The Olde English Bulldogge originated in England between 1600 and 1700. They were bred to participate in blood sports like bull baiting. Bull baiting primarily consisted of staking out a bull and allowing several dogs to attack it. A dog of great courage and agility was needed for bull baiting. This dog was of medium size & larger dogs were considered to be the result of mastiff crosses.

Around 1835, laws were passed in England prohibiting bull baiting and the Olde English Bulldogge's main purpose of existence vanished. Within a decade the numbers of bulldogs declined drastically almost to extinction. The remaining bulldogs were crossed with the pug and the modern English Bulldog was developed. Unfortunately, the modern English Bulldog is wrought with all kinds of genetic health problems.

The modern Olde English Bulldogge is a reconstruction of the original Olde Bulldogge of the 17th and 18th century. Various genetic crosses have been used in thoughtfully planned breeding programs to obtain this goal. The goal of all Olde English Bulldogge breeders should be to produce genetically healthier Bulldogges that are free breathers, free breeders, and free whelpers.

Many breeders have put their own spin on what an Olde English Bulldogge should be. In researching the breed, information on well-known breeders such as Leavitt, Hermes, Wallace, Dorset, Gargoyle, Greenly & others can be found detailing their contributions to the evolution of the breed. There are also other alternative styles of bulldogges such as Victorian, Renascence, Banter & Valley whose history closely resembles that of the modern Olde English Bulldogge. Although we do consider all of these lines and styles to be Olde English Bulldogges, the Leavitt, Hermes & Wallace lines are the originators of the breed, and what we have decided to focus on in our program.

Leavitt Olde English Bulldogge Origins
In 1971, David Leavitt started his project of breeding various lines of bulldogs to recreate the appearance of the olde bulldogges of England. He named the breed Olde English Bulldogge (OEB) to differentiate it from the modern English Bulldog. Leavitt used a line breeding scheme developed by Dr. Fechimer of Ohio State, to rapidly achieve a purebred dog. The breed is comprised of 50% English Bulldog and equal parts of Bull Mastiff, American Bulldog, and American Pittbull. Leavitt wanted to recreate the style of bulldog that was used for bull-baiting in past centuries but without the aggressive temperament. The Leavitt style of bulldogs is the most known line of olde style bulldogs and most generational lines of the Olde English Bulldogge will have some of the Leavitt bloodline.

Hermes Olde English Bulldogge Origins
The Hermes line of Olde English Bulldogges were not a reconstruction like that of the Leavitt line. Greg Hermes realized that olde style bulldogges were alive and well in the backwoods of America. He started his breeding program around thirty years ago, taking several years to develop the present-day Hermes Bulldogge selectively breeding for large size, health, temperament, intelligence & friendliness. Hermes Olde English Bulldogges can withstand temperatures up to 90 degrees, and down to 50 degrees below zero. They have the rugged health of working dogs. They are not prone to hip dysplasia or birthing difficulties. One of the main traits of the Hermes line is the large size of the dogs, as they have been known to weigh up to 145 lbs, with a head of 30 inches or more.

Wallace Olde English Bulldogge Origins
Paul Wallace in South Carolina began crossing English Bulldogs with American Pit Bull Terriers as early as 1944. His goal was to reconstruct the English Bulldog resulting in a more athletic bulldog with less health problems & breeding problems than the standard AKC English Bulldog has. His original creation produced dogs that were free breathers, natural breeders & whelpers. Wallace then selectively added in in other bully style breeds to complete his version of the Olde English Bulldogge. Mr. Wallace is considered by many people knowledgeable of the breed to be the original creator of the Olde English Bulldogge, as he started his breeding program decades before either Leavitt or Hermes.

All Content Copyright Doggehouse Kennels. All Rights Reserved.