Bulldog information is incomplete without a retelling of its ties to the ancient world. The Bulldog’s sturdy build was inherited from its ferocious ancestor, the Molossian of Greece. Kept and bred by the Molossi tribes’ people, the huge dog was valued for its great strength and size. Even though the dog did not have speed or a sensitive sense of smell, the dog had the courage to go after prey that would not back down.
Huge dogs, such as the Molossian, were used for hunting large game in prehistoric Europe, Africa and Asia. Originally from Epirus, Greece, the Bulldog’s ancestor, the Molossian, was kept for hunting purposes and eventually became a guard dog and fighting dog. A strong based on mutual need developed between the dog and its human family. The dog became an indispensable member of the household and earned a living through the work that it performed for its human masters.
The ancient ancestor of the Bulldog is presumed to originate in Epirus, Greece since the Molossi tribal people of northwestern Greece bred it. Any Bulldog information about Bulldog history is incomplete without a mention of its ancestor’s role in Greek mythology. According to ancient Greek myth, the Molossian dog was descended from Laeleps, the Demonesian bronze dog with a soul, which was given to the god Zeus from Hephaestus, the heavenly master forger, and son of Aphrodite.
An interesting tidbit of Bulldog information and mythology concerns the role of the gods in the Bulldog prehistoric past. The history of the Molossians has been lost in time although it is believed that the origin of the breed is associated with Epirus, Greece. A Greek myth tells of the master forger Hephaestus who created a Demonesian bronze dog. Hephaestus gave the bronze dog it’s own soul. Zeus received Laeleps as a gift and through time, the dog had different owners until it turned to stone. Before Laeleps turned to stone, he fathered many descendants, of whom the Mollosian were descended.
According to Bulldog information, Phoenician traders began to use the dog for bartering purposes and in this way the Molossian dogs traveled the seas and oceans of the prehistoric times. It was in about 800 BC that the Molossian found itself on British shores.
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.
These war dogs could cause a horse to toss its Roman rider by biting and holding onto a horse’s nose. The horse would kick and through its exertions, the rider was thrown off. The Romans called the dog Canix Pugnax or Pugnace Britannicii. The Romans admired the dog’s ferocity, bravery and enormous strength. As a fighter in the arena, the Pugnace was pitted against human fighters and wild predators.
Since these ancient and violent times of the Bulldog’s history, these ferocious tendencies have been effectively bred out of the Bulldog so that the Bulldog is now a fine companion.