Bulldog facts and facts about bulldogs, from the Random Facts shelf.
21 facts on this shelf
Despite the name, the French Bulldog's story starts in England, where lace workers in Nottingham kept toy-sized bulldogs. When many of those workers moved to France during the Industrial Revolution, they brought the dogs along, and the breed was refined into the Frenchie in France.
The French Bulldog's signature upright "bat ears" exist largely because of American breeders in the late 1800s, who pushed for bat ears over the folded "rose ears" some European breeders preferred.
French Bulldogs are terrible swimmers. Their heavy front ends, short legs, and flat faces make it hard for them to stay afloat, so a Frenchie near a pool should ideally wear a dog life jacket.
Most French Bulldog puppies are delivered by C-section. A veterinary study found that more than 80% of French Bulldog litters required a cesarean, largely because the puppies' big heads don't fit easily through the mother's narrow hips.
French Bulldogs are brachycephalic, meaning flat-faced, so their shortened airways make it harder for them to breathe and cool down. Because of the risk of overheating and breathing trouble in stressful, hot cargo holds, many airlines restrict or ban snub-nosed breeds like the Frenchie from cargo travel.
A French Bulldog named Gamin de Pycombe sailed on the Titanic in 1912 and didn't survive. His owner, Robert Daniel, survived and later filed an insurance claim of $750 for the dog, which was a big amount at the time.
French Bulldogs aren't known as big barkers, which is part of why they work so well in apartments. They "talk" more with snorts, grumbles, and yawns than with nonstop yapping.
In 2021, two of Lady Gaga's French Bulldogs were stolen in Los Angeles in an armed robbery in which her dog walker was shot. The dogs were later returned safely. The case highlighted how often Frenchies, which can sell for thousands of dollars, are targeted by thieves.
According to the AKC breed standard, a French Bulldog should weigh no more than 28 pounds. That makes it a compact dog with a surprisingly muscular, heavy-boned build for its size.
The American Kennel Club officially recognized the French Bulldog in 1898, so the breed has been part of AKC history for more than a century.
The Labrador Retriever was the most popular dog breed in the US for 31 straight years, from 1991 until the French Bulldog finally dethroned it in 2022.
The Bulldog was originally bred in England for bull-baiting, a brutal blood sport. After England banned it with the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835, breeders reshaped the Bulldog into the gentle companion it is today.
Yale University's Bulldog mascot, Handsome Dan, became the first live college mascot in the US in 1889, and Yale still keeps a live Bulldog in the role today.
The Bulldog is the unofficial mascot of the US Marine Corps, connected to the legend that German soldiers called Marines "Devil Dogs" during WWI. A Bulldog named Chesty serves as the mascot at Marine Barracks Washington.
Most Bulldog puppies are born by C-section. A veterinary study found that over 80% of Bulldog litters needed a cesarean because the puppies' large heads make natural birth risky.
The Bulldog became a national symbol of Britain, representing toughness and determination. During WWII, Prime Minister Winston Churchill was often compared to a "British Bulldog."
A Bulldog named Otto set a Guinness World Record in 2015 in Lima, Peru, by skateboarding through the legs of 30 people lined up in a human tunnel.
Bulldogs have flat faces and narrow airways that make it hard to cool down by panting, so they can overheat quickly in hot weather. Owners need to limit exercise on warm days.
According to the AKC breed standard, an adult male Bulldog weighs about 50 pounds and a female about 40 pounds, which is a lot of weight packed into a short, stocky frame.
Most Bulldogs can't swim well because their heavy, front-loaded bodies, short legs, and flat faces make it hard to stay afloat. Pools are a real drowning risk for them without supervision or a life jacket.
Studies of UK veterinary records have found Bulldogs among the shortest-lived dog breeds, largely because of breathing, skin, and joint problems tied to their extreme body shape.