Buldogue Campeiro Dog Names

Most people will not have an idea what the Buldogue Campeiro looks like and may confuse it with other Bulldog type dogs. Native to Brazil, the Buldogue Campeiro has a long history that is somewhat muddied. Urso, who is owned by Molosso di Jeriva, has become somewhat of a poster child for the Buldogue Campeiro breed. Urso’s pictures have increased interest in the breed. Also known as the Campeiro Bulldog, they have been used to herd cattle. The most concentrated population of Buldogue Campeiros is in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

The most widely accepted theory surrounding the origins of the Buldogue Campeiro is that Old English Bulldogs were brought to Brazil when European immigrants began coming in the 19^th or 20^th century. Immigrants from mainly Italy, Poland, and Germany flooded the southern regions of Brazil. These Old English Bulldogs were then bred with local dogs and the breed emerged from there. In Europe, the standardization of dog breeds was beginning to take place but Brazil was not as stringent about particular dog breeds. In certain European countries, the breeding of the Old English Bulldog was being strictly monitored. When immigrants fled to Brazil with their dogs, they were no longer under the strict breeding practices and began breeding for an impressive looking dog that could herd cattle and protect their homes. However, the Buldogue Campeiro was never classified as an actual herding dog but rather as a working dog because of their ability to guard and protect their owner and property. The Buldogue Campeiro has been used to subdue cattle and swine and herd them to the slaughterhouse. In the 1970s and 1980s the Buldogue Campeiro population began to decline swiftly with the importation of foreign breeds that were more desirable to families. By the end of the 1980s, the Buldogue Campeiro was close to extinction. That is until Ralf Schein Bender made it his mission to preserve this noble breed. In 1977, Bender traveled throughout Rio Grande do Sul to gather all the remaining Buldogue Campeiros he could locate and purchase. He began the long task of building his breeding program based on these dogs and finally, in 2001 the Brazilian Confederation of Cynophilia officially recognized the Buldogue Campeiro as a breed and named it the Campeiro Bulldog. Today, there are more and more people taking an interest in the breed thanks in part to Urso’s impressive appearance and laid back demeanor and in part to breeders such as Urso’s owner, Molosso di Jeriva.