6 Reasons behind the Bulldogs enduring Popularity - Ep 06

In this episode, Sara delves into the six reasons Bulldogs have captured so many's hearts.

• Appearance: Dive into Bulldogs' distinctive and lovable appearance, from their wrinkled faces to their adorable "baby schema" features.
• Empathy: Discover the empathetic nature of Bulldogs, including their social skills, bonding abilities, and communication prowess.
• Endearing Culture: Explore the influence of Bulldogs in popular culture, from Winston Churchill's fondness for the breed to their iconic status as mascots for sports teams like Yale University's Handsome Dan and the Georgia Bulldogs.

Tune in to discover more about bulldogs and join a supportive community dedicated to these charismatic canines. Remember to visit Bulldogbroadcast.com for show notes, recommendations, and exclusive extras.

📝 Click to read Show Notes

===

IG: @thebulldogbroadcast

Transcript

[00:00:00] From the iconic appearance to the legendary personalities they've inspired. Bulldogs have captured hearts and made their mark in popular culture. Join me as I break down what makes their charm irresistible.

[00:00:18] Welcome to the Bulldog Broadcast, the pure talk pedigree podcast. Join me. Sara Lamont as we delve beyond the pedigree propaganda and misinformation surrounding the beloved bulldog breed. Together we'll uncover the real life realities of bulldogs, sharing insights with admirers, owners and breeders worldwide.

[00:00:39] Welcome back and thank you for joining me once again. So in this episode I'm going to walk through six reasons why people love the bulldog breed. Number one, their appearance, their distinctive, somewhat comical appearance, their flat face, their loose skin, not overly wrinkled, but they do have a few more wrinkles than most breeds.

[00:01:03] There is a term called baby schema, and that's where people are drawn to Cute infant like features, it's a trigger for a caregiving response, like it's some innate trigger within humans. Bulldogs are round faced, round eyed, they have cute little noses, even puppies, they've got obviously the soft fur, the skin, the puppy breath smell.

[00:01:28] But generally bulldogs don't grow out of that look and many of the brachycephalic breeds don't grow out of that look. As humans we have some weird innate trigger in their brain that goes, oh that's mega cute. Now some people would say a bulldog was ugly and then you would worry about their innate reaction to babies if they think bulldogs are ugly, but there you go.

[00:01:53] I'm yet to come up with a really good response to somebody that says that quite rudely. I find, to be honest. If you've got a good response to that, then please definitely comment in the community because I'd love to have a really quick witted, fast response to that. Their appearance, it's, it's a certain look that humans in our DNA is weirdly, naturally drawn to.

[00:02:20] So that's number one. Number two would be their energy requirements. So they are a low, in the scheme of dogs and activity, they are a low energy breed. So yes, they still need exercising, but it's a moderate amount of exercise and. Companionship, to be fair. So they'd rather mooch around the house and be with you, just hang with you, then run around the field nonstop for 40 minutes.

[00:02:46] So their low energy requirements is another bonus as to why people love the breed. Number three would be adaptability. So they're really adaptable dog. They could live on a farm. They could live in a flat. They could live in a, a small house, a big house that, you know, they're not a big dog. They're, they're actually weight wise.

[00:03:07] They're considered a large dog, but they're actually in a medium sized frame of dog. So that's why they're so, they have such significant stockiness and substance for the size of dog that they are. But they can pretty much live anywhere and everywhere. They're just a really adaptable, versatile dog.

[00:03:25] Number four is that they're easy to care for. Some people would lead you to believe that all you do is spend all day cleaning their wrinkles and their towel pockets, and their nose roll, and their feet, and their ears, and their this and their that. But actually compared to a majority of breeds, because they are short coated, they don't need regular grooming appointments.

[00:03:48] So there are some breeds, they literally have to go to the groomers every 12 weeks to maintain their coat. With a bulldog, all you need is a brush and a baby wipe, and you've pretty much got a half, half groomed dog just with those two items alone. So they are an easy to care for dog in the scheme of dog maintenance.

