English Bulldog

[NoraFromTheBeeHive]

We've been looking at getting another dog for a while. The rescue I frequent (and where I got my ColliexStaff from) has had a pair of dogs come in. One is a Rottweiler, a breed I'm used to but the other is an English Bulldog puppy, a breed I know some about but not a lot. They would prefer for the dogs to be homed together and we've always said we'd have 3 dogs. Have been getting pretty excited about taking them on but need a reality check. Please offer me bundles of advice about an English Bulldog and ask me some hard poking at the truth questions.

The main thing to consider with bulldogs is their health, the breed is absolutely riddled with problems and many of them either need long term managing, are potentially disabling or may even drastically shorten their lives. The KC's breed health survey in 2014 put the average (median) lifespan as only six years

Have a read through the information about these conditions. They're also prone to skin conditions (particularly under/around their wrinkles), poor dentition, urate stones, hip problems and are at very high risk of suffering heat stroke.

Also bear in mind that insurance will be an absolute must but decent cover will also be very expensive, even for a puppy, because they're so prone to health problems.

I'm sure they're lovely characters (why else would anyone own one?!) but I wouldn't touch one with a bargepole, even a rescue.

I know one and she is absolutely lovely but not very healthy.
When she plays with my dog she puffs and pants and has to rest a lot, and she's only young.

Those 3 breeds in one household is a bit of an eclectic mix op. All would have very different energy levels.

How would your existing staff/collie get on with 2 already bonded?

The Bulldog being in a rescue as a pup is very odd. They're a valuable breed so I'd be rather suspicious that it may have been diagnosed with serious health problems by a vet which previous owners couldn't afford, hence the re-homing.

As a temperament, bulldogs are great particularly with children.

They don't cope well in warm weather, mine can't be walked daytime in summer.

Mine is almost 8 years old now and never had any health issue so the don't believe the myth that they only live to around 6!!

I guess you'd need to consider how you'd walk them, the Bulldog with put the brakes on whereas the x breed and rottie will be higher energy.

Insurance for a bulldog can be around £30-£50 a month.

Mine is almost 8 years old now and never had any health issue so the don't believe the myth that they only live to around 6!!

I didn't say the only live to six years old, only that the median lifespan of bulldogs as reported in the KC's 2014 breed health survey was six years old.

The median age of death across the 165 breeds with deaths reported was just over eleven years.