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as a 23 year resident of missouri, i am going to second (3rd, 4th, 5th??) the posts above..... this state is OVER RUN with puppy mills..... and even if you DO make 2 trips to the breeder, unless you see their ENTIRE operation, you will never know if you are contributing to that horrible practice......... the second i saw the title of your thread, alarm bells started ringing for me........
i am sure there ARE reputable breeders in missouri, and it is indeed unfortunate that the unscrupulous breeders and mills have painted such a broad brush for kennels in this state, but it is what it is..... and until our laws are strengthened, with the manpower for actual enforcement, nothing will ever change.......
i also agree about getting a puppy with the ages of your children..... i don't have the patience and time and stamina for a puppy and i don't even have any human children...... please please please consider adoption of a dog that is already here..... petfinder is a GREAT resource.......
as far as the landlord goes.... you just tell 'em that it is a lab mix or a golden mix or a whatever mix...... would be particularly helpful if those words were on the adoption paperwork..... my homeowner's insurance carrier takes my word for it on what my dogs are.... with no questions asked...... the dna tests are very unreliable and can not be counted on for accurate information......
and fwiw .... both of my 55 lb mixed breeds .... a 5 y/o cattle dog mix and a 14 month old lab and probably boxer mix would likely be fine in your household.... both are GREAT (and gentle) with kids of all ages and bailey, the acd mix, always has been...... dave, the lab x boxer has only been in our family for about 4 months, but everything i've seen points to a great family dog........
lastly ... vacat and viralmd brought up good points about the bulldog breed..... they tend to have very expensive health problems..... particularly if not bred properly..... which is a HIGH probability coming from missouri.......
lastly ... vacat and viralmd brought up good points about the bulldog breed..... they tend to have very expensive health problems..... particularly if not bred properly..... which is a HIGH probability coming from missouri.......
Money isn't necessarily the problem I'm having with getting a dog, specifically a (English) Bulldog. There are health issues with almost any breed, some more than others. But at the same time, health issues are why I'm posting here and wanting to find a great, responsible breeder... so I can avoid as many vet visits as possible and our dog can be healthy and carefree. But I also don't want to sink $2k upfront into a sick dog, yk? I'd much rather spend a little more and get a healthier dog.
We'll also be taking out a health insurance policy on the puppy so we can safeguard ourselves and the puppy as well in the long run.
Pet insurers do NOT cover anything that is associated with a specific breed. For example, if your bulldog develops a tail pocket infection, it will NOT be covered by the insurer because bulldogs get that. Even the BEST BRED bulldogs have major medical problems. A woman living in my building has a champion bulldog. Liza is a GREAT dog, and got her championship very young, but she's also been at the vet's as often as she's home. And this woman has been breeding champion bulldogs for decades. Like boxers, the breed is very needy from a medical standpoint.
I also do want to reiterate that even if you go to the 'breeder,' you won't see the awful part of the operation. You'll see a bunch of puppies in a cute nursery-like set up. But never where they came from. These people are cruel and unscrupulous, but they're also not stupid. They keep their breeding operation a long way from where they dupe their customers.
And I would certainly ask about genetic testing. Ask to see the papers of the genetic testing (these people also lie like rugs).
Again, if you'd consider a lab or golden mix rescue, you'd be better off.
then you know about this state's puppy mill situation??
Yes. That's why I was trying to find out if this breeder is reputable or not. I didn't remember at first why Missouri felt wrong, but then I remembered a little while ago when I thought back to when we were looking for my mom's Pomeranian in Maryland last year.
I'm not sure if I can openly mention her name or her kennel's name here as any negative comments may be deemed as slanderous, but was curious to see if anyone recommended her.
there is one regular poster in these forums that is very knowledgeable about the bulldog breed..... i'm sure she will see this thread tomorrow or the next day and be able to weigh in......
and you know what..... since your heart is so set on buying a purebred pup, dm me the breeder info ..... if it is within a couple or 3 hours of st. louis, i'll go check it out for you before you commit....... with an open mind and open heart...... and promise to report fairly........
Pet insurers do NOT cover anything that is associated with a specific breed. For example, if your bulldog develops a tail pocket infection, it will NOT be covered by the insurer because bulldogs get that. Even the BEST BRED bulldogs have major medical problems. A woman living in my building has a champion bulldog. Liza is a GREAT dog, and got her championship very young, but she's also been at the vet's as often as she's home. And this woman has been breeding champion bulldogs for decades. Like boxers, the breed is very needy from a medical standpoint.
I also do want to reiterate that even if you go to the 'breeder,' you won't see the awful part of the operation. You'll see a bunch of puppies in a cute nursery-like set up. But never where they came from. These people are cruel and unscrupulous, but they're also not stupid. They keep their breeding operation a long way from where they dupe their customers.
And I would certainly ask about genetic testing. Ask to see the papers of the genetic testing (these people also lie like rugs).
Again, if you'd consider a lab or golden mix rescue, you'd be better off.
We may not even go with a Bully. I'm being open-minded. Our first pick is a Bully, but I'd rather look around and make sure everything is "right" with the dog. I don't want to see my girls go through any heartbreak.
My second choice is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. My grandfather duck hunts alot and wants to get my husband and I into the sport as well as our oldest daughter. But I don't think that's gonna hit below 50 lbs.
No, a chessie will be big! And they're very busy dogs. Maybe a Brittany?
Because Brittanys aren't as 'fashioinable' as bulldogs are now, there's a lower likelihood you'll find puppy mill pups or backyard breeders with these dogs.
My son got our Louie from what I now realize is probably a backyard breeder in PA. I knew nothing about dogs at the time and went along with the whole thing because Louie's picture was so cute (he is a very handsome boy). Louie has "papers" (for whatever that's worth) and he's an awesome dog but I strongly suspect he's not 100% English Bulldog. Compared to other EB's, he's very leggy, not that wrinkly and has only a slight underbite. All of which may work to his advantage healthwise - so far (he's 14 months old), we've been fortunate as far as health issues. He did get pneumonia at 5 months but bounced back quickly. When I took him in to get neutered, the vet said he was "of good stock", whatever that means. We always get compliments on what a handsome dog he is, and he's extremely gregarious - never met a stranger. As far as being a watchdog, he would definitely bark to let us know a stranger was in the vicinity, but he'd probably just lick the intruder to death.
I've read that EB's are great with children. Louie really likes kids - he perks up when he hears their voices - but due to the size of the breed and the difficulty in training them, they may not be the best family pet. One of our friends gave up his EB when he had kids because the dog would keep jumping on the children.
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