I think it’s unfitting that we call bulldogs by that name.
The name “bulldog” implies that these dogs have something to do with the livestock controlling and bull-baiting dogs of yore.
That implication is an insult to all the real bulldogs out there.
Yes, there are real bulldogs out there. They are called Alapahas and white English and Johnson and Scott American bulldogs.
These dogs herd cattle and sheep, catch wild hogs, and guard farms.
They are truly worthy of the name bulldog.
The thing called a bulldog today just isn’t worthy.
The dog doesn’t merit the name.
So I suggest that we rename it.
It really doesn’t look that much like a dog, does it?
But it does look a lot like a toad!
American toad (Bufo americanus)
See the resemblance?
Canis bufo, the toaddog. They even have the same vacant expression in the eyes, which tells you there’s not a lot going on upstairs!
So from this time forth, this blog will no longer refer to the so-called English bulldog by that name.
We don’t want to insult the United Kingdom.
We really don’t want to insult real bulldogs.
Therefore, we shall refer to this breed as the toaddog.
The toaddog’s main claim to fame is that it is extraordinarily unhealthy because of its bizarre conformation.
It derives from the same ancestral stock as the boxer and the various American bulldogs, but it’s been bred to look like a warty old toad.
And in doing so, its breeders have done a great job of creating a dog that has a short miserable life that is full of crippling joint problems, overheating due to an inefficient cooling system, and chronic asphyxiation due to a partially blocked and distorted respiratory system.
Great job, toaddog fans!
You created a dog that is an absolute travesty of canine flesh.
And just keep doubling down on all that “there all healthy” and “your wrong” and “you must research the bread” talk.
You’re looking like Grade-A horses’ asses.
And it’s showing.
Badly.
It’s like watching a Tom Cruise meltdown.
Just with dogs.
“you must research the bread”
lol
I got that as a troll comment today. I didn’t approve it, though i may make a post out of it.
There’s already Pug Bread:
That’s so cool!
“u KNEAD 2 lrn bout teh BREAD” lol
I’m enjoying the hell out of these posts.
*snicker* hahahahaha! *snort!* XD
Actually, if you do the ‘research’, read the papers on brachycephalic syndrome and how the skull of a brachycephalic dog differs on the inside from a normal dog, you will never look at a squish-faced dog the same way again.
http://dogzombie.blogspot.com/2012/05/perceptions-of-snoring-pugs.html
“The noises pugs make are certainly unusual — when I walk in to a veterinary clinic I know if a pug is in the room before I see it. A lot of people find these noises cute. What these researchers found surprising was how many people found the noises normal.
Normal for the breed, that is; the owners who stated that their dogs did not have respiratory disease wrote things like “No, but he is a pug!” ”
http://dogzombie.blogspot.com/2010/08/day-in-life-ethics-from-large-and-small.html
“Dr. Bonne talked about managing brachycephalic (flat-faced) dogs when they recover from anesthesia. When a dog is under general anesthesia, it has an endotracheal tube (“trach tube”) put down its throat to help it breathe. Most dogs need to have the trach tube removed before they are fully awake. Not brachycephalics. Dr. Bonne showed us a photo of a bulldog: “Look, there he is, wide awake with the tube in, breathing wonderfully. They will do that for an hour or so.” Brachycephalics often have tracheas the width of a tomcat’s, just 5.5 mm in diameter. It is not really enough for them to breathe. When they wake up with a trach tube in, it may be the first time in their lives in which they can breathe easily. Dr. Bonne expounded: “Can you imagine, they must spend so much energy every day, just to breathe. They are perfectly happy with the trach tube in. You should leave it in until the last minute, until they are almost ready to walk out the door. Nobody else tolerates the tube the way that these dogs do.””
I certainly agree with all written in the article and comments above: my ex has French
“Bulldog”, and will never have one again.
Speaking of insulting breed names. The (show) Foxterrier is so big and short in back (stiff) and mostly always lack the drive to persue predatory animals, that it has become useless for any den-work on foxes.
Darwinist
Yes, but their informally bred relatives, the jack russell or working terriers remain deservedly among the most popular pet dogs in Britain, far exceeding in number the show type terriers.The working terriers are still used to control rats on farms, but it has long been illegal to employ them for going down fox or badger holes.
