HISTORY

HISTORY Bulldogs were created for the English sport of bull baiting which was widely practiced from 1100 till 1835, when it was made illegal. Once his work was outlawed the Bulldog rapidly started disappearing. In the 1860’s the breed was revived as a conformation show dog. The Bulldog has been made progressively more extreme through selective breeding until his health and life span have been severely compromised. Today’s English Bulldog is a far different dog than his healthy, agile ancestor. In 1971 David Leavitt started his project of breeding back to a dog with the appearance of the Regency period Bulldog. He named the breed Olde English Bulldogge (OEB) to clearly differentiate it from the modern English Bulldog. Leavitt used a line breeding scheme developed by Dr. Fechimer of Ohio State, to rapidly achieve a pure bred dog. Since the 1970’s many people have used the Olde English Bulldogge name for dogs that are not related to the original lines. Random registries service these alternative breeders. There is a huge range in appearance and health in these OEBs. The original Leavitt lines are the only purebred Olde English Bulldogges recognized by the Olde English Bulldogge Kennel Club and are registered through the United Kennel Club.