New Puppy MAYBE??

[HarleysMom]

Well the hubby has decided he is ready for a new puppy--Just in time for winter NICE huh--since I will be the one house breaking and going out in the cold in the middle of the night Not really what I want to do when there is snow and ice on the ground BUT anyway--I would really like to have another dog--kind of strange having 2 for so long and then just having the one--SO Breed is the next issue--OF course Im hooked on the boxer breed DUH lol--but love all the bully breeds so its all ok to me---He wants a Bulldog like you wouldnt believe--LOVES them always has Always will--however I work in a vet clinic and although I LOVE the breed dont get me wrong--they tend to have health issues *not all of them Im sure but still* And I know all breeds do but the bulldogs seem to have more serious ones---Like the doctor I work for says *Support your local vet Buy a Bulldog* Anyway there is a GREAT breeder here in the area and he happens to come to our clinic for all his vet work--Great guy Very nice and has some AWSOME bullies--I have fallen in love with all of them I have seen and people he has sold to bring their bullies in all the time to--He has great bullies--I talked to his mom *Who has one of his retired males* and her and I get along great--She is such a sweetheart--She said I should get a bully from him and I have thought about talking to him about it but not sure--He has asked me to puppy sit before and ask me to be there for all his C Sections so I think I could get a retired show dog or pet pup from him fairly easily now--Hubby has also shown alot of interest in the American Bulldog,Olde English Bulldog and the Pit Bull---ALL breeds I would love to have as well--SO WHICH ONE do I go with HELPPPPPPPP LOL Im trying to get him to wait until at least the new year BUT we will see what happens--Housebreaking shouldnt be that big of an issue--we kennel train and being that I work in a vets office I can take the puppy to work everyday if I want and vet care is so much more reasonable when you work there LOL I dont know which breed to go with--I have always adopted and not bought from breeders so thats another issue--I could easily find a Pit or American Bulldog in need of a home at a shelter/rescue But bulldogs are a bit harder to come by in this area *I look at petfinder everyday*

[k9hullio_sam]

personally, i like the pitt bulls. oh, and good luck with the house breaking in the snow and everything!!

[annie_so_pink]

I would go to a shelter and see what kind of dogs they have (or if you want a puppy, go to a shelter and see what puppies they have)....I would go to one, if I don't fall in love with a puppy there, I would go to another shelter, etc....I would just adopt a puppy or dog who needed a home and I felt that I was supposed to be his/her home

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

Well, I can say that I do understand your concerns on the Bulldog. While most have no more health issues than any other breed, when they do have something happen it does tend to be more difficult / require different methods of treatment than the "average" dog.

Only you can decide which breed fits your family and lifestyle the best of course but you've narrowed the list down to some nice ones thats for sure. I believe you and I have talked about the breeder you mentioned in the past so you already know where I stand on that one.

[Cassiepeia]

I love your taste in dogs. All the breeds you mentioned, I would love to have (but probably never will LOL *shrugs* ).

The only thing I'd be concerned about if you were going the APBT route, would be dog aggression.

I'm not sure how dog aggressive American Bulldogs are, but I'll put my vote in for Am. Bulldogs, British Bulldogs and Olde English Bulldogges (if you can find a reputable breeder or one at a shelter). You could also look at Renascence bulldogs. I don't know how reputable the people are (I'm in the wrong country to find out) but I've always loved this particular kennel 'Gargoyle Kennels' (ignore the tragic graphics LOL I think he makes them himself). Maybe they're not so good, you'd have to do a little digging to find out. I love the look of their dogs though. Beautiful creatures.

Anyhoo...good luck with the pup hunting.

Cass.

[Pippinislove]

I think that American Bulldogs also have some dog aggression in their lines. Don't quote me on that, just what I have heard. :O

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

Not to try and turn this into any type of a debate HarleysMom, we've known one another for along time now and I know you won't take this in any other way other than something to consider when thinking of the health of the Bulldog. Since you mentioned the health heres a bit of food for thought. I'm always a bit taken aback by those who feel the Bulldog is such a terrible breed health wise and how much better the Olde, Victorian and so on are. ( Just to be noted here - I have no particular dislike for the other types or any one persons dog, they simply are not what I feel a Bulldog should be. ) I think Ms. Elizabeth Hugo, a very well respected AKC judge said it best. This was from The Bulldogger, the official publication of the Bulldog Club of America This article by Ms. Hugo was in the June 2003 edition - Number 104.

In part - "How former Bulldog breeders and others attempt to make the breed "as it was meant to be" by cross breeding pure Bulldogs with Old English and/or American Bulldogs (not sure which one, either way, it is appalling to me and should be to everyone who loves this breed as it is now). Strangely enough, these people are not at all recreating the Rose and Crib style dog of old, but have merely created nothing more than a generic bull-breed mix. (If they read their history, they would know that in order to get back to the Bulldogs of the pre-1860's they would have to downsize quite a bit, but that probably wouldn't appeal to those interested as much as the dogs advertised as weighing well over 100 pounds.)

