Please be patient with my computer skills I have some great sites you may want to visit however my skill at setting them up as links may be questionable.  I will add to the links from time to time so keep checking. I am always looking for new information to help my bully's. If you have any pictures to share, cute animal stories or neat sites please email me. I love to share with everyone.

So you want a bulldog puppy?

Who isn't taken in by the cute little, smooshed faces, lolling tongues and playful spirit? Many people say to me "I always wanted a bulldog." I know cause I am one of those people. Bulldogs are low to the ground, a little slow as adults and appear to be a smaller type dog. They think they are lapdogs. They really are housedog's, as they cannot tolerate extremes in temperature, and they want to be wherever you are.

The reality is, bulldogs are really a big dog in a mid size package. Adult bulldogs run between 45-65 pounds. You really notice this tank when it comes running and jumps on your lap. If not trained to not jump on you, they can actually knock you off balance if they get you unexpectedly. The other concern regarding their size is bulldogs around small children. They do love most children and are very friendly, however, they can knock down a small child and therefore not always the best choice for a family with a small child. Even though bulldogs are most always good with people, it is always very important to NEVER leave a child with an animal unattended. One little hand accidentally pulling fur or a tail can cause any good natured animal to snap or growl.

The bottom line in choosing any animal to be added to your family is research, research, research. Know the facts, talk to breeders and visit Kennels and litters.  Beware of breeders not willing to invite you to their home and see how they were raised. Beware of breeders that cannot provide a written health and shot record. Beware of breeders unwilling to show you the parents, or at least the mother if they use an outside stud.

Remember, you should be in contact with your breeder the life span of the puppy. The breeder will be your biggest asset besides your vet.They should be willing to work closely with you and be available for questions or concerns you may have. Breeders should not brush you off, or refuse to answer your questions. Breeders are busy people but should always be available(within a reasonable timeframe) for email or return phone calls. If you get the feeling that the breeder of the puppy you are looking to buy is too busy, appears annoyed or irritated at your list of questions(and that should be a long list when shopping pups) then you should politely shop elsewhere. They will likely not have time for you after you get the puppy home and are now wondering what to do.

 Why are Bulldogs so expensive?

This is actually not a hard question. Bulldogs are not easy to breed, whelp or raise. To start, the mother must have an Artificial Insemination as they are physically challenged when it comes to breeding. This can run anywhere from $300 to $400 dollars. If you use an outside stud, that can run you another $500-$1500 and up. Additional vet visits for the mother and a C section. Bulldogs are very lazy whelpers and the pups can easily get stuck.  So now a C section with the associated visits will run around $1000 and up depending on after office hours delivery (they all seem to want to come after hours)

All of the above is now the easy part. What comes next is much harder. Bulldogs can have from 1-9 puppies with 3-5 per litter being more common. Once you have the happy family home from the vet the sleepless nights start. Puppies must never be left unattended with mother as she won't know if she sits on one of them. Breeders often keep them in a separate box with a heating pad and blankets. They must eat every 2 hours for the first two weeks around the clock. They must be weighed at least daily to make sure they are eating and gaining weight. When you put he pups up to the milk bar, you must make sure they are all getting their fair share. Puppies always think the other guy has the better dinner plate so they nudge them off their bottle and the little guy could be left without his lunch.

Then comes the best part, after eating puppies must always be "pottied". Mothers usually will do this, but you have to make sure that she will take care of them or you have to wipe the little tushies yourself and make sure everyone has had a nice tiddle and poo. You have to keep track of poos so that they do not get constipated or their tail matted and stuck to their little bums.  So this routine actually goes on until you start weaning-sometime around 6 weeks depending on the puppies.

Now there is more to this, but this is just a brief overview of how time consuming raising a litter to 8 weeks old. I don't want to actually do the math on the $$ per hour a breeder will actually earn. I would probably cry. It is however very rewarding-or why would we do it?

 Important things to know before bringing puppy home.

You would never bring a new baby into your home without lots of preparation, reading and education about new babies, right? Well, bringing home any pet requires almost as much preparation as a human baby.

We are assuming that you have done the research and chosen your breed after careful selection. Before choosing a puppy you have to take a look at several things.

1) Home and Yard: Do I have the inside and outside of the house safe to raise a puppy? The best choice is a home with a yard that is fenced securely (very important). You can raise a bulldog in an apartment but you have to make sure you have the time to take it out to visit a dog park or a place it can run and be a dog without getting hurt. It is true that bulldogs do not need as much exercise as most breeds however they do need to stretch their legs and have time outside.

You also need to go around your home and look for possible dangers. I suggest you get on all fours and look over every square inch of your home. This may sound silly but from a puppy's eye view you can see all kinds of things that may look fun for a puppy to chew or pull. Electrical cords, outlets, hanging drapes and mini blinds, kids small toys like Lego's and many other things can cause you puppy to be hurt or choke. You must eliminate these things before you puppy steps one paw into your home. If you puppy will have access to only one room than make sure that room is safe and put up a baby gate to keep them in that area.  There are many resources online and in print for helping parents baby proof you home. These guidelines are very similar to what you look out for with a new puppy. They are smart, inquisitive and persistent. If you think they can't get into something, think again.

