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.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks