I have been asked if i would care for 3 yr old female bully i already have 5 yr old male do you think it would be ok to have this dog or do you think i will have problems.

—

It depends upon the temperament of both dogs.  I’ve found males to be more tolerant of new females coming into their territory than the reverse.  You should let the dogs meet in a neutral territory (don’t just bring her into his house) and see how it goes.

Dogs are very social animals but they also have a pack mentality and sometimes they just don’t like a new dog around their space.  If the dogs meet and bow down to each other playfully that’s a good sign.  If they stand rigid or the hairs on the back of the neck go up then things aren’t going so well.

Also give the dogs lots of positive reinforcement for good behavior.  Don’t be nervous because your dog will pick up on your feelings and that can complicate things.

Here’s an article from the Humane Society on how to introduce pets: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/introducing_new_dog.html

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hi jan

Hi G,

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Hello

I just wanted to get your opinion on my bulldog Bitzy(Bo Bo).  She’s about 7 months old and has already been through her first heat.

For the last few months(4 or so) we noticed she babies her hind legs quite a bit, mostly when she gets up from sitting, and she doesn’t like for us to touch her hind legs,but mostly down towards the bend of her legs. She doesn’t yelp if we do touch them she just kinda pushes/licks our hand if we do. She also tends to lick and bite at her legs out of the middle of no where as if something has bitten her.

Once she’s up if there something she wants to stay up for like playtime,eating or to go to bed, then she stays up, but if she just gets up to go outside or to wonder around the house then she usually will sit down not much after getting up.

Although she has no problem running around the yard at full speed pickin on my twice her size old english buddy, or chasing the garden hose when it on. For a while we thought she was just being lazy maybe,or maybe overweight, but now as the time has progressed and she’s lost a little baby puppy pounds and we’ve noticed how she sometimes just want to lay and sleep were thinking it’s probably something a bit more serious. if you have any idea in what could be wrong with our bitzy bo bo please let us now asap.

thanxs very much.

—

Hi Dawnette,

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Hey Jan, I was wondering if you have any insights  into my Frenchie ,Max who is constantly licking the floors, my legs, pretty much anything is game for him.  He seems to be in very good health, so, any ideas as to why this behavior is happening?

Thanks!
Diane

——

Hi Diane,

I’m not exactly sure but I think many dogs like the taste of lotion on the legs.
As for the floors, it could be something you’re using on the floors.  It could
also be a sign of boredom and I’ve heard it may have something to do with
weaning him as a puppy.

Here’s a site with more answers:
http://www.vetinfo.com/dlick.html

your bulldog pal,

Jan

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When I finish my schooling I am planning on traveling long-term by sailboat (cruising) to various parts of the world, starting with the Caribbean. At first my immediate thought was, “A bulldog should be better suited to a 42 foot sailboat than any other breed, seeing as how they are mild-mannered dogs who just lie around most of the time. Until I bought your book I didn’t really grasp just how serious heat stroke is in bulldogs. I knew they were more prone to overheating, but I had no idea they could develop heat stroke in 80 degree weather. That’s what really shocked me. We have air conditioning in the sailboat, but only when we are plugged into a marina. When out sailing the air can’t run off batteries of even wind or solar power. So we are pretty much limited to fans in warm weather while under way. This is the only thing that poses a real problem in my getting an english bulldog. I don’t believe exercise would be a problem because we would spend more time in marinas than sailing, so going for walks wouldn’t be an issue. The thing is when we are sailing from one location to the next, would my bulldog overheat in the warmer hours of the day? This is killing me! I am in love with sailing, and I am in love with english bulldogs. I just can’t bring myself to choose one or the other. I just wish there was some way the two could go together and keep my bulldog comfortable as well. This is why I was curious about miniature bulldogs. But I am really only interested in the english bulldog. I have seen various products that aid in keeping your dog cool in warm weather such as cooling pads that the dog lies on, cooling bandanas, cooling vests, etc. Do you think it is possible to keep a bulldog cool on a sailboat with no A/C, but lots of cool shade in the cockpit and of course in the cabin if we avoid temperatures over 90 degrees while keeping fans on the bulldog during warmer hours of the day, along with lots of cool freshwater for him to drink, possibly a cooling pad for him to lie on, maybe even a kiddie pool in the cockpit for him to lie in? What I’m saying is I am willing to do anything to make it possible to keep an english bulldog comfortable on a sailboat. Keep in mind it would only be warm in the afternoon hours while making a short 1-2 day crossing from one location to the next. The majority of the time we would be in a marina running the A/C. I would worship this dog, and would never leave him in a situation that may harm him. And if it is absolutely impossible to keep a bulldog cool and comfortable with no A/C for a couple of days at a time, then I would do the responsible thing and not get a bulldog, even though it would break my heart.

What is your view on my situation? Any advice you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

–Lori

Hi Lori

In your situation I think you could manage a bulldog.
I’d be especially careful in choosing one with minimal
breathing problems - this requires careful research of breeders.

Then if you keep your bulldog in the shade with a breeze and possibly
a cooling vest or wet t-shirt, he should be ok.  Stuffy heat or
ourdoors over 80 just laying around is very dangerous.
A cooling pad would also be a good idea.

