THE BULLDOG 1867 [1865]
The Bulldog is indisputably of British origin, and has never been permanently introduced into any other country. His courage is so great that it has become proverbial, and, with the exception of the game cock, there is no other domestic animal at all coming up to him. Independently of this quality, there is much difference of opinion as to the mental peculiarities of this breed. By some authorities the bulldog is stated to be quarrelsome and wantonly savage, so that he can never be made a safe companion, while others allege that he is mild and gentle in disposition, never showing his teeth until he is induced to do so by some special cause. As usual in such cases, the truth lies between two extremes. The bulldog is no doubt dangerous when his blood is up, and even his master runs some risk in meddling with him then, but he may generally be controlled with perfect facility, and he is mild, fondling, and gentle in his manner as a general rule. Still, he is not capable of strong attachment, and he cannot be taught more than the commonest forms of obedience. He is silent in his attacks, so that he does not make a good watch-dog. Formerly the breed was kept pure with great care for the purpose of baiting the bull, in which his tendency to pin the most vulnerable point (the nose) made him invaluable, no other dog having either the same desire to go at the head in preference to all other parts, or the same unflinching hold of the grasp when once obtained. Bulldogs have had their legs cut off after pinning a bull without letting go, and other equally horrible cruelties have been practiced to show this peculiarity. In the present day, when bull-baiting is interdicted by act of parliament, the use of the bulldog is confined to the improvement in courage of other breeds.
by Stonehenge |
