Breeding English Bulldogs

**Rivera7** · 02-09-2006, 07:58 AM

My husband and I are planning to breed English Bulldogs in the near future. We are in the planning stage right now. Does anyone have any suggestions? We can't afford to get both male and female at the same time... should we get the male or female first. I have heard this sometimes makes a difference. Any pointers?

Thanks!!!

**pitc9** · 02-09-2006, 09:14 AM

Welcome to Pet Talk!
You'll find that a lot of us here are pro-rescue and adoption, not that we all are against breeding, but we all feel the need to save the animals that have been dumped.
My first question to you is why?
What made you first want to get into breeding?
Is it to make money or is it to better the breed and the bloodline?
From what I've heard, Bulldogs can not reproduce or give birth naturally, you will want to look into every aspect of breeding and keep the dogs health and well being as your first priority.

**Vela** · 02-09-2006, 09:21 AM

Well honestly, if you can't afford to purchase a bitch and a stud dog at the same time you oughtn't be breeding at this point in time. Most often the male and females you buy together aren't a good breeding combo anyway and you need to look elsewhere for an appropriate bitch or stud, but if you can't afford to buy them both you probably can't afford the litter and aftercare. Bulldogs have to have C-sections. They cannot be born without it and that can run a thousand dollars plus. If you think you will make the money back on the pups think again. You need to have your breeding stock assesed for conformatoin and have health testing done on each dog to make sure they don't have genetic diseases present to pass on. After that you have the the care of the bitch and the cost of the C-section, not to mention after they are born the care and feeding. If your bitch gets sick(mastitis) and can't nurse you have to bottle feed, or she could also die during surgery and then you have to hand raise the babies on bottles every 2 hours day and night to start with. Also there are times when a female who gives birth by C-section won't accept the babies and you are stuck having to bottle feed then too, not ot mention stimulating them to use the bathroom when they are very young. You also have to be prepared to the whole litter possibly dying along with the bitch and then you'd be out thousands of dollars and no babies. Just think long and hard about it and find a well known respected breeder in your area to help you and mentor you and help you find good breeding stock for healthy babies. It's very costly and if you can't even afford to purchase both together you should probably wait until you can. It's not something to takelightly and if you don't do it the right way there is no point in doing it.

**lv4dogs** · 02-09-2006, 09:55 AM

Well said once again Vella!

**beeniesmom** · 02-09-2006, 10:00 AM

Hi Rivera,
Welcome to Pet Talk.
I would suggest you read this:

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...light=breeding

I, like you, had the same intentions with my dog but after thinking it out, and after hearing many different points of view, I opted not to.

I hope you will change your mind as well.

carmen

**Pawsitive Thinking** · 02-09-2006, 10:09 AM

Please don't

**JenBKR** · 02-09-2006, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Brody's Mum

Please don't

ditto

**Anita Cholaine** · 02-09-2006, 10:48 AM

Ditto to everything that you guys already said. I preffer to leave breeding to people who really know what they do, and do it for their love to the breed and to improve it... And if you can't afford a male and female at the same time, are you sure that you will be able to afford the food, medical attention and other things the dogs will need??

Please think carefully about about it

**Flatcoatluver** · 02-09-2006, 11:30 AM

Welcome to Pet talk

I won't say anything....................

**BC_MoM** · 02-09-2006, 11:49 AM

Welcome to Pet Talk.

If you can't afford both dogs at the same time, I don't encourage you to breed. It will cost a heck of a lot more to raise a litter properly than to buy two English Bulldogs.

**jackie** · 02-09-2006, 11:58 AM

I agree 100%!Most people just rush out and buy the dogs with no clue what they are doing. Good on you for researching first Rivera.

I hope this thread doesn´t turn ugly, as I have seen so many similar threads turn into arguments.

**luvofallhorses** · 02-09-2006, 12:24 PM

I agree please don't..please spay and neuter your dogs..if you want another dog why not adopt? http://www.petfinder.com

**Giselle** · 02-09-2006, 08:12 PM

I have to agree with the above, but I'll add this:

You sound like you want to do this the right way, which I applaud you for, so here's a few tips for breeding:

Don't do it.

Simple enough, eh?

However, if you're REALLY intent on improving the English Bulldog breed and you don't want to do it just to make more puppies, my suggestion for you to be is to stop and think about it. Before you make the jump and buy your foundation b*tch (you most likely will not go far with a male dog as studs are pick of the litter-type pups and reputable breeders RARELY sell their top studs to novices), you should study the breed itself. Know who the top dogs *were*. Know who the top dogs *are*. Know how the breed evolved and fluctuated over the span of a few centuries. Know the "legends" of the breed. Be able to recognize and analyze a good pedigree. Get in touch with the "legends" of the breed. Go to numerous dog shows, be it conformation or performance events. Get yourself involved in the sport. Know how to properly groom and feed your specific breed. Know how to handle them in the ring, be it conformation or performance. Know all the medical problems your breed is susceptible to (Bulldogs have many). Know how to prevent them. Know genetics!!! You will most likely encounter in/linebreeding when dealing with conformation-heavy dogs, so if you want to continue that tradition, you'll need to have a firm grasp of genetics. In/Linebreeding can be done successfully as long as you know how to do it.

