just looking to stir things up.


why waste energy on someone who isn't willing to listen?


MidAtlantic Bulldog Rescue | www.midatlanticbulldogrescue.com
A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization

A bulldog is a huge responsibility.

I am 33 and I have a full time job and it still gives me pain everytime I go the vet... average bill everytime is around $250 !!

I had a german sheperd for 15 years and probably only went to the vet 5 times in his whole life time...

with my bully, i have been to the vet- it seems like every other month...

I totally wasn't prepared for the cost and medical issues that these dogs have, luckily I am in a position where I can handle it because my husband has a full time job too... I knew bullys had medical issues, but I didn't expect that the costs would add up so quickly... and over such small issues too!!!

when i was 18, i was worrying about what to have for dinner , jack in the box or taco bell! or doing marathon cramming for 48 hours straight in pajamas for finals, after coming back from partying all night or a weekend snoboarding or vegas, etc... it was really fun to be free and not have to worry about any other responsibility other then school and friends back then...

having a dog and especially a bully would be like her having a baby in college right now... seriously, it would totally hold her back and tie her down! don't do it! this dog will only turn into a burden for her.

very very informative..
really really really well done
I am totally impressed

Your granddaughter may "want" a bulldog, but is she is an 18-year-old college freshman, is she in a position to care for one?

Before anyone brings a bulldog home--puppy or rescue--these are questions you must ask yourself:

Who will take responsibility for the dog? If your daughter is a freshman in college, will the dog live at her parents' home, or with her at college?

Will the new owner have the time to socialize and exercise the dog?

Will the new owner be able to afford unexpected expenses--maybe a torn ACL from jumping during play, or costly-to-manage skin allergies, or the ER trip because something got swallowed?

Can the new owner afford the everyday necessities, such as premium food, joint supplements, vaccinations, monthly heartworm preventative, appropriate toys, safe "clean up" materials? Plus a good basic obedience class?

Has the new owner read what bulldogs should NOT have, such as rawhides, edible chews, pig's ears and cow's hooves, and does he or she know why they should not have them?

Does he or she know that bulldogs cannot swim? Does he or she know what a tail pocket is, and why it needs to be cleaned?

Expect a responsible breeder to ask these questions of you, in addition to asking for a vet reference. I hope you will be able to answer them positively. Good luck!

but after shopping for a bulldog twice, and having great success after a lot of work and frustration, I am pretty confident of a couple of things: 1)Paradoxically the cheapest bulldogs make the most money for their breeders and usually cost their purchasers the most. That's because in order to make a business profitable you have to maximize productivity and minimize expenses. In a breed like bulldogs, that means that the commercial breeders (to say nothing of the really nasty puppy mills) breed dogs that shouldn't be bred and sell puppies that are going to be sick. 2) The best breeders usually breed the healthiest dogs. Our little Hilda is lying behind me asleep, not snoring--I hardly ever find her snoring--in other words, her breathing is completely clear. She's not even close to being a show dog, too small, ears stick up, etc. But her pedigree contains lots of important champion dogs and her breeder has a lot of champions to his credit. But the important thing is that these winning dogs and their puppies have good health.

Not all breeders are easy to deal with. Part of the problem is that they aren't really in a profit making business, but their customers don't understand that. They mostly cover the majority of the expense of their dog habit through the sale of puppies. However, I have had good experience working with the Bulldog Club of America Breeder Referralhttp://thebca.org They will refer you to a contact in your region who should be aware of breeders that have litters of puppies. It's expensive, but worth it. By the way, if you look at the show forum you will see that breeders are having a difficult time getting their normal prices ($2500-3000 in my experience), so it might be possible in some cases to pay a little less.

It takes time and patience. I really recommend against making an online purchase, although many good breeders have websites to look at.

Good Luck

Drew

Hi, thought I was through huh? Lol. In my experience, working with Bulldog Rescue, one of the main reasons for owner surrenders; that being calls that come from owners, not shelters, or puppymillers; is lack of knowledge, leading to lack of preparation for the issues that can come with Bulldogs. Not being able to provide for these guy/gals, either financially or otherwise is the reason for the phone call being made to rescue.
Ive had the,"You'd think that if your gonna pay 2 grand for a dog, your gonna get a healthy dog". or "I can't afford another $900, for knee surgery, on top of the $1800 I just paid for her 8 months ago!"
To me, Bulldogs are the closest to a human child, as any other breed of dog. Meaning, they can have something come up, not nessecarily(sp) from bad genes, but just from general physiology of the breed. Not only being prepared for those things, but also having enough time to share with one, is another consideration. Hang in there. There are good ones (breeders, and Bulldogs) out there. Patience is hard, but so worth it.

Perserverance isn't a long race.
It's a series of short races,
ran one after the other.

-In memory of Casper

Research is the key. For one thing, there is no breed called a mini bulldog. Any breeder who advertises mini bulldogs is either a scammer, a puppy miller or a back yard breeder. You don't want to purchase a puppy from any of those. Second, you do not ship a bulldog puppy. You either drive to the breeders house to pick it up or you fly out and the puppy rides with you in the cabin of the plane.

There are many good breeders out there. You just have to ask the right questions, do your homework, and ask for references.

Here is a list of approved breeders from this site.
http://bulldogsworld.com/MEMBERSWEBSITE.html

I feel very sorry for your granddaughter and for that precious puppy. Some states have puppy "lemon laws". I would check with your state's attorney general about these laws and I would report this "breeder".

