Head over heart?

[dob]

My old spaniel is on her last legs and I will soon be thinking about getting a new dog, I am involved in a small syndicate but it's not a posh affair, I was thinking about getting a lab but I am really keen to buy an English bulldog obviously not for shooting but I would want to take him/ her on shoot days .

Any days I buy I don't take a dog so that's not an issue,

I feel Bulldogs are full of character but I don't know enough about them ,any thoughts, cheers guys.

[al4x]

If you want one get one but I wouldn't take it shooting

[2 Smokin' Barrels]

I have an English bulldog, great dogs and certainly full of character! A bit of advice though do lots of research and choose your breeder very carefully. If you are on Facebook join the group called the bulldog base it is an excellent group lots of the members on there show the dogs on crufts etc.

[rimfire4969]

Just about every bulldog I have seen in recent years has trouble breathing and can only walk slowly and after any little walk collapses on the floor completely ****ed. I am certainly no expert but I think it's down to inbreeding and kennel club standards.

[Wilksy II]

BBC news had a vet on this morning saying just what barrels and rimfire said, skin infections due to the folds, spinal problems due to curly tail, he was calling for structured breeding to faze out these inbread problems! Too many amatur breeders trying to make a few quid,Worth looking at BBC I player!

[Cosd]

Never had one but I love the breed, they do have their issues though. Life span is limited compared to many other breeds. Be sure to do your research and buy the best dog you can from a reputable breeder.

[loriusgarrulus]

It might be worth you looking at Old Tyme English Bulldogs.

 

They are an attempt at getting back to what an English Bulldog was before they were bred into a health nightmare.

[pontbeck]

I have a photo of a Bulldog circa 1900, looks more like the modern day Boxer than a Bulldog. I know the secretary of one of the Bulldog clubs and she is a very honest and sensible breeder but she has a Jack Russel to take for walks as non of the Bulldogs are capable of walking more than a short distance without discomfort.

[scotslad]

Like a lot of things in the dog world it is often these 'reputable ' show breeders that are to blame for the poor state of some dogs health rather than the amatuar breeders.

Not a fan of show dogs in general, nothing wrong with the concept but money has spoiled it, too many folk in it or the money or prestige and not the dogs welfare.

 

The show community have decided that short noses, big folds, curly tails should be exagerated and so created the problem, u could lay similar blame at the show community for many of the dog breeds, fat labs unfit to actually work (althou to be fair the FT community is not blamless either with very skinny labs and tiny springers/cockers)

 

Its often ur amatuer breeders that are breeding dogs closer to the breed standard