The English Bulldog was first developed in the 1800’s. Breeders favoured certain genetic features such as their round heads, their wide chest, and their natural underbite.
The practices of breeding these dogs in an attempt to favor these features worked in that the English Bulldog we commonly know today looks quite different from the original English Bulldog.
With a shorter tail, bigger underbite, and bowed legs, English Bulldogs started experiencing several serious disorders within the breed.
In the 1980’s in London, Ken Mollett, began breeding English Bulldogs with Bull Mastiffs, Bull Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. The intention behind this breeding was to reduce the birth defects often associated with Bulldogs, and have it look similar aesthetically to how English Bulldogs looked in the Victorian Era.
These successful breeding attempts led to the increasingly popular and rare breed being created, the Victorian Bulldog.
Dimensions
As with the majority of dog breeds, the size will vary depending on the gender of the dog. Victorian Bulldogs are fully grown after 18 months. Here are some important dimensions to remember:
Female size: 17 inches
Male size: 18 inches
Female Weight: 60 lbs
Male Weight: 72 lbs
Temperament
The English Bulldog used to be known well in the sport of bull baiting.
Their aggressive nature, and their ability to tame bulls many times their size made them ideal for the sport before it was made illegal. This forces breeders to focus on creating a dog with a gentler and more people friendly domineer.
These gentle personality traits were eventually inherited by the Victorian Bulldog. The Victorian Bulldog is a happy, well rounded, amazing family dog. Despite these dogs' grumpy and serious looking faces they carry all of the ideal qualities sought out in a lovable dog.
Victorian Bulldogs are known to be kind, playful, loving, and have a reputation for amazing patience with kids making them a great choice for a family dog. Due to Victorian Bulldogs' affectionate nature, they crave reciprocation. For this reason Victorian Bulldogs do not enjoy being left alone for extended periods of time. They prefer to be next to their humans getting belly rubs and cuddle time!
As a family dog, they are ideal for multi dog or pet houses. However, this requires the dog to have been socialized as a puppy. Otherwise their high prey drive and protective instincts will lead to a hostile environment.
Despite Victorian Bulldogs being highly protective of their family, they truly are quiet and docile dogs. Victorian Bulldogs aren’t known for barking often, and also do well in apartment or condo spaces due to their genuine love of time spent on the couch snuggling.
Overall Victorian Bulldogs make a great companion and family dog, as long as you don’t mind affection and slobber.
Price
Puppy
The price of a purebred Victorian Bulldog can vary based on a few different factors. Due to their rarity they are a more expensive breed. You’ll spend anywhere from $1,500- $3,000 on a Victorian Bulldog.
Although you may pay up to $5000 depending on the location of the breeder, quality, season, and health conditions.
Rescue
The price of a rescue purebred is a much more affordable option, although it will be a challenge to find due to this breed's rarity. The cost can be anywhere from as low as $50 to $400.
Again, this depends on the rescue shelter, location, popularity, health conditions, dogs age, and many other factors.
Color Variations
The Victorian Bulldog has many different color variations for its short and easy to maintain coat. Here are some of the different color variations you can expect:
- Brindle (Dark brown and dirty blonde)
- Fawn (Dirty blonde)
- Red
- White
- Peid (Black and white)
Shedding
The Victorian Bulldogs have very similar coats to their typical bulldog cousins. Their fur is thick, straight, and short.
They shed an average amount during the year, although two times throughout the year they go through a heavy shedding phase.
Although nothing can stop it all together, the proper brushing and grooming routine along with an omega fats rich diet can help.
Grooming
In order to best maintain a Victorian Bulldogs coat and comfort it is recommended that they get brushed twice weekly with a soft bristled brush.
Since Victorian Bulldogs enjoy most of their days snuggled up to their owner you don’t have to worry as much about regular baths. Full baths are only required about once a month or after they get dirty. To avoid dry and itchy skin it is important to not bath a Victorian Bulldog more than once a week.
One grooming concern to keep an eye on is the Victorian Bulldogs wrinkles, although they aren’t very deep they still need to be checked and cleaned regularly otherwise they are at risk for skin infections, and build up.
It’s best to just wipe their wrinkles and face with a damp cloth and to check their ears weekly for no swelling, odor, or large wax build up. If any of these concerns are found make sure to get your Victorian Bulldog checked for ear infections with the vet.
