Hello, Im thinking of getting another breed in the future to show. I love the pugs, but i do like having two breeds to own and show. The labs are great, lovely dogs and fantastic temperments, but they have always been my mums breed. Although i love our dogs, i dislike showing them and have no desire to own, show or breed my own labradors. Mostly because they are just too big. I like little dogs, with big dog attitudes!! I have always wanted a Basenji, i love the breed, but i enjoy walking my dogs off the lead through the fields and you just cant do that with a basenji. Plus with me having a bird and cat i've been advised by basenji owners and breeders that the dog would chase (and possibly kill!!!) those! I've always loved bulldogs (must have a thing for squishy faced dogs!!!) but never really considered them as a second breed, but i met the most gorgeous one at ringcraft last night. She had a fantastic temperment, very sweet, but had the PUG attitude im used to I spoke briefly with the owner about the problems with them as they were mentioned on the KC programme, she said its not true that all bulldogs are incapable of self-whelping infact as her line have all self-whelped so it shows that isnt all entirely factual But, what do you people think? Does anyone here own any bulldogs or have any experience with them? How would they fit in with pugs? The one at ringcraft loved Richard and they were playing so well together Obviously im not looking for now, but in a year or so i may be in a position to look into getting another breed. What health checks should i be looking for? Any major problems that are problems for showing (the lady at ringcraft said they are trying to breed the tail straighter now??) and are there any breeders people could recommend with healthy, correct dogs?? Ta. Jess
Although the English Bulldogs appearance can be somewhat intimidating, it is among the gentlest of dogs. Just the same it will see off any intruder, and few would risk a close encounter with a dog brave enough to bait a bull. It is described as a very affectionate and dependable animal, gentle with children, but known for its courage and its excellent guarding abilities. Bullheaded and determined, this breed can be very persistent. They do not give up easily. Bulldogs are very much a peoples dog seeking out human attention and loving every bit it can get!! A lot of human attention is required for the breed's happiness. Some English Bulldogs can be a bit dominating and need an owner who knows how to display strong leadership and understands alpha canine behavior. A Bulldog who understands it's place in the human pack, is nice to, and reliable with all people. This breed is good with family pets, but some can be scrappy with strange dogs if they do not see themselves as followers in their pack. When Bulldogs are young, they are full of energy, but slow down as they get older. They snore very loudly, and most have drool and slobber tendencies. Bulldogs who display guarding, behaviors, such as guarding furniture, food, toys, or other spots in the house, or who are dog aggressive, do not have humans who are being the dogs pack leader. This behavior only happens when dogs are allowed to take over. These behaviors can be corrected when the owners start displaying the proper leadership. Dogs who feel they need to run the home are not as happy as dogs who know they are human followers, as it is very stressful for a dog to need to keep "his" humans in line. Breathing problems some have small windpipes as well. Also poor eyesight, very susceptible to heat stroke in warm weather or hot rooms and cars. Very cold sensitive. Puppies often delivered by caesarian section because of their broad heads. Its digestive system is very active and may be offensive to people with sensitive noses. Susceptible to skin infections. Also hip and knee problems. The English Bulldog is good for apartment life. They are very inactive indoors and will do okay without a yard. This breed is an indoor dog. Bulldogs do best in temperate climates as the breed can chill easily in cold weather and have trouble cooling off in very hot weather. Some adult Bulldogs would just as soon not take any exercise, while others are full of energy. In any case all Bulldogs need to be taken on daily walks to fulfill their primal canine instinct to walk. Fit English Bulldogs are capable of moving very quickly for short periods of time. An average of 8 years. Some live longer while others live shorter lives. Origin Today's bulldog has a very different temperament from those of his ancestors. The breed is descended from the ancient Asiatic mastiff, but its development took place completely in Great Britain. The name bulldog, which is medieval in origin, refers not only to the robust look of a little bull, which this aggressive dog has, but also to the power with which this dog attacked bulls in arena combat before that practice was prohibited by law in the nineteenth century. I pressume you are refering to the English Bulldog? There are also different types of bulldog.. american, Dorset Old tyme etc And each is different and has different needs so do alot of reasearch, these are not first time dog breeds and need firm but fair, strong willed, assertive pack leaders. Hope this helps
Thanks for that information. Yes i was refering to the English bulldog (i dont think American and Old Tyme are recognised and able to show here in the Uk??). They actually sound a lot like pugs Stubborn people dogs who are just as happy led on the sofa as they are charging off As i said previously we've got labs and have owned them for quite some years, and i also own pugs and have some experience of training other people's dogs, though for the show ring rather than obedience, but they still need to know basic manners of course.. Nothing in that post has put me off them so definately one to do some more research on Thank You!
I've not had much experience with them but I have met two British Bulldogs. One was slightly leggier that others I've seen (seen a few, just not met them) and he ran around with Takara - a very happy little fella! Stanley - a BB that lives/lived (not seen him for a while) near us we used to see on a regular basis. They were very careful with him and said they wouldn't have another. He'd cost them a fortune at the vets with problems with his feet and they could only take him out at certain times and struggled to keep his weight down in an attempt to keep him healthy. He once chased Takara a few feet along the path and certainly didn't look very well when he made it back So two very different dogs... I think not only are the health tests obviously very important but I'd also be looking at the way they're bred. I don't know how this works for showing but I'd be more concerned about the health of a dog I bought/bred so would be looking towards the leggier, less wrinkled dogs like the one I saw that played happily with Takara. I take it you're not considering a French Bulldog then? They are fabulous little dogs with loads of energy!!
I have considered a frenchie. A friend of mine in pugs has one and he is lovely! But, having been around the ring on several occassions cheering him on, the temperments i have seen concerns me...
I love Frenchies too, but the price of them is astranomical!! The cheapest I've seen advertised so far is £1800!! Sad to hear their temperaments haven't impressed you around the ring. Have to say I've only met the one in the flesh so far and he was adorable. Maybe the gene pool is too small? There don't seem to be that many litters a year and I understand they don't usually have big litters?
As was said before that ever different breed of Bulldog is different temperment. To what i understand (and i am sorry if wrong) but they are bringing the olde tyme Bulldog back and will be aloud to be shown at shows.This mainly because they are healther type of bulldog and do not come with a lot of the health problem of interbreeding. My olde tyme is fantastic looking and we are looking at doing agility with him when he reachs a year old.
