OT - bulldog

[adventure_woman]

Anyone here have a bulldog? DH wants one so badly, while I would love a dog, I have some concerns. 1. I think they are too big. For me, I am a small dog person, and I'm thinking 40 lbs is the max! 2. I have heard they have a lot of health issues.

So, if you have a bulldog, can you share? Do you have a lot of health problems? What costs are associated with those problems?

(A little about our family - me, DH, DD4 and DD1 and 2 cats). Live in a house (that isn't that big), currently unfenced yard, do try to go on walks daily with the girls.

 

[frankiemom]

Bull Dogs cost alot of money not just to buy but you can go broke because of all their health issues. There is an organization called Heaven Sent Bulldogs that allow pepole to adopt because so many people have been either turning them into shelters or worse due to health problems and the economy.

I had mine for 13 years before she passed. Awesome dog but she costed us lots of money because of her severe allergies. We were lucky that she didn't have breathing problems because most bulldogs do but the vet bills for meds to control her allergies were very high.

Would I buy another? Definitely they are an awesome breed but it will cost alot of money to take care of one. Not a breed to just jump into definitely do your homework first.

 

[java]

We had our Harry for 14 years. LOVED him and still miss him terribly 4 years after he passed.
We were blessed. We found a great breeder states away from us, and his only health issue was a cherry eye. Which was one surgery when he was about 1. Had no other health issues.
Harry was about 70 pounds when he died.

How about a compromise?

We now have Sophie- a French Bulldog. We call her Harry light. She has that bulldog face in small scale. She is a huge mush like Harry was. She can be a lap dog and happily sit in my lap for hours. Or she can be a lunatic running around the house chasing my boys. She is at full size at 20 pounds.

Harry smelled a lot more than Sophie does. He farted way more than Sophie does. His poop was much bigger than Sophie's.

But he was a bit more personality than Sophie. He gave so much love to all of us. Sophie is more of a one man dog.

And I'll tell you that just talking about Harry now has me crying over him. I loved him so very much. So while I think they are more work. There is no dog like an English Bulldog.

When we were debating getting another(I couldn't try to "replace" him) we found a breeder here in NJ that we would have used. I still get emails from him and just 2 weeks ago I had to not open them anymore because I am yearning for an all white one, and he had one.

Good luck in your decision. I think he was a perfect family dog.

 

[sunking]

I was in the same boat you are. Did not want a bully for anything but hubby did. Til I met Prudence. I have to tell you that yes they are expensive and can have potential health problems. I have had Prudence now for 4 years when we got her i thought okay this is it til a year later we met and fell in love with Penny. So now i not only have one but two bullygirls and i wouldn't trade them for anything. They are great with our 13 year old cat. They love to play in short spurts and are very content to just lay around. We've had no allergy problems, no breathing problems and only one surgery for a torn ACL (dog park hole). Prudence is about 70lbs. and a large framed girl, Penny is about 45lbs and a smaller framed bully. Good luck with your decision. They truly have a face only their mommy or fellow bully lover could love.

 

[labdogs42]

I was thinking a Frenchie or a pug might meet your needs, too.

 

[HeatherFeather]

Are you talking American or English bulldog? There is quite a bit of difference in size and I think they can be prone to different health problems.

 

[mom2princesss]

We are a big UGA family and MIL had a bulldog. I will never under any circumstances own a bulldog.

He was a really wonderful dog. Amazing with my children. Gentle as can be with the children. MAJOR health problems(and he was a very expensive very well pedigreed bulldog). He was constantly at the vet for something. The folds in their face require constant cleaning and can get in fected easily. They overheat very quickly so long walks aren't in their best interest. He had respiratory problems. He had digestive problems. I mean honestly, it is a dog that has been bred so strangely that they require a c-section to give birth(one of the reasons they cost so much) - they have physical issues. They can be very large or not so much, size varries greatly. They slobber everywhere. Those jaws are strong and can destroy toys or furniture or your car in a matter of minutes(yes, the bulldog pulled the interior door panel out of BILs car).

Anyway, while they can be really sweet with wonderful personalities, the cons far outweigh the pros for me.

 

[adventure_woman]

Are you talking American or English bulldog? There is quite a bit of difference in size and I think they can be prone to different health problems.

He likes English bulldogs.

 

[Kate and Pete]

A few years ago I asked my vet about what he thought of bulldogs. He said they were great dogs, but to be prepared to see much more of him and his staff, as many of them have health issues (all already mentioned in previous posts). I REALLY want an English bulldog, but won't get one because of this.

