SMOOSH FACE!! Know Your Breed

I’m drawn to this breed like most old Italian ladies are drawn to chubby babies that have fat rolls for daaaaays.
Every single bulldog I meet makes me just wanna grab them by the jowls, pucker my lips and scream

SMOOSH FACE!!

Don’t try that at home folks. They usually don’t appreciate it.

Don’t be fooled by their endearing loose skin, cute under bite and ability to snore louder than my napping father after a big Thanksgiving meal—they were named just right. Bulldogs are tenacious, obstinate, stubborn, and pound for pound one of the strongest breeds.

Allow me to give you a short, firsthand story of a bulldog that I’ve boarded for over 5 years now:
I let Roxy the bulldog and a few others out of their crates early one morning and proceeded to walk up the stairs to open the bulkhead. Roxy ran ahead of me and the other dogs, proceeded to ram the bulkhead door with her FACE, and without even missing a beat the bulkhead door swung open, she ran out, and the door shut loudly behind her, leaving me and the other dogs behind in the stairway in shock and wondering what the hell just happened.

That explains everything there is to know about bulldogs’ personalities.

Originally bred for aggression, a 60-80lb bulldog could take down a bull weighing close to a ton. The short muzzle was to ensure a solid grip on the bull that wouldn’t impede on the dog’s nostrils and its ability to breathe. The bulldog’s under bite was developed to get a better grip on the bull’s face or body as it corkscrewed itself around the bull’s neck, tossing the bull over its own center of gravity. Since banning them as bull-baiting dogs in 1835, the breed’s aggression has leveled out, but they still maintain that courage and well-muscled appearance that makes them a force to be reckoned with.
On the flip side of their strength, bulldogs can be slow, lazy, eating machines that usually keep you up at night with their constant snoring. Be prepared for lots of maintenance, upkeep and possible medical bills with these cuties. Their corkscrew tails, skin rolls, cherry eyes, underbites and very short nasal tract, can create a long list of expensive veterinary care to keep these guys healthy.

As cute as they are, and as fun as they can be, bulldogs can be a lot of work training and health wise, so know your breed prior to purchase or adoption. Researching your breed and doing your homework is vital to matching owner lifestyle with breed characteristics for a happy, healthy bond that lasts the duration of the dog’s life.