Now that we've got the bare basics done, find a breeder you really admire and ask him or her to be your mentor. More than likely, they will jump for joy and begin to show you the ropes of the dog breeding world. There is SO much more to it than Fido and Fifi, and, honestly, the best advice comes from one with experience within the breed. Once you get in touch with a mentor, he or she will readily provide you with a top quality dog. A good breeding program lies in its foundation, and the foundation of a good program lies in good breeding stock. To find good breeding stock, you'll need connections within the breed and you'll need to know the past and present "legends" of the breed. Beyond that, you'll need to take all the necessary precautions before even considering a stud for your foundation b*tch.

Bulldogs, in particular, are susceptible to many hip, knee, eye problems and even bloat!

Possible Health Problems

Bulldogs have numerous known genetic defects and are subject to various illnesses that affect many breeds. Common Bulldog health problems you may encounter include: elongated soft palate, small trachea, allergies, dermatitis, demodetic mange, eye lid anomalies, hip dysplasia and heart problems. Some of them have a tendency toward self-mutilation (especially if they have itchy skin), so owners should watch carefully for signs of skin irritation and scratching. If you are adopting an older dog, many of these conditions will already have been identified.

Twenty-four hour care by a qualified veterinarian must be available. Since not all veterinarians are knowledgeable about the health problems Bulldogs may have, you should consult experienced Bulldog owners or the rescue to find a capable veterinarian. Any veterinarian who will be doing surgery on your Bulldog should have previous experience with putting Bulldogs under anesthesia.

To prevent these health maladies, you'll need to get your dog tested via:
CERF (http://www.vmdb.org/cerf.html)
Optigen (http://www.optigen.com/)
OFA (http://www.offa.org/)
PennHip (http://www.pennhip.org/)
...and the normal blood/thyroid tests. These tests aren't cheap. Attending and preparing for conformation shows easily run upwards of 1000$ per show, including hotel and gas costs. If, despite all this, you still want to breed, I have to give you a clap on the back and will offer myself to help find you a mentor.

Actually, I know one English Bulldog breeder quite closely and I can PM her website to you. Good Luck!

**Alysser** · 02-09-2006, 08:16 PM

Don't breed unless it's good for the breed!

**bckrazy** · 02-09-2006, 08:40 PM

Welcome to PT! I'm glad you came here for advice, it's a brave thing to do to seek out input from others.

My sister has bought 2 English Bulldogs - they are GREAT dogs! Her first is from a very reputable local breeder, he was $1500 and the only pup in his litter. His sire is an International Show Champion, and his mom is a Champion. Of course, to properly breed any dog they need to be exhibited in whatever sport is suitable for their breed - for English Bulldogs, they should be proven as an excellent show specimen before breeding, FOR SURE! Showing dogs costs $1000's. And, even more importantly, both parents must be checked for luxating patellas (knees), hip dysplasia, breathing problems, bronchael problems, eyes, ears - which will cost around $300-500 for both parents. THEN, English Bulldogs can rarely breed naturally so you'll need your bitch artificially inseminated. Well over $100. Bulldogs cannot give birth naturally, either... C-section will cost over $1000 and will put your bitch's life in danger, it could cost much much more if any complications result. THEN, all of the puppies need bi-weekly dewormings from week 2 to week 8, along with sets of shots, check-ups, fecal exams, blood panels, etc, etc. Think $250 per pup. On top of that, your female will need lots of high quality food and supplements, and so will her puppies! She'll also need an ultrasound and check-ups through out her pregnancy, which are not cheap.

So, all of that said, the wonderful breeder they bought their boy from was in the hole $1000+ after breeding properly, because only one pup was produced, which is not uncommon... there was also severe complications with her C-section. After bitches have C-sections, many cannot nurse, so you will be up every other hour nursing newborn puppies.

Take all of the expense, the countless hours of effort and time and dedication, the countless hours of research... and if it seems worth it now, go ahead and find a great mentor in an English Bulldog breeder that actively shows their dogs. Breeding is not a little thing - it's a HUGE thing. You're bringing lives into this world, a world that's already overflowing with homeless pets. Please do not breed unless you intend on doing it ethically... that means, striving to IMPROVE the English Bulldog breed, not just making a few bucks off of half-azzing it. There are already soooo many unhealthy English Bulldogs out there already. Plan on showing and titling your breeding dogs, health testing your breeding dogs, doing all you can for the growing puppies, selling them on spay/neuter and return contracts, and all of that!

I also wanted to add - there are so many horrendous English Bulldog breeders out there, I couldn't imagine counting them all. English Bulldogs are the #1 most sold breed on puppyfind.com and other puppy mill/backyard breeder websites. The breed is just, being, ruined! My sister bought a sweet little 12 week-old fawn English Bulldog pup from what was claimed to be "good" breeders - they promised her husband that their puppies and parents had all been healthy and shown. Well, a few weeks later, when they took her to finish up her shots, they asked about some heavy breathing issues... she had 2 huge holes in her heart. Holes that HAD to have been detected by any Vet. So, basically, her breeder walked away with $2000 and never returned their calls, knowing very well that the puppy would die in a few weeks. When Lily started coughing up blood, they put her sleep

. Just ONE example of all of the unethical English Bulldog breeders out there, please don't add to the problem. Breed only if you're doing this to better this wonderful breed.