Olde English Bulldogge
Encyclopedia
The Olde English Bulldogge is a purebred
breed
of dog
. It is a re-creation of the bull-baiting
dog that existed in England during the English Regency
period of 1811-1820.
(not to be confused with the American Kennel Club or AKC) before it began recognizing the Olde English Bulldogge breed as a purebred dog breed within its foundation stock registry program, the Canine Developmental Health and Performance Registry http://www.cdhpr.com/CDHPRWeb.nsf/WebPages/BreedOEB.
breed
s, though they can be affected by many of the same disorders that occur in any breed. Many breeders are now x-raying hips to reduce the incidence of hip dysplasia as well as having dogs evaluated by organizations such as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
(OFA) and the University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program (PennHIP
). When considering buying a puppy it is important to ask about health testing that has been done for both parents of a litter to better evaluate if the dog can be expected to grow up free of health issues. The Olde English Bulldogge is also quickly becoming well respected in many working venues such as weight pull, therapy training, obedience and several others. They have become excellent breathers and do not have to be kept in an air conditioned environment on hot days. Artificial insemination
is not a standard protocol when breeding
Olde English Bulldogges; natural ties are the standard. Caesarean section
s are only needed in the event of unexpected complications at delivery like with almost any breed of dog. Breeders from the breed's Parent Club, The Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club, Inc., are working vigorously on educating new breeder
s among the breed on genetic disorders and the benefits modern genetic testing for these disorders can have on preventing genetic disorders in domestic animals. Many breeders are also becoming more aware of how important selective breeding
can be to the breed as a whole.
s, referred to today as bulldogs, were bred to bait animals, mainly bulls and bears. Baiting sports, often referred to as "Blood Sport
", were extremely popular from their inception around the 12th century until they started being banned across Europe in 1835. During "Bull-baiting
" the dog would attempt to flatten itself to the ground, creeping as close to the bull as possible, then darting out and attempting to bite the bull in the nose or head area. The bull would often be tethered by a collar and rope which was staked into the ground. As the dog darted at the bull, the bull would attempt to catch the dog with his head and horns and throw it into the air. The dog owners would often try to catch the dog before it fell to the ground to minmimize the dogs injuries so that the dog could continue tormenting the bull.
In 1835,
the Cruelty to Animals Act was passed in Parliament that outlawed "Blood Sport" in Great Britain. The bulldog's work was suddenly over and the bulldog rapidly started dying out. Around 1865 dog fanciers began developing dog clubs which eventually culminated into conformation show
s. Many fanciers utilized various remnants of the dog utilized for "Blood Sport" to resurrect the "Bull" dog and ultimately developed today's modern English bulldog.
The Olde English Bulldogge is an attempt to recreate the "Regency Period Bull Baiter" and was developed by David Leavitt of Coatesville, Pennsylvania
. Mr. Leavitt began his project in 1971 utilizing the cattle line breeding scheme of Dr. Fechimer from Ohio State University. The goal was to create a dog with the look, health, and athleticism of the original bull-baiting dogs, but with a much less aggressive temperament. The foundation of the Olde English Bulldogge can be traced to a mix of English bulldog, American Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier, and Bullmastiff. After many carefully planned crosses, the Olde English Bulldogge emerged and began to breed true. Thus, Leavitt formed the Olde English Bulldogge Association (OEBA) to maintain the breeds stud book and issue registration papers to future offspring.
During the 1980s Ben and Karen Campetti from Sandisfield, Massachusetts
, worked closely with Leavitt in breeding the Olde English Bulldogge. Soon they achieved great success showing the breed in Molosser
breed
shows across the country and internationally. For several years the Olde English Bulldogge was the top rare breed in rare breed conformation shows across the US. In 1993 Leavitt stopped breeding and turned the OEBA registry
as well as his personal breeding stock over to Working Dog Inc. which was owned and operated by Michael Walz of Pennsylvania
. In 2005, Leavitt re-emerged and joined the Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club. Leavitt declared that he was merging the OEBA registry with the registry of the Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club before he developed another club called the Leavitt Bulldog Association.
Despite recent controversy over the name that Leavitt assigned to the breed, today's Olde English Bulldogge is still breeding true to form and possesses excellent health, agility, temperament and a consistent look to that of the old working Bull Baiter of the English Regency Period. The Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club is recognized as the breed club
or Parent Club of the Olde English Bulldogge by the Canine Developmental Health & Performance Registry (CDHPR) of the United Kennel Club
as well as the American Rare Breed Association as it works to protect and maintain the bloodlines that make the Olde English Bulldogge a purebred
dog breed
.
The Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club has recently achieved breed recognition by the CDHPR under the sole name of "Olde English Bulldogge." Prior to allowing a breed full recognition with the United Kennel Club, the CDHPR evaluates a breed's registry database to determine it's integrity. Once the CDHPR deems a breed's registry valid, they begin providing registry services for the breed through the Parent Club's registry database to establish a more verifiable database for the United Kennel Club.