Here's a link to another good website.
http://www.thewrongpuppy.org/

If I can be of any help feel free to email me.

most people that buy on line are price shopping and looking for the "Cheapest" bulldog they can find... some people only care about how cheap they can get a dog for and not the quality, health, bloodlines, etc.... they only see the $$$

it is well worth your time to get to know your breeder, do research, go to shows, talk to other bulldog owners... EDUCATE YOUR SELF... seriously, i am speaking from experience.....

so sorry you have all been through such an awful ordeal and that this poor pup probably suffered horribly... sickening.

Chris.....

We care, probably too much to respond politely at times. Purchasing any item this expensive, let alone something alive and not manufactured, would seem to be a no-brainer that you need to go look at the item before you send off your money. There are dog show all around the USA and if one did any bit of reading of the Bulldog Club of America website (or even other national breed websites) you would see columns devoted on 'how to pick a healthy puppy'. OK, she acted rashly and emotionally and not thinking things through...expensive lesson.

Besides picking a breeder with a reputable reputation, one that is recommended by their peers in places like Bulldogsworld, BCA Breeder Referral Program, etc. there are certain questions that should be asked. Does this pup come with a purchase contract and guarantee and does that guarantee permit you to have a reasonable amount of time to have the pup examined at the vet of YOUR choice before the deal is sealed? Are there conditions that go along with the pup, such as a requirement to breed this dog and give back a puppy? Would you get clear title to the puppy or would this be a co-ownership, and what responsibilities for expenses does each party have (or do YOU bear all the financial responsibility)? At what age is this pup being offered for sale; it is unwise as well as illegal in some states to sell any pup before it is minimum 8wks old. Will you be given written instrucitons for care of a bulldog pup? Will you be given AKC registration papers (not a promise to send them, but actually get them at the same time as the dog)? Is this litter registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC)...any other registration is meaningless as they don't have reciprocity and they will register any dog applying without any meaningful criteria such as pure-bred parentage/registered all the way back. Likewise, out of country registration is probably worthless as well, with little exception, as only a handful of national breed registries have reciprocity with AKC. This adds dollar-value to your pup as well as offering options like competition in conformation and/or performance games.

Notice I have not even gotten into a discussion of personal examination of the individual pup. When you go to the breeder to select a pup, CAN you see the dam and sire (parents of this litter)? Its not always that the sire is onsite but the dam should be there...what does she look like, and what is her temperament? How does she act around her own pups? How are these pups housed...inside or outside, how clean is the facility/home, how clean are the pups and the dam, have they been given any vaccinations/worming exam/veterinary evaluation? I don't mean just a verbal yes, but do you have written proof (copy of vet's report on individual pups).

Now, how to examine a pup. Here are my suggestions and they may not contain all that others would list here, but I think I can give you some basics.

Look at the overall pup and sit on the floor to do this. Is it active, able to stand and walk, able to get up from a lying position? A healthy pup should want to play, be curious about you. Look at the eyes; are they clear and shiny (no dried goop in the corners, no wet stains on the face alongside the nose. Look at the nose; is it clean and clear, no mucous in sight, no dried crust around the edges. Look at the mouth; is the tongue a healthy pink color, not red nor bluish. Look at the anus; is it red or dirty/crusty or is it "unremarkable", as well as the area below the butt, which should not be red/irritated (sign of diarrhea). Look at the tail; some bulldogs have a short tail that is very close to the body (and difficult to clean) while others have a bit more tail (up to 2-3inches at this age) and they will be easier to keep clean/comfortable. If this is a male, gently feel if both testicles have descended; sometimes one or both are 'late' in dropping but if you can't find them, you need to know its a possible 'show fault' and may cost more to neuter this dog. Clap your hands loudly near this pup...does it react to the noise or ignore it = test for deafness. Roll this pup over on its back and hold it down for 30-60 seconds; a healthy pup will wiggle and try to 'right itself' but a weak one will just lie there.

Are you getting the idea that a personal examination of this pup would have alerted the granddaughter immediately to this being a sick/unhealthy pup?!! How can you be certain that the broken leg didn't occur during the shipping...or was it send out injured? No way to know for sure.

I also haven't addressed the matter of 'handsomeness' of the pup that is chosen, and this is more difficult to describe to someone in limited space/limited reference points, but suffice to say that there is NO formal recognition of a "miniature bulldog"...the original and still-the-best bulldog IMHO is THE BULLDOG and they shouldn't be bred to other than the BCA Standard (males 55lbs, females 50lbs) or thereabouts. Breeding to try and miniaturize the dog may mean undersized organs, undersized/constricted windpipe, bowed legs, etc. etc. I hope this helps you understand how far off your granddaughter was from what should have happened.

Joseph I am so sorry your Granddaughter has had this terrible experience.
The only advice I can give is do not buy a puppy off the internet, I do not believe any reputable breeder sells this way.
Look on the home page for the breeder listings in your area. Go to the AKC site for breeder listings or call your local Kennel Club, there may be a Bulldog Club in your area with a contact person.
If there is a dogshow you can attend, this is a great place to meet breeders who will talk with you and help you find a puppy.
Good Luck
sandy

Sorry about what happened to your grandaughter but honestly, lesson learned. Reasearch before you buy.

Tammy