela, I'm afraid I couldn't say as this is not a breed I know much about. The original aim was to improve the health of the English Bulldog but in the end it became clear that the necessary changes to the breed would be such that it would have to be a new breed, thus the 'Continental Bulldog'. All I can give you is these links to the standard, one in German
Deletehttp://www.continental-bulldog.com/html/standard1.html
and the other in French
http://www.continental-bulldog.com/html/standard2.html
Faults that are listed in the standard for the Continental Bulldog(amongst others) are:
Oversized skull in comparison to body
Noisy breething when dog is standing quietly
Skin folds on head or body
Paws dragging on ground on the move
Visble teeth or tongue when dog's mouth is shut
"very often, there are so much more moderate dogs being bred outside of the show-ring. That could could be changed overnight - literally"
ReplyDeleteHow, exactly, following years of non-stop belittling of the showring by journalists, will owners of longer-legged bulldogs be tempted to enter? Obviously dogs themselves can't be changed overnight!
Quite simply because they will be more agile and happier, Look at how far the BOB 2013's tongue is hanging out, I'd say it was excessive. The more balance bullodgs may not win at first but they will because they will be more fun to have around and will be able to breed on without human intervention, hopefully. I'd love to know the stats for self whelping bulldogs at the present time, I may be surprised and I'd be glad to be thus.
DeleteDo what the inventor of the cavalier did , The bulldog club can place an advert where pet owners & alternative type breeders will see it asking for bulldogs of moderate type to enter their shows.
DeleteIt's not that the owners of long-legged bulldogs who need to change what they're doing. Obviously, they are fine with not showing, and doing just fine by their dogs on their own.
DeleteIt's the owners of the show ring bulldogs who need to change exactly what they consider "pick of the litter" and what it "pet quality". Perhaps they even need to suck it up, and pay a few stud fees to those owners of long-legged bulldogs who they have belittled for years. Overnight, they could stop breeding animals who are so extreme that it poses serious health issues.
The reason change could come quickly for the "show ring" dogs is the same reason why dogs being bred outside the show paradigm exhibit less exaggeration; mother nature prefers soundness and balance. Dog genetics quickly and naturally move to what works. Dog genes are incredibly malleable, as is evidenced by how their mutant varieties have been held by humans as normal. If we get out of the way, mother nature will return to her set point. We can then take our overseer role as maintaining health and balance, in correct partnership with mother nature and not as oppositional to her purposes while still keeping what we want in terms of breed phenotypes. It's a win win for all of us, the dogs foremost and the humans.
ReplyDelete~Ann Cardon
Wow, he sure does look like he is having fun, that sort of thing has got to be better than 1/2 hour in the ring or a day on the bench?
ReplyDeleteI know, he looks lovely, I've never seen a dog voluntarily throw itself around, and with such confidence, it's lovely to see such a happy little bulldog, or indeed any dog. The show bulldog breeders should be made to watch this video, it would give them food for thought because I bet their dogs couldn't do any of Mudds antics.
DeleteAnd to think that the new KC Bulldog standard to which all judges must adhere reads like this:
ReplyDelete"Breeders and judges should at all times be careful to avoid obvious conditions or exaggerations which would be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed."
"Face relatively short, muzzle broad, blunt and inclined upwards although not excessively so. Dogs showing respiratory distress highly undesirable."
"Forehead flat with skin on and about head slightly loose and finely wrinkled without excess, neither prominent nor overhanging face... Over nose wrinkle, if present, whole or broken, must never adversely affect or obscure eyes or nose. Pinched nostrils and heavy over nose roll are unacceptable and should be heavily penalised."
"Nose and nostrils large... Nostrils large wide and open"
"Lack of tail, inverted or extremely tight tails are undesirable."
"Soundness of movement of the utmost importance."
"Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog."
This begs the question of what standard exactly the Crufts judge was adhering to. Evidently, it was not the KC one.
...and for those complaining about roach backs:
"Slight fall to back close behind shoulders (lowest part) whence spine should rise to loins (top higher than top of shoulder), curving again more suddenly to tail, forming slight arch – a distinctive characteristic of breed."
Link to KC standard: http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/services/public/breed/standard.aspx?id=4084
I was a kind of nonbeliever until my breed was set up near the bulldog booth at a Meet the Breeds event. What a sad sight... dog's that could barely breath making all kinds of noises, couldn't stand comfortably (shifting weight, siting, standing), yeasty wrinkles...
ReplyDeleteHere are two english bulldog mixes that would be a perfect standard for the show ring.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.recordpub.net/images/media/20080708/photos/5ff89770be8fd5d869460b6f865826c475596e89_teenie.jpg?1215543844
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images19/BeabullLolaSit.JPG
Why they don't import new blood into the breed with other small breeds to keep the bulldog look but make it more functional is beyond me.
What a funny little guy! Great clip.
ReplyDeleteBreeders of Bulldogs who have reached the top in there breed are not going to like being told that they have to throw all that out of the window and start again are they? This is where the KC fall flat as far as i am concerned. They have done nothing to force real change in this breed. No considerable changes to the breed standard, no offer to open up the stud book so the bulldog breeders can go out to these longer nosed, leggier dogs. Nothing has changed. The KC continues to put revenue before dog welfare.
K.
So how do you propose these breeders find these dogs that are apparently "better" when they aren't offered at stud or aren't being bred from?
