EB bad breed from.....

Good article. I have 2 EBD's,two which were bought from a breeder(sisters) and one rescue,who has passed away.When I was looking around,I saw some pups that I liked. I asked who the breeder's vet was,got his phone # and called him. Asked many questions about breeder and pups,health of dogs she has and has had. He answered all my questions and was very nice. My two have been very healthy(fingers crossed) and no breathing problems,only one thing thing was entropion,which (to me) was not a big deal,since I totally trust MY vet. I know a lot of bullies have problems, but sometimes people who are "buying" do not do enough research into who they are buying from. We know that there can be problems that you can't help,but a cute face can sucker you in pretty quickly!!
 
Very interesting article Helene! Thanks for sharing. I’d be thankful to hear your take away, thoughts on this report, as well as the other very experienced members here. As you know my experience is limited to Joey, my first EBD.I look forward to thoughts. Thanks!Sue

I agree with [MENTION=8741]Manydogs[/MENTION]. I say it very often when you buy any breed, ask questions especially EB. Ask to see the parents if it’s possible as nowadays you can just buy sperm instead of having the dad there. Ask guarantees, vet check paperwork’s. I personally don’t believe in a deposit especially if you can’t see the puppies or breeder sounds too good to be true. Basically just ask tons of questions n write them down in case you forget. To visit a breeders place might be a bit hard. Some will refuse to buy a dog if they can’t visit the breeder’s home/facility. My breeder had a couple visit to buy a Frenchie n same week while she went out in town as she’s on an acreage, someone stole her only blue tri n another black face. She immediately stopped all visits. She will drive to her Vet’s office instead. Sometimes we need to bare in mind if a breeder doesn’t want anyone to visit, it’s not just they might be hiding something, just some don’t want to get any dogs stolen. Another good idea is to call the aspca in the area of the breeder and ask if they ever had to visit that breeder...

Also I know some breeders won’t agree with me but I’m so for the breeders trying to get out of the massive EB. The big man made that was tailored over 100 yrs ago, that genetic needs to be broken n get back to smaller EB like 40-55lbs. Example my breeder has been trying to shrink them a bit. She’s been doing to for decades. All her dogs are very healthy n guarantee them 3yrs for any genetic reason. There’s miniature n mini. Miniature is a completely scam...Mini’s are between 35-45lbs but some will still go up to 55lbs. English bulldogs aren’t going anywhere so might as well get them back to a healthy size n less folds. That’s my 2cents. :)
 
Well, I hate this. I'm gutted that they always show the most extreme pictures of bulldogs, tell everything that can be wrong in the bulldog. Never what is being done, how there are healthy bulldogs. More and more are being self whelped (at least in Finland) when given the chance. These kind of articles can also damage the breed in whole. People who care and love the breed will stop breeding and the ones who never gave a F***K will go on to produce just these kind of bulldogs.:yell:
 
[MENTION=15310]helsonwheels[/MENTION] [MENTION=3354]RiiSi[/MENTION] Thanks for your thoughts, the article bothered me a bit.....especially since Joey is my first EB and I was really interested in more experienced owners thoughts as to the validity of this person's (report) opinion.

Thanks again!
 
I am all for articles like this. People need to know what they could be getting into so that less ends up in rescues or dumped when the bills start. It is not just Bulldogs. Look what has happened to German Shepherds and their sloping hindquarters, King Charles Spaniels with their skull too small for their brains. The list goes on and it is ALWAYS the dog that suffers. Deformed German Shepherds win dog shows frequently so the breeding for Breed Standard continues. Of course there are good dogs out there but there are too many unscrupulous breeders that are in it just for the money. There are dog auctions where some dogs are bred specifically for the rescue market. Really? As if there aren't enough poor dogs waiting for homes anyway. Just another name for a puppy mill and how much do they care about good breeding? Ggrrrr!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/investigations/dog-auction-rescue-groups-donations/
 
Thanks to all for thoughts and comments, the following quote from the article is what bothered me since I have fallen in LOVE with the breed. I know that Joey is one of a kind and she has been blessed with amazingly good health but this article almost scares me to think of adding a bully again to the family. Again, I AM IN LOVE with EBD breed and am looking for some positive feedback....I hope :)

"Tragically, the English Bulldog, according to the UC Davis researchers, now lacks the diversity in its gene pool to make desperately needed health improvements"

Is this true? [MENTION=15310]helsonwheels[/MENTION] [MENTION=8741]Manydogs[/MENTION] [MENTION=3354]RiiSi[/MENTION] [MENTION=13737]1Chumly[/MENTION]
 
Did you know that that The Shetland Sheepdog actually has much lower diversity than the bulldog? Yet everybody thinks that dog is the hero dog Lassie who will save your kid or the world....
 