Someone mentioned French bulldogs - much smaller and that same lovable "squishy face" (which is what I lovingly say about my boxers!). Might be worth looking in to. And since they're so small, you can get two!

 

[thelittlemermaid]

We have a English Bulldog, Bella. She will be 7 months on the 19th.

So far the only health issue was having her fixed. I hope that's all we have to worry about, but I'm not holding my breath.

Bella was the runt of the litter so I'm really not sure how big she is going to get.

 

[rolltidepixie]

Please if you get a bully, do not buy one from a pet store! Get one from a reputable breeder. Do a lot of research on them. Not knowing about the breed is how these wonderful, hardheaded, sweet, lovable, smelly, hardheaded dogs end up in shelters. Notice I said hardheaded twice, that's because they are very stubborn dogs. My first bully, Bubba had allergies. He was allergic to everything. Spent sooooo much money on him. But he was my angel so I did what I could. He died at 7. Hoss, my other bully we just lost last month. He was 10 1/2. We had to make the the hard decision to let him cross the rainbow bridge. We were Hoss's 3rd owner. People got him for their little girl and when he started acting like a bully gave him away. The next people did the same thing. Then we rescued him. He was with us for over 8 years. He had problems with his eyes and skin allergies. So if you do decide to get one of these special dogs just know what you are getting in to. I love the breed and look forward to getting another one.

 

[NOLAdisneymom]

I'd love to step in here, but I've got an American Bulldog, for a house with cats and no fenced yard, I wouldn't recommend one of these for sure.

 

[7beasley]

We had a bulldog for just shy of 12 years...we lost him in November of 2010. He was the greatest dog ever and I miss him every day since he passed. I would get another one in a heart beat - there is something about these guys that makes them so loveable and wonderful. That being said - he was ALOT of work, maintenance and MONEY!!

We got Porker when we were a newly married couple - double income - no kids - and had alot of discretionary income. Fast forward to the last few years - we have a child, a bigger house and LESS discretionary income and his costs added up!

Just the yearly check up vet bill, including heartworm and advantage meds was upwards of $300.

And we were lucky - our bulldog was fairly healthy - none of the typical bulldog problems like hip dysplasia.

But - in his lifetime - he tore his ACL and required surgery to to the tune of $3000.

He had inflamatory bowel disease and needed special vet only food that cost $70 a month.

And the last year of his life - he started to have breathing issues (that eventually led to his death) and the multiple vet visits, tests, xrays, medicine etc...cost probably about $2500+ in the last year of his life!

In contrast - my parents had a collie dog that died at 13 a couple of years ago - if they spent $1200 over the LIFE of that dog - including food - I think that would be alot...

I think most dogs are generally ALOT less expensive then bulldogs.

Oh yeah -- bulldogs need their ears and wrinkles cleaned out regularly - we would buy him a special wash at the vets office.

And they require more time for maintenance too - they are not "just dogs" -- you have to clean their ears and wrinkles frequently - as well as express their anal glands (GROSS!!), they do not do well in heat (which for us meant running our window air conditioner in the room he was in during the day the whole day while we were at work), they fart, they are smelly...

but they are SO worth it...best dogs ever!! I really hope I can get another one some day.

But of course - that is the other problem with them - they are super expensive - upwards of $2000+ to just buy one. And if you skimp on the quality of dog to save a little money - you will pay for that decision 10 times over with the amount of money you will spend at the vet due to their health problems.

If you make the decison to get a bulldog - you will love that dog so much...but its a big financial committment!!

Good luck.
-Nicole

 

[maraki527]

We have an English Bulldog name Louie. He is 4 yrs old and he is awesome. He is great with our daughter, who is 2, and is very protective. When I was pregnant he would lay down next to me and lick my stomach. He does not have any health problems as of yet. We were concerned about the hip dysplasia that we read about before getting him so he only stays on one floor of the house. He is pretty smelly though and farts all the time. lol It is so gross but he walks around without a care in the world. He plays in spurts but is fine just sleeping all day. Bulldogs are very stubborn though.

Keeping the folds on his face clean is not very hard. Our vet told us it was ok to use the unscented baby wipes and then to put talc powder in between them.

As much as I complain about him smelling up my house I wouldnt trade him (dont tell my husband)

 

[DisneyMomma81]

Another vote for a Frenchie - 3 of my ex's brothers *I'm still very close with my former in laws* breed them. We got to see some new ones last night - still so tiny, barely opening their eyes. The mom's are sweet and petite. My ex's parents had a English B when I 1st met the family, he was a sweet, stinky thing but I don't remember them complaining much about vet costs/health problems, he did however destroy a few retainers.....

