There is a difference of opinion as to the origin of the French Bulldog, but one ancestor must have been the English Bulldog - probably one of the toy varieties, of which there were a great number in England around 1860.
These toy bulldogs were sent in large numbers into France, where they were crossed with various other breeds and were given the name Boule-Dog Francais. One found dogs with rose ears, while others had bat ears which is now the outstanding feature of the French Bulldog.
In the early days of breeding in Europe, the tendency was towards the rose ear. This movement was opposed by Americans and the breed eventually lost the feature that strongly accentuates its individuality and the result would have been practically a miniature English Bulldog
This controversy over type was responsible for the formation of the French Bulldog Club of America, the first organization in the world devoted to the breed. In 1898, fanciers gave a speciality show in the ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria. The affair proved a sensation and it was due, no doubt, to the resulting publicity that the quaint little chaps
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