An Extinct Breed: The History of the Old English Bulldog

The Old English Bulldog is an extinct breed. The breed was created in England around the 1600s or 1700s, and it is the ancestor of many bully breeds that are still around today, including the English Bulldog and American Bulldog. Celebrated for its compact, muscular build and its large lower jaw, this strong, courageous, agile, and hardy breed was used for English blood sport and bull baiting in London up until the decline of these activities upon the passing of the Cruelty to Animals Act in 1835. The breed was thought to derive from the Old Mastiff or Alaunt of the 17th century, an ancient breed used in times of war.