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Bulldog Facts for Kids

Want to learn some bulldog facts for kids? You’ll find them in this post. We’ll talk about their physical description, diet, offspring, and more!

American bulldog

This article is going to focus on the American bulldog, but there are quite a few other bulldog breeds.

  • English Bulldog
  • French Bulldog
  • Olde English Bulldogge
  • Australian Bulldog
  • Buldogue Campeiro
  • Ca de Bou
  • Continental Bulldog
  • Valley Bulldog
  • Bullmastiff

Physical Description

Bulldogs are easily recognizable by their oversized, wrinkled heads and pushed-in snouts. They have a short and stocky build. American bulldogs are between 20 and 28 inches tall and weigh between 60 and 120 pounds.

Bulldogs come in a range of solid and mixed colors. Bulldog colors range from the darkest black to pure white and all the colors in-between.

Their large box-like head has powerful jaws. Their ears that may be cropped, slightly pricked, or droopy.

dog relaxing on the grass

Habitat

Bulldogs have never lived in the wild. They are unable to live independently because they get sick easily.

Bulldogs need a home that stays cool and has good ventilation, so they don’t overheat. Bulldogs can be outside if it isn’t too hot or if shade is provided. Bulldogs are also sensitive to cold weather.

Bulldogs are not good swimmers because of their large heads, and they drown easily.

Health

All Bulldogs need regular cleaning of their wrinkles to prevent skin infection. Bulldogs often develop health issues more easily than other dog breeds.

Bulldogs can develop respiratory problems because of their pinched noses. A Bulldog’s pinched nose also makes it harder to breathe and overheat. They also drool a lot because their upper jaw hangs over their lower jaw.

Bulldogs have sensitive stomachs. They can be lactose intolerant and prone to food allergies.

Habits

Bulldogs have an even temperament with other family pets but can be aggressive toward dogs they don't know. They are people-oriented and actively seek attention from humans. Bulldogs don’t need a lot of exercise but do benefit from moderate walks.

american bulldog in sunglasses in the car

Diet

Both young and adult bulldogs tend to overeat, and it’s important they are fed the right amount

They can find it hard to swallow their food because of their short muzzles. Their teeth can be crowded together, which often makes it hard for them to chew.

Because of their sensitive stomachs, bulldogs should not have bacon because the fat from bacon hurts a bulldog’s organs.

Offspring

Female bulldogs are pregnant for approximately 63 days. Puppies are usually delivered by Cesarean section because bulldog puppies have big heads.

puppies american bulldog

Bulldogs have 3–4 puppies on average. It is important to put the puppies in a box away from the mother. Newborn bulldog puppies should only be placed on their mom for nursing. A bulldog mother doesn’t have the mothering instinct at first and may accidentally sit on the puppies and squish them.

Once the puppies’ eyes begin to open the mother usually takes over the puppies' care and feeding.

Bulldog puppies need to be seen by the vet at six weeks old. The puppies should be given a complete health checkup and their first set of vaccinations.

Classification/Taxonomy

Here is the English Bulldog’s scientific classification:
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Carnivora
• Family: Canidae
• Genus: Canis
• Species: Canis Lupus
• Subspecies: Canis Lupus Familiaris
• Breed: Bulldog

History

It's believed that bulldogs were first bred in England in the 1500s. Bulldogs come from Asiatic Mastiff and Pug parents. Bulldogs were bred and trained to fight bulls.

Bulldogs stopped being used to fight bulls and started being adopted as pets in 1835. Today’s gentle bulldog is much different from its aggressive ancestors.

american bulldog drinking water from the river

Life Span

Bulldogs usually live between 10 and 15 years old.

Ways to help your bulldog live longer are:

• Provide healthy and nutritional food for your bulldog
• Manage the common health issues of the bulldog proactively
• Understand the bulldog’s genetics
• Support your bulldog emotionally
• Exercise your bulldog with short walks.

What Sound Does a Bulldog Make?

Here what a bulldog sounds like by clicking this audio file.

25+ Unusual Facts about Bulldogs

  1. Bulldogs are the 5th most popular type of dog in the US.
  2. Some Bulldogs can run up to 15 miles per hour.
  3. Forty US universities have a bulldog as their mascot.
  4. Bulldogs are the mascot for 33 professional sports teams.
  5. A bulldog usually communicates with grunts and snorts instead of barking.
  6. Bulldogs sweat through their footpads.
  7. Otto the Skateboarding Bulldog set the record for the longest human tunnel traveled through by a skateboarding dog. He now holds a Guinness World Record. In 2015, Otto traveled under the legs of 30 people on his skateboard.
  8. England’s former Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, was compared to a bulldog during World War Two. Since then, the English bulldog has become the national breed of the United Kingdom.
  9. Bulldogs are the most popular breed in Los Angeles.
  10. Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Reese Witherspoon, David Beckham, Hugh Jackman, and Martha Stewart all are bulldog pet Owners.
  11. The U.S. Marine Corps mascot is a bulldog.
  12. Bulldogs almost became extinct between the time they stopped being used for fighting bulls and the time that people started adopting them as pets.
  13. Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge are the two U.S. Presidents that have owned pet bulldogs.
  14. Bulldogs are brachycephalic. This means they have breathing problems due to their short noses.
  15. Most airlines ban bulldogs from airline flights because they are brachycephalic.
  16. Bulldog coats have a range of ten colors and four markings.
  17. The American Kennel Club’s category for bulldogs is for non-sporting dogs.
  18. Bulldogs don’t take cues from their owners to solve a problem like other breeds do. They solve their own problems.
  19. Bulldogs were named after their occupation of fighting bulls.
  20. Bulldogs would rather lay on the couch than go out for a walk.
  21. Bulldogs can live in small spaces and don’t need a yard.
  22. Bulldogs have a stubborn streak as a personality trait and need to be motivated to do things.
  23. Bulldogs will pretend they don’t hear their owner asking them to do something.
  24. A bulldog’s four main personality traits are willful, docile, friendly, and gregarious.
  25. Bulldogs use their wrinkles as channels to move liquid out of their eyes and down their faces.
  26. The fold of skin that rests above the nose of a bulldog is called a nose roll or rope.
  27. The bulldog is one of the few dog breeds that has a natural short tail.
  28. Bulldogs can snore so loudly that some people need earplugs to drown out the noise
  29. Bulldogs mature slowly and don’t finish growing until they are 2 ½ years old.
  30. Bulldogs have the nickname Sourmug because of their wrinkly expression.

We hope you enjoy learning all about Bulldogs! Did you learn anything new? Let us know what other interesting things you know about them. We can’t wait to hear more.

Want to read about other mammals? Check out these posts!