When I was a child we had lots of pets.  My mom loved cats and I even go to see kittens born!  We also had a couple dogs.  Alas, none were bulldogs - my love affair with English Bulldogs started when I was an adult! None of us suffered from allergies and now science may have discovered why!

I read this post from Dr Marty Becker, from his new book The Healing Power of Pets

New evidence suggests that exposure to pets early in life might actually help the body build defenses against allergies and asthma, thereby protecting children from developing reactions, rather than triggering them.

“Kids exposed to animals seemed to be better off,” said Christine Johnson, Ph.D., a senior research epidemiologist with the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. Christine Johnson’s study… tracked 833 children over seven years and found that exposure to two or more cats and dogs at one year of age made children less susceptible to other allergy-inducing substances by the time they turned seven, and that the exposure even improved some boys’ lung functions.

Other research since then has supported these findings, but it’s not just allergens; it’s germs, too. It’s part of what’s known as the “hygeine hypothesis,” the idea that as standards of household cleanliness have been raised, children are being exposed to fewer and fewer germs and allergens, and their immune systems are not as robust as they would be if raised with dust, dirt, farm animals and, of course, “snakes and snails and puppy dog tails.”

One important note: It’s very important that you start early. If you have pets from birth or as toddlers, great. If you wait until you’re a teenager to get a pet to reduce allergies or asthma, not only does it not work, it may make these conditions worse.

Find out about Marty’s book at this link The Healing Power of Pets

And be sure to let your small children cuddle with your bulldog - it’s good for both of them!

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I was thrilled by all the bulldog photos sent in by my subscribers
of their bulldogs dressed in holiday garb, so I put together
a little Bulldog Holiday video.

All the photos are also on the VivyLand website,
but the video sure is cute if I do say so myself!

 

 Bulldog Holidays Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you can’t see it here, view it on YouTube at this link:
Bulldog Holiday Video
and be sure to send it on to all your bulldog friends!

Happy Holidays from Jan & Archie!

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HI Jan,

Could you tell me a good chew toy for bulldogs? Seems like everything we
buy Gracie only has it a few days then its all chewed up.  I have to really
watch her cause she will even chew the chair I am sitting in.

She doesn’t seem to like the real hard rubber ones which do seem to last
longer. Any kind of raw hide makes her throw up.

Any suggestions would be a great help?

Thanks so much,
Janice
—
Hi Janice,

I have found that Kong chew toys are the most durable for bullies.  Have
you tried the ones where you put a treat inside?  Sometimes this will
attract them when the toy alone they don’t like.

If Gracie is chewing on the wrong things, like your furniture, you can rub a
little BenGay on the furniture.  They hate the taste.  You can also try
Bitter Apple, be sure to shake it before spraying or else she’ll think it’s
yummy.

Other brands that have done well for bulldogs are
-Nylaknot - nylabone’s extra tough line
-Sheepskin toys (be sure they cannot get the squeaker out and there are no
eyes that could be chewed out)
-Booda bones and ropes (be careful they can’t chew up the rope) - try the X-Large
Booda super 8 tug
-there is a rubber tug toy I’ve seen bulldogs playing tug-a-war with that seems to
last, called Invincible Chains Tug Toy - get the large one
-empty plastic water bottles (with cap, ring, and label removed) work really well,
my Archie loves them and the price is right!  Throw them out when they start to
show too much wear.

It’s ok for the dogs to play tug-a-war, but you should never let a human play tug
with them as it promotes a dominance instinct in the dog.

Rawhides, even the particle types are bad.  Rawhide expands in the stomach and can
kill a bulldog who swallows chunks of it.  Bulldogs gulp, they don’t really chew
their food.  Rope toys may be shredded and if they eat them, you can
get the same stomach problem.  So you need to keep an eye on them with a rope
toy.

A dog has a reflex at the back of the stomach that causes the to throw up
things that cannot be digested, but it does not always ensure your dogs
won’t be harmed by ingesting the wrong thing.

Never give a bulldog a greenie either, despite the new ads.  I’ve heard of
cases where a Greenie had to be surgically removed from a bulldog’s
stomach (at a cost of $3000).

good luck - bulldogs can destroy many chew toys in a matter of hours!

your bulldog pal,
Jan

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I’ve always thought bulldogs were pricey at $2000 - $3000,
but now I have a whole new perspective.

There’s a company that produces “designer pets” to suit your
lifestyle. Forget the labradoodle, we now have a truly
hypoallergenic dog.

It’s called the Jabari GD is an adorable little white fluffy
thing, priced at a mere $15,000. You can read more about this
little fella here:
http://www.lifestylepets.com/hypodog.html

The company also offers the Titan, the perfect protection dog.
Fierce when it counts yet loving and gentle with the family.
You can pick up one of these guys starting at a cool $85,000
see them here:
http://www.lifestylepets.com/titannew.html

They also offer cats hypoallergenic or exotic, ranging in
price from $5900 to $125,000

Is this taking hype and exclusivity to the extreme? I’ll
leave that up to you to decide.

For now, I’m just happy with my snorting, shedding, and probably
making me sneeze bulldog!

Your Bulldog Pal,
Jan

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