Bulldog
The Bulldog is the national dog of England, descended from the animals used in bull-baiting until that was outlawed in 1835, after which breeders set out to keep the courage and…
About the Bulldog
The Bulldog is the national dog of England, descended from the animals used in bull-baiting until that was outlawed in 1835, after which breeders set out to keep the courage and remove the ferocity. The modern Bulldog is a peaceable, affectionate companion, and its health has been the subject of decades of effort by the breed clubs.
Dogs weigh about 25 kg, broad and low, with a smooth coat in brindle, red, fawn, white or pied. The breed standard was revised in 2009 to ask for a more moderate dog, and a stud that is fit, breathes quietly at rest and moves freely is exactly what that revision was for. The Royal Kennel Club's Respiratory Function Grading Scheme covers the breed, and a graded result is the most useful piece of paper a stud owner can show.
Beyond breathing, ask a Bulldog stud owner for hip scores, patella examination and a current eye certificate, and about skin fold dermatitis, cherry eye and entropion in the line. Most Bulldog litters are delivered by caesarean, so ask about the stud's own birth and about natural whelping in the dog's relatives. Hemivertebrae X-rays are worth requesting in a screw-tailed breed.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Bulldog
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Good Practice — the Royal Kennel Club’s minimum before breeding
The tests the Royal Kennel Club says breeders should, at a minimum, complete before breeding.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eye testing (BVA/KC/ISDS) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC/ISDS | Result printed on the eye certificate. |
| Breathing grading — BOAS (RKC Respiratory Function Grading Scheme) | Screening scheme | RKC | Grade 0–3; 0 is clinically unaffected. |
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNA test — HUU (Hyperuricosuria) | DNA test | Laboratory | The result printed on the laboratory certificate. |
| Hip score (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Total of both hips, 0–106. Lower is better. |
| Elbow grading (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Grade 0–3. The dog is graded on the worse of the two elbows. |
Breed club schemes listed in the Health Standard
Run by the breed club, not the Royal Kennel Club, which does not record their results. The Standard lists them as schemes to be aware of.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed club health scheme (named in the result) | Other | Breed club | Name the scheme and the outcome. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 18 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years, 19 dogs scored — indicative only, from a small sample). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Bulldog stud dogs
No Bulldog studs are listed right now
When a Bulldog on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Bulldog litters
No Bulldog litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
