French Bullweiler

The English Industrial Revolution replaced many workers with machines. By the 1850s and 1860s lace makers no longer had jobs. The English lace makers started to move to France to find work.  They brought along their dogs, which were small to miniature Bulldogs. Eventually bred with the native French Terrier Boule, the French Bulldog came to be. In 1885, an American French Bulldog breeding program was started. Once in America, the breed became popular with society ladies. The breed was displayed at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog show in 1896.  The only winners in the French Bulldog group were those with “rose ears” and not the breed members with “erect bat ears”. The society ladies did not approve of the judge’s decision. They formed the French Bulldog Club of America, which then created the breed standard.  The “erect bat ear” was the correct type. In the early 20th century the breed was owned by the Rockefeller family and the J. P. Morgan family. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1898. By 1906 the French Bulldog was the fifth most popular dog breed in America. It is believed that the Rottweiler breed descends from the ancient Drover dogs used by the Romans.  The Drover dogs were used to herd and protect livestock. The Roman army would travel with their herds, flocks and faithful dogs. Germany defeated and expelled the Romans around 200 A.D. Many of the Roman dogs were left behind and these dogs bred with the local dogs. The Rottweiler was named after the town of Rottweil in the south of Germany, which was founded by the Romans in 73 A.D. The American Kennel Club admitted the Rottweiler into its Stud Book in 1931. In 1948 the first Rottweiler received an American Kennel Club championship title. The American Rottweiler Club was formed in 1971.