The Miniature Bulldog

"Toy Bulldogs are an acquired taste", said a friend to me; and while I was meditating an adecuate reply, he rashly added: "Like coffee or caviare". This gave me opening, and I hastened to assure him that there is nobody-who is anybody, that is to say- who does not nowadays both know and highly appreciate coffee, caviare, and Toy Bulldogs! Not to so do would be, indeed, to argue oneself unknown! It is also another of the many proofs that history repeats herself. For fifty or sixty years ago, Toy-or, rather, as a recent edict of the Kennel Club requires them to be dubbed, Miniature- Bulldogs were common objects of the canine country side. In fact , you can hardly ever talk for ten minutes to any Bulldog breeders of old standing without his telling you tall stories of the wonderful little Bulldogs, weighing about fifteen or sixteen pounds, he either knew or owned, in those long past days!
Prominent among those who made a cult of these "bantams" were the laceworkers of Nottingham, and many prints are extant which bear witness to the excellent little specimens they bred. But a wave of unpopularity overwhelmed them, and they faded across the channel to France, where, if is as asserted, our Gallic neighbours appreciated them highly, they cannot have been said to have taken much care to preserve their best points. When, in 1898, a small but devoted band of admirers revived them in England, they returned most attractive, 'tis true, but hampered by many undesirable features, such as bat ears, froggy faces, waving tails and a generel lack of bulldog character. However, the Toy Bulldog Club then started numbered on its committee the late Mr. GR. Krehl, ( who previously to that date had already imported some good specimens to England) , the Hon. Mrs Baillie of Dochfour, Miss Augusta Bruce, Lady Lewis, and the present writer. The club took the dogs vigorously in hand, and, having obtained their charter as a recognised breed from the Kennel Club, proceeded to make slow but sure progress, and this notwithstanding that in !902 a violent split occured in its ranks. Owing to various differences of opinion a certain number of members left and proceeded to form themselves into what is now known as the French Bulldog Club of England. Thanks to the original club's unceasing efforts, Toy Bulldogs have since always been catered for for at an ever increasing number of shows. The original solitary " mixed open" class, for all sexes and sorts, is now split up into various separate classes, suited to sex, seniority, and other distinctions. Their weight, after heated discussion and sundry ups and downs, was finally fixerd at twenty two pounds and under, this decision, by the way, costing them their original prefix. For the Kennel Club rightly decide that a sturdily built bulldog of twenty two pounds' weight can in no sense be termed a "Toy".
Another recent change has been that of ears, Bat ears, after being sadly suffered for a while in the scale of points, have at last been firmly marked as a disqualification, and this by order of the kennel Club. From the 1st of January, 1907, all inbreeding with French Bulldogs has been absolutely forbidden, and the two breeds so long confusedly intertwined, have at length been finally dissociated. Equally disqualifying are the shades known as black and blue- the latter being a kind of slate grey, detested in the eyes of big bulldog breeders.
The original aim of Miniature Bulldogs-i.e. to look like the larger variety seen through the wrong end of a telescope- if not actually acheived, is being rapidly approached, and can no longer be looked on as merely ther hopeless dream of a few enthusiasts! That to get, in a dog of twenty two pounds, the enormous size of skull, "cloddiness", of body, and thickness of bone obtainable in a forty five or sixty pund specimen, is a hard task there is no denying, but such prodigious strides have been made of late that one feels, given a few more years of patience and perseverance, it will come very near fulfilment.
Before passing to other matters, it is perhaps only right to mention, with all deference to our Gallic friends, that in many old prints of Bulldogs, big and small, dating from sixty to eighty years ago, the bat or prick ears are frequently to be noted; a fact which weakens the contention held by many that they are the sign of a pure French breed, originating across the channel.
To enumerate in detail the Miniature Bulldog scale of points is quite unnecessary, as it is simply that of the big ones writ small. In other words, " the general appearance of Miniature Bulldogs must as nearly as possible resemble that of the big Bulldog",- a terse sentence which comprises in itself all that can be said on the subject.
The club has alarge and ever-increasing membership, and posseses The Duchess of Sutherland as President. From its original start the Duchess has been a warm supporter of the breed, and has owned some good specimens in the past. The Hon. Mrs Baillie, of Dochfour, is still on the committee, and another member of the club is Mr. George Weinberg, of larger Bulldog fame. He owns two splendid miniatures in Tablet and Baby Bullet, and was the former owner of the incomparable Champion No Trumps, one of the best ever seen.
Of this goodly company comes last, but far from least, Mrs.C.F.C Clarke, also a well known owner of big "bulls". She has of late turned her attention to breeding and showing the smaller variety, and with great success, as her Mersham Snowdrop and Tiger- the latter bred by her- abundantly testify, In fact, had not Tiger unluckily just topped the weight limit, he would undoubtedly have been the best dog ever benched, and, as far as points go, is as typical a Miniature Bulldog as could be found. The present writer has also the honour of being a committeee woman, and her Champion Ninon de L'Enclos, Lady Cloda, Susan Anne, and Champion Bumps, the latter a very typical little dog and winner of twelve championships, have all upheld the prestige of the breed on the showbench. Mr. B. Marley, whose wife owns the celebrated Felton Bulldog kennels, is another member of the committee, so it will be seen that patrons of the big breed by no means scorn their smaller brethren.
A few years ago Lady de Grey owned a splendid little dog in Champion Bite, and Mr. W.R. Temple's Tulip and Mrs Baillie's Crib and Lena II were all hard to beat. Of present day dogs Mrs. Burrell, the sporting lady-master of the North Nothumberland Foxhounds, can bench a really good one in Champion Little Trufit, as can Mrs. G Raper in Little Model and Miss Farquarson in Peter Pan, the latter a beautiful little fawn dog, possessing rare bones and Bulldog character. So much for the breed as show dogs, though a great deal more may be written of other succesful winners on the bench.
As companion and friends thay are second to none, being faithful, fond and even foolish in their devotion, as all true friends should be. They are absolutely and invariably good-tempered, and, as a rule, sufficiently fond of the luxiries of this life- not to say greedy- to be easily cajoled into obedience. Remarkably intelligent, and caring enough for sport to be sympathetically excited at the sight of a rabbit without degenrating to cranks on the subject like terriers. Taking a keen interest in all surrounding people and objects, without, however, giving way to ceaseless barking; enjoying outdoor exercise, without requiring an exhaustive amount, they are in every way ideal pets, and adapt themselves to town and country alike.
As puppies they are delicate, and require constant care and supervision; but that only adds a keener zest to the attractive task of breeding them, the more so owing to the fact that as mothers they do not shine, being difficult to manage, and generally manifestig a stronf dislike to rearing their own offspring. In other respects they are quite hardy little dogs, and- one great advantage- they seldom have distemper. Cold and damp they particularly dislike, especially when puppies, and the greatest care should be taken to keep them thoroughly dry and warm. When very young indeed they can stand, and are better for, an extraordinary amount of heat.
From a pecuniary point of view, given average luck and management, Toy Bulldog breeding is a remunerative pursuit. Good specimens, fit for the bench, command extremely high prices, and a ready sale is always to be had for less good ones for moderate sums as pets, the more so as, owing to their extraordinary good tempers, they are in much request with children, with whom they can be absolutlely trusted. No amount of teasing appears to rouse them to more than a somewhat bored grunt. In fact, to sum up, they possess many advantages and few disadvantages.
Anyone who has owned and loved a Toy Bull can seldom get really to care for any other kind of dog, and sooner or later takes unto himself or herself again another snorting little specimen, whose ugly wrinkled face and loving heart cannot fail to make life the pleasanter.2