Haircuts are not necessary for Victorian bulldogs as their coats are kept short on their own. Although it is highly recommended to be brushing your Victorian Bulldogs teeth a minimum of 2-3 times a week to maintain dental hygiene and avoid hefty vet bills.
Lifespan
As long as your Victorian Bulldog is well loved and taken care of you can expect an average of 10-12 years of life. Thankfully the Victorian Bulldog has far easier care requirements than the English Bulldog.
Regular exercise is needed, specifically a 45 minute daily walk is ideal. Although, a small yard or even an apartment will be perfectly fine for their living conditions. It is best to get a Victorian Bulldog when living in a moderate climate.
They can overheat in the hot weather with difficulty to cool down again, and cold climates are also not great for these types of furry friends.
Health Concerns
Thankfully, the several major health concerns associated with English Bulldog have been bred out of the Victorian Bulldog. Although, just like any canine there are a few different common issues to keep an eye out for. Here are some common health issues in Victorian Bulldogs:
Eye problems: Victorian bulldogs may start to experience vision loss as they get older.
Obesity: Victorian Bulldogs should be fed two to three cups of dry food a day, between two separate meals. It’s important to make sure your Victorian Bulldog isn’t overeating and is maintaining a healthy weight.
Skin Problems: you can stay ahead of any skin problems by staying ahead of grooming and coat care. Although their wrinkly bodies and faces do make them prone to infection.
Hip dysplasia: With this breed's bow legs it can lead to hip problems. Hip dysplasia is when the hip detaches from the socket. Watch for any signs of limping, especially in older years.
Popularity
Bulldogs in general are an extremely popular breed. While they tend to be a dog people have drastic feelings about, either adoring the breed or finding them extremely unattractive.
The Victorian Bulldog has been gaining an increasing amount of popularity over recent years leading them to being ranked the fourth most popular breed of purebred dogs in existence.
How Much Does A Victorian Bulldog Cost?
Depending on the method of Victorian Bulldog adoption the price variation can be from $50 all the way up to $5000. There are a few different factors that will impact the price of a Victorian Bulldog.
If you are looking to buy a pure bred from a breeder the standard cost is anywhere from $1500- $3000. The price can go all the way up to $5000 from there. The reason the price may drastically change is the quality of breeder, the rarity of Victorian Bulldogs in that area geographically, the current health condition of the puppy, the age, and other factors.
If you are looking to spend less than $1000 it is still entirely possible to get a Victorian Bulldog. Although the process may be lengthier and it’s unlikely that someone could adopt a puppy for that price. Victorian Bulldogs range from $50- $400 when purchased as a rescue dog.
Again several factors such as popularity by region, age, health, and demand will all impact this.
What Is The Difference Between An English Bulldog And A Victorian Bulldog?
The Bulldog breed dates back to the 17th century, they became a symbol synonymous with the former president of the United States Sir Winston Churchill.
While the most common type is the English Bulldog, the Victorian Bulldog is closely related and hard to tell apart at first glance.
The Victorian Bulldog is about 2 inches bigger than the English bulldog, and can also reach a weight of 75lbs whereas the English bulldog can only reach a maximum weight of 55lbs. The Victorian Bulldog also has an average expectancy of 10-12 years and the English Bulldog has a life expectancy of only 8-10 years.
While the health issues of the Victorian Bulldog are far less significant than what the English Bulldog experiences they have similar temperaments and are both easily trained dogs.
The Victorian Bulldog tends to be taller and leaner than their English Bulldog cousins. English bulldogs are often known for their big disproportionate heads, Victorian Bulldogs are much more proportaint.
Victorian Bulldog Breeders In The United States
The American Kennel Club and the Bulldog Club of America acknowledges the English Bulldog but does not acknowledge the Victorian Bulldog as a breed with a definition to distinguish it from other types of bulldogs.
For this reason it is important to take extra steps of doing proper research before committing to a specific breeder.
A Victorian Bulldog is an English Bulldog bred with Bull Mastiffs, Bull Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. By double checking the family lineage with a breeder you should be able to verify that this is a Victorian Bulldog, and not an English Bulldog.
Since there is no true standard or certification a breeder can get in the United States acknowledging its practice of breeding purebred Victorian Bulldogs it is important to do your online research beforehand and read previous customer reviews to determine the legitimacy of the breeder.
Dan is a well respected content researcher who has vast experience working projects in the pets niche. He is a frequent contributor to dogtemperament.com and loves delivering numerous helpful dog articles like this one that are read by thousands of our readers monthly.
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