Looking for first bulldog. Best breeder to buy from? Please help

[B2wice]

My wife and I are looking to buy our first bulldog. We have a 4 year old daughter who is so excited and cant wait to get one. We started out wanting a frenchie but now are leaning towards an english. Our little girl loves one thats in our local pet store but we dont want to buy from a pet store nor can we afford the $ 5,500 price tag thats on it at the time. Weve been doin research non stop but have yet to find a reputable breeder that we fully trust. We want to find one the right way that is from a good breeder and is healthy and free of any scams or shady activity. We live in Staunton, VA. Weve come across many breeders but dont know which one to buy from. We thought we had found a good one in Sugar Plum farms in Purcellville, VA untill I recently found alot of bad reviews on it saying it was a puppy mill. Is this true or is she a good reputable breeder? Can someone please give me some good advice on this breeder and any others that we should or should not buy from? We are very excited and ready to add a wonderful healthy and happy bulldog to our beautiful family. Thanks in advance.

 

[aprilemari]

You have found the right place to ask this question. I am sorry my answer is brief, I am traveling. Please do not buy from the pet store, this will only support the puppy mill industry. You should expect to pay between $1500 and $2500 for a purebred english bulldog puppy. A good breeder will let you visit their home and see the mother or the father or both parents. Their breeding bulldogs should be seen as members of the family, not kept apart from the family. They will ask you to sign a contract that requires spay or neuter if the dog is not show quality. They will give a 1 year minimum health guarantee for congenital defects. The mother and the father will be registered in AKC or CKC or equivalent, and the litter of puppies will also be registered. They will give you the name of their vet and permit you to call them (and you should). They should ask you questions about your family and your home, especially whether you own or rent, if your landlord allows pets, if you have air conditioning, if you have time to spend with the dog (they are family dogs, not outside dogs, and do not do well without human contact), and if you have money for future health issues like cherry eye, skin allergies, elongated palate surgery, torn ACL, etc. Not all dogs have these, but there is a pretty good chance your dog may have at least 1 ailment that affects bulldogs specifically. My breeder also gave me a list of bulldog maintenance items to have, baby wipes (everyday), chlorhexidine, ear drops, benedryl, canned pumpkin, baby shampoo, a dog crate, stainless steel food and water bowls. They are gorgeous and loving creatures but they are like a baby that we don't leave alone. They usually eat high quality dog food, my lola is on raw food, which really helps with skin allergies and overall health. sorry, gotta go! more folks will be along shortly.... best of luck finding a good breeder. the wait is worth its weight in bulldog gold.

 

[quackattack]

I live in a similar area, so I looked into Sugar Plum as well, but was dissuaded by some reviews.

I decided to go with Nancy Baker from Skyhigh Kennels in Cumberland, MD. We get the puppy next month, but I've read good reviews and met the breeder and some of her dogs.

Edit: Oops, can't post the link. But search Skyhigh Kennel and you should get their Facebook page.

 

[bigrod48]

Yes sugar plum breed a lot of puppies has to be a puppy mill how can you breed so many a month. Yes Nancy Baker has good reviews . I never got a bulldog from her. But we have talked . Hopefully I will get my next bulldog from her


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[Petra]

Welcome to EBN [MENTION=14356]B2wice[/MENTION] Maybe go through the AKC website? Make sure when you buy to see the mother and where they puppies are being raised so you know they're not from a backyard breeder, lots of scams and bad people only breeding for money and not health out there I think the less money you'll spend on buying the dog the more you'll spend at the vets office, sadly I'm speaking from experience. I was very clueless when buying my first bulldog

There are lots of bulldogs up for adoption, maybe there are a match near you if you would consider adopting The price for adopting is great compared to buying and current health issues are always taken care of so you know you'll get a healthy dog. The main concern with adopting is that in your case you need to find one that is good with kids. Here's a link to rescues we update and network here on EBN.

http://www.englishbulldognews.com/forums/available-english-bulldogs-for-adoption/