jnet wrote:
yep the older bulldogs looked more like a boxer crossed with a mastiff.
JP do you breed your dogs? I'm glad you seem to have success with british bulldogs and if in good health it would be nice to keep the breed going there are many dog breeds that have dissappeared over the last hundred years; it seems a shame that whole breeds are lost. Like the other day I found a book about the spitdogs, they were like a poodle crossed dachund it seems by description and the turned the spits in kitchens to cook food. As soon as not needed they went byebye and that seems sad; I guess they would have been a nice dog.
@JP I hope I dont offend you and remember I like cresties so what do I know about good dogs mine are nervous of strangers and dont really like kids

English bulldogs won't never go 'extinct.' The breed standard changes every so often. Nowadays it has been changed to promote less girth and weight, and smaller heads and less underbite, and a more prominent nose to diminish the brachiocephalic quality that causes breathing issues.
The Olde engligh bulldogge, which almost completely went extinct back in the early 1900's, is enjoying a resurgence. You can see how it was built to be used for fighting.
I prefer the more modern English bulldog. Shorter, stubby legs, wider girth, and more wrinkles. The Olde english looks more like an american bulldog, mastiff or boxer.