The Bulldog’s Brave Ancestor

Bulldog information, concerning its earliest breeding history, is a fascinating story. The history behind the Bulldog involves the ancient world including the Phoenicians, Britons and Romans. The Bulldog finds its ancestors among the oldest and largest dogs used since prehistoric times. At that time, humans, in Europe, North Africa and Asia, used large and courageous dogs to help them hunt large herbivores.

These dogs were such enormous strength that they preyed on large animals that would fight back. These dogs may not have been very fast or have had a strong sense of smell yet they did make up for it with their courageous spirit and enormous size. As hunting companions, the large and predatory dogs became a trusted and valued member of the human household.

As their human family gained stability and maintained separate households, the dogs grew to become guardians well. The bond between the dog and humanity became strong based on mutual need for each other. The dog gave up its wildness to coexist with humanity peacefully for food and shelter and was needed for hunting, guard duties and eventually war duties.

Some of the most interesting Bulldog information concerns the prehistoric ancestor of the Bulldog breed, named Molossian. Thought to come from Epirus, Greece, the Molossian dog was a ferocious dog bred by the Molossi tribe. The Molossi tribes used the dog for hunting and as war dogs.
An interesting tidbit of Bulldog information and mythology concerns the role of the gods in the Bulldog prehistoric past. The history of the Molossians has been lost in time although it is believed that the origin of the breed is associated with Epirus, Greece. A Greek myth tells of the master forger Hephaestus who created a Demonesian bronze dog. Hephaestus gave the bronze dog it's own soul. Zeus received Laeleps as a gift and through time, the dog had different owners until it turned to stone. Before Laeleps turned to stone, he fathered many descendants, of whom the Mollosian were descended.

The Greek Molossi tribes bred dogs known as the Molossians. The Molossi trained the dogs as guard and war dogs. The early name of this dog is Canis Molossi. During the ancient Greek era, the Phoenicians, who were important traders, traded with the Molossi as a bargaining item. The Phoenicians came to regard the huge dogs to be a highly valuable commodity for trade. In this way, the Molossians made their way to Briton about 800 BC.
Historical Bulldog information tells of British tribes people, including the Celts, breeding the dog for their own purposes. The Celtic tribes bred the dog so that it could accompany them on their wild boar and wild cattle hunts. The Celtic and British tribes trained the dog to participate in war and the dogs had skill at bringing a horseman down. The Romans called these dogs by the name Pugnace Britannicii or Canis Pugnax. A later name used for the dog was the Broad Mouthed Dogs of Briton.

The Pugnace would grab a horse by the nose and by clinging on the horse would buck its rider off in an attempt to dislodge the dog. This canine maneuver was a surprise to the Romans when they first invaded the British homelands. The Romans prized the dog’s ferocious nature and put it in the arena as a combatant. Since this time, the dog’s ferocity has been bred out so that what remains is a good natured and an even comical companion.


The Bulldog is known for its excellent character and is a trusted and beloved friend to its human family. Find out about interesting Bulldog information in this article.