Hi Jan,
We had traded a few emails about a month ago regarding my then 7 (now he’s English Bulldog named Tyrus. After reading your book and doing some research online about the breed and there breathing problems, I was wondering if it wouldn’t be to risky to at least have tyrus examined for any of those type of problems? i.e palate issue, etc…. Jan, His snoring is soooooooooo loud, seems to have gotten louder by the day. He has no other issues. No regurgitation, vomiting, none of that. But his breathing and snoring when he sleeps is a whole different story. Sometimes I feel I have to wake him up if I don’t here him. He’s always snored, never this loud. Is this just part of him getting a little older? Is it worth getting him examined for these issues? I’m so confused. I don’t want to have to put him through that, but I also would feel awful if there was something going on that I could have possibly looked into. Thank you for your time in reading this email, I know i’m like a worry wart, but this guy is my best buddy, and I want to do the right thing for him.

Chris

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Hi Chris,

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I am getting a one year old frenchie and they said that she has stress mange and that it is haredity. vet said that spaying her should fix it so the people have had her spayed is this true will that stop her mange just wondered

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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.

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Hi Dawnette,

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Hi Jan.

Would like to ask a couple of questions please..:

Q1; Just like to enquire if you have any recommendations for best breeders?

Q2; Also which age is best for a female pure breed English Bull Dog to get pregnant?

Thank-You.

Sincerely

Bailey

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Hi Bailey,

I think the best way is to go to the shows and meet the dogs and breeders,
you can see upcoming shows here:
http://thebca.org/Bulldog%20Specialty%20Info.html

The Bulldog Club of America has a reference list for breeders on their site:

http://thebca.org/Breeder%20Referral.html

As for breeding your bulldog, in my opinion she should not be bred before
the age of two and she should have a complete physical to check for any
health or bulldog genetic abnormalities to be sure you are not passing on
heartbreaking bulldog defects.

your bulldog pal,

Jan

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Hi Jan i was wondering if you would give me your phone number so i can ring and talk to you about the bulldog that i am going to get i have some questions that i am trying to find out if this alright with you. I am going to buy your book but i have to get the dog first. thank you Leean

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sorry, I get so many questions, I can only communicate by email.

I can give you some guidelines on getting a bulldog.
You must do research in your local area - meet other bulldog owners,
go to any local shows, find out who the reputable breeders are, and
never purchase from the internet.

Google your area plus bulldog club and you should find a club near
you.  These people know the most about their dogs in their area.

Championship bulldogs are not always the healthiest since they are
bred for looks and not for health.  That said, I got my current bulldog
from a local breeder with championship dogs.  But I made sure that
their dogs have few health issues and I talked to many people who
had purchased their dogs from them.

Here’s links to a couple posts on my blog you may find interesting:

http://www.askbulldoghealth.com/?p=74

http://www.askbulldoghealth.com/?p=80

your bulldog pal,
Jan

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Nightline produced a controversial piece on the
breed standard practices promoted by the AKC,
following the controversy over breeding that started
in the UK.

Of course they feature the Bulldog as a prime example
of inbred genetically caused health issues.

You can see the video here:
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7064046

I have mixed feelings about this because I love my
bulldogs and the Bulldog breed, but I have had a very
compromised bulldog and I also hear so many
sad stories from people who have sickly bulldogs.

It’s unfortunate that our breed has to be one of the
targets for criticism but I’m afraid it’s also well documented
how many health problems they have.

So go watch the video and hug your bulldog!

your bulldog pal,
Jan

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I have been visiting your website for the past 3 or 4 years.
I have three wonderful bulldogs.  One female and two males.

The only one not fixed is my youngest male (8 months old).
He is sooo beautiful that we didn’t rush to get him fixed as
we thought he would make an awesome stud.  But I know
nothing about studding out a dog.

I am not a breeder, just an avid lover of bulldogs!

I was hoping that you might shed some insight on this subject for me.
Or maybe point me in the right direction on how to educate myself on the subject.

Thanks for your help!

Kelly

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Hi Kelly,

I don’t breed bulldogs, I like to leave that to the experts, but I
know a few things about the breeding.

Your handsome guy is too young right now - he won’t be full
grown until he’s about 18 months old.  Then you will have a
better idea about his suitability for breeding.

It’s obviously easier for the stud dog than the female,
but there are many important things
to consider before breeding your bulldog.

One is lineage - it is critical that bulldogs not be bred to relatives
since so many of their health problems come from inbreeding.
Casual breeding or breeding for looks has led to many of the
devastating health problems our bulldogs suffer from.

Next, you need to have your bulldog fully checked out to make sure
he does not have any orthopedic problems.  This will require x-rays.

Third, the elongated soft palate.  If your bullie has breathing problems
due to his palate, he should not be bred.

Also you need to keep in mind temperament.  You really only want
to breed bulldogs with sweet dispositions since their origins and
history involved fighting and aggression.

Here’s a link to a great site that has lots of information on breeding:
This article tells what to look for in a stud dog and will let you know
what you need to do:
http://www.bulldogsworld.com/stud.html

This one concerns whether to breed:
http://bulldogsworld2.homestead.com/shouldibreed.html

Good luck with your decision making process.

your bulldog pal,
Jan

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Can stenotic nares be identified without putting a bulldog under anesthesia?
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Yes, they are readily visible in the nose,
I’ve attached two photo.  The bigger the
nares, the less air can come through the nostrils.

The second photo shows nares that are
blocking the nostrils and may be hampering breathing.
The first photo in my opinon shows normal bulldog nares.

If they are so big as to hamper breathing,
by actually closing the nasal opening,
some people have them surgically removed.

If they are not hampering your bulldog’s ability
to breathe, I would not recommend removing
them.  Any surgery on a bulldog involves risk.

There are a lot of vets who routinely recommend
removing nares and doing palate surgery, but I
think a lot of this is done for cosmetic reasons and
really don’t think for the most part this is necessary
since these are characteristics of the bulldog breed.

your bulldog pal,
Jan

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Jan,

I have an Olde English Bulldog. I am finding several differences
between the English Bulldog and the Olde English Bulldog. Even the
Veterinarian is confused about the two. Thanks!

Susie

Hi Susie,

My understanding is the Olde English Bulldog was one breeder’s
attempt to return the English Bulldog back to it’s origins and
make breathing easier as well as produce a healthier dog,
with more endurance than our breathing compromised English
Bulldogs.

They have an association and website:
International Olde English Bulldogge Association

I’m not sure what they mixed into the English Bull to get
this new “breed” but they do have some guidelines.

I hope your bullie is very healthy!

your bulldog pal,
Jan

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