 

[maleficentmom]

I have and love a Boston Terrier(sort of like a small black and white bulldog), got her from a shelter even though she is purebred. Smart as can be, shedding isn't horrible, gets along with my Persian cat,great with kids,she is at least 10-11 and the only major thing was a benign tumor(they took off the whole toe)and a couple of respiratory infections that required antibiotics. They are prone to tumors and resp. infections...although my mom had one that lived 15 years with neither.Oh and I think just about any bully breed farts like a machine gun...lol...we have minimized this using grain free and some premium(Blue Buffalo)dog food. I probably will never have another kind of dog ,unless I do get a French bulldog.I have heard about a breed called Old English Bulldogge, which is supposedly similar to the English but with less health issues.Maybe someone here knows about them,or google it.....A good source for adoptable pets is petfinder.com

 

[btgandar]

We have a bully who is 8. Thankfully, he has been free of any major health issues. Although they are prone to more issues, I think it's a chance you're going to take with any dog - they all require more money and time than what you think

That being said, he is a perfect breed for us. He doesn't require much exercise and he does great in our un-fenced backyard. They are wonderful with children. He is silly and makes the most expressive faces. He is mellow and happy to just hang out with us. He rarely barks.

Yes, they have bad gas and he is a big baby (although that is probably from us). He does have some allergies and he does require some extra care...but nothing huge. He is perhaps the most stubborn dog on the face of the earth. Yes, that is me you see trying to coax the dog out of the car with cheese. Again, that is probably somewhat our fault.

I HIGHLY suggest finding a reputable breeder. A good source of a good breeders are vets who specialize in bullies in your area (also important to find a vet that really knows bullies). I think that getting a dog with good lines is especially important for health reasons with this breed. Alternatively, finding an older adoptable dog (whom you know is already reasonably healthy) is another option.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Jakesmom504]

We had our English bully for 10 years, he passed this past January. Hardest decision we ever made. He was the best dog, he had the best disposition, he was great with kids and was friendly with everyone. The big joke was if someone ever broke in he would just run up and beg to play! However he was a great protector if he sensed danger. There were only 2 times that I recall him ever barking at someone, once when I was pregnant and a landscaper tried to be friendly with him and was just talking to me but Gilbert didn't like him and stood in front of me with his bulldog stance protecting me. The second time was when DH came home late one night, the lights were off and DS and I were in bed, Gilbert stood at the top of the steps growling ready to bite DH's head off! I always felt safer with him around.

He was a runt so I think that prevented him from having a lot more health issues but he did have a lot of allergies, skin problems and eye problems. The last year of his life he started having seizures, although that can happen to any dog, but we didn't put 2 and 2 together until he was having them more often and they started happening in front of us. That was tough and by that point the vet also suspected liver failure so we tried to hold on and let him pass in his home but when he just didn't seem happy anymore we had to let him go. Hardest thing we ever did.

Anyway on a lighter note, we live in a townhouse and we do have a yard (unfenced) but we both agree that if we are going to stay here then we would probably get a smaller dog. Gilbert only weighed about 55lbs but he just didn't have much room here. If we do move though and we have a larger yard and more room for a bigger dog then we would definitely consider another bully!! They are fantastic dogs and just so stinkin cute! Good luck with your decision!

 

[aubriee]

A few years ago I asked my vet about what he thought of bulldogs. He said they were great dogs, but to be prepared to see much more of him and his staff, as many of them have health issues (all already mentioned in previous posts). I REALLY want an English bulldog, but won't get one because of this.

Someone mentioned French bulldogs - much smaller and that same lovable "squishy face" (which is what I lovingly say about my boxers!). Might be worth looking in to. And since they're so small, you can get two!

Right before I got my akita, I took my shi tzu to the vet for her annual exam and shots. I told him I was looking at getting a second dog and asked about an English bulldog, sharpei, mastiff, and akita, which were the four breeds I had narrowed it down to. He laughed and said he loved both English bulldogs and sharpei's because of their high, frequent vet bills. Then he said honestly they were good dogs, but very expensive to own and care for. I think they are so cute though, that sometimes I regret not getting one.

 

[Dr. J.]

We adopted a 3 yr old bulldog from a reputable breeder about a year ago. She is a good dog. she is somewhat standoffish, but I think this is her. She is fine at home while we are at work, which wouldn't be the case with a more active breed. That said, she has a hinky ear that gets an infection of and on. She has skin flares intermittently despite being fed sweet potato and bison food. I love her but she does have her issues.