Description of a Olde Englishe Bulldogge.

The Olde English Bulldogge is a modern breeding back attempt at recreating the bulldogs that existed in England between 1800 and 1860, the latter commonly referred to today as the Olde Bulldog which is an extinct breed of dog. These were the early ancestors to many of the Bull breeds that exist today including the Bulldog, the American Bulldog and American Pit Bull Terrier. They were bred to participate in blood sports like bull baiting. This sport, became quite popular in England throughout the middle of the 18th Century and through much of the 19th Century. Bull baiting primarily consisted of staking out a bull and allowing several Bulldogs to attack it. A dog of great courage and agility was needed for bull baiting. This dog was of medium size; larger dogs were considered to be the result of Mastiff crosses.

Around 1835, laws were passed in England prohibiting bull baiting and the Bulldog's main purpose of existence began to diminish. Within a decade or so, the number of Bulldogs declined drastically to near extinction. Eventually, many Bulldog breeders were able to reduce much of the Bulldog's high drive and excessive animal aggression and began developing a much more stable, even-tempered Bulldog. In the 1890s, many breeders had crossed Pug into their bloodlines to create a "Bullier" look for the dog.

The modern Olde English Bulldogge is a recreation of the "Regency Period Bull Baiter" — the Bulldog that existed from 1825 to 1860. One bloodline of Olde English Bulldogge was developed by David Leavitt, of Coatesville, Pennsylvania. In 1971. Mr. Leavitt used a line breeding scheme that was designed and developed by Ohio State University for breeding cattle. The goal was to create a specific breed of Bulldogge with the look, health, and athleticism of the original bull-baiting dogs, but with a significantly less aggressive temperament. The foundation crosses consisted of 1/2 Bulldog, 1/6 Bullmastiff, 1/6 American Pit Bull Terrier, and 1/6 American Bulldog. After many carefully planned crosses, the Olde English Bulldogge emerged and began to breed true.