Happy 4th anniversary EBN, tell us your story!!!

[JennieS]

In honor of EBN's 4th Anniversary celebration today, tell us your story of how you got your first bulldog!

 

[NewEnglandBully]

We got our boy just a few days before Christmas and put him in a basket under the tree for our kids.

 

[MeekosMummy]

Awwww happy 4th birthday EBN !!! It was a moment of madness I had a 12 week old baby and spent the weekend in a caravan with my sister who had just got a puppy husky. It made my baby smile so much and giggle. That evening we were just looking at puppies on the internet.Saw an ad for meeko and his sister.. id always dreamed of owning a bulldog. And he came home with us on our way home from the caravan lol.. (shhh dont tell Meeko but I actually wanted his sister but my partner wanted the male and won the vote ) xx

 

[cali baker]

I've wanted a bulldog since i was a child...maybe since age 6yo or something. Something about their faces were so endearing to me, even as a youngster. Fast forward 36 years or so and I contacted a breeder who was recommended to me by someone. I visited her home, saw the bullies that were born just 3 wks prior and the rest is history! Surprisingly, Tate wasn't my first choice. He was my 3rd. I told Tate the other day though, how very, very lucky I am to have gotten him in the end. He has the sweetest heart and the most forgiving, loving soul. I cannot imagine my life without my Tate.

Tate's half brother Finn came along in July of 2011. He was the last of his litter to be picked up. Apparently, the guy who chose him never came through, even though he had already named him "Dexter". Well, my little Finn is feisty and ferocious! I'm not kidding. He has such an attitude but he's also a sweetie and he's mommy's little helper in the kitchen, always following me around when I'm cooking and wondering if he can help. I love my boys so much...they are the world to me.

 

[Petra]

I moved to South Africa to live with my husband 14 march 2010, his birthday is march 20 and he used to say he always wanted a bulldog... I told him on his birthday I'm going to buy him one and he immediately found Boeboe. We fetched her the same day, lol, no planning or preparing but it turned out pretty good anyway Had I known then what I know today things would probably have been a bit different but I think Boeboe was meant to be with us I love her so much, she's our first born

 

[ddnene]

My hubby has always wanted an English Bulldog, but since he was enlisted in the Army he was always deployed or working away from home… When he retired his first job kept him home for awhile, so we found a local breeder and got our Bella. It's funny because before we went to look at the pups, Ray didn't pick her… she was the smallest of the litter. But somehow it was meant to be Winston & Wellie were brothers from her litter, so that's how we got our 3 bully babies!!!

 

[aprilemari]

happy anniversary! we bought the first bulldog puppy we saw from a breeder who really cares about her family of bullies. it was love at first site, even Lola sat right next to my husband while we were getting to know the puppies.

 

[Valentine215]

Happy birthday EBN!

I got my first bully in the summer of 2000. I told my now-ex-husband that when we bought a house he could have a bulldog. Well, we bought the house in the Spring of 2000 and by summertime he was looking around...we took a ride one day up to Mason, TX and drove up to a ranch house and there was this Bully mama and 9 adorable puppies!! She charged us at first but her skin mama calmed her down and told us she was VERY protective of the puppies who were 8 weeks old. So we were checking all the baby bullies out and my ex saw the Goliath of the litter (which was his litter name too) and said: I want that one. I was not sure if that was the right one but said ok...so we take Samson (as we named him) and I put him in the back of my SUV and after about a minute he starts barking and crying and I tell my ex to pull over and I got the puppy out from the back and held him in my lap all the way home. After that, he was never my ex's dog. He was mine. ♥

I loved that dog to the moon and back. He was the dog I always wanted in my heart. I still cry every single time I think about him and when he died. It broke my heart. It is hard for people to understand that kind of love. I get the 'it's only a DOG' comments, but I really could care less. Samson and Petunia (and every dog I have ever owned) touch a part of my heart that is reserved solely for them. I love that the folks on EBN understand that.

Thank you EBN, for giving me a place to talk freely about my bubbies!

 

[sheshistory]

Aw, Happy Anniversary EBN and everyone celebrating thier bullies today!

Here's an except from my Member Spotlight that talks about my first bully, Bentley:

I grew up petrified of dogs. There was an incident that I have no recollection of when my grandparents dog nipped me when I was two years old that my parents surmised might have turned me off dogs but I was always very afraid of them - big or small. As a child, I hesitated to go over to friends and families houses that had dogs. Our neighbors had a German Shepherd and a Rottweiler and I feared them both. When I was 10, my parents told my sister, brother and I that we could either have a dog or a pool, I BEGGED them for the pool. We got a dog.

