Is a French or English bulldog the right breed
for me?
If your first concern is the price... maybe this is not the breed you should be looking into...….
Why are French bulldogs so expensive? Quality French bulldogs from well established and reputable breeders are NOT CHEAP!
There is a great deal of time, research, effort and expense involved in raising a French or english bulldog litter. It can EASILY cost around $5,000- $9,000 to breed, deliver, and raise a litter.
If you consider the initial investment for the breeder to buy a quality well bred female; this on average is anywhere from $5,000-$15,000 or more!
Then you have the cost of raising that female on a quality diet, vet care, and grooming supplies which in an average year that can add $1,000-$2,000 per dog.
When the female finally reaches breeding age (that's IF she turns out to be breeding quality) you then begin your search for the right stud. This can consume countless hours of researching pedigrees and healthy lines.
Once you find the right stud you pay another $1,000-$5,000 for a stud fee!
In MOST cases the stud is in another state or country. You then have to pay to have the semen shipped to you. If this is a state to state shipment the average cost is about $350 per collection and overnight shipment; and we always do two inseminations on our females. If the semen is coming from another country it has to come cryogenically frozen and shipped in a nitrogen container which means you have to pay for the return shipping of that container, as well. Overnight cryo shipments from Europe are $1,000 and that does not include the cost for the stud owner to have the semen frozen! That can add another $1,000-$1,500 to the stud fee and the shipping. If you are using frozen semen you have to have it surgically implanted in the female, that is another $500-$900!
When the female finally comes into heat you have to begin progesterone testing to determine when she will ovulate and can be bred. These tests run, on average, $120 each and they should be done every other day until peak levels are reached, that's another $400-$500. Once she is ready and you have your chilled semen shipped to you the artificial insemination is another $300 per a.i.!
Then you wait four weeks to do an ultrasound to confirm pregnancy, that's another $150.
IF you are lucky and the female is confirmed pregnant you now have to purchase your supplies to prepare for your litter!
Hospital grade puppy Incubators are $1,000 and up, you will need towels, tube feeding supplies (because you do NOT bottle feed French and English bulldogs), heating pads, blankets (lots of them, it will be messy) medical supplies, milk replacement, puppy weight scale and the list goes on...
(you can add at least another $500 in supplies and food.)
Then comes the c-section, another $1,500+ if it's scheduled during business hours. If your female needs a late night or weekend emergency c-section you can double or triple that!
MOST french and English bulldogs do not deliver naturally and after all the time and money invested it is safer to not risk the life of the mother or her litter to "see if she can deliver naturally." Bulldogs always need assistance from humans during labor as they have short flat faces and can have trouble tearing the sacks by themselves, not to mention puppies getting stuck!C-sections are the safest way to deliver for mom and her babies.
Some females will not have anything to do with the puppies once they are born, some are inexperienced in the matter and don't understand what to do with the pups, thus, countless hours are spent in assisting in raising the puppies.
You have to constantly watch the mother so she doesn't accidentally lay on one of her pups and suffocate it not even realizing it. The puppies need to be fed every 2 hours around the clock for the 1st couple weeks of their lives. This means you can kiss sleep goodbye for at least 2-3 weeks and if you have a job you better plan to take your vacation during this time! If mom's milk doesn't come in or she isn't producing enough milk, which is quite common, you will be tube feeding a litter of pups every 2-3 hours around the clock!
The average size of a french bulldog litter is only 2-4 puppies and 4-6 for English bulldogs! So, after the breeder chooses who they are keeping there may only be a few pups available for sale. If you do the math on what it cost to get that litter into the world and compare that to the amount of selling a few puppies you will see who is taking the bigger loss and why bulldogs are so expensive!
At the end of the day the amount of time and money that is invested in PROPERLY raising and breeding bulldogs is astronomical compared to the cost of buying a QUALITY puppy from a reputable breeder!
Pet Puppies vs Show/Breeding Quality Puppies We get a lot of emails like this, " well, we want just a pet, no breeding/showing" . Many people believe a "Pet Quality Puppy" is in some way inferior to a "Show Quality Puppy" and that could not be further from the truth. There really is no difference between a Pet or Show puppy, besides Conformation and little things like pigment or color. Same amount of time, supplies, money, dedication and love has been invested to get that "Pet" puppy into this world. When people say, " I only want a Pet", it seems like they want to settle for the worst of the litter, which makes no sense, because there isn't a "worst of the litter". In all honesty, that Pet puppy might be the best one in the litter as far as personality and looks, it may just have a " cosmetic or conformation flaw" that would prevent it being titled as a Show Champion as an adult, but there is nothing inferior about the puppy. It could be something as minor as being a tad longer in the back than what the judges like, or not having enough pigment, or a color that isn't accepted in the AKC show ring. We can't ever guarantee a pet puppy to be free of minor imperfections. The majority of "Show Quality Pups" are being sold as "just pets" anyway and are never shown. Show/Breeding Quality puppies are much more expensive due to the full breeding rights or show rights offered by the breeder to experienced show/breeding homes, and that is it. Whether "Pet or Show" all of our puppies are raised and treated equally!
What do I need to know about the french and English bulldogs?Average Lifespan: 9-12 years
Grooming and shedding: French and English bulldogs require little in the way of grooming; a regular brushing of the coat and regular attention to teeth and nails is all it takes to keep them looking beautiful.
