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MediumNon-Sporting Group

Bulldog

The Bulldog descends from medieval English bull-baiting dogs, refined after the 1835 ban on blood sports into a docile companion type with progressively exaggerated brachycephaly.

Calculate Bulldog age
Lifespan9.8 yrrange 9–10
SizeMediumNon-Sporting Group
Weight40–50 lb18.1–22.7 kg
Senior at7 yrgeriatric at 11

Gallery (3)

About

About the Bulldog

The Bulldog descends from medieval English bull-baiting dogs, refined after the 1835 ban on blood sports into a docile companion type with progressively exaggerated brachycephaly. AKC rank 6; the Kennel Club has flagged breed health reform as critical welfare priority.

Aging

How Bulldogs age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 9.8 years (n=15,808). Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome is the severe defining concern — incidence near 100% — with hip dysplasia, cherry eye, skin-fold pyoderma, and dysplasic joint disease secondary.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 9.8 yr · range 9–10Senior careSenior at 7 · geriatric at 11Common health issues10 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
40–50 lb(18.1–22.7 kg)
Height
14–15 in(35.6–38.1 cm)
Coat type
Short
Colors
Brindle & WhiteFawnFawn & WhiteFawn Brindle & WhiteRedRed & WhiteRed BrindleRed Brindle & WhiteWhiteFawn & BrindleFallow
Temperament

Temperament

How Bulldogs tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

friendlycourageouscalmdignified
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • High prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~5 yr

    Periodontal Disease

    Description and veterinary guidance for Periodontal Disease land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Patellar Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Patellar Luxation land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Bulldogs are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.