Why a Bully

[Casper]

Bulldogs are very special dogs that require special attention and care. They are not an easy breed to have, and most bulldog breeders and owners agree they are not fit for a novice dog owner. They aren’t recommended for first-time dog owners for a few reasons.
The five main problems that arise with the breed of the English bulldog:

• heat sensitivity
• fold dermatitis
• elbow and hip dysplasia
• narrow nasal opening/breathing problems
• inability to swim

Having these things in mind, why would you pick to have an English Bull Dog for a Pet, what led to your first Bully?? Please share your experiences, laughs, and experiences….

 

[Casper]

I've been a Cocker Spaniel owner since the 80's, and found the breed to be very fun, Although spending a lot of time at the Pet Groomer, getting Cocker cuts, spending time daily brushing and keeping the knots out of their ears especially after food gets mixed into the hair, Finding the cocker breed as being nippy towards strangers after bonding with age to their masters. After loosing my last senior, I took a break from owning Cockers for a while, as I poured everything into my senior, as she was a breeder, from a puppy mill, and I found myself totally exhausted from her, I had her 5 years, having extensive medical problems, everything from heart disease, epilepsy, seizures, blindness, diabetes, She was much like having a special needs child, and after she passed, I knew she was the last for me. For 7 years I went without having a companion in my life, as I met a lady who was in crisis, Having a husband with cancer, and their dog was too rambunctious to be running through the house, needing too much care, and in the end the decision was made she needed to put her dog up for adoption, but the search was on to find the perfect home, someone who would care for him, that wasn't taking him to breed, But someone who would love and care for her pet, and would maintain him, as well as strive to make him Happy. She wanted a person she could pick up the phone and call about her pet, and get all the details of how he was doing, and would share with her the pictures of his growth and development through time, She picked me, and I wasn't exactly sure that a Bully was for me. In fact, I knew they were a very handsome, adorable breed, But had no idea of skin sensitivities, allergies, special needs, However what more could this bully need that my former cocker didn't. So in the end, I accepted ownership of my Bully, or Better said, he took over ownership of me. He is a Man's Dog, as he favors men more than women, was all over me when we first met and ever since. The large hanging shoestring size shoe string slobber hanging from both sides of his mouth was my biggest drawback, as I'm a kinda guy who dresses nicely each day, and pays a lot of attention not to wear clothes with stains, nor hair all over clothes, no one you would find slobber on or anything like that. Imagine how my life changed that day. My new truck with slobber stains all over the cloth seats, hair all over the place, and often feeling overwhelmed as I watch this 1 year old toddler run through the house, making one mess, and onto another disaster. Lifes been very interesting, has changed significantly, I wear prescription eye glasses, and the second day he was in my home, he shook his big ole head, and slobber landed across my face, forehead to chin, vertical my glasses, YUCCCCCK !!! I've been to this site from that day on, and have read each article i can, and have been on a crash learning course to learn all I can, to be a better human parent to my toddler, as was said once… Knowledge is Power, and I want to have the power to be there for my fur kid !!

 

[Texas Carol]

@GoldenRod...Uhhhh Dave...I'd say you got it bad...a life long, uncurable case
of BULLY LOVE.

And I'm right there with ya, buddy!

Never thought I'd own a drooling, slobbery dog either, I thought they were gross!

Don't like to be licked, kept an immaculate house, dressed to the nines EVERYDAY,
full makeup & everything...a perfectionist in every way.

Life (and me) sure has changed.

 

[Casper]

@GoldenRod...Uhhhh Dave...I'd say you got it bad...a life long, uncurable case
of BULLY LOVE.

And I'm right there with ya, buddy!

Never thought I'd own a drooling, slobbery dog either, I thought they were gross!

Don't like to be licked, kept an immaculate house, dressed to the nines EVERYDAY,
full makeup & everything...a perfectionist in every way.

Life (and me) sure has changed.

I know, Right…. I show up to work the other morning, I'm in a regular work meeting, only problem was when I get to work, it's keel, so I reach in my back seat, grab my small jacket, and put it on, running a little behind, I scurry into work, I walk into this meeting and my co-workers are all starring at me funny, I have no idea why, one of the ladies starts brushing my jacket, and says, "A lil hairy today Dave??" I'm like what…. Evidently Rocky got on my jacket and hair all over it !! This is totally not me, always dressing nice, stain free, hair free, clean shoes, not a hair out of place, smell nice, and now covered in dog hair all over my back, amazingly the front was fine…hahahahahaha. I'd once upon a time been in shock, this day I just laughed and remembered my boy at home, and the fun car ride he had prior to all this.

