Has anyone here owned a bulldog? (pitbull, shih tzu, English Bulldog, boxers)

[brokencrayola]

I am kind of interested in getting a bulldog puppy. I have read some one them and know some of the more negative things with the breed, but would like to hear from others about the good and the bad of owning them.

I know they do not mate easily and often a female has to be bred by artificial insemination and often need c-sections. Has anyone here had 2 bulldogs here that mated succesfully on their own or had a female deliver a litter safely and naturally?

I have heard they drool, pass a lot of gas and snore. I think the drooling part is the one I am least fond of.

I just read tonight that with all their wrinkles you have to clean between them and dry and put gold bond? It said that they tend to chaft in those areas.

Any info would be great!

[cleosmom]

I'm going to guess you're talking English Bulldogs? There are also American and French

The English are the more commonly known ones.

Yes, they do overheat easily and are prone to bloat/torsion. Those would be the top two health issues. As far as gas, our clients insist on buying Eagle Pack Natural and it squelches the gas quite well.

Due to their flues they drool with the best of them

I don't own any, but do care for them at work and have friends who used to breed.

[ParkerP]

My dad has 3 and the female had 5 puppies with no problems. You definitley won't be able to take them jogging with you. However, they have some of the funniest personalities I have ever seen. When they've done something bad, you can tell right away. When we caught one of them chewing the cable to the washing machine, she ran and hid under the bed. Which is hilarious because her body is so fat that only her head could fit under there. The male clearly does not like my dad and when my dad tells him to do anything, the dog looks at him with such contempt, then rolls his eyes and sighs, LOL. They will have you laughing all day long.

[cleosmom]

Going back to your saying you realize the females need to have an AI and c-section... are you wanting English bulldog or perhaps a French bulldog? The Frenchies are done by AI and c-sections.

[brokencrayola]

English bulldog is what I was referring to, and they also often need AI and have c-sections. I know there must be dogs that deliver normally as well as concieve normally, just not sure if that is the norm or not. I will take note of the dog food mentioned above. I just happened to see 2 bulldogs at a motel I had to attend a meeting at last week. They are so funny. They look so gruff but are sweeties. I want a dog that is not hyper and I know these dogs are mellow and not very active.

[moonrainlkc]

Yes, they have health problems but they will be your best friend I like female better they cling more. I have owner (or maybe they owner me ) rescue bulldogs and I think that's the best way because you taken a dog for breeding to a great life. moonrainlkc Ps good luck

[MAK802]

I have a 5 month old English Bulldog named Porkchop. Before getting one, make sure you have enough put away for their medical care. When a vet sees a Bulldog, the see $$ signs. Finding a vet that specializes in the breed is your best bet. They cannot be put under anesthesia by just any vet or they can die. They are prone to lots of health problems, so make sure you go with a reputable breeder that screens for health problems before breeding. Do not get one from a puppy mill/backyard breeder or pet store. A reputable breeder has few litters a year, has waiting lists for his pups, does health tests before breeding and actively shows his dogs to help promote the breed. They rarely make money off the puppies and just want to improve the breed.

Porkchop is the most playful, loving creature I have ever met and I love him more than anything in this world. He has an awesome personality, loves to play and is great with kids/dogs/cats/and just about anything else.

Diet is very important to a Bulldog. We feed him Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream, which is a grainless food, with fish as the protein source. Many Bulldogs cannot handle chicken (or duck) so I would steer clear of those. They also don't do well with extremely high protein diets (over 35%) so I would look for a food that's on the lower side.

Porkchop doesn't have as many wrinkles as many of the Bulldogs, since our breeder breeds for health and not for looks. He has one above his nose, and I clean that daily with a baby wipe. You also have to wipe their butt after they go to the bathroom or they will get infected. They're fairly easy to groom, other than the things I mentioned.

Because of their short snouts, they are very sensitive to cold and hot weather. I know someone that lost their dog after the vet mistakenly left him alone in a room that was just over 70 degrees. Don't expect long walks, since it's not that kind of breed. Bulldogs do not like to be left home alone for long periods of time and are best for people that work from home or are home most of the day. Since we got him, the longest he's been alone is 3 hours. We both work from home and that is the main reason we decided on this breed. They love their humans and will try to sit on your lap and lick you.

Good luck finding your puppy and know that when you do find him/her, you will have the most loving creature in the world. I will never own another breed after the experience I've had with this boy. Just look at this face. You can't help but love him.

[thegirlinaz]

I have never owned one, but from what I understand is that they are very expensive and have many breathing problems (I am assuming because their nose is squished into their face?).

Ps. The picture in the post above mine is fricken adorable!

[MAK802]

Originally Posted by thegirlinaz

I have never owned one, but from what I understand is that they are very expensive and have many breathing problems (I am assuming because their nose is squished into their face?).

English Bulldogs are brachycephalic breeds, so they do have a harder time breathing than most dogs. Other breeds in this group are boston terriers, pugs, french bulldogs, shih tzus, Pekingese, and boxers.

Porkchop would play all day if we let him and we have to step in and let him rest because he has tons of energy and doesn't know when to stop. You can always hear Bulldogs before you see them! Which is another thing, if you're one of those people that needs silence in order to sleep, a Bulldog is not for you. They snore a lot and very loudly and generally make snorting sounds when playing.

[charolastra00]

MAC802 what an adorable puppy!

I've been raised around bulldogs so I'm especially partial. My grandmother has always had English bulldogs and my uncle had an American for years. After the American died, my uncle bought a breeding pair of Alapaha blueblood bulldogs. He bred them once and decided that as much as he was doing it out of a love for the breed, he couldn't commit the time or money to continue. He separated them and voila- found out the female had gotten pregnant in the meantime. He decided to give my family one of the puppies and she couldn't be a better companion. Alapahas don't have many of the health problems other bulldogs have, but some are ugly :P. Moxie has the face of an American bulldog though and doesn't look too much like her breed. Only problem is, people tend to think she's a pitbull (which I also love, but people get terrified of her). They are also rare and therefore rather expensive, which is a shame because they are such great companion dogs!

My boyfriend lives in an apartment and is lucky enough to work somewhere where he can bring his dog to work and let it roam with the "pack" around the office. We did a bunch of research on it and I'm slowly pushing him towards looking at an English bulldog. There are English bulldog rescue groups in the area that we will probably look further into by the time I get home from being abroad. The pup would get plenty of exercise but also would work well for his apartment lifestyle. *crosses fingers*