At first I was uncomfortable with the family dog and had nightmares about her but I grew to love Biscuit, and became very attached to her. But when I moved out, I never thought of having a dog of my own. EVER! I am a clean freak and appreciate order, dogs, in general, do not!

When my then-boyfriend (now husband) and I purchased a house in Arizona in 2004, he immediately started begging me for a dog. I refused at first but then realized compromise is a part of any good relationship so we started looking. First, we looked at the Arizona Humane Society but I was determined to adopt a shelter dog. We saw SO many active dogs that I could not get excited about, no matter how much I felt for them. I worried about my two cats and how they might react to a dog that can jump and run - and how a dog might react to them. My husband begged me to adopt a deaf Australian Cattle Dog named Jinx. He was so beautiful but I knew he was not the right choice for fairly low key, busy, first time dog owners.

I then asked my husband if I could pick the breed if I agreed to a dog. He said yes and I began my search. A researcher by nature, I began looking for the "right" dog for us. I had always been attracted to the bulldog's good looks and, after reading about the bulldog's laid back personality, I decided the bulldog was the right dog for this ultra type-A girl.

I found my first bulldog, Bentley, in the newspaper. He was the last of his litter and was getting old enough that his daddy was getting competitive with him for his mama's attention. I told my husband we were going to LOOK at Bentley but we were NOT taking him home. A few hours later, with no leash, no food, no crate - literally NOTHING but a dog - our family of two became three.

I did not love Bentley at first. I realized I had no idea what taking care of a dog entailed. Bentley was noisy, he drooled, he peed, he stunk, and he wanted my attention all the time! I was a neat freak and that doesn’t exactly work with having a bulldog. After a few days of crying, whelping, and being naughty, I reached my breaking point. I was trying to study for my doctoral exams at the time, which was tremendously stressful, when Bentley decided to slurp up some water and drool on my laptop then chewed up some of my papers.

When my husband came home, I told him Bentley had to go. He was resistant of course, but in the end, I was the one taking care of Bentley so I began to search for his new home. I realized that I needed to get Bentley neutered before he found his new place as he had taken to humping my leg. So without a second thought, I made the appointment. Drop Bentley off the night before, pick him up the next day after 4 PM – no problem.

The day came to drop Bentley off at the vet’s and I ended up having to take him by myself. As we waited, I watched Bentley go back and forth between my legs, looking up at me and I felt so bad. This feeling began to rise and before I knew it, I was in tears. I had not realized what a bond we formed.

I may have taught Bentley how to sit, go potty outside, and catch treats but he taught me so much more. We became so attached that when I was upset or stressed, Bentley would also get a tummy ache. If I was up in the middle of the night, worrying, I would see Bentley's glowing eyes in the dark. He was up too. With Bentley, I was never alone. He taught me there was always time to cuddle and for a nap. He taught me about unconditional love and friendship. I loved him so very much, I didn't want him to be by himself, so I got him a brother. Enter Linus!

And the rest is history!

Here is a pic of my first bulldog, Bentley:

 

[brutus77]

Aw, Happy Anniversary EBN and everyone celebrating thier bullies today!

Here's an except from my Member Spotlight that talks about my first bully, Bentley:

I grew up petrified of dogs. There was an incident that I have no recollection of when my grandparents dog nipped me when I was two years old that my parents surmised might have turned me off dogs but I was always very afraid of them - big or small. As a child, I hesitated to go over to friends and families houses that had dogs. Our neighbors had a German Shepherd and a Rottweiler and I feared them both. When I was 10, my parents told my sister, brother and I that we could either have a dog or a pool, I BEGGED them for the pool. We got a dog.

At first I was uncomfortable with the family dog and had nightmares about her but I grew to love Biscuit, and became very attached to her. But when I moved out, I never thought of having a dog of my own. EVER! I am a clean freak and appreciate order, dogs, in general, do not!

When my then-boyfriend (now husband) and I purchased a house in Arizona in 2004, he immediately started begging me for a dog. I refused at first but then realized compromise is a part of any good relationship so we started looking. First, we looked at the Arizona Humane Society but I was determined to adopt a shelter dog. We saw SO many active dogs that I could not get excited about, no matter how much I felt for them. I worried about my two cats and how they might react to a dog that can jump and run - and how a dog might react to them. My husband begged me to adopt a deaf Australian Cattle Dog named Jinx. He was so beautiful but I knew he was not the right choice for fairly low key, busy, first time dog owners.