 

[cali baker]

Their loving nature, their irresistible mugs, the love they give back so eagerly, the joy they bring to me whenever I look at a bulldog's face...those are some of the reasons why I became a bully parent. I've wanted an EB since I was a child, and now that I'm in my (cough, cough), mid 40's, I'm living my dream with my two dreamy rascals.

 

[Rural mystic]

Yes Dave they win your hearts over. With all the attention they demand and that they need and want, it creates a closer bond. So why a Bully? They are for big hearts that's why

 

[Casper]

Their loving nature, their irresistible mugs, the love they give back so eagerly, the joy they bring to me whenever I look at a bulldog's face...those are some of the reasons why I became a bully parent. I've wanted an EB since I was a child, and now that I'm in my (cough, cough), mid 40's, I'm living my dream with my two dreamy rascals.

Well you probably know were about the same age….so keep coughing, lol. So Henny, You dreamed of an English Bull dog since you were younger, and planned for to get one for quite some time, did you know about the cons ahead of time, Health, Heat, joint problems, allergies, etc, and still wanted one, and full filled your dream? Henny, this is so kewl? You set a goal, didn't allow anything to detour you, and you accomplished it, This is awesome, and I can't agree with you more about their irresistible mugs and loving nature…..

 

[Casper]

Yes Dave they win your hearts over. With all the attention they demand and that they need and want, it creates a closer bond. So why a Bully? They are for big hearts that's why

You know Tim, I've actually dated ladies, who's voiced their dislikes in Dogs, Pets in General, but especially Dogs, which have been Deal Breakers for me, I'm kinda different, if you can't love a fur kid like your own kid, I don't think your a very good representative of love, and therefor not for me, lol, I've been called a lot of things for my decisions, but for me that's a deal breaker. And I strongly believe it takes a certain kind of heart to love unconditionally, and your word of commitment to your pet is your bond, when it's worthless so are you, throw em both away. Your pet is yours through thick and thin, I wouldn't take a million dollar lottery winning if it meant I had to get rid of my pet, I wouldn't relocate across country if it meant I had to get rid of my pet, after obtaining a pet, I feel you build the rest of your time together around that decision. Either your a responsible parent or your not, During hurricane Katrina, I was absolutely in a tizzy over how many people evacuated and left their pets at home in flood waters which just my house was 13 feet. Decisions like this and other things Pet Owners do drive me up the wall, but as any good parent, you can't control how others raise their pet, But i'm not real big in holding back my opinions from them, and have been known to offend more than one of these so called responsible pet owners…..

 

[Rural mystic]

I couldn't agree with you more Dave, well said.

 

[Rural mystic]

Dave, have you read this?

http://www.englishbulldognews.com/forums/showthread.php?24828-Just-a-Dog

 

[Casper]

Dave, have you read this?

http://www.englishbulldognews.com/forums/showthread.php?24828-Just-a-Dog

No Tim, I never have, but just did, absolutely true. I guess my point is that every day folks say how important their pets are to fit in, but when the slightest decision comes about, they ditch a pet for the bettering themselves. I just can't understand why folks will ditch a fur kid as a minor upset of the apple cart but won't do the same because of a human kid. I guess the laws keep them doing the right thing in that case….. I guess the same philosophy goes for if it only cost a Million Dollars for a marriage license, and a $1~$2.98 for a divorce, a lot more thought would be put into the decision to get married. Why isn't pet ownership as important decision as marriage is, after all they both are until death do you part, or should be is my point !!

 

[cali baker]

Well you probably know were about the same age….so keep coughing, lol. So Henny, You dreamed of an English Bull dog since you were younger, and planned for to get one for quite some time, did you know about the cons ahead of time, Health, Heat, joint problems, allergies, etc, and still wanted one, and full filled your dream? Henny, this is so kewl? You set a goal, didn't allow anything to detour you, and you accomplished it, This is awesome, and I can't agree with you more about their irresistible mugs and loving nature…..

