We think that most people are familiar with bulldogs. They are a British breed of dog and are thick-set dogs with a sour mug face that has come to be a universal symbol of tenacity and courage. This type of dog breed can’t be mistaken for any other because they are so distinctive looking.

And it’s this distinctive look that has resulted in someone creating a holiday solely dedicated to bulldogs. This holiday is known as National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, and it’s observed annually on April 21st. Anyone and everyone who loves these dogs may want to celebrate them and show the world just how they feel about bulldogs.

The History Of National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day

Bulldogs are a breed of dog that can be traced back to the 5th century to a mastiff breed known as Alaunt — a now extinct type of dog that was developed by the ancient Alans and known primarily as a war dog, guard dog, and large game hunting dog.

The Alaunt may be extinct, but its genes live on in a mutated fashion in the modern bulldog. From the 15th century through the 18th century, bulldogs were used for a barbaric sport known as bull-baiting.

This sport involved trained dogs latching onto a tethered bull’s nose and not letting go until the bull had been pulled to the ground or the dog had been killed by the bull. This “sport” was eventually banned in 1835.

When bull-baiting was banned, many people felt that there was no longer any reason to breed bulldogs, and they had a real chance of going extinct during the 19th century. Fortunately, this didn’t happen thanks to bulldogs being exported to the U.S. and Germany.

Since then, the popularity of bulldogs has increased over the years, and now they’re the beloved breed they are today. Unfortunately, while we’re quite aware of the history of bulldogs, we’re not quite sure of the history of this holiday.

We do know that it was created by Drake University — a university that has an annual contest for the most beautiful bulldog, but we’re unsure of when this contest began or when this holiday became associated with it.

Observing National Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day

This is a day to show the world that your bulldog is indeed beautiful. So let’s take a picture of it and post it to social media using the hashtag #BulldogsAreBeautifulDay. Let’s also take the time to show our bulldogs the love they deserve by giving them some extra attention and maybe a treat or two on this day.