Not much of the history behind the dog breeds is as interesting as the history of the Bulldog. Information about its ancestors contains mythic tales about the god Zeus and aiding in the hunt for large herbivores, participation in war and the Roman arena. The ancient dogs had such enormous strength and courage that it made up for what the dogs lacked in their sense of smell or in speed. The prehistoric dog was valued for its indispensable use as a hunting partner and a guard dog. These huge dogs were used in Europe, Africa and Asia.
The huge ancestor dog of the Bulldog became bonded to its human family and through their dependency upon one another trust between the species came into being. The dogs were depended upon to not only be a capable hunting partner, and then became trusted to guard the family and their property. Eventually, the huge dog joined in combat.
Historical Bulldog information includes the Greek myth about the Demonesian bronze dog that Hephaestus forged and gave a soul. Hephaestus was the son of Aphrodite, the goddess of Love. The dog was named Laeleps and was presented to Zeus. Zeus gave the dog to others and before the Laeleps turned to stone, he fathered descendants.
Laeleps passed into the hands of different owners after Zeus and the dog eventually changed from bronze to stone. Laeleps fathered descendants before turning to stone. The Molossian is said to be a descendant of the dog of the gods, Laeleps.
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.
Bulldog information about the breed’s past involves the tribal people of ancient Briton. Celtic tribes kept and bred the dog because of its invaluable services as a hunting partner and guard dog. The dog was used to be a fighting dog that helped the Celtic tribes to protect their home, property and territory. When the Romans invaded in 50AD, they did not expect the war dogs of the Celts.
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.
When the Romans made Briton into a Roman province in the year 50AD, they adopted the Pugnace and introduced it into their violent culture of the arena. The Pugnace, also known as the Canis Pugnax, had a reputation for bringing larger animals to a stop. Bulldog information about its ancient history is fascinating. The enormous size and ferocity of the Molossi has been tempered by careful breeding through history so that now its descendants, including the Bulldog are social, intelligent although sometimes a bit stubborn.