[00:04:10] Number five is personality and temperament. I think most people would say that they're a charming breed, they're humorous. You could tell they've got bags of personality. They can be stubborn at times, but they're very loyal, they're very devoted, they're very attentive. They are bred nowadays to be a companion breed, so they are 100 percent interested in people, and they just want to be with you.

[00:04:36] I read an article, I think it was in the Telegraph, where they looked at the intelligence Of dogs, and they realised some of the Brachycephalic breeds, the basic, they're really manipulative, basically. They set this task out, it wasn't a Labrador, but it was a dog equivalent to a Labrador, and the French Bulldog.

[00:04:57] What they found was, the Labrador type breed would try and solve the problem themselves, where the French Bulldog and the Bulldog would be exactly the same. They looked at it, They saw there was a problem and then they just used their big doughy eyes to look at their owner and to say, please, can you fix this problem for me?

[00:05:20] So they are total players. They just manipulate us all the time. So we've been sucked into this on, on two levels, not only their looks, but then they know how to use their looks against us to make sure that we help them more. So basically. Bulldog breeds, they give a helpless expression. So we help them, which is unbelievable where most other breeds will just try and solve the problem themselves.

[00:05:45] So to me, they're really high, emotional, intelligent breed. I did a little Google and they were trying to tell me that they weren't. But I don't believe it. I don't believe it at all. Where I understand some breeds will do things to make you happy and a bulldog wouldn't do that. But I think a bulldog is very in tuned to humans, their emotions, their moods and act a bit like a mirror to reflect that.

[00:06:13] Basically, I think they're high empathy. They have pretty good social skills. I think generally, if you were to have a gathering, they would tend to work their way around the whole room and get attention from everybody. Basically. I think they're a high bonding and attachment breed. Like I said, if you leave the room, they'll follow you into the next room.

[00:06:31] Would I say they had high problem solving abilities? Probably no. That's when they're giving you the doe eyes. Do they respond to training? Probably no. They probably think they're a bit above that doing dog stuff. Do they communicate to cues very well? Probably not. Recalls not very good. So yeah, it's still on the fence about that one.

[00:06:51] To me. They are a great companion breed and I think that's been observed and seen. They're great with kids. When it comes to number five, personality and temperament, that is a big reason why people are drawn to the breed. And then finally, number six is that they're just a popular, like culturally influenced dog.

[00:07:11] They have a whole background connected to Winston Churchill, who was the prime minister, British prime minister. And obviously he was leading the country during World War II. He had this whole You know, given the perceived qualities of strength, determination, resilience, and the bulldog exactly fits into those traits.

[00:07:33] Likewise, Yale University in America, they always use a bulldog as their mascot. Apparently he's called Handsome Dan. And he stems from the breed's perceived qualities such as strength, tenacity, and loyalty as desirable traits for universities, athletic teams. And I have realised, to be fair, that if you Google bulldog sports in America, they're almost besotted by this, in their sports teams, by bulldogs.

[00:08:01] The whole resilience, determination, perseverance, which obviously they're characteristics that the breed had when they used to bait bulls. And it seems a lot of particularly American sports teams have encompassed and has taken those traits and embed that tenacity and courageousness, which is still written into some of our breed standard, by the way, into their sports ethics, such as, and there's loads of American Bulldog teams, but off the top of my head, I'm just going to say the Georgia Bulldogs. I think that's a pretty good lowdown, do you not think? Number one would be their amazing appearance, distinctive appearance. Number two would be their moderate exercise and low energy needs.

[00:08:44] Number three would be their adaptability. Number four would be their easy care routine compared to some breeds and little like caveat in that. Number five would be their personality and temperament that they've got bags of it and they're willing to share it with everybody. And number six would be their cultural influence and I, I guess they are a bit of a statement dog, aren't they?

[00:09:05] Like not many people look twice at a Labrador, but. They generally stop you and have a conversation in the street when you're walking down the road with a bulldog. So there you go, that's my six reasons as to why people love the bulldog breed. That's it. If you can think of any more, don't forget, come and join us in the community and let us know if there should be a few extra ones on there.

[00:09:28] Otherwise, I'll speak to you next week.

[00:09:35] Before you leave, make sure to visit bulldogbroadcast. com for immediate access to the show notes, community forum, recommendations and episode extras.