Olde English bulldogges. However, if a dog's pedigree can not be traced back to the breed's original foundation stock, the dog being registered can not be ethically registered with The Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club, The Canine Developmental Health & Performance Registry (CDHPR) or The American Rare Breed Association. The breed is not recognized by the American Kennel Club.
Purebred
Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...
breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
. It is a re-creation of the bull-baiting
Bull-baiting
Bull-baiting is a blood sport involving the baiting of bulls.-History:In the time of Queen Anne of Great Britain, bull-baiting was practiced in London at Hockley-in-the-Hole, twice a week – and was reasonably common in the provincial towns...
dog that existed in England during the English Regency
English Regency
The Regency era in the United Kingdom is the period between 1811—when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son, the Prince of Wales, ruled as his proxy as Prince Regent—and 1820, when the Prince Regent became George IV on the death of his father....
period of 1811-1820.
Appearance
The Olde English Bulldogge is a muscular, medium sized dog of great strength, stability and athleticism. It is well balanced and proportioned with no exaggerated features. It has the appearance of a dog capable of doing its original job of bull baiting. Excessive height would have been detrimental for the old working bulldog as it had to “play low” to avoid the bull’s horns and fasten onto its nose. A heavyweight dog would also have been at a disadvantage, as the bull’s nose would have been likely to rip sending the dog flying.Temperament
The disposition of the Olde English Bulldogge is confident, courageous and alert. Olde English Bulldogges are very friendly and loving. They are extremely strong and occasionally display same-sex dog aggression, so socialization and obedience training are important. It is best to channel high energy dogs to some type of work and exercise.Olde English Bulldogge Breed Standard
Several of the breed's main attributes from the recently revised breed standard of the Olde English Bulldogge, written (August 2007) by the Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club and Leavitt Bulldog Association are listed in the table at right and breed disqualifications below. This Standard was written at the request of the United Kennel ClubUnited Kennel Club
The United Kennel Club is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. According to the website, the club records 250,000 registrations annually. The UKC is not part of the International Canine Organisation, Fédération...
(not to be confused with the American Kennel Club or AKC) before it began recognizing the Olde English Bulldogge breed as a purebred dog breed within its foundation stock registry program, the Canine Developmental Health and Performance Registry http://www.cdhpr.com/CDHPRWeb.nsf/WebPages/BreedOEB.
| Show & Breeding Disqualifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Eyes: | Any eye color other than brown. Wall eyes or crossed eyes. | |
| Nose: | Any color nose other than black. | |
| Bite: | Wry jaw or Overbite. | |
| Tail: | Docked, kinked or bobbed tail. | |
| Color: | Blue/gray (Neapolitan Mastiff color) & rust/mahogany (Rottweiler color) | |
| Also: | Males lacking two fully descended normal testicles. | |
Health
The Olde English Bulldogge may be a healthier breed of dog than many modern bulldogBulldog
Bulldog is the name for a breed of dog commonly referred to as the English Bulldog. Other Bulldog breeds include the American Bulldog, Olde English Bulldogge and the French Bulldog. The Bulldog is a muscular heavy dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose...
breed
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
s, though they can be affected by many of the same disorders that occur in any breed. Many breeders are now x-raying hips to reduce the incidence of hip dysplasia as well as having dogs evaluated by organizations such as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals is a not-for-profit organization based in Columbia, Missouri that aims to research and prevent orthopedic and hereditary diseases in companion animals....
(OFA) and the University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program (PennHIP
PennHIP
PennHIP is a diagnostic technique for evaluating the hips of dogs for laxity. The acronym is also used for the network of veterinarians that use the PennHIP method of evaluation, and for the database of breed-specific hip dysplasia trends maintained at the University of Pennsylvania...
). When considering buying a puppy it is important to ask about health testing that has been done for both parents of a litter to better evaluate if the dog can be expected to grow up free of health issues. The Olde English Bulldogge is also quickly becoming well respected in many working venues such as weight pull, therapy training, obedience and several others. They have become excellent breathers and do not have to be kept in an air conditioned environment on hot days. Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
is not a standard protocol when breeding
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
Olde English Bulldogges; natural ties are the standard. Caesarean section
Caesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...
s are only needed in the event of unexpected complications at delivery like with almost any breed of dog. Breeders from the breed's Parent Club, The Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club, Inc., are working vigorously on educating new breeder
Breeder
A breeder is a person who practices the vocation of mating carefully selected specimens of the same breed to reproduce specific, consistently replicable qualities and characteristics....
s among the breed on genetic disorders and the benefits modern genetic testing for these disorders can have on preventing genetic disorders in domestic animals. Many breeders are also becoming more aware of how important selective breeding
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
can be to the breed as a whole.
