Portraits and paintings of the English Bulldog by Justine Osborne

bulldog art portrait

"Mabel" - portrait of an English Bulldog
20 x 20in - oil painting on gallery style canvas

An awkward pose, typical of the breed, Mabel contemplates life. The butterfly flies past and the strong charactered, loveable Mabel on her fiery red background stikes a pose.. and as ever, a little ungainly.

bulldog modern painting

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a portrait of your English Bulldog
please contact the artist

Links

Bulldog Rescue

Bulldog on Wiki
Bulldog Dog Club

Notes on the English Bulldog

The Bulldog is small in stature, but wide and compact, with a thick, massive head. Its head should be broad (the broader the more prized) with cheeks that extend to the sides of the eyes. The skin on the skull and forehead should fall in dense folds. Its muzzle is short and pug, its nose, broad and black with large nostrils. Its upper lip is pendent and its lower jaw should be very undershot. Eyes are very round, far apart and very dark. The ears should be small and thin, folded back in the form of a rose. The tail is short and carries low. Coats can be red, fawn, brindle, pale yellow or washed-out red, or white, and can combine any of these colours. With its stocky legs set squarely at each corner of its compact, muscular body, the Bulldog's deliberate gain has become a waddle.

Although the English Bulldogs appearance can be somewhat intimidating, it is among the gentlest of dogs. Just the same it will see off any intruder, and few would risk a close encounter with a dog brave enough to bait a bull. It is described as a very affectionate and dependable animal, gentle with children, but known for its courage and its excellent guarding abilities. Some English Bulldogs can be a bit dominating and need an owner who knows how to display strong leadership and understands alpha canine behavior. When Bulldogs are young, they are full of energy, but slow down as they get older. They snore very loudly, and most have drool and slobber tendencies.

Today's bulldog has a very different temperament from those of his ancestors. The breed is descended from the ancient Asiatic mastiff, but its development took place completely in Great Britain. The name bulldog, which is medieval in origin, refers not only to the robust look of a little bull, which this aggressive dog has, but also to the power with which this dog attacked bulls in arena combat before that practice was prohibited by law in the nineteenth century.

 

for more portraits and other dog breeds -
visit the dog painting gallery

basset dog painting dalmatian pup portrait fox terriers picture westie dog portrait

 

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