| dc.description.abstract | The small and compact English bulldog was first bred in England in the 1600 century with the
purpose of fighting bulls. Many changes were done to the English bulldog, which is
descending from dogs like the mastiff, to make it as suitable for its task as possible. The face
had to be broad, muscular and flat with a nose pointing upwards to make it easier for the dog
to hang onto the bull for a long time without having to let go to breath. Short forelegs and
longer hind leg made it easier for the dog to sprint up to the bull, attaching from below. The
characteristic look of today’s English bulldog is a result of years of breeding. Unfortunately
this has resulted in the English bulldog suffering from several illnesses, including the most
obvious one of them all, the brachycephalic airway syndrome. This congenital condition is
characterized by the dogs having an extremely flat nose, stenotic nostrils, elongated soft
palate and laryngeal and tracheal hypoplasia. Everted laryngeal saccules are a consequence of
the obstructive effect of the stenotic nares and elongated soft palate, and will worsen the
ability of the animal to breathe even more. The UK kennel club and the American kennel club
are favouring the morphological characteristics mentioned above, being responsible for the
brachycephalic syndrome, which is causing the respiratory distress of the English bulldog. | en |