Short answer is NO.
But....as I got older and when I was ready to find my bully I did try to educate myself with all these issues bullies can have. I took the plunge anyways and have been rewarded every moment w/these two gifts. Don't mean to get all mushy. The "pros" of having an EB far outweigh the "cons" , for lack of a better word!:D

 

[RachaelJ]

Dave, my first dog I bought by myself was a cocker. Jaxon. I got him as a graduation gift to myself from undergrad. He was spunky and fun and thought he was the perfect fit for me and my daughter. After he turned about 3 we adopted a former show cocker named Breeze. So it was my daughter and my two dogs for a long time. We made the trek from Michigan to Georgia and 6 months after we arrived, Jaxon darted out in the middle of a busy road and breeze followed. Both my dogs killed in a matter of 5 minutes of each other.

So we waited a little over a year to get another pet. We weren't even sure if we even wanted a fish. So here comes a long Troy, a friend said a lady had puppies and needed a home for them. We saw his little face and brought home my lil yorkie. Now Troy, I can say is/was my heart. He was easily trainable, he was sweet, he slept all the time and was my daughter's go to guy. He went everywhere with us. Then the bad news, he was diagnosed with a brain disorder called Granulomamenignial Encephalitis (GME). It came out of nowhere and after several trips to the vet,, medications and everything I could possibly do, we had to put him down.

Because I work from home, a lot of my outdoors time had to do with letting the dog out. When the vet told me that, Troy would die, I did start thinking about my getting another dog. Did we want to rescue, did we want to get another cocker or yorkie? Did we not want any pets?

I guess my decision to focus on getting a bully came from my dad and my daughter. My dad had an american bully and said Rachael, think about getting a larger breed dog. So I researched a few but I kept coming back to EBD. Why? I think it's because they've got enough energy for us, but just lazy enough for me too. Ugly Cute enough for me to include in the family photos. The health issues have made me think, but not steer me away. I've done my research, starting with this site and others. Talking to a rescue, talking with several breeders and picked up books etc.

My choice is not necessarily based upon breed, but characteristics I want in canine family companion. Could I find a dog with similar traits, probably. But once I've set my mind, resources and said I'm doing something, it usually gets done.

 

[Vicaroo1000]

No Tim, I never have, but just did, absolutely true. I guess my point is that every day folks say how important their pets are to fit in, but when the slightest decision comes about, they ditch a pet for the bettering themselves. I just can't understand why folks will ditch a fur kid as a minor upset of the apple cart but won't do the same because of a human kid. I guess the laws keep them doing the right thing in that case….. I guess the same philosophy goes for if it only cost a Million Dollars for a marriage license, and a $1~$2.98 for a divorce, a lot more thought would be put into the decision to get married. Why isn't pet ownership as important decision as marriage is, after all they both are until death do you part, or should be is my point !!

Hear! Hear!

What humans do the things they do to each other and to the things they profess to love is beyond my realm of understanding. Yesterday, some dipstick in Roy, WA put is infant in the freezer for an hour because it was crying. WHAT? This same doofus probably has three or four dogs running around. (If this moron doesn't get the prison time he deserves...ACK!)
[MENTION=4225]Twice[/MENTION] has something on her signature that really says it all for me - I can't quote it exactly but something about Getting a Dog's License should involve more than writing a check.
[MENTION=8490]RachaelJ[/MENTION] - I really enjoyed hearing your story. Thanks for sharing it with us. It just proves how different our journeys can be here at EBN.

For me, my first bully (Miss Mabeline Fabulash) was a "dream come true" dog. And she sure was. After her, I cannot even FATHOM having anything other than an English Bulldog by my side. I'm smitten with them! ALL OF THEM!

 

[FORDE'SMOM]

After becoming single I decided I wanted a dog in the house...something that I that I said I would never have, when I think about that now I laugh.....it took a few years for me to make the decision...but in 2009 I started looking at dogs.....I just fell in love with the looks of the english bulldog......read about them....looked into breeders....this went on for like a year, suddenly one of the breeders I emailed said she had one available...to just come look at him.....I did....needless to say we brought him home that day...and I fell in LOVE with this guy.........all of my thoughts "ewwww, will he pee in the house.....will he tear things up.....will it smell like I have a DOG in the house ( lol) .......etc...etc...etc" suddenly disapeared .....he is so much a part of our family and I can't imagine life without him.......he has my heart