English Bulldogs? a bad breed?

lmunsie · Mar 30, 2008

So I am wondering if anyone knows anything about english bulldogs. I love them for obvious reasons and they were definitely a dog I would consider getting once I move into a house, however I was in the pet store the other day and a lady had one. I commented on how cute it was and asked to pet it and she let me and she told me she had three. I asked her about health issues because i've heard bad things and her response was
" no they don't have any health issues, the first one I had lived till 8! Had to be on meds a lot though, it wasn't a big problem though just a small seizure disorder"

So a lot of things wrong with that response. The clerk overheard our conversation and once the lady left basically told me that breeding english bulldogs is evil. They are so genetically mutated that they have numerous health problems and that femals can't even give birth, they have to have a C-section everytime. That seems very very wrong and made me very sad. She said she hadn't met one that didn't have terrible health problems, mainly heart and lung.

Is this true??? and if so why are they considered a breed and allowed to be bred.......

white cat lover · Mar 30, 2008

They are genetically prone to a lot of things, unfortunately.

Here is a link that lists some problems:

http://www.trimbullbulldogs.com/engl...og_health.html

They generally are not overly long lived dogs. Most owners realize soon after getting them that they will cost more than the "average" dog. I know one guy who has an EB & a Lab. He's spent 4x as much on the EB in vet bills than the Lab. He even did a ton of research on a good breeder that screens for tons of health things before breeding any of her dogs.

One more link:

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/bulldogs.html

Serious health problems. Make no mistake about it, English Bulldogs are grossly deformed and modern breeders, especially show breeders, perpetuate the health problems with every litter they produce. It's been said that if you feel like supporting your vet with great chunks of money, get an English Bulldog. They suffer from hip problems, heart problems, and skin problems. Their compromised respiratory system makes it very risky to anesthetize them.
Many Bulldogs can't even walk normally, or run without gasping for breath. Many of them struggle to breathe in hot or humid weather. In the summer they should be kept in air-conditioning and supervised during outside activity so they don't over-exert themselves and become overheated.

mercury_quirks · Mar 30, 2008

I have mixed feelings about both English and French bulldogs. They are difficult to breed, and sometimes need artificial insemination and much more often, c-sections, and they do have a lot of health issues. They are great dogs (my best friend has one of each; I like frenchies best) but I really wish the standards would be changed to allow them to breed for more natural body-types to fix even just the basic issues of breathing problems and over-heating. =/

lmunsie · Mar 30, 2008

wow, thanks for all the info. You can't help but fall in love with them when you see them, but I think I'll stick to the mutts at the rescue instead of supporting that.

goldenkitty45 · Mar 30, 2008

Bulldogs are a breed. But any of the dogs that have the wide faces/heads have many problems related to birth, breathing, etc. Boston terriers, bulldogs, pugs - they all have those problems.

People breed lots of things that probably shouldn't be bred.

strange_wings · Mar 30, 2008

If you would really like an english bulldog but don't want to support breeders, why not look at breed rescues? You'll still be adopting a dog that really needs a home.

From the title, I was wondering if you were asking about any behavioral problems. The breed can have the bully type behavior, obviously, so if you don't like that it may be a problem for you.

lmunsie · Mar 30, 2008

I'm not too concerned about the behaviour, I am a strong believer in puppy/dog classes and I've had lots of success with that, even with problem dogs from the pound. My issue was with the health. I don't even know if I'd necessarily rescue one based on what I know, I have enough vet bills with animals that aren't predisposed to all sorts of nastyness.

dixie_darlin · Mar 30, 2008

Originally Posted by lmunsie

So I am wondering if anyone knows anything about english bulldogs. I love them for obvious reasons and they were definitely a dog I would consider getting once I move into a house, however I was in the pet store the other day and a lady had one. I commented on how cute it was and asked to pet it and she let me and she told me she had three. I asked her about health issues because i've heard bad things and her response was
" no they don't have any health issues, the first one I had lived till 8! Had to be on meds a lot though, it wasn't a big problem though just a small seizure disorder"

So a lot of things wrong with that response. The clerk overheard our conversation and once the lady left basically told me that breeding english bulldogs is evil. They are so genetically mutated that they have numerous health problems and that femals can't even give birth, they have to have a C-section everytime. That seems very very wrong and made me very sad. She said she hadn't met one that didn't have terrible health problems, mainly heart and lung.

Is this true??? and if so why are they considered a breed and allowed to be bred.......

Originally Posted by strange_wings

If you would really like an english bulldog but don't want to support breeders, why not look at breed rescues? You'll still be adopting a dog that really needs a home.

From the title, I was wondering if you were asking about any behavioral problems. The breed can have the bully type behavior, obviously, so if you don't like that it may be a problem for you.

They smell!

Horribly!

strange_wings · Mar 30, 2008

^They shouldn't smell if kept clean.

Originally Posted by lmunsie

I'm not too concerned about the behaviour, I am a strong believer in puppy/dog classes and I've had lots of success with that, even with problem dogs from the pound.

Well, bully behavior isn't necessarily bad... but the breeds with it are known for being stubborn and also very determined. If you can turn that in your favor you end up with a dog that will do anything to please you, and likely not give up until it's succeeded (or until you tell it otherwise).

EnzoLeya · Mar 31, 2008

Lived till 8! Like that's a good thing?! Oh my......

I haven't herd much about the breed, sorry. They are beautiful though!

nekochan · Mar 31, 2008

If you like Bulldogs but are leery of the health and breathing issues, one alternative is to look into one of the "recreated breeds". These are breeds that were made to recreate the "original" Bulldog look. Examples are the Olde English Bulldogge, the Dorset Olde Tyme Bulldogge and the Victorian Bulldog. You can find some info here: http://www.bulldoginformation.com/

English Bulldogs? a bad breed?

lmunsie

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white cat lover

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mercury_quirks

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lmunsie

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goldenkitty45

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strange_wings

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lmunsie

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dixie_darlin

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