Lacemakers in 19th Century Nottingham, England selectively bred the early bulldog to obtain a downsized or “toy” bulldog for use as a lap pet. When the Industrial Revolution displaced some lacemakers to France, they took the dogs with them, and soon the “toy” bulldogs became popular in France, where wealthy Americans doing the Grand Tour saw and fell in love with them. In the late 1800s, these “toy bulldogs” became known as French Bulldogs.