Very interesting article, whether you agree with the author's perspective or not.

[bullmama]

It is 9 pages long, but worth the read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/magazine/can-the-bulldog-be-saved.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

Very interesting article...I don't know how I feel..I think I have to ponder a bit. I love bulldogs..but I DO agree their health issues are so destructive to the breed. I often find England is ahead of us in putting the dog first. Like the cropping of ears. Banned years ago in England...for cruelty issues..but not our AKC. Great article to make you think.

 

[FourPetes]

I agree to a certain extent but you can't eliminate the bulldog now because of all the health issues. You can argue that only the experts should be breeding these guys in hopes of getting the best specimens to help eliminate some of the health isssues in the breed. But how do you stop a backyard breeder when there are so many out there and even more people willing to buy from these people? I don't know what the answer is. Everything that sounds good on paper isn't practical in real life.

 

[Vicaroo1000]

Facinating read.

 

[izstigspunks]

Very interesting article. I agree that our bullies do have a lot of common health issues. But the part that struck me most was near the end when they mentioned that not a lot of people do their research and get them out of impulse. They don't look into what they should classify as a respectable breeder and other factors that can greatly affect our babies, such as finding a bully informed and experienced vet and food choices.

The UGA story have always surprised me though. It's concerning that they've all, if not most, lived very short lives, even for a bulldog standard. I feel that there's something going on that should be addressed but have just been ignored.

And I didn't know Old English Bulldogge aren't accepted as a breed.

 

[Biogirl71]

Very good article with many valid points concerning bulldog health. I do agree that what is lacking with many bulldog owners is research. My hubby would have probably gotten one on impulse but I always want to know as much as I can before venturing into something. I did a ton of research and it didn't change our minds as to being bulldog owners, but I felt much more prepared. Also, when we picked out Frank, we did look for a face that wasn't as smooshed in and had less wrinkles because I was so worried about their breathing. I also hadn't considered the anthropomorphic angle...that was very interesting. Maybe that explains why my hubby and I turned into huge softies when we got Frank. But I also used to baby my Doberman, so I think I am a softie for dogs overall.

 

[sheshistory]

Thanks for sharing. This is thought-provoking and must read for any bulldog owner/breeder/lover.

 

[2BullyMama]

excellent information.... none was a surprise to me (good or bad, not sure).

 

[TessaAndSamson]

Definitely a thought provoking article. Like Jakeisgreat, I'm not sure how to feel about it. I will say this is totally true:

“They have goofy and lovable personalities that are incredibly endearing,” she said. But she took it a step further, arguing that the breed brings out a particularly strong parenting instinct in many people. “Even as adults, bulldogs look almost infantile — like plump little babies,” she told me in a hospital waiting room as Vanna WhiteTrash rolled on her back offering her belly. “Their flattened faces definitely make them look more human, and I think people probably respond to that in ways they aren’t aware of.”

 

[anatess]

And I didn't know Old English Bulldogge aren't accepted as a breed.

Our English Bulldog is the bulldog breed... that is, it's the current breed standard of the old english bulldogs (from the Victorian era and all that).

Olde English Bulldogge is a "new" breed that just got developed in 1971. It's basically an attempt to bring the English Bulldog back to its original bull-baiting days and to try to "fix" the health problems plaguing the english bulldog. It is not YET an accepted breed in the AKC because it is still a breed under development... that is, there is not enough science to date backing up the breed and they have a questionable stud book (if I remember correctly, the original breeder quit the project and handed down his registry to another group only to reappear again and now there are 2 sets of stud books or some such). I said YET because the AKC (if it survives - it is chock-full of problems right now) may establish a breed standard for Olde English Bulldogges once the breed is genetically tested/proven/vetted with a relatively large population of pedigreed dogs that are proven to produce consistent and predictable characteristics.

