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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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1 2

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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The doghouse

I really really really want a bulldog

48 replies

Sluttybuttons · 27/01/2012 21:26

But they are just so expensive. £2000 for a well bred, health checked pup from a good breeder. I know we will be getting a puppy when we move and had decided on a cocker spaniel but its a bulldog that i really want. So, should i just accept i cant have my bulldog and "settle" for a cocker or should i save for the next 10 years and get my bulldog?

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Idasonions · 27/01/2012 21:29

or get a labradoodle instead - mine is lovely lovely curly softy cuddly lovely.

All dogs are lovely really so get a nice one whatever breed

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ValarMorghulis · 27/01/2012 21:30

I would LOVE a bulldog.

I want one and i want to call him Elvis.

Can't have one though as I work and wouldn't be fair. I have decided that he is going to be my present to myself when I retire.

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FiveHoursSleep · 27/01/2012 21:33

Slutty and Valar, why do you want bulldogs?

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ValarMorghulis · 27/01/2012 21:34

Because they are chunky, they fart and are pretty lazy.

I can't hel but feel an affinity

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rubyrubyruby · 27/01/2012 21:34

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Sluttybuttons · 27/01/2012 21:35

My dd said she would call her Lola and if it was a boy it would be Stanley. I have a pet fund pot thingy and have not got a clue whats in it (only been saving since christmas) but it says if you only put £1 coins then it should have about £1k in it when its full. Should i go buy another and not smash them till they are both full. The thing i like best about the pot is i cant access the money thats in it so no dipping in when im skint.

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mycatsaysach · 27/01/2012 21:35

ugh why??????

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Sluttybuttons · 27/01/2012 21:36

The reason i want 1 is they have great characters and traits. They are soppy and just plain gorgeous.

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Idasonions · 27/01/2012 22:03

valar sounds exactly like my dh

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ValarMorghulis · 27/01/2012 22:05

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rubyrubyruby · 27/01/2012 22:08

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Sluttybuttons · 27/01/2012 22:16

I know at some point i am gonna get 1 so maybe i should just save and get it when ive saved enough rather than get another dog and have to save at another point.

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rubyrubyruby · 27/01/2012 22:21

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Sluttybuttons · 27/01/2012 22:22

Haha thought you meant about your DH wanting a bully

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OldBagWantsNewBag · 27/01/2012 22:25

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rubyrubyruby · 27/01/2012 22:26

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Sluttybuttons · 27/01/2012 22:35

No doesnt need to be a puppy but im in the north of scotland and there is only 1 rescue near here and its almost always staffies, GSD, labs or collies. I was talking to a bulldog owner who got hers from a great breeder for £850 and she was 13 months so was thinking about contacting them and seeing if they were likely to have any other young adults. The bully was meant to be getting kept of for showing/breeding but just didnt make the grade so was sold as a pet.

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Sluttybuttons · 27/01/2012 22:39

Rubyx3 i think i will get my ass in gear and list all the stuff i need to on ebay then get it changed and put it in the pot (i have no will power) or might see if i can open another savings account that i dont have instant access to

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Joolyjoolyjoo · 27/01/2012 22:40

Well, I can think of lots of good reasons not to get a bulldog!

They have soooo many health problems. Yes, you can get them insured but the insurance for them is so much higher than for other dogs because insurance companies are well aware of their health problems.

There is quite a bit of debate in the animal world about whether it is actually ethical to continue to breed bulldogs. Many of them suffer from stenotic (narrowed) nostrils, dorsally displaced soft palate and hypoplastic (undeveloped and narrow) tracheas (windpipes). THis equates to a dog that weighs over 30kgs and finds it really difficult to take in enough breath. There are several surgical procedures designed to correct these faults (costing thousands) but given that most bulldogs are unable to breed or give birth without assistance, there is a school of thought that says if a dog is bred to an extreme such that it is unable to breed or breathe naturally then it's time to take a look at the ethics of continuing producing this breed. These difficulties are why it costs £1000s for bulldog puppies.

They also have skin issues (all those folds lend them to bacterial skin infections) and they have various problems with their joints, due to their morphology. There are breeders who are trying to sort out some of these problems, but they are fairly inherent to the breed and there are many more people more interested in the ££££s they can get for a bully pup.

I admit, they can be very sweet, but I'd never have a dog with so many genetic deformities- is it fair on the dog?

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rubyrubyruby · 27/01/2012 22:42

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VivaLeBeaver · 27/01/2012 22:43

Someone I know got one, paid 2k for a health checked one from a good breeder.

Nice dog, snored something terrible and farted like mad.

Owner went on holiday and left it with a friend of mine. Friend took it for a longish walk on a warm day and it collapsed and died on teh walk - was only 2yo. It couldn't breath well enough on a warm day walking and went into respiratory arrest followed by a cardiac arrest.

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Sluttybuttons · 27/01/2012 23:05

I know they have lots of health problems and a lot cant whelp on their own but there are also a few breeders who are very careful about what dogs they breed from and health problems are minimized. CKCS, labs and plenty other dogs have lots of heath problems if they are not tested and bred for health reasons. I have done a lot of research, changed my mind due to the health and daily care these dogs need but always change it back again.
Ive not just woke up and thought id like a bulldog, ive wanted one for years but never been in the position to really make it do-able. Our next house move will hopefully be our last and will have a nice garden that i can make doggy proof. I will be having no more children so that is no longer an issue either.
I know about the overheating risks which is why when its hot (im in scotland so its not often its actually hot lol) i would never take it out for a walk. It would be walked early morning and later at night. The folds on its nose would be cleaned dailly with powder applied and the tail area would be cleaned daily also.

I know what a huge commitment a bulldog is but from anybody ive spoken to about the breed has said it is totally worth it

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Sluttybuttons · 27/01/2012 23:08

Ruby, Ruby would have been great but we have 2 cats also and they say no to cats. I do have that as a favorite so i can check often (havent looked for a wee while though). Its a shame since we are only an hour from aberdeen and she is beautiful

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rubyrubyruby · 27/01/2012 23:09

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Joolyjoolyjoo · 27/01/2012 23:41

Thing is, even if you go to a good breeder and get a dog, it is NOT a guarantee. I see lots of dogs with pedigrees of champions and they often still have lots of health problems.

When you choose a dog it should always be on the basis of the characteristics of a breed and not on looks. There are loads of other lazy farty dogs out there that won't need the same medical care as a bulldog!