Bullenbeisser Information & Dog Breed Facts

Although little is known about the Bullenbeisser’s early history, the breed had a very long history in the Holy Roman Empire’s regions. The breed was predominantly retained by the Germans, Dutch, Flemish, and Frisians, who spoke closely related languages and were all regarded as one people until recent centuries. The Bullenbeisser is originally a type of Mastiff introduced into German-speaking lands from France, Italy, or possibly the Roman Empire that preceded them. Although each Mastiff is unique, most are distinguished by their huge size, a brachycephalic head, and a strong protective instinct. It is uncertain when Mastiffs arrived in Germany for the first time, but it was likely during the Late Roman period or the Dark Ages.

Over time, the Mastiffs became identical to other dogs of their type. They diverged through the centuries as a result of different local breeding choices. In Western Europe, Mastiffs were primarily used as beasts for war or for guarding properties. Such dogs were frequently chained during the day. Eventually, they became monstrous in size and immensely powerful, but they also became lazy and unathletic. On the other hand, in Germany, they were mostly used for hunting. These were the only dogs that possessed the power to hunt the largest and most dangerous prey found, for example, boar, bear, and wolf. German farmers also learned that these dogs were both fast and powerful enough to capture and hold a stubborn bull or hog until they could capture or kill it. These Mastiffs became less bulky and most athletic, and energetic than related breeds as a result of being employed for more physically demanding jobs. Eventually, the traditional-looking Mastiff became more specialized as a working farm dog. The dog was also commonly pitted against either bulls or bears for sport, competitions known as bull-baiting and bear-baiting. However, the original form of the Mastiff became even smaller and more athletic than it has been previously, and this breed became known as the Bullenbeisser which means “Bull Biter”.

At the time, when the Holy Roman Empire was composed of hundreds of independent states, ranging in size from a small town to the nation of Austria, each state kept several kennels of Bullenbeissers for hunting. However, as a result of the political and geographical division, many different localized versions of Bullenbeisser were developed. In the early 15^th century, major technological and cultural changes came to Europe. The number of states in the Holy Roman Empire shrank dramatically as larger polities began to consume smaller ones. The size of the German nobility decreased, which meant that fewer and fewer people could afford to keep a kennel of Bullenbeissers. At the same time, the German population increased and this resulted in urbanization, which leads to the extinction of many hunting breeds. However, the Bullenbeisser was valuable for so many purposes that it continued to be bred. Primarily kept by working farmers and butchers who could afford to feed a massive dog. The one advantage of urbanization was that it led to increased crime rates, which in turn led to an increased demand for guard dogs.

Furthermore, because of the lower shipping costs, Germany was able to import dogs from across the world. Perhaps the most popular one was the English Bulldog, which served very similar functions to the Bullenbeisser, but was smaller, bulkier, and came in a wider variety of colors. In order to improve their dogs, many Bullenbeisser breeders began to cross their dogs with English Bulldogs. Other breeds were also crossed with the Bullenbeisser, such as the Bull Terrier, English White Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. At the same time, technology began to take the Bullenbeisser’s traditional roles, and other breeds such as the German Shepherd stepped in. As a result of this, by the end of the 19^th century, the traditional Bullenbeisser was becoming increasingly rare and was likely slowly dying out.

Moreover, during the late 1890s, there was a desire throughout Germany to standardize the indigenous breeds. A group of Bullenbeisser enthusiasts decided to standardize the breed, ideally returning it to its ancestors from before the introduction of English Bulldog blood. These efforts were centered in Munich and resulted in the creation of a standardized breed known as the Boxer. The first Boxers were probably about 50% Bullenbeisser and 50% English Bulldog, but for a number of reasons, breeders favored the introduction of increasing amounts of Bullenbeisser blood. Many of the remaining Bullenbeissers were joined to the Boxer’s genes, resulting in a breed that was roughly 70% Bullenbeisser and 30% English Bulldog. The Boxer became so popular across Germany, it completely replaced the old Bullenbeisser. By the end of World War II, the Bullenbeisser was entirely extinct as an independent breed.