English Bulldog

[Soulpieced]

So one of my roommates' says we may be getting an English Bulldog next week. Does anyone either own one, or have some good information on them that might be worthwhile to know?

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

I had one after college. What do you want to know? That's kind of a generic question. They are very prone to breathing problems, short lived, and if you get a female and breed her, can have complications with birth (so complicated in fact it is common practice to deliver via c-section; which poses further problems due to their breathing problems).

Other than that, they are cool as hell dogs and I think you'll love the dog.

[Soulpieced]

It's a 7 month old female, purebred (original tag was 2600). It was given as a gift to a friend of my roommates' wife, and she did not want it. I guess I'm asking in terms of temperament, how hard are they to take care of, how bad is the chewing and scratching at stuff compared to other breeds, etc.

[Soulpieced]

And if you still lived in NOVA, I could drag you over here to take care of her Suppa.

[Brattt8525]

They are prone to skin problems, the mentioned breeding/birthing problem. And of course the breathing problems and depending on breeding they can be a vets wet dream.

Other then that they are laid back and awesome dogs and if I didn't have the dogs I have I would own one.

[Keller]

My best friend had one growing up. He was cool as hell. He died at age 8 even with over 5k in plastic surgery to improve breathing. They are very lazy dogs, but when get bursts of energy about the time your start to play with them.

Oh, and they damn near snore when standing.

[Keller]

If you're looking for a cool and unique dog try a Great Dane. Expensive meds and food, but the best dogs I've ever had without question.

I understand you're getting this one for free -- but keep it in mind for the future.

[Jazuela]

I'm pretty sure the pup my friend had many years ago was an English Bulldog. Very sweet-natured, good around kids. They're not yappy yippy kinda noisy, but you can hear them breathe a mile away. They don't seem to bark very much, so they probably wouldn't make good guard dogs. If yours is a cross-breed, he might not have the breathing problems that the pures have. Unless of course he's cross-bred with another pug-nosed type of pup. It's those squished in noses that cause all those problems. You need a real schnozz to breath right, damnit! There are breeds of cats with the exact same problems, for the exact same reasons.

-She with the schnozz

[Soulpieced]

As I said in my second post, it's a purebred with certificates and the whole 9 yards in regards to breed.

Another question that popped in my mind. How many people feed dogs dry food as opposed to, or in conjunction with the wet stuff? Is it purely a health thing, or can you just feed them ONLY dry and still get all the vitamins they need?

[Nakiro]

The puppy formula from pedigree until its a year and a half old.

[Shari]

Ooookay, well, as the drill I give many people after working a few months at Petsmart....

Do dry over wet food. Wet food is virtually the same as dry save for the fatty broth they put into it to make it "soft". It is higher in fat and if you are going to give it to a dog, only do so in small quanitites or mix it in half and half with its usual dry dog food.

All dogs should be kept on puppy food until the reach the age of 1 year. After that go according to size. For an English Bulldog a basic dogfood is fine, as it is not considered a large breed. (They sell dog food types specifically for large breed dogs.)

Another thing to note is the brand of dog food you get. For the love of god, please do NOT feed your dogs dog food that comes in a 30lb bag that only costs 15 dollars. Just like with people food, what you pay for is what you get. Cheap dog foods lack in nutrition and are high in fat.

If you go with Petsmart as your choice petstore I recommend the food they manufacture (Authority, or Harvest baked...I use HB and its GREAT). Its hella cheap (as you are not paying extra for the company to advertise its food) and its concentraiting on nutrition. If you DON'T go with them, I recommend Natural Choice, its a tad expensive but it provides nutrients for proper bone growth and healthy coat.

Look at the back of dog food bags and compare yourself. If the first ingredients are corn meal, chicken by-product meal, you've got trouble. Corn meal is horrible, its especially bad for dogs with sensative stomachs and mostly all you're feeding them is bread. Chicken by-products...think about it...beaks, feet, etc. Not nutritional. Go for chicken, beef, or lamb (lamb good for senstive stomachs) and RICE for the carb intake, NOT corn.

I don't think anyone really expected this much info on dog food but here you go. English bulldogs are SO cute, btw.

[Brattt8525]

As far as feeding goes, I have bred dogs all of my life. I have found that with Iams you can not go wrong, highly nutritional, and really not that expensive considering you have to feed less of it then you would the cheap brands.

Also consider the retention value of a good brand such as Iams, your yard isn't filled with all the crap fillers in the other brands. Also watch the fat content, with the bulldogs already having a tendecy to have skin problems you want to add a high fat diet to that.

Oh and they can have an odor about them due to mentioned skin problems, grab yourself some spray doggy odor control to put on the chubby cutie. Oh and another thought, no people food! As someone who has seen the problems caused by this <I worked as a vets assistant for 2 years> just please avoid it. No matter how much your dog begs human food is NOT good for them.

[Jack]

We had an english bulldog as our company mascot when I was stationed in Pensacola. That was the nastiest fucking dog I've ever seen. When I first got there and checked in, I set my seabag down on the floor, and was getting my paperwork done, and that nasty ass dog ran up and humped my seabag! All it ever did really was hump shit, and give itself blowjobs. I'd never own one myself, but my opinion is based off that one dog....

[Electrawn]

Random dog wisdom:

Dry dog food only. Canned dog food maybe once a week as a treat. Wet dog food builds tartar on the teeth. It also helps picking up poop. Wet dog food = soggy shit.

Stick with one dog food brand. Picking up random dog food bags will end up with a finiky dog...which is a pain in the ass.

Never follow the directions on the bag. You'll end up with a fat dog. Follow what the vet says. (Likely 1 1/4 cups total till 1 year old, then 3/4 a cup total thereafter)

Banfield (The pet hospital inside PetSmart) is overpriced.

