Toulouse Bulldog

The Toulouse Bulldog was a taller and leaner variety of the Bouledogue du Midi, resembling a slimmer Spanish Bulldog or a heavier Deutsche Dogge. Once a popular fighting and baiting dog in France, the Bouledogue Toulousain is now extinct, having been assimilated into the Dogue de Bordeaux breed in the late 1800's. On top of its "sport" duties, the Toulouse Dogue was also a valued and ferocious property guardian, unchained in the evenings to patrol the estate. A large and powerful mastiff of the bullenbeisser type, this old breed is believed by some to be a result of introducing the Alano Espanol to France, while others link it to the dogs of Germany.

Actually, its "bulldog" name is a misnomer, because this was a typical "dogue" or "dogge", along the lines of the early Great Danes or taller Bandogges. The Toulouse Dogge was the tallest of French mastiffs, but many authors have wrongly described it as the same thing as the Bouledogue the Midi, which belonged to the smaller variety of bullenbeissers, alongside the Doguin d'Aquitaine. By the beginning of the 20th century, the Bouledogue Toulousain disappeared completely and has remained a largely forgotten French breed. Unlike the boxer-like muzzle of the Midi Bulldog, this long-legged mastiff had a slightly longer nose and narrower head, with a powerful neck and muscular body.

The flat short coat was usually dark red or brown, always brindled, with or without white markings.

Average height was around 27 inches.