2) Find a veterinarian. This is also very important element. When you call a vet's office they will say they see bulldogs. Of course they do. They were taught in school to treat all breeds. Now that said, that doesnt mean the SEE a lot of bulldogs if any. Bulldogs, as will all breeds, have their own differences. Treatment for them is often different than another breed of dog. So how do you find a vet that sees a lot of bulldogs? Your breeder will be the best source of information along with the state Bulldog Club or association. After asking around, armed with your list of vets that were referred to you, start making phone calls. The office should be friendly and open to questions. Schedule a vista and ask for client references. They should be willing to get you in touch with someone that uses their services for bulldogs. We personally use a vet that is a one hour commute to another state. We use them for all bulldog related needs as well as prenatal and post natal care of mom and babies. We also use a local clinic for smaller type services such as vaccinations, minor skin irritation or of course an emergency that could not wait a one hour drive. 

Once you have a vet chosen you will be ready when you bring your puppy home and get the pup immediately to a vet for your first well puppy checkup. (Our health guarantee requires you take your new pup to the vet within 72 hours. (More about this later)

3) Feeding: Now your house is ready and your vet has been chosen. Next comes preparing for feeding and health care. Once you have chosen your pup, spend some time talking to the breeder about the kind of food they recommend you feed. When you start talking about food, everyone has their own opinion. It is good to listen to the breeder. They usually have a chosen regimen and should be having success with healthy bullies including healthy skin and coats. As a rule, most people agree that your money is where you food is. It does not pay in the long run to feed a dog cheap dog food. Bulldogs should not have a food that is corn based nor corn and fillers being in the first ingredients of the food. Most bulldog folks will use a rice and meat blend. No wheat or wheat by products. Iams, Eukanuba and Diamond are some good choices. Also Solid Gold makes a whole line of dog food. They are pretty expensive but have heard that if you have a bulldog that has particularly stubborn skin problems some of these help a lot. They have a fish and rice blend that is excellent for skin.  I strongly recommend that you get some food from the breeder (enough to last a few days) and ease the puppy into the new food if you choose a different food than what the breeder is using.  Our health guarantee states you must use a high quality food for the first year or the guarantee is void. This is typical of most of the breeders contracts I have seen.(I will talk more later on care and feeding of puppies for specific directions)

4) Sleeping arrangements for you puppy. I recommend to all people purchasing a puppy to buy a crate for your puppy to use while housebreaking and sleeping at night. Crate training is the easiest method I have found for housebreaking a bulldog. The basic idea is that a dog will not potty in his bed. This is true of even very small puppies. They will choose and area in the pen to tiddle and poo and sleep in the opposite corner. Bulldogs can be stubborn and it can take awhile for them to get the hang of the process. You will need a crate that will either partition off to be just a little bit bigger than the puppy or buy several crates as your puppy grows. The crate cannot be too bit or the puppy will use the back of the crate for a restroom.  If the create is just big enough for them to move around in and stretch out, then they will usually not potty in it. (I will go into housebreaking later)

The crate will also serve as the place he can sleep in at night. It is very tempting to bring your puppy into your bed at night but remember they grow? Once you have a 60 lb bulldog sleeping in the middle of your bed, snoring and passing gas all night you may have wished you would have go them used to sleeping in a crate. It really is not mean. Wild dogs chose small dens and caves to live in. Close surroundings on all side help them feel secure. A warm blanket and snuggle toy is all they need.  They will probably cry the first night but with some reassurance that you are there, they will become use to their crate and be totally at home. Other advantages are they can safely ride in the crate in the car; they can visit other family members or be baby sat and be comfortable in their own bed. More vacation spots are dog friendly as well as hotels. Bringing your crate will provide a familiar and comfortable bed for your pet. Now all this said about crating does not mean that your dog should be crated all day. Dogs should be let our every 2 hours or so during the day if being potty trained. Excessive crating can cause anxiety and behavioral issues with your pet. It is not recommended that you bring a bulldog puppy home if you are gone at work all day long. Puppies are like babies. They need companionship and attention. If your dog will have to be on it's own for 12 hours a day, you my want to choose a cat or hamster.  Our personal schedules allow for someone to be home most of the time. We can let them in and out as necessary and allow special "one on one" inside time.

Coming soon:care and feeding.

Great Links

www.Rainbowbridge.com- a wonderful site for anyone who has lost a pet. If anything, take a minute to read the rainbow bridge poem. I guarantee it will make you cry.

www.peteducation.com   This is a great information site on just about everything you wanted to know about animals. Of course there is no substitute for your veterinarians advice. Always check with your vet.

www.petshed.com An online store for pet supplies