Review any recurring service a pet hospital offers you with a fine tooth comb. Better be the sun, the moon and the stars for anything under $10 a month.

Don't buy nylabones. Ever.

Watch your dog when chewing rawhide so they don't choke. Try and make sure they have plenty to chew on so they don't chew furniture.

All dogs should have a crate or a kennel and know to get in it on command.

Short hair dogs like the bulldog have the equivalent to a t-shirt in fur. Consider getting a sweater.

Workers at Petland are paid on comission.

Dogs make excellent bed and feet warmers. Take advantage.

Get the dog spayed so you don't have to put up with heat. (and subsequent female mess). Usually the local animal shelter will have a voucher for spay/neuter thats cheap. Hospitals charge hundreds but the vouchers are $40 or less.

If you have no clue on the breed or breeding...get it spayed. Some owners think they can make money later on by breeding or studding. You'll just end up with a litter of warclaidhm pups.

Buy Pet Carpet deodorizer/cleaner. Eventually all dogs will eat something stupid and yack on the carpet. Be prepared.

If you can train the dog really well...you can trim their nails with a dremel!

-Electrawn

[Shari]

Stick with one dog food brand. Picking up random dog food bags will end up with a finiky dog...which is a pain in the ass.

Agreed, not only will it be finiky but it can get diarrhea by constantly changing food every time you need to buy another bag.

Banfield (The pet hospital inside PetSmart) is overpriced.

Also agreed. Banefield is a scam. Not only are they overpriced but they suggested to our dog trainer to put down her kitten who broke its arm, while another vet said it would heal fine on its own. That being said the cat can walk just fine.


Don't buy nylabones. Ever.

Now this I'm curious about, what is so bad about them?

All dogs should have a crate or a kennel and know to get in it on command.

YES. I highly suggest this for anyone, even people with doggie doors and large backyards. If your dog likes to get into things...ie: eating all the wood off your gazebo (don't ask) crate training is the way to go. It also gives the dog a sense of personal space.

Short hair dogs like the bulldog have the equivalent to a t-shirt in fur. Consider getting a sweater.

Shorthairs also shed a fuckload more than longhaired dogs, so make sure to buy one of those rubber brushes so when your dog brushes against your freshly washed and pressed black pants it doesn't leave half of itself on them. :D (Using a brand like Iams or Natural Choice helps reduce shedding too.)

If you can train the dog really well...you can trim their nails with a dremel!

You frighten me, you know that?

[HarmNone]

I think they're adorable, but I've never owned one, nor have I had the opportunity to get to know one well. Still, ya gotta love a pup with a face like that! :D

[Tsa`ah]

Nylabones are made from nylon, hard nylon. While nylon is an inert substance (the body won't react to it) it is also an indigestible substance.

Dogs chew, dogs swallow, nylon cuts, tears, and blocks the digestive tract.

Hence, nylabones are a very bad idea.

My uncle had an English bull dog for almost 20 years. In that 20 years the dog required surgery for breathing, skin treatments, and constant attention in it's last 5 years of life.

These dogs have a serious problem drinking due to the snout being flat and the neck being stout. Hanz (uncle's dog) probably would have lived another 5 years if he hadn't drowned drinking out of his water bowl.

Bull dogs are not much different than gold fish. They're low maintenance pets in that they are couch potatoes, high maintenance in that with the short fur and inherent health risks; you have to keep some passive attention on them.

Great with kids, great with people they are familiar with, great with other animals, but very very very very protective. I would pity the person who play punches the one the dog is most bonded with.

We're actually thinking of getting one in a year or so. The hamsters have to bite it first though.

[Edited on 1-14-2005 by Tsa`ah]

These dogs are really awesome, but for some reason the two that my neighbors have had, all have had a real heavy pant that I think is some sort of breathing disorder.

[Chadj]

Yeah, they rock really hard. However, they aren't as good as Boxers (the best dogs ever)

[Electrawn]

The nylabone problem has already been answered. Depending on how the dog chews it it could be like feeding her razor blades.

Short hair dogs like the bulldog have the equivalent to a t-shirt in fur. Consider getting a sweater.


Shorthairs also shed a fuckload more than longhaired dogs, so make sure to buy one of those rubber brushes so when your dog brushes against your freshly washed and pressed black pants it doesn't leave half of itself on them. (Using a brand like Iams or Natural Choice helps reduce shedding too.)

There is an ongoing joke in the house that we can make a second dog from the amount of hair pulled from the washers lint trap. My doxen hates the prickly short-hair brush and the rubber brush. He loves the double horse-hair loop. (also called a shedding blade.) I suppose a curry-comb could work as well.


If you can train the dog really well...you can trim their nails with a dremel!


You frighten me, you know that?

Not as frightning as you think:

http://www.pets.ca/forum/archive/index.php/t-3091.html

http://www.greytalk.com/~jrosenberg/dremel/dremel.htm

Poor Doxen hates the pressure of the nail cutter. He hates the sound and vibration of the dremel...but doesn't disappear under the bed for a day like he does with the nail cutters.

-Electrawn

[Ben]

Alright, My roommate Mike has a female english bulldog. rumors about these dogs being lazy are not always true, this dog will run around nonstop, chew everything, jump up and hump your leg like a male dog, chew your head while you sleep, eat tin cans, destroy everything, drool in your shoes and wreck havok on your life, aside from that its cute when they snore. oh yeah I hope you don't have carpet. (check out an episode of the osbournes)

[Edited on 1-16-2005 by Ben]

[Soulpieced]

Forgot to mention that we just got her (white English Bulldog with brownish black spots) about 2 weeks ago and boy is she ugly. If my girlfriend ever gets her digital camera working, I'll try to get a picture up.