I then asked my husband if I could pick the breed if I agreed to a dog. He said yes and I began my search. A researcher by nature, I began looking for the "right" dog for us. I had always been attracted to the bulldog's good looks and, after reading about the bulldog's laid back personality, I decided the bulldog was the right dog for this ultra type-A girl.

I found my first bulldog, Bentley, in the newspaper. He was the last of his litter and was getting old enough that his daddy was getting competitive with him for his mama's attention. I told my husband we were going to LOOK at Bentley but we were NOT taking him home. A few hours later, with no leash, no food, no crate - literally NOTHING but a dog - our family of two became three.

I did not love Bentley at first. I realized I had no idea what taking care of a dog entailed. Bentley was noisy, he drooled, he peed, he stunk, and he wanted my attention all the time! I was a neat freak and that doesn’t exactly work with having a bulldog. After a few days of crying, whelping, and being naughty, I reached my breaking point. I was trying to study for my doctoral exams at the time, which was tremendously stressful, when Bentley decided to slurp up some water and drool on my laptop then chewed up some of my papers.

When my husband came home, I told him Bentley had to go. He was resistant of course, but in the end, I was the one taking care of Bentley so I began to search for his new home. I realized that I needed to get Bentley neutered before he found his new place as he had taken to humping my leg. So without a second thought, I made the appointment. Drop Bentley off the night before, pick him up the next day after 4 PM – no problem.

The day came to drop Bentley off at the vet’s and I ended up having to take him by myself. As we waited, I watched Bentley go back and forth between my legs, looking up at me and I felt so bad. This feeling began to rise and before I knew it, I was in tears. I had not realized what a bond we formed.

I may have taught Bentley how to sit, go potty outside, and catch treats but he taught me so much more. We became so attached that when I was upset or stressed, Bentley would also get a tummy ache. If I was up in the middle of the night, worrying, I would see Bentley's glowing eyes in the dark. He was up too. With Bentley, I was never alone. He taught me there was always time to cuddle and for a nap. He taught me about unconditional love and friendship. I loved him so very much, I didn't want him to be by himself, so I got him a brother. Enter Linus!

And the rest is history!

Here is a pic of my first bulldog, Bentley:

View attachment 65399

What a great story.

 

[brutus77]

We already had two labs and a cat at home and one day my sons girlfriend calls me and says "I have an idea for a birthday present for Michael" I asked "what is it"? She says "A bulldog". Well ever since my son was small he always said he was going to have a scooby dog and a bulldog. Well I told his girlfriend "your crazy" we don't need another dog! Then I started looking at pictures. They were the cutest little things I have ever seen. This was a Wednesday night. I started "operation Bulldog" immediately. I somehow convinced my husband this was a great idea, and started looking at breeders in the area. I found Brutus that Thursday night and home he came Friday. My son was so surprised. He finally had his bulldog. Well I should correct that, I got a bulldog because Brutus has been my baby since the first day he came home. I loved him completely. Fast forward a year and now we have our rescue baby Frankie. They are the best dogs I have ever had.

 

[KMARINO]

Always wanted one, divorced and raising two boys, I knew I could not afford one or the up-keep of having one. Fast forward.......kids are raised and on their own, I meet a man after being divorced 16 years, we elope to Vegas within 5 months of knowing each other to get married. Plane ride home my husband ask me what I wanted for a wedding present. ENGLISH BULLDOG!!!! We got married Sept 5. and I got Vegas the third week of Oct.

 

[NigelsMom]

Happy Anniversary EBN! - First let's agree that bulldogs are like potato chips - you can't have just one! I've wanted an EB since I was a little girl and first saw Spike on Tom & Jerry. When I was laid off in 2010 I decided to use my severance to purchase my bully as a gift to myself to help cheer me up after that major disappointment. I was lucky enough to find a breeder via facebook and the internet and although Nigel wasn't my first choice he's turned out to be the best choice for me! He's so handsome and so loving and smart. He is bully perfection and not a day goes by that I don't spend time with him and cuddle him and shower him with lovins. A month later we got Karly for my son and so Nigel would have a playmate. I can't imagine my life without a bulldog now.