My two cents is that this why it is soooo important to find a reputable breeder! Earlier this year I joined the Bulldog Club of Greater Seattle and have met some wonderful people. Some are breeders, some show their dogs and some just love bulldogs but what all of them have in common is they want healthy bulldogs. Reputable breeders are not breeding g for money. They are breeding to better the breed. They know what dogs should not be bred and they know what two dogs bred together will breed out certain things. Louie’s breeder does not go for the super wrinkled squish face for instance.

It’s bad, greedy breeders that are ruining the breed and not doing health testing as they are just in it for the money.

And not to mention, all purebred dogs come with potential health issues.


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I do not totally agree or disagree with the assertions within this article...and I certainly have very little knowledge concerning genealogy of the Bulldog.

That being said, what I do know is this...

Most(over 99%)of the rescues we bring in are NOT as this "expert Vet" has described. Back when I first got into Bulldogs(1994) the average lifespan was considered to be 8-10 years(some sources say less). It's my firm belief that this "lower than average for a dog" lifespan was, at the very least, due to lack of Bulldog knowledge and training within the Veterinary field coupled with very little knowledge on the part of owners and their inherent trust in those uninformed Vets. With the help of the internet, dedicated Bulldog sites like EBN, and the respective compassionate, intelligent, and experienced membership, the knowledge base has grown exponentially.

The vast majority of our rescued placements live to be 10+YO. In the past 10 years we've had 4 of our personal dogs eclipse 12 years(two over 14)...and not a single Bulldog in the past 15 years pass before 9. I declare that the average lifespan for a Bulldog(based on our experience) has increased in the past 25 years by 20%(from 9YO to 11+YO). That is a SUBSTANTIAL increase...and contradicts some of the basis for this sensationalized article. Further, of the 1000+ dogs that we have rescued and re-homed over the past 25 years, very few have had any of the extreme features to which the author has alluded. That's not to say that they don't exist or that there shouldn't be cause for concern that disreputable and backyard breeders are always going to be looking to line their pockets with total disregard for the BCA breeding standards that have, IMO, always had the health of the breed in mind. Some may disagree with this and declare that the BCA standards are part of the problem. I'm not one to make a judgement on this as my years of experience are simply not long enough. As far as I know the standards have remained pretty much unchanged during [my] 25 years.
As long as there is demand, unscrupulous breeders will continue to "create" a supply of designer colored and/or malformed stock. It's up to potential owners to make the right decision based on education that we(and others like us) can provide. We, at EBN, can only do but so much...just keep doing what we do and steer potential owners toward reputable breeders within the BCA and when necessary, provide help and education to owners in need.

Keep on loving your Bulldogs people!
 
[MENTION=15364]oscarmayer[/MENTION] [MENTION=16619]Cbrugs[/MENTION] Thanks! I really appreciate reading all of the input!
 
Well, I hate this. I'm gutted that they always show the most extreme pictures of bulldogs, tell everything that can be wrong in the bulldog. Never what is being done, how there are healthy bulldogs. More and more are being self whelped (at least in Finland) when given the chance. These kind of articles can also damage the breed in whole. People who care and love the breed will stop breeding and the ones who never gave a F***K will go on to produce just these kind of bulldogs.:yell:

You are right... There are more n more bulldogs that are healthy. Like I mentioned, smart breeders are making a point to change the breed to healthier bulldogs. Nowadays the old 8 yr old life expectation has now gone a few years more. People are also more aware on what to feed their dogs. Food choice is extremely important. But you have to remember something, Finland or Sweden have way better implemented laws/rules for breeders/breeding than the westerner side. You can’t compare. Laws here aren’t great as we wouldn’t have so many dogs or cats for adoptions, or filled up aspca, spca, fostering, putting them down etc etc... This post is someone from this side trying to make a difference and educate the western side. Definitely we should be looking as an example at Finland’s laws as it’s working. But yes, I’m all for a good breeder that wants to make a difference bringing back a healthier bulldog. That goes for any breed.
 
I watched a short film from England made is the 50s that said the average lifespan for EBs was 5-6 years old! :eek: They were beautiful looking dogs but yes, things have certainly improved since then knowledge and age-wise, etc.
 
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