Homegrown English Bulldog Puppies

The best advice is not to breed unless you have plans that will include the proper long term commitment to the breed, the health and safety of the bitch and puppies, and the ability to completely understand the Bulldog and its needs. There are too many backyard breeders trying to jump in and breed dogs with almost no experience or understanding of this unique breed. They see the prices they sell for and try to get in and fill their pockets with money. The sad part about that is the end result is not good for the Bulldog.

 

A lot of people are keen to breed their dog; some owners of male dogs think they will make lots of money from stud work or lots of money from breeding their female. However, in fact even outstanding champion bulldogs get very little stud work and fail to earn their keep. If a pet dog is used at stud he will start to mark his territory, therefore making a nuisance of himself and if he is a poor example of the breed he may well throw inferior stock, which is the last thing we need. If a bitch is bred from she should be a very healthy active sort with no health problems. Only the very best examples of the bulldog should be bred from, they should be very healthy and active and able to lead a normal life. They should not be over exaggerated and have no health problems.

 

Often the vet and breeders will say pre book her for a c-section which could risk her life in the hands of a non bulldog vet (many have died that way). Home self-whelping for bulldogs should only be done by very experienced breeders.  For those of us with that experience, the correct way to do it is have your pregnant bullie examined by your vet, have ultrasound done around 45 days so you’ll know (approximately) the number of puppies to expect (and we usually also have X-rays made around 55 days for a better puppy count), have your vet’s agreement s/he will be ‘on standby’ on her labor dates and also have a backup plan should vet not be available after all.  Then let your bulldog go into labor on her own, as her body's hormones due their job. If the labor is not progressing as it should your vet should be contacted immediately. It is fashionable to book a c-section which is doing the breed no favors and therefore we hear the bulldog cannot give birth, when in fact no one has tried.  Through over 35 years experience we’ve learned our bulldogs make such better mothers when nature can let their birthing hormones kick in, even if a C-section has to be performed.  A lot of puppies are lost by people that don`t have the knowledge to keep them alive or the twenty four hours a day to sit and look after them until they are old enough (feeding every 2 hours, night and day).

 

Perhaps due to the high price of a puppy, a lot of undesirables are breeding bulldogs that do not have knowledge of the breed, they are not breeding to improve,  just to produce puppies to sell. These are often the puppies you see in free papers or chancy websites. Please note we do not supply puppies to back yard breeders, pet shops or puppy farmers.

 

The health of our dogs is extremely important to us, our dogs must be able to run freely and live a good active long life, and nearly all of our dogs live between 10- 13 years. We try to encourage our bitches to self whelp.  We keep a lifelong interest in our pups and are always grateful to receive photos of them as they mature.  We do not normally export our puppies but an exception may be made to an exceptional home situation.

 

We can’t stress enough that this is not a breed that you just put two dogs together and forget, let the mother deliver and forget, let the mother raise solely the litter and forget. In the mean time the breed suffers. It can take many years for responsible breeders to correct the damage done by a few backyard breeders. If you really want to breed Bulldogs, take some time to understand the breed, do research, attend shows, talk with breeders, judges, and those who have spent years with this breed. Once you have decided you still want to breed, get help. Find someone who has a great deal of experience to mentor you, teach you, and give you the advice you need. You should own bulldogs for many years before breeding them in the best conditions.

You must also compliment the breed by breeding to improve it. Find the proper mating pair. Breeding out faults and improving the breed is what it's about. You will not make any money from breeding bulldogs if you do it the right and that's the only way it should be done. You do it for the love of the breed and to try to improve it. And the first rule is first of all is do no harm. Breeding bulldogs is very difficult at best, very expensive, and time consuming. It is a 24 hour a day commitment. Once you have decided this is still what you want and you have done all this the right way, then decide why you are breeding. You will be improving the breed through what method? What is your plan? This is a loving breed that needs the respect and care of those willing to provide it for years to come.

There is no shortage of good pets in this country and the animal shelters are full of pets needing good homes. Many dogs that come from puppy mills, backyard breeders, and farm operations have health problems that will be passed on to their future litters by breeding them. Most of these people will not do any pedigree research as well. Over 75% of the reasons a bulldog ends up in a rescue or animal shelter is health related problems which were likely genetic. Good breeders look to compliment the breed through careful breeding and improvement.