“In a contest between me and a Bulldog, you would say the Bulldog is cuter”
The startling resemblance between Sylvester Stallone and Bulldog chewing a wasp aside, I’m not sure that ‘cute’ would’ve been the first word that came to mind when I first met Beau & Harry, pictured above with their owner, Heath.
As a portrait photographer, I’m always keeping an eye out for interesting people to photograph, and I’d often noticed Heath out and about in Brighton with his dogs and thought how great they would be to photograph together; so when I started Barking Mad, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to invite them in for a photo session.
English Bulldogs are one breed that I know very little about, and I think it’s fair to say they make a pretty strong first impression - burly, brawny and heavy-breathing, my first concern was that they were going to make pretty short work of my studio set-up as they lumbered into the room.
But as soon as Beau sat down for his first close-up, it was clear that he was just a big old softy:
Heath inherited Beau & Harry from a friend when she suddenly found herself in a position where she was no longer able to look after them and knew Heath would provide them with the loving homes that English Bulldogs crave - they actively seek out human company and are known as excellent family pets.
Despite coming into a new environment, Heath tells me they adjusted remarkably quickly, partly because he tried to make their environment as consistent as possible for them, using all their familiar blankets, bowls and toys, and partly because he spent as much time as possible with them to facilitate the human bond they thrive on - happy to get up at four o’clock in the morning if one of them ‘wanted a cuddle’, as he put it!
When I asked him what English Bulldogs are like as pets, Heath emphasised how laid back they are. They only need a fairly moderate amount of exercise and are easy to settle once they are comfortable with their environment, which again became apparent pretty quickly after we’d started the shoot.
And once they’ve decided they’re comfortable, they can be pretty hard to shift, not just because of their bulk but, as Heath pointed, because they are also renowned for having something of a stubborn streak.
Apparently Beau’s decision to sit down and have a snooze in the middle of the studio session could equally well have happened in the middle of the road in busy traffic; so if you’re considering getting an English Bulldog as pet, you’ll have to be prepared for the odd argument, as well as being prepared to not always win!
The other issue worth bearing in mind is that they require regular maintenance to keep them in good health, particularly cleaning the wrinkles on their faces to prevent skin infections. And if you don’t like droolers, think again - had the studio session gone on much longer a mop would have come in handy.
But that aside, these are dogs are big characters in every sense - I spent the whole session with them with a huge smile on my face, and can imagine they make for great companionship.
