The term "Bulldog" was first used around 1500, and was likely applied to various ancestors of modern Bulldog breeds.  In the 1600s, Bulldogs were used for bullbaiting, a wagering sport popular in the 17th century, in which trained Bulldogs leapt at a bull that was lashed to a post, latched onto its snout, and attempted to suffocate it.  This practice was banned in England in 1835.

After bullbaiting was banned, the breed, now known as the Old English Bulldog, began to die out until fans began to hold conformation dog shows.  The first show to have a class for Bulldogs was in Birmingham, England.  Just a few years later in 1864, a club was organized to preserve and enhance the breed.  Unfortunately, this group never defined a specific breed standard, and by 1891 the two top bulldogs, King Orry and Dockleaf, were greatly different in appearance.  King Orry was reminiscent of the original lighter boned and very athletic Bulldog.  Dockleaf was more like the modern Bulldog, in that he was smaller and heavier set.  Although some argued that the older version of the Bulldog was more suited to perform, the look of the modern type won over the fans of the breed, and Dockleaf was declared the winner that year.

Recently, many people have tried to recreate a breed more akin to the original bullbaiting dogs.  Some of the resulting dogs are known as Olde Englishe Bulldogges, Renaissance Bulldogs, Victorians, Continentals, and Dorset Old Tyme Bulldogs.