Originally bred in 13th-century England for the brutal sport of bull-baiting, the modern English Bulldog was redesigned after 1835 into a placid couch companion when the sport was outlawed. Today they are gentle with children, calm indoors, and need very little exercise. Unfortunately century-long inbreeding for the wrinkled, brachycephalic look has produced one of the most health-burdened breeds: an average lifespan of just 8–10 years, frequent breathing surgeries, skin infections, and difficult births.