Note that establishing a breed properly is a very long process that takes years and years and years since you can't in-breed or line-breed without undesirable results. First of all, it takes years to find the proper mix of existing dog breeds that will display your desired traits in the puppies. Then when you do find a consistent display of these characteristics, then you'll have to find unrelated healthy dogs with very similar characteristics to your original dam and sire and then hope and pray that when you breed them, they deliver puppies that conform to your established standard. And after you do that, you'll have to then figure out if you can mix these unrelated lines and still display the established standard. And then you'll have to do that over and over to prove it is consistent. Then you'll have to make accurate records of all the dogs that came out of that project all throughout their lifetimes to prove that there are no health issues or physchological issues that crop up as a result of the breeding mix. And then you'll have to prove all these things to the major Kennel Clubs who will decide if the breed standard is an acceptable one, then review the stud book and the pedigree line to make sure the breeding is done responsibly, then do their genetic testing and all that stuff for overall dog health, before it can even be considered as a breed.

It's basically the same story as the Shiloh Shepherds. It's still "under construction" so to speak.


As for me and my bulldog... I knew all this before we got the bulldog (as most of you here on EBN are also aware of the problems of the breed before you got them), so it's really not a surprise that Wayne Pacelle is after the breed. I'm even surprised it took him this long to target bulldogs in his campaign. We got a bulldog because of their personality. We were willing to shell out $10,000 if not more for its care. And we really didn't care what the AKC had to say about it... (my dog is not even AKC registered).

 

[Davidh]

Hmmmm, interesting article, gets you to thinking. I still love my bullies the way they are.

 

[valleygirl214]

Ive had two Olde English Bulldogges so I might be biased but we have been so happy with them.

Our first was a rescue so we did not know her exact lineage but she was OEB and the best dog in the world. We have a 9 month old OEB and she is pretty close to perfect...some wrinkles/smooshy face but no breathing issues...she loves hiking and is a trooper. Our vet said she was bred really well with great lungs, nose, mouth.

We rescued a 4 year old EB and I can see the difference.

Our 9 month old OEB has an AKC EB dad and 1/2 American Bulldog and 1/2 EB mom. I really liked our breeders approach and passion for this breed...and she did not disappoint..our girl is everything she said she would be.

 

[SunDog]

Well, I guess any information like this might be helpful in discouraging irresponsible people from jumping into bullie ownership. Lupe has just tad longer snout than most bullies I've seen in person, and she has zero breathing problems so far, but my point is, if she had trouble, I'd fix it. Hands down. Whatever it took. I wish the article had interviewed people from EBN! I feel like people need to know there are thousands of bully Moms and Dads who are compeltely in tune with their dogs and completely committed to keeping them happy and safe and who are not "in denial."

 

[PukaMiniBulldogs]

The current Uga that's mentioned in the article is dead as well I believe.

 

[anatess]

The current Uga that's mentioned in the article is dead as well I believe.

Yes, he is. Big Bad Bruce died of lymphoma at only 17-months of age. Russ is acting mascot until they find the next Uga. Yeah, it's either they just have supreme bad luck with their choice of mascot or that entire pedigree line is somehow compromised.

Well, I guess any information like this might be helpful in discouraging irresponsible people from jumping into bullie ownership. Lupe has just tad longer snout than most bullies I've seen in person, and she has zero breathing problems so far, but my point is, if she had trouble, I'd fix it. Hands down. Whatever it took. I wish the article had interviewed people from EBN! I feel like people need to know there are thousands of bully Moms and Dads who are compeltely in tune with their dogs and completely committed to keeping them happy and safe and who are not "in denial."

I don't think the issue here is whether EB owners care for their dogs. The asking price for a purebred EB puppy we hope filters out the impulse buyers. But, interviewing all EBN members is not going to change the fact that the EB standard is detrimental to a dog's health. The issue here is whether EBs should be altered through genetic selection to make the current standard extinct and come up with a better breed - like the Olde English or some variation of it.

Here's what each of us has to really look hard into our own souls: Do we love our dogs enough to let go of our desire for their "cuteness" to give EBs a better chance at a healthier/longer life?

For non-EB owners, the answer would be a resounding YES. I may be a hypocrite - willing to shell out thousands of dollars and time and effort for the proper dog food, vet care, etc. - but unwilling to let go of the breed altogether (I, too, say, "but she's not going to look like a bulldog anymore!") to improve their health. It's a tough pill to swallow.