What role did the English Industrial revolution play in the French Bulldog's history? Well, the many economic crises of the 19th century and the industrial production of textiles had made life in England very difficult to the artesan producers, like the Nottingham lace workers. From about 1850 to 1860 the English textile and clothing industries were in a turmoil.
French bulldog books
Machinery was replacing man. Cottage industries in the English Midlands were being abandoned. The lacemakers of Nottingham who worked by hand no longer had jobs. By the 1850s - 1860s Nottingham in England also was a great centre for English bulldogs, including the toy or miniature bulldogs.
Toy Bulldog 1900's
When many of the lace workers of Nottingham moved to France to seek work, more specifically to the Calais area, they took their smaller bulldogs with them.  The miniature bulldogs were perfectly suited to the new, cramped, living conditions in the apartments and small houses the workers lived in, and also because they were excellent ratters, the plague of that century.
French bulldog clubs
French bulldog gift ideas and French Bulldog calendars
French bulldog breed description
French bulldog history
French Bulldog
(History and Origins of the French Bulldog)
 
Guard dogs
American bulldog
Bulldog breeds
Olde English Bulldogge
Tosa inu
Molosser dogs
Dogo argentino
Boerboel
Most Popular Pages
.
.
.
Funny French Bulldog Pictures
Home
Recommended Books for Dog Owners
The Canine Information Library 2003-2008 © All rights reserved.
Original idea, design and development by C. Marien-de Luca. No part of bulldoginformation.com may be copied, distributed, printed or reproduced on another website without the owner's written permission. Please feel free to link from your site to any of the pages on this website in a non-frame presentation only.
Subsections: Guard dogs | Bull and Terriers | Livestock guard dogs | Terriers
| Dog articles | Designer dogs | Hunting dogs | Dog breeds per country |
Sister websites: Puginformation.org and FunnyFlatFaces.com
| More Dog breedsSitemap |
More Dog Breeds: Bulldog breeds | Molosser dogs | Dog breeds A to Z
Related Books
Dog breeding
Dog showing
Judging dogs
Kennel management
Dog nutrition
| Cute puppies | Dog articles | Dog Magazines |
More dog books...
About Bulldoginformation.com: Sitemap | About us | Copyright | Contact
Recommended Reading
Bulldog breeds
Dog breeds A to Z
Molosser breeds
Guard dogs
Japanese dogs
Best dogs for families with children
Bull and Terriers
Sled dogs
Hairless dogs
Toy dogs
Other Small and Toy Breeds
Pug
Chihuahua
Shih Tzu
Boston Terrier
Frenchie Kisses
by Amanda Jones (Photographer)
More information
French Bulldog
French Bulldogs
by Muriel P. Lee
More information:
The Nottingham lacemakers were welcomed with open arms by the French to the coastal towns of Normandy and in particular to Brittany and Calais where the old traditional work continued.
Why precisely these smaller bulldogs became very popular amongst the workers in the Nottingham lace industry in the first place is not very clear but speculations are that these little bulldogs were in fact "culls" of the established Bulldog Breeders in England, who were generally more than happy to sell these undersized examples of their breed to fanciers of the "new" Toy breed in England.
French bulldog, ca. 1849
French Bulldog bronze, Laplanche (France, 19th C.)
Photo credit: William Secord
Monty & Peggy. Own.: Pilar Hannan
French Bulldog painting 19th century
by Dean Wolstenholme 1757-1837)
Photo credit: William Secord
This was especially true of the "tulip" eared puppies that cropped up at times in Bulldog litters. And later on when they had to move to France, the pocket-sized edition of the bulldog was very convenient because they were easier to smuggle aboard ship and keep out of sight during the trip to France and because they were more prone to adapt to the new living conditions.
In the farming communities north of France where they moved to, the little Bulldogs became very popular as ratters and loyal family companions and their population soon grew. In the 1860s the export of miniature or toy bulldogs from England to France was so great that they practically became extinct in England. Read more about the French bulldog history >>
See also:

Small molosser dogs
Toy dogs

Boston Terrier
Pug

French Bulldog Calendars:
French Bulldogs 2009
French Bulldogs 2009
French bulldogs
Further Reading:
French Bulldog
The French Bulldog by Muriel Lee
French Bulldog
French Bulldogs in hats
French Bulldogs dressed up
Funny French bulldogs
Send us your
funny French Bulldog photos and show off your Frenchie to the rest of the world on
www.FunnyFlatFaces.com
!

Send us your photos here
A new photo website with the cutiest and funiest French Bulldog photos:
Home > Bulldog breeds and Small Molosser dogs > French bulldog > French bulldog history