And you could also invest in a life jacket for your bulldog.  They
do not really swim well because of the large head and chest.
But they do love the water, so a life line attached to a harness
would also be a good idea.
I live in Denver and when it gets over 80 degrees inside my home,
I notice that my Archie starts to lay around and sometimes just
pants.  I turn on the air conditioning for him when it gets this warm.
He’ll gravitate to the cool tiles and hardwood floor in the heat, and
avoids his fleece bed.

Sometimes I take my Archie outside when it’s 90-something and
I’m hosing down the deck.  I host him down too, but I don’t let
him run around for more than 10 minutes.  And I keep a very
close eye on him.

You can tell when they start to overheat.  They start panting
really hard with tongue extended way out.  Or they vomit.
This are both signs to take action immediately in cooling
them off.

A bulldog can overheat in the winter if they get too excited
and run around the house with other dogs.  I’ve had this
happen with Archie at Thanksgiving.  But I can tell because
he starts to pant.  They don’t know they can’t keep up with
the other dogs!

I have heard of many bulldog deaths where some ignorant
owner has their dog chasing them while they mow the lawn.
The dog collapses and dies before they can get them to the
vet.  But this is because they did not know about the over-
heating.

Anyway if you are knowledgeable about the symptoms and
if you just observe you will learn pretty quickly what your bulldog’s
limits are.

So I think you’ll be fine sailing the seas!  It would make a good
news story!

Let me know when you get one.

your bulldog pal,

Jan

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Hope your day is going well.

I just noticed Dexter has gotten into a habit of literally eating sticks outside.
He’s only 8 mths so i’m hoping it s a faze. Is there something possibly lacking
in his diet?? Im going crazy and dont want to let him out to play. I try to
clean the sticks up but we have a lot of trees.

Thanks
Jodi

—

Hi Jodi,

It’s a phase, thank heavens!  Chewing behavior is normal for a young bulldog
and it’s sometimes difficult to keep them away from things they shouldn’t
eat.  Sticks are ok for Dexter to chew on but not so good if he eats them
because splinters can damage his esophagus and stomach.

He will outgrow this but in the meantime you could try to distract him with
something else like a prized toy or a ball.

There’s nothing missing in his diet, it’s more of a puppy thing.  If he eats
dirt that can indicate a dietary deficiency, but in general this sort of chewing
is instinctual.

Here’s a site with some good advice on alternatives to sticks:
http://www.colliecorner.com/stick-to-toys/new_page_alts.htm

I hope this helps.  Please let me know how it goes.

Your Bulldog Pal,
Jan

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Bosco scatches one side of his head alot and it has an open bloody “wound”
the size of a small button.  The vet put him on benedryl and it healed but
after he came off benedry he scatched it open again.  Am concerned giving
him benedryl everyday.  Any suggestions?

———

Ellen,

Does your vet know what the cause of the scratching is?
He may have an allergy or a flea or something else - did
he give any ideas on it?  Is that the only ‘hot spot’ or are
there more?

Scratching is a classic sign of atopy or allergic reaction to
something in the environment. Getting to the source of it
is essential to stopping it.

Benedryl is safe to use for a while until the wound heals,
it’s definitely better than him getting an infection.  The other
alternative to stop him scratching while it heals is to put on
one of those ‘Elizabethan collars’ or cones so he is not able
to scratch.

When a wound is healing and scabs it typically itches so you
need to be sure it’s healed all the way before you let him get
to scratch it again.

When it heals you could put some arnica cream on the area to
help stop the itching but I don’t think it’s advisable on an
open wound.

I hope this helps, without more information I’m not sure
what could be the cause.

your bulldog pal,
Jan
———follow up———-

Vet said it was probably an allergy to something but he did not know what
it could be a million things.  No fleas. That is the only hot spot Bosco
has ever had.  Could he be allergic to the cats?  Wood burner? Although he
had it over the summer too.  Do bulldogs have a higher body temp b/c he
seems to get hot easily. He likes A/C. Any suggestions?   Thanx

——

Hi Ellen,

Hard to tell what it could be.  If it goes away with the Benedryl,
that would be good.  It could be a small pimple or sore that he
scratches and makes it bigger.  The trick is to get to it quickly,
when it’s really small and put Bacitraicin on it to keep it from
getting infected and spreading.

If you notice it’s seasonal you can keep an eye on what’s in
his environment at that time.  Also it helps to vacuum a lot
and do not use any harsh chemicals on your carpet or floor
or his bed - anywhere he could come in contact.

Bulldogs do not have a higher body temp, but they do not
tolerate the heat well.  So if you’re in a warm climate, he
will gravitate to the a/c to keep himself cool.

Allergic reactions like hives and cause the skin to increase in
temperature.

your bulldog pal,
Jan

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Hi Jan,
My name is Kathy and I know your pretty knowledgeable about Bulldogs.
We have a 3 1/2 yr old male. He weighs about 87 pounds.

