English Boodle

As with many hybrid dogs, the English Boodle’s history is not well documented which leaves only one option, to look at the parent breeds. The Poodle is an ancient breed originally used for hunting water fowl. While the Poodle’s past is debatable with several conflicting theories, one thing that is agreed upon is that they originated in Germany but developed their own unique style in France. It was in the 1400s that they started breeding the smaller Poodles such as the miniature and then the toy, by breeding small Poodles with smaller Poodles – not other small dogs. In France, the standard Poodle was used for duck hunting, the miniature for sniffing out truffles and the toy became the wealthy individuals companion dog. Poodles were popular in circus shows -they were quick to learn new tricks and the gypsies often coiffed their coats into amazing shapes and even dyed the hair to bright new colors, which was the beginning of the Poodle cut. The American Kennel Club registered its first Poodle in 1886. By the mid-1950s, the Poodle was the most popular breed and it held that position for over 20 years. The British Isles was the origin of the English Bulldog who was a descendant of the Asiatic Mastiff. These dogs were used in the blood sport of bull baiting and were given the name bull, because of the sport and the fact that the dog was as solid as a little bull. Back then the English Bulldog was aggressive, courageous and ferocious! The dogs would take on a fully-grown bull attacking from below and aiming for the neck, making it hard for the bull to fight back. Luckily the sport was finally outlawed and the English bulldog we know is far removed from the temperament of his ancestors but they still have a strong determination.