Any Bulldog (English) parents?

We have finally decided it's time to add a dog to the family!!
I have been doing lots of research and think a Bullie would be a great fit for us. I am a little concerned about the potential health issues, though. Any owners have any advice or can give me a low down on to try minimize these risks? Or how much their vet care really is?
Tx!

Any Bulldog (English) parents?

Check out the Long Island bulldog rescue-They have a facebook page and website. You can post this very same question there and get a ton of help!
while All breeds have their issues, bullies are a Brachycephalic breed (breathing problems/can over heat quickly)--so they cannot be out in the heat or exercise for long periods of time. I am talking a 2 block walk is enough!!
Vet care will range just like any other dog--if you have a problem then no matter what breed you have-you are looking at a lot of money!!
They are prone to skin issues--but a good diet can help.
Do not buy from a pet store bc especially with short nose breeds, you will for sure have a problem.
They are great family dogs and don't require a ton of exercise (you obviously can't over do the treats bc they don't last exercising too long!!!)
They can be stubborn
Depending on their tail-you may or may not have to clean the tail fold
You have to clean their face wrinkles a few times a week.
Let me know if you have any other questions--anything dog related is a 'hobby' of mine!! :)

Re: Any Bulldog (English) parents?

I have a bulldog! She's almost 6 years old and we have been very lucky, she really hasn't had the issues that a lot of other bulldogs have.

She does have very sensitive skin though and when she was a puppy would break out in hives occasionally. We never really knew what caused it, but our vet told us we could give benadryl for it.

You do have to clean the wrinkles regularly. Regular exercise, since they are prone to laziness, you have to make sure you take them on walks. Ours has no choice since we live in an apartment, she has no yard to just go out to do her business in. A walk around the block can take us 20 minutes! She is stubborn and has to stop and sniff every blade of grass, every tree, lamp post, etc.

They become very attached to their owners. We thought ours was just a little needy because she had 2 owners before us (we got her at 7 months old), but in talking to others we found it was a bulldog personality trait. She has to be every where we are!

The most important piece of advice I will give you is DO NOT LET THEM INTO YOUR BED!!! When we got her, my husband was working overnights and let her sleep with him during the day because she would cry and whine in her pen all day and he couldn't sleep. We can't get her out now, and my 60lb baby takes up a lot of damn room!

Any Bulldog (English) parents?

I have a 4 year old male English bulldog who is basically my son. They're an amazing breed and very good with families. Don't expect much action from them though. Our dog SLEEEPS for hours on end. He gets annoyed when we try to wake him up in the morning to go out and eat.
As far as health problems, we've been pretty lucky. Just make sure you keep up with their skin issues like cleaning out their stinky wrinkles. If you don't they can get a sort of yeast infection in there causing them to itch their face on every rough surface in your house.

Also like Jennlala said, they love to be with their owners and snuggle. We let our dog sleep in our bed too and he's there for life. He sleeps right between my husband and I and stays there after we leave for the day.

We got our pup from TinyBear Kennels in Islip(I think). Patty and her husband Jim have been breeding bulldogs for years and really love and nurture them. We were able to see exactly where our puppy was coming from, meet his parents, and get to play with him before purchase. The best part about going to them was they were affordable and they really cared about where the dog was going to be living. Also, you can rest assured you won't be purchasing a dog form a puppy mill and it won't have to be shipped to you on an airplane. Definitely look into them, and good luck!

Any Bulldog (English) parents?

We have one. He's 4 years old and he seriously is the BEST DOG EVER!!

My cousin had to give him away and we took him. We got him when he was 3. He is so docile and loving..he can be a little stubborn at times though and he does whine quite a bit I've had pets before which I loved dearly but my bullie has stolen my heart..seriously he's so awesome.

My cousin got him from a breeder located in PA. We have all his paperwork and everything and so far thank God he's been pretty healthy. I know bulldogs tend to suffer from a lot of health issues though so I would just be prepared. Also we feed him grain free organic food because he has a bad bad stomach which is a bulldog trait...lol.

Message edited 1/4/2016 1:06:49 PM.

Re: Any Bulldog (English) parents?

I've always wanted a bulldog too but people's experiences with how many health issues they have keeps me away. Do even well bred ones have issues?

Any Bulldog (English) parents?

I had two growing up. Both were in excellent health. Your best bet would be to invest in a high quality breeder. Both ours were from Cherokee bulldogs