Yes I know, and those terriers are still widely used for their original work, including bolting foxes, in many other countries. I have worked terriers to foxes for more than 30 years, mostly Border Terriers though.
That´s why I expressedly stated: (show) Foxterriers=insulting name. Especially insulting to those breeds, that are actually capable to do their job.
Best
Darwinist
Love the links. Too bad people need to see the skull just to notice this is wrong. I guess ’cause humans instinctively relate to flat faces like their own. Says a lot about the lack of ability in people to think about anything but themselves. Or just THINK. Extraordinarily selfish at any rate to keep this dog in existence. Letting it die would not be like killing off some endangered, wild species and impacting an ecosystem as a result. Dogs would still be here. Just not the toaddog.
BTW, I find a lot of American bulldogs to have unhealthily flat faces as well, and many I meet have terrible hips and front ends that are far too heavy.
That’s not defending the toadish English variety, but the problem doesn’t end with them.
What’s funny is that even our squished sinuses can suck mightily. Ask anyone with chronic sinus infections.
If the American Bulldogs you’re talking about are being worked, those that can’t hack it will soon be weeded out–they have to have good wind, speed and agility to herd cattle or catch feral hogs. If they’re not being worked then what you’re really talking about is just another show dog travesty.
They’ll be weeded out from a breeding program where working ability IS the goal, but just like with so many other breeds today, a lot of Am Bull breeders only breed for pets, and since those flat faces and other exxagerated features still are found adorable to lots of folks, they remain a problem in a lot of these dogs.
At least the Am Bull is a dog that CAN be bred for work. The English has no chance in hell.
BTW, no one I know who has or had an AM bull, EVER looked into the consequences of the facial structure or any other aspect of structure, or considered working ability.
This is common amongst your average pet buyer/seeker. Maybe in certain rural areas where hunting is a major pasttime, it may be different, but stats show most people live in cities now, so the reality of life in cities plays a big role.
The ones I’m familiar w/ have a facial conformation more reminiscent of an American Staffordshire Terrier. Body conformation, size and coloring is somewhat different but skull conformation is similar.
That’s being a bit harsh on the toad, who is pretty well built for going belly to ground to hydrate the amphibian’s skin, and whose form of predation requires sitting, not running.
You won’t see many British bulldogs in the British countryside as these days we couldn’t afford the vet bills.
I found this video by accident. Says a lot.
Elizabeth
I’ve seen that one before. It’s a good one.
[…] I should note that no one has refuted a thing I’ve written about toaddogs. […]
I can’t remember if I sent you this. It’s a short clip of Otto, my Olde Boston Bulldogge, herding sheep. What he really wanted to do was “grip” one and hold it, but the shepherd wouldn’t let him. He weighs 28#. This was taken on a sunny, 85 degree day.
That’s so awesome!
You can have brachycephalic dogs.
But there are limits to what’s healthy and what’s cruel.
I love Old Boston Bulldogs.
I totally agree about the limits! That’s why I switched to OBB’s from Boston Terriers. Just adding a small amount of muzzle makes a world of difference! Otto’s muzzle is about 1/2 his skull length. His sister’s and mom’s are about 1/3. None of them snore, gag, or retch constantly. His muzzle is actually longer than some American Bulldogs muzzles, and those dogs can weigh over 100#. I don’t mean proportionally longer, I mean actually longer. Some AB breeders aim for a 2″ muzzle.
[…] The bulldog people have decided they don’t like what the literature says, and they’ve decided to try to shut down any criticism through trying to shout down anyone who uses this literature to expose the real welfare issues associated with trying to breed a dog that looks like a toad. […]
[…] No. I think a far better name for these animals is the Toaddog. […]
“We really don’t want to insult real bulldogs.”
Finally I hear someone else say that – I’m actually making a whole video on it. (I promise it’s going to be better than Extreme dog breeding.)
I have a Ca de Bou – bulldog – and in my opinion, they, the American bulldog, Alano Español, Pitbull and similar dogs are the true bulldogs – not the english and french show monstrosities.
My vote for a new name for the English bulldog is Bullfrog – or Bullfrogdog.
[…] We must rename the bulldog […]
[…] I know this because every time I’ve written about this breed, I get attacked by the “bulldog mafia.” (See part 1 here, and Part 2 here). […]