ReplyDeleteAnd these "better" dogs you speak of, can you tell me that they are health tested within an inch of their lives? Or are you just going on the look of the dog... which - shock horror is exactly what you are accusing ALL show dog breeders of doing.
I notice you consistently fail to comment on working dog types, why is this? Or are you just blatantly biased? Many working dogs suffer with forms of inherited disease and those who breed them fail to health check, where is you expose on them?
Who are you as a non-dog breeder to comment on the efforts of all those good breeders out there that are striving towards improvement? Have you ever bred a litter, more importantly if you have did you health test the dogs?
Practice what you preach Jemima, that is all I have to say.
Check out the history of the Continental Bulldog.
DeleteThey DID find less exaggerated dogs (English Bulldogs & Olde English Buldogges) to breed from. In today's world there is no excuse, you can find these "better" dogs.
Oh, and the Continental Bulldogs are ALL health tested before they are used for breeding.
Hi Claire, the working part of a breed are generally healthier because they are bred for purpose not looks. Showing is a beauty parade and consequently looks, according to KC standard are what is desired. But some people will try and replicate the recent champion by breeding heavily into that bloodline. And it is because of this that the health conditions, are occurring. Working dogs of a breed are bred for their ability and if they happen to be good looking too, well that's a bonus. Nobody is attacking good breeders, on the contrary. All of the concerns are directed at bad breeders and bad practice. Jemima rescues dogs and does a lot towards rehabilitation, so one could say she as at the rough end of what human beings can and do do to dogs. I could ask you how many dogs have you rescued and how willing have you been to support a rescue centres? Perhaps you haven't had time to read the previous blogs to your own?
DeleteClaire, why shouldn't she focus on pegigree dogs where ever she likes. I said this before, i do not understand why people think that what she is doing is somehow meant to be spite! People within the dog world lose sight of what they are doing and they don't want to change what works for them.
DeleteIt's great that good breeders carry out some health tests but i'm afraid that is not enough.
I'm pretty sure that more moderate Bulldogs are being bred and would be offered at stud IF the KC could be persuaded to allow the stud book to open. However, people with breeds like this remain completely delusional.
K.
oh to the contrary my dear - I know many working dogs that suffer from ectropian, carry Hereditary Cataract and have various other issues including Hip dysplasia and incorrect bite... But in your world because they are "working" they are fit for purpose??
DeleteWhat if that dogs purpose is - to be someones pet, or go into a show ring (which if I'm not wrong also serves a function?), live out a long happy, healthy life - then it's not OK?
I know I've picked a bulldog post - but this could have been a post on spaniels or poodles. What you ALL fail to understand is that mongrels have hereditary problems too and mixing all the dog breeds together doesn't eradicate issues it spreads them far and wide and oooops nobody knows where it came from?!
Just watch this space, it won't stop at pedigree dogs it then goes on to the "designer breeds" mark my words labradoodles, or whatever else people seem to think are "healthier" breeds they're all getting the same problems but you don't know that until it's too late. And becomes untraceable.
Also those of you who sit and say oh my god there are so many dogs in rescues. Yes that's awful, but you'll find that most of those animals aren't being bred by responsible pedigree dog breeders. They are being bred by people who are supplying in accordance with demand, and they're supplying crossbred animals as a mass market. They have health issues, are being bred in awful conditions, but that's OK because it's not inbred? Really????
Claire - practice what you preach is hardly relevant or appropriate. There are far too many dogs dumped in rescue centres to constitute a, quite frankly, irresponsible comment such as that. Jemima does indeed put her money where her mouth is and practice what she preaches I would argue - she rescues and rehabilitates dogs that, for whatever reason, find themselves abandoned. She is actively involved in canine welfare and although this blog is concerned with health and breeding issues of pedigree dogs, setting herself up as a breeder is hardly addressing the much deeper and pressing issues of education of the breeders that are, honestly speaking, detrimental to the welfare of dogs.
ReplyDeleteOne way of salvaging the bulldog could be for the KC to allow continentals to be shown and registered as a subtype, rather than separate breed - allowing transitional creep to be rewarded and interbreeding to be destigmatized.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the Continental breeders would want to mix again with "regular" Bulldogs. It took them years to breed for their type of bulldog, for them it would be like a step back to again breed with the dogs they wanted to move away from.
DeleteHi Kali, it would be retrograde step, in an effort to continue the type of the british bulldog the continentals would be compromised. Probably the continentals were one step ahead of us and knew the BB was endangered, but wanted to retain some part of it but in a healthier form. It's the same with some of our gundogs, their genetic pools are so diminished that dogs from the working side of the breeds will have to be brought into play if the breeds are to continue. However, and like you say, the working side may not want their dogs to be affected by the ongoing and increasing health issues experienced from the show side. In essence Ellamenno has a point but in practice I think it would be a resounding NO, PLEASE NO, from the continentals.
DeleteThe problem is not pedigree dogs, but the distorted perceptions perpetuated by the show ring culture. NO one in their right mind should see the Crufts winner as sound or desirable. By comparison, Mudd deserves a Best in Show. Hopefully his owners are responsible and educated in responsible health testing practices and will find him a nice girl with similar qualities. Sound, healthy purebreds with correct temperaments and historical working attributes deserve to be bred. It's the make-a-buck puppymills and the show people pinning their egos on a stupid ribbon who are harming the welfare of purebred dogs.
ReplyDeletehttp://bcahealth.homestead.com/conditions.html
ReplyDeleteI never realized bulldogs have THIS MANY conditions