o his first
purchase of a Bulldog. He should ascertain beyond all doubt, not only
that his proposed purchase is itself sound in wind and limb, but that
its sire and dam are, and have been, in similarly healthy condition.
The dog to be chosen should be physically strong and show pronounced
muscular development. If these requirements are present and the dog
is in no sense a contradiction of the good qualities of its
progenitors, but a justification of its pedigree, care and good
treatment will do the rest. It is to be remembered, however, that
a Bulldog may be improved by judicious exercise. When at exercise,
or taking a walk with his owner, the young dog should always be held
by a leash. He will invariably pull vigorously against this restraint,
but such action is beneficial, as it tends to develop the muscles
of the shoulders and front of the body.

When taking up the Bulldog fancy, nine out of every ten novices choose
to purchase a male. The contrary course should be adopted. The female
is an equally good companion in the house or on the road; she is not
less affectionate and faithful; and when the inevitable desire to
attempt to reproduce the species is reached the beginner has the means
at once available.

It is always difficult for the uninitiated to select what is likely
to be a good dog from the nest. In choosing a puppy care should be
taken to ensure it has plenty of bone in its limbs, and these should
be fairly short and wide; the nostrils should be large and the face
as short as possible. The chop should be thick and heavily wrinkled
and the mouth square. There should be a distinct indent in the upper
jaw, where the bone will eventually curve, whilst the lower jaw should
show signs of curvature and protrude slightly in front of the upper
jaw. The teeth from canine to canine, including the six front teeth,
should be in a straight line.

See that the ears are very small and thin, and the eyes set well
apart. The puppy having these properties, together with a domed,
peaked, or "cocoanut" shaped skull, is the one which, in nine cases
out of ten, will eventually make the best headed dog of the litter.

The breeding of Bulldogs requires unlimited patience, as success is
very difficult to attain. The breeder who can rear five out of every
ten puppies born may be considered fortunate. It is frequently found
in what appears to be a healthy lot of puppies that some of them begin
to whine and whimper towards the end