He has breathing issues too. We are wondering about a diet for him?
We currently feed him the Instinct brand of food. Approx 2 cups in the am
and 2 cups at night. (is that too much?)

he is a picky eater so sometimes we have to add chicken….canned or packaged to the food.
Do you have any suggestions for a low fat food that he might eat?

He is stubborn so sometimes we have to motivate him with treats.
I buy lowfat baked and limit those to maybe 1 or 2 per day.
He gets no exercise either. We have tried to walk him but he doesn’t
like it at all and will just stop and lay down on the spot when he’s had enough.

Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
Kathy

—-

Hi Kathy,

Your English Bulldog sounds like a real couch potato.  He may have the dog
equivalent of a beer belly!

A normal male bulldog weighs about 50-55 pounds, so unless he is really
big he is very overweight.  I’d suggest you stick with the Instinct, it’s a really
good food, just cut it down to 3 cups a day.

A low fat diet is not the best way for a young dog to lose weight.  Rather, you
should consider limiting his calories and increasing his exercise.

Adding chicken or other meats to his diet is also a good thing, just take
into account how much you add and subtract it from the amount of
kibble you feed.  Contrary to popular belief table scraps are not bad for
a dog.  If you think about it, all dog food is made from table scraps.

His breathing problems may come from being over weight, although he
could have palate problems as well.

And if you can get him to walk, he will also lose weight as well as live longer.
If he likes treats, get him to move towards you to get one, or better yet, run
around the house a bit or down the block.

Does he like to chase a ball? If you get him moving, especially
when it’s not too warm, he may wind up enjoying it.

When you walk him do not try to pull him forward.  A dog has a natural
instinct to resist being pulled.  Rather turn him to the side or entice him
with a really tasty treat.

Diet and exercise are the key to dog health.  Good luck.

your bulldog pal,
Jan

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Does your bulldog run over whenever you drop something
on the floor?  Archie hears the little ping on my floor
and runs over as fast as he can.

I call it waiting for something to fall from heaven
for him.  He looks at the floor when I’m cooking,
not at me.  He knows something is going to appear
any moment.  He never moved so fast and I have to
quickly find it before he does if it’s something I
don’t want him to eat.

It’s really funny and for the most part he gets a
little treat.

But what if that little something that “fell from
heaven” was not so good for him?

The ASPCA just released the Top 10 Human Medications
That Poison our Pets.  You might be surprised at what’s
on the list:

NSAIDs
NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen or naproxen are the most common cause of pet poisoning in small animals, and can cause serious problems even in minimal doses. Pets are extremely sensitive to their effects, and may experience stomach and intestinal ulcers and—in the case of cats—kidney damage.

Antidepressants
Antidepressants can cause vomiting and lethargy and certain types can lead to serotonin syndrome—a condition marked by agitation, elevated body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure, disorientation, vocalization, tremors and seizures.

Acetaminophen
Cats are especially sensitive to acetaminophen, which can damage red blood cells and interfere with their ability to transport oxygen. In dogs, it can cause liver damage and, at higher doses, red blood cell damage.

Methylphenidate (for ADHD)
Medications used to treat ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in people act as stimulants in pets and can dangerously elevate heart rates, blood pressure and body temperature, as well as cause seizures.

Fluorouracil
Fluorouracil—an anti-cancer drug—is used topically to treat minor skin cancers and solar keratitis in humans. It has proven to be rapidly fatal to dogs, causing severe vomiting, seizures and cardiac arrest even in those who’ve chewed on discarded cotton swabs used to apply the medication.

Isoniazid
Often the first line of defense against tuberculosis, isoniazid is particularly toxic for dogs because they don’t metabolize it as well as other species. It can cause a rapid onset of severe seizures that may ultimately result in death.

Pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine is a popular decongestant in many cold and sinus products, and acts like a stimulant if accidentally ingested by pets. In cats and dogs, it causes elevated heart rates, blood pressure and body temperature as well as seizures.

Anti-diabetics
Many oral diabetes treatments—including glipizide and glyburide—can cause a major drop in blood sugar levels of affected pets. Clinical signs of ingestion include disorientation, lack of coordination and seizures.

Vitamin D derivatives
Even small exposures to Vitamin D analogues like calcipotriene and calcitriol can cause life-threatening spikes in blood calcium levels in pets. Clinical signs of exposure—including vomiting, loss of appetite, increased urination and thirst due to kidney failure—often don’t occur for more than 24 hours after ingestion.

Baclofen
Baclofen is a muscle relaxant that can impair the central nervous systems of cats and dogs. Some symptoms of ingestion include significant depression, disorientation, vocalization, seizures and coma, which can lead to death.

I knew about NSAIDs because my Vivy almost died after being
given Rimadyl, but I didn’t know about some of the others,
like Vitamin D derivatives.

If your bulldog is anything like Archie, he or she will jump at the
sound of a pill dropping on the floor.  And dive for it.  From
now on I’m going to be more careful where I keep medications,
whether they are simple pain pills or even vitamins!

And with Halloween coming up, be mindful of little chocolate
bars too!

You can read more about poisons harmful to dogs on the ASPCA

your bulldog pals,
Jan & Archie

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