So, back to the old questions at the beginning of this article. Well, what is interesting to me and is the point of this article in the first place, is that the health woes we experience today were just as common 100+ years ago.
It really flies in the face of those who claim we are going to destroy the breed if we don't crossbreed them and fast!
I found the following passages in some of my favorite old books and thought them to be of interest.

From A.G. Sturgeon's Bulldoggdom 1919, under the heading "Whelping Troubles":
"....Recently (for the last 2 or 3 years) in the Manchester District, fanciers have collectively found that a practical and skillful Veterinary Surgeon has amazingly reduced the mortality in whelping by the Caesarian operation. the percentage of loss, both of puppies and their dams, is exceedingly small, and I feel, that in the interests of the breed, I should put it on record."

Sam book has another passage under "Blister on Feet":

"Those red bulging between the toes of many Bulldogs are extremely painful to the dog and very often the cause of bitter disappointment to the owner."

From Bulldogs and ALL About Them by Henry St. John Cooper (around 1910):
"For follicular mange I can offer no suggestions for treatment, except the foregoing, which may or may not be effective, but at any rate is well worth the trial" (he had previously described treatment for sarcoptic mange). "Eczema if often mistaken by the novice for mange."

From the rewrite of Bulldogs and ALL About Them by F. Barrett Fowler (1925):
"I remember at a certain show, a lady gave a special prize to the Bulldog with clean ears. The prize was not awarded, for out of the twelve dogs exhibited not one had clean ears. Canker is very often caused in the first place by neglect. The wax and dirt are apt to stop the hearing and make the dog appear deaf."

There are many more excepts in the old dog books to the Bulldog health concerns. Even the tail issue was a hot topic at the turn of the century. Funny how the breed had the same conditions it has now and is surprisingly still around and thriving in numbers (which in reality is not at all a good thing).

For the anti-Bulldog movement, this should be food for thought. The breed is still around after all this time. And we didn't have to crossbreed them to do it. Our breed (like so many others) has its own particular health issues. Some are quite unique to them alone, some are common among similar bracecephalic breeds and some are just going to happen, regardless of the type of dog it is. And, most important, not every Bulldog suffers these issues. That should always be remembered".

My sincere thanks to Elizabeth as always.

[Leon]

I like the look of the Old Boston Bulldogge.

[HarleysMom]

Thanks everyone for the comments--and Sonja I would never take anything you say to be a debate--I respect your thoughts 100% thats why I always come to you with breeders in the area and ask your thoughts before going any further LOL----I know all breeds have health issues and the reason behind me talking about the health issues of the bulldogs is prob because at the clinic I work at we see ALOT of them (not with health issues but just in gen.) So maybe its just in my head LOL (that would not suprise me hahaha) Anyway I would love to get him a bulldog and he really wants one--the only GREAT breeders I know of are the one I mentioned earlier and you Sonja so that makes it hard---If you know what I mean...Good bulldog breeders are hard to find with out knowing one or going to shows etc. in this area--Unforn. I live in Missouri "Puppy Mill Capital USA" UGHHHHHHHHH

As for breeds that can be dog aggressive I can deal with that--there is training..Boxers can be dog aggressive and I will NEVER be with out one in my life-- MY boxer can be leash aggressive towards other dogs but with training *that he has* it is controlled at all times. I wouldn't obv get another male dog being that my boxer is a male and he is very dominant-but training starts in our house on DAY ONE and NEVER ends. I really love the bully breeds. Just something about them..they are such loyal and great family pets and very eager to please. I just tend to lean towards those breeds.
At this point in time I'm not sure what we are going to do--last wk a dog I gave my dad 12yrs ago passed away and my husband and I where the ones who took her to the clinic and cared for her--her last day and we have always been VERY close to her so no my husband is saying he doesnt want another dog--After Chevy and now her he says its to hard to let go * And I agree with him* so maybe another dog is not in our future any time soon--We have also talked about just waiting and seeing what happens--We get strays brought to the clinic all the time that no one claims Unforn. when they are brought in they usually need medical care which can reach the $1000's and no one is willing to pay that most the time. We have talked about just waiting and seeing what happens to come in and pull at our heart strings...We had one come in about 2 months ago that I fell in love with---poor little boxer/pit mix most likely with a badly broken back leg--the guy who found her and brought her in paid for everything and kept her other wise Im 100% sure she would have come home with me...I know she has a wonderful home so it makes it easier but she was a little doll...
Now Im just going on and on LOL....But as for now puppy search is on hold...Will keep you all updated