FENLAND BULLDOGS

Welcome to Fenland Bulldogs, we're located in the east of England in the heart of the Lincolnshire Fens.  For those who know little about the Olde Bulldog breed, some would call them a recreation of the Bulldog from the mid 1800's, a dog which until the late 1800's was an animal of athleticism, health and vigour, which over the century through the abolishment of Bull baiting in 1835, gradually became smaller in stature and more extreme.  The show fraternity began to exaggerate the features that once helped the Bulldog, in 50 yrs these features were turned against it.  Most notably the short muzzle, once helping the Bulldog breath more easily whilst still holding onto the Bull, through selective breeding and the infusion of Pug blood, the muzzle was shortened until there was no more muzzle left to shorten which left the Bulldog with serious breathing difficulties.  The excellent bone and sturdy thick set structure of the original Bulldog was so, to withstand the rough and tumble of the Bullbait, whilst still fast and nimble enough to escape the Bulls horns.  If we step forward in time 100yrs you'll see that fashion has dictated that these attributes have turned against him, to make his skull so big and the frame of the dog small, that almost all modern Bulldogs are born by caesarian and skeletal defects and skin and eye problems are common place.

 The first man who felt an injustice in what the Bulldog had become and felt he should do something about it was Clifford Derwent, an elected member of the Kennel club and war veteran.  He sought by crossing the modern English Bulldog with a leggy Staffordshire Bull Terrier, with an aim to create something more like "Rosa", the bitch from which the standard was set in the 1820's.  Derwent came close to realizing his dream through these breedings and had created what he called, the Regency Bulldog.  He produced strong, clean breathing Bulldogs, but would never do well in the show ring, the Bulldog world ostrasized Derwent and the Kennel Club refused to back his bid for seperate registration of his dogs as Regency Bulldogs, after a while he gave up.

 In the early 1970's in Pennsylvania USA, David Leavitt had felt the same injustice that Derwent had felt about the modern Bulldog, and took up a large breeding program to create a healthy, athletic Bulldog, more akin to the Bulldog of old.  Leavitt came close to achieving his goal by using modern English Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier and Bullmastiff. Leavitt not quite arriving at his vision, contacted the well known American Bulldog breeder, John d Johnson. It was the meeting of these two men that would not only decide the fate for Leavitts program, but more notably the creation of the modern, bully, Johnson American Bulldog.  Johnson leased two AB bitches to Leavitt, Kings Lady Grace and Sugar Doll (Georgia Girl). Through breeding these bitches with an AKC English Bulldog, by the name of Westcamps High hopes and an English Bulldog, Pitbull, Bullmastiff hybrid, Leavitt grew closer to his vision and Johnson received 2 of these hybrids, Sugar Doll 3 and Bullmeads Queen, which he used in his American Bulldog line, which helped give rise to the Bully AB's we see today, but thats a whole other story.

                                                                                                    

 In the 1980's in London, England, Ken Mollett without knowing of Leavitts efforts set out to create what he would call the Victorian Bulldog, using KC Bulldog and a number of Bullbreeds.  He achieved success with his breedings and the Victorian Bulldog continues to this day.  Two breeders to use dogs from these early breedings, among other Bullbreeds were David Brown and Steve Barnett, who both still continue to this day with there own lines.

 There are many other breeders in the US that have achieved success with there lines, such as Greg Hermes, who has had his line of Olde Bulldogge since the 1980's. Many breeders have used Gregs stock in there own lines, like Chad Joliceur who is honest about using Hermes stock, among other breeds to create his own successful line of Olde Bulldogge.  Another breeder to have used Hermes stock is Carlos Woods, who also used a variety of Bullbreeds to create his own successful line.

                

 Most Olde Bulldogs are either a mixture of these lines or sometimes non of the above. I've used the best Olde Bulldog stock that i could find from around Britain in an effort to produce Bulldogs with striking looks and sound temperaments, here at Fenland Bulldogs we're devoted to the preservation of the OEB, and the vision of producing healthy, active Bulldogs resembling the Bulldog of old.

 The Bulldog has been out of the nations reach for so long, not being a practical dog to buy because of price, and the difficulties of owning a dog that is often so needing, with many modern Bulldogs unable to go on long walks on a hot summers day, or if bred from give birth naturally.  The Olde Bulldog still has the same loveable character, but without the health problems.  Thanks to these breeders, and future Olde Bulldog owners and breeders, a healthy Bulldog has come home.

 By Joe Hargreaves, thanks for listening. 

                                 

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Some well known Olde Bulldog sires, all to be found in the pedigrees of my own dogs.                                                                          

                              

K9 Castles Boatswain                Fabs Bob                  Marinmor Artful Dodger

                                          

         Stockhouse Oris                                              Stockhouse Jim        

                                        

                                   Georgia Bulldogs Cajun

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