Why are Bulldogs so expensive? There are many reasons you may never see a $400.00 Bulldog. They are labor intensive to breed being the main one. Most males are not capable of breeding on their own because of body build. I will not go into the details but will say although the mind is wlling the chest is so massive, the right parts cannot line up. This means the semen must be collected and then inserted into the female. This is not always successful and it requires a vet and special paper work to register the pups. A good portion of females must deliver their pups by c-section. Because they do not experience the birth while conscious, the females have trouble sometimes bonding with the pups. This means they may not nurse them. They also have a high rate of pup mortality as they tend to lay on them. Bottle feeding requires you to feed a pup every two hours around the clock for the first two weeks then you get to go every four hours. When the pups are with their mother they have to be monitored very closely. This is not a breed that lays down in a box and delivers pups without human assistance. The other main reason is that the mills are very hesitant to take these guys on for the reasons above. They cannot flood the market and bring prices down. Get very suspicious if you see a "cheap" Bulldog.
Why are Bulldogs so unhealthy? Somewhere along the way someone decided that this breed is not healthy. I am not sure why. In all breeds there are problems and Bulldogs have their share of them but no more than most breeds. It is true they do not tollerate heat. A Bulldogs life span is only 8-11 years on average. All aging dogs experience some problems. Taking correct care and having a knowledgeable Veterinarian are very important with this breed. Some vets and other breeders do not like Bulldogs because they are not always capable of producing their own. Those of us who know and love them defend them.We happen to think they are worth all the trouble! Proper diet is a must with this breed. You can do so much to keep them healthy this way. Stay away from cheap dog food!!!! Another thing you can do is never let your dog get fat, especially when he is still growing. Many people assume HD (Hip Displacia) is merely genetic and there is nothing you can do to prevent it. This is far too simple. HD can be more dramatically heightened by too much weight on the hip joints. Leave your pup on large breed puppy food untill he is 9-11 months old before switching to an adult dog food which is higher in calcium than large breed puppy formulas. While calcium may seem ideal it is not. To much can and will compromise the pup's joints during growth. Any dog with a smashed in face is prone to heat stroke on warm days. Use proper precautions and common sense on hot days. Because of the thin coat, they also get cold very easily in freezing weather.
How many puppies do they have? An average Bulldog litter is 4-6 but you can have more or less.
Bulldogs are not highly intelligent are they? Yes Bulldogs are but are also stubborn. I hear this from people who own hunting dogs a lot. My come back is this.....maybe it is your breed that is stupid, after all he jumps into frigid water to bring you dead birds! It seems far smarter to me to watch what is going on before commiting oneself to anything silly. A "what's in it for me" attitude seems smart to me.
I like a dog to go jogging with,is this breed good at that? Nope, get a high energy dog and forget this breed if you insist that your dog be a part of your strenuous excercise. If you jog on a treadmill your Bulldog will happily sleep or watch you with a puzzled expression. They can and should be walked in the cool mornings/evenings but they are not endurance animals. They are not good around water. If you go boating with your Bulldog invest in a life preserver for dogs and I am not kidding!! Make sure none of your macho buddies think its funny to throw your dog into a body of water. They sink like a rock. Bulldogs love water and will unknowingly just jump in. but their upturned nostrils fill with water immediately.