General overview of Bull-baiting and Blood Sport during the English Regency Period
Bull baiting dogDog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s, referred to today as bulldogs, were bred to bait animals, mainly bulls and bears. Baiting sports, often referred to as "Blood Sport
Blood sport
Bloodsport or blood sport is any sport or entertainment that involves violence against animals.Bloodsport includes coursing or beagling, combat sports such as cockfighting and dog fighting, or other activities...
", were extremely popular from their inception around the 12th century until they started being banned across Europe in 1835. During "Bull-baiting
Bull-baiting
Bull-baiting is a blood sport involving the baiting of bulls.-History:In the time of Queen Anne of Great Britain, bull-baiting was practiced in London at Hockley-in-the-Hole, twice a week – and was reasonably common in the provincial towns...
" the dog would attempt to flatten itself to the ground, creeping as close to the bull as possible, then darting out and attempting to bite the bull in the nose or head area. The bull would often be tethered by a collar and rope which was staked into the ground. As the dog darted at the bull, the bull would attempt to catch the dog with his head and horns and throw it into the air. The dog owners would often try to catch the dog before it fell to the ground to minmimize the dogs injuries so that the dog could continue tormenting the bull.
In 1835,
the Cruelty to Animals Act was passed in Parliament that outlawed "Blood Sport" in Great Britain. The bulldog's work was suddenly over and the bulldog rapidly started dying out. Around 1865 dog fanciers began developing dog clubs which eventually culminated into conformation show
Conformation show
Conformation shows, also referred to as breed shows, are a kind of dog show in which a judge familiar with a specific dog breed evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.A...
s. Many fanciers utilized various remnants of the dog utilized for "Blood Sport" to resurrect the "Bull" dog and ultimately developed today's modern English bulldog.
History of the Olde English Bulldogge
Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Coatesville is the only city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,100 at the 2010 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia....
. Mr. Leavitt began his project in 1971 utilizing the cattle line breeding scheme of Dr. Fechimer from Ohio State University. The goal was to create a dog with the look, health, and athleticism of the original bull-baiting dogs, but with a much less aggressive temperament. The foundation of the Olde English Bulldogge can be traced to a mix of English bulldog, American Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier, and Bullmastiff. After many carefully planned crosses, the Olde English Bulldogge emerged and began to breed true. Thus, Leavitt formed the Olde English Bulldogge Association (OEBA) to maintain the breeds stud book and issue registration papers to future offspring.
During the 1980s Ben and Karen Campetti from Sandisfield, Massachusetts
Sandisfield, Massachusetts
Sandisfield is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 824 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, worked closely with Leavitt in breeding the Olde English Bulldogge. Soon they achieved great success showing the breed in Molosser
Molosser
Molosser is a category of large, solidly-built dog that includes several breeds, probably all descended from the same root stock. The name derives from Molossia, a subregion of ancient Epirus, ancient Greece, where the large shepherd dog was known as the Molossus.The proper noun "Mastiff", however,...
breed
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
shows across the country and internationally. For several years the Olde English Bulldogge was the top rare breed in rare breed conformation shows across the US. In 1993 Leavitt stopped breeding and turned the OEBA registry
Breed registry
A breed registry, also known as a stud book or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders when they are still young...
as well as his personal breeding stock over to Working Dog Inc. which was owned and operated by Michael Walz of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. In 2005, Leavitt re-emerged and joined the Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club. Leavitt declared that he was merging the OEBA registry with the registry of the Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club before he developed another club called the Leavitt Bulldog Association.
Despite recent controversy over the name that Leavitt assigned to the breed, today's Olde English Bulldogge is still breeding true to form and possesses excellent health, agility, temperament and a consistent look to that of the old working Bull Baiter of the English Regency Period. The Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club is recognized as the breed club
Breed club
Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered around a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members of the association...
or Parent Club of the Olde English Bulldogge by the Canine Developmental Health & Performance Registry (CDHPR) of the United Kennel Club
United Kennel Club
The United Kennel Club is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. According to the website, the club records 250,000 registrations annually. The UKC is not part of the International Canine Organisation, Fédération...
as well as the American Rare Breed Association as it works to protect and maintain the bloodlines that make the Olde English Bulldogge a purebred
Purebred
Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...
dog breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
.
The Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club has recently achieved breed recognition by the CDHPR under the sole name of "Olde English Bulldogge." Prior to allowing a breed full recognition with the United Kennel Club, the CDHPR evaluates a breed's registry database to determine it's integrity. Once the CDHPR deems a breed's registry valid, they begin providing registry services for the breed through the Parent Club's registry database to establish a more verifiable database for the United Kennel Club.
Olde English bulldogge Breed registry
There are many registries in the US and abroad that claim to register purebredPurebred
Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...
Olde English bulldogges. However, if a dog's pedigree can not be traced back to the breed's original foundation stock, the dog being registered can not be ethically registered with The Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club, The Canine Developmental Health & Performance Registry (CDHPR) or The American Rare Breed Association. The breed is not recognized by the American Kennel Club.