Please do pay extra attention to their wrinkled areas this includes around the tail. Keep the areas inside their wrinkles clean to avoid the development of sores which can become easily infected and quite painful to the dog.
French and English bulldogs are an average, consistent, year-round shedders!
Climate and environment: French and English bulldogs prefer a cooler climate and, because they are brachycephalic (snub-nosed), great care must be given in hot weather, especially to make sure they do not overexert themselves as they are easily susceptible to heatstroke. Both the French and English bulldog are not intended to be kept outside. These are considered indoor breeds.
Behavioral aspects: French and English bulldogs are intentionally bred to be a companion animal; they are playful, amusing and have a natural curiosity about them. They are very lovable and sweet-natured dogs and are known to have a great sense of humor. They are very devoted to their person, love to please and amuse their person(s), and require a lot of attention and companionship; depriving them of the companionship and attention they so love will create a very unhappy bulldog. Many people consider bulldogs to be quite child-like in their behaviors and temperament and they've even been known to separate themselves from their owner or family in order to go sulk when they've been reprimanded or believe they've done something wrong.
French and English bulldogs are well-suited to apartment living; while they do enjoy and need regular walking, they are active indoors. They also enjoy the romping opportunities offered by having a backyard.
Early socialization is an important part of any puppy's early training; this will go far toward preventing them from becoming too much of a one-person dog, which occasionally happens in these breeds.
French and English bulldogs are very intrigued by scents and you’ll find them snuffling all over the house and the yard, investigating what has gone on while he/she was not there. For this reason, always ensure your bulldog is well harnessed and leashed when taking him/her out in public so that they don't have an opportunity to follow all those intriguing scents until they becomes lost. Don’t be at all surprised when he/she snuffles you after you've been out, too. They're going to want to know where you've been and what you did!
French and English bulldogs make excellent little watch dogs and will keep you alerted to what is going on outside the home.
For those of you who are more fastidious than others, it may be important to know that, while there are those that do not, many English bulldogs do slobber and drool.
With children: Opinion is again somewhat divided on the issue of how well Bulldogs do with and around children. There are those who claim they are so great with children that the kids can even dress them up and others who claim that bulldogs do best only with older children who have learned considerate dog handling and know not to tease.
With other dogs and animals: As with any dog, the French and English bulldog is going to be adaptable and compatible with other pets and animals if he/she has been socialized to other pets and animals from a young age. The more socialization with other pets and animals, the more he/she is going to be companionable with them.
It is not unusual for some male English bulldogs to be dog-aggressive. And, again, early and consistent socialization will play a heavy roll in these types of behaviors, as will responsibly neutering your male.
Training and learning rate: French and English bulldogs are rated high in learning rate; low in obedience; and, low in problem-solving skills.
French and English bulldogs can be a little hard-headed when it comes to training; however, a patient, consistent owner/trainer who uses calm but firm tones and a reward-system of training will find that they will respond to training and will want to please such a gentle, caring owner/trainer. Using harsh training methods will almost guarantee you a dog that not only will not obey, but one you will have made fearful of people, including yourself. Remember, they are very emotionally sensitive dogs.
Affinity to water: Because of the heavy, muscular build and the large head, French and English bulldogs are known NOT to be swimmers, even though there are the few exceptions. Take necessary precautionary measures around swimming pools and ornamental ponds in your backyard and make sure they cannot fall into any deep water when you are out with her.
How noisy are they: French and English bulldogs are not known to be barkers and do not have a high-pitched, “yappy” bark so often associated with small breed dogs.
Exercise: The exercise requirements of the French and English bulldog are minimal. A good walk, a nice romp in the backyard, or even an extended play session inside the house will keep them exercised. The most important part of any exercise regime for a Bulldog is to make sure, when walking or playing outdoors in warm or hot weather, they do not overheat and have a heatstroke which can happen very easily with snub-nosed breeds, especially French and English bulldogs.
Health issues:The most common health issues of the French and English Bulldog, in no particular order, are:
- Brachycephalic Syndrome (breathing difficulties)
- Elongated Soft Palate
- Pinched nares
- Stenotic nares
- Collapsed nares
- Snoring (especially when overweight)
- Overheating/heatstroke (especially when overweight)
- Respiratory issues, including wheezing (especially when overweight)
- Eye problems
- Entropion (in-turned eyelids)
- Ectropian (dropping eyelids)
- Cherry Eye
- Glaucoma
- Juvenile cataracts
- Corneal ulcers (do to injury)
- interdigital cysts
- inverted vulvas
- luxating patellas
- lose hips
- Yeast infections
- Ear infections due to yeast or allergies
- tail pockets
- kinked, crooked, inverted tails
- Wry jaw
- Crooked teeth
- Easily become overweight
- Flatulence
- Spinal issues including (hemi-vertebrae)
- Skin issues
- Allergies
- Cesarean section delivery of puppies due to puppies’ large heads
- Chondrodystrophic Dwarfism
Anyone considering sharing their life with a French or English Bulldog needs to be aware that you can anticipate a lot of veterinary expense! It is very important to make sure you buy from a reputable breeder and NEVER buy from a pet store!