We all want the best life for our dogs. If you own an English Bulldog, that means being aware of your dog’s breathability and the risk of heatstroke. Starting at 3-4 years old, if an English Bulldog isn’t able to breathe properly, it can hyperventilate, and have heat stroke. That causes heatstroke to be the leading cause of early death for the breed. Why can’t Bulldogs tolerate heat? A dog’s ability to tolerate heat is tied to its ability to...
Once your new puppy is home, you’re going to need to start giving them baths. It’s not just to keep them clean, it’s also a valuable socialization tool. The more consistent you are with bathtime now, the easier it will be to give your bulldog puppy a bath as they get older. Getting ready Before you start, make sure you have everything you need right next to the sink or bathtub where you intend to bathe your dog. It’s not...
Most English Bulldogs have Stenotic nares, or pinched nostrils. Pinched nostrils mean that their nostril opening is very small or pinched together. This small amount of space can easily lead to difficulty breathing. Unfortunately, this has become a side effect of the approach of traditional bulldog breeders. Why is it a problem? Restricted airflow can spell disaster for bulldogs. Years of breeding have created multiple different health problems for bulldogs. Such as narrow tracheas and elongated soft palates. Those problems...
So you’ve bought your first AKC registered healthy English Bulldog from us. After a few months, life has hit full swing and is pushing you in every which way, diverting your time from the newest addition to your family, Jack. We all understand when life hits those busy seasons whether around the holidays or during the school year and encourage considering doggy daycare for those busy seasons. PUPPY HEALTH While some people may discourage daycare, we...
Whether it’s the toddler or puppy running around your house, potty training often receives a groan of exasperation. It can be frustrating and feel like a long process, to potty train your new English Bulldog puppy. With discipline and dedication, a new bulldog puppy should master the potty training process in a few weeks. As English Bulldog breeders focused on the health and wellbeing of our bulldogs, we encourage our adopters to implement potty training methods focusing on the instinctual...
Bulldogs love to eat and can eat extremely fast. Eating too quickly is not ideal and can cause aspiration pneumonia. That’s when the dog inhales a piece of food or a food particle into the lungs. So the question is… how do I slow down my bulldog from eating too quickly? First, you want to make sure that your bulldog is eating at the correct height. This isn’t a huge issue with bulldogs because they are pretty low...
After much research and many phone calls to manufacturers, we decided to go with Diamond Puppy/Adult food. This decision came after many years of using Royal Canin which we were mostly happy with. We felt that we should find a food formulated for our Bulldog moms. Diamond puppy food is specifically designed for pregnant, nursing moms, and puppies. It exceeds the minimum amount of calcium and phosphorus that a pregnant and nursing mom needs. I include that information to help...
People often ask us about toy selection for our young bulldog puppies. When you choose toys for your Bulldog, it’s important to remember that every puppy has unique preferences. But, a few general recommendations can be made that are typically accurate of most bulldog toy preferences. We can break down appropriate toy selections according to the age of the bulldog. Toys for 8 Weeks Young, English Bulldog puppies prefer to have a wide variety of toys. A shotgun approach to...
At Bruiser Bulldogs we like to take a macro approach to understanding our adoption process. That’s how we view whether our bulldog and adopter relationships are eventually “good”, “bad” or somewhere in between those extremes. After health, the most important factor within an English Bulldog puppy and an adopter relationship is personality. Every Bulldog will be the perfect dog for a family. That doesn’t mean that they are the perfect dog for every family. It is extremely important to understand...
There are always moments in life that you will never forget. Points in time, that are so important that you remember every detail. One of those moments is when you bring your English Bulldog puppy home for the very first time. There truly is nothing like the excitement that fills a home with a brand new puppy. Imagine the devastation for many families when their new puppy becomes sick only days after coming home. It replaces puppy kisses and playtime...
Is there anything better than sweet bulldog puppy kisses? How many pleasures top snuggling with a 10-week old bulldog on a sleepy Sunday afternoon? In the world of Bruiser Bulldogs, there is nothing better! Many a bulldog pup has pitter-pattered its tiny feet across our hardwood kitchen floor and yet the sound never tires; it’s always new, always welcomed. The kisses, the snuggles; they are always precious, never a drop of monotony. We hold our...
You bought your first AKC registered English Bulldog from us, but after a few months, life hit full swing. It’s pushing you in every which way, diverting your time from the newest addition to your family, Jack. Life hits busy seasons whether around the holidays or during the school year. That’s why we encourage considering doggy daycare for those seasons. PUPPY HEALTH While some people may discourage daycare, we believe it helps develop and maintain a healthy English Bulldog....
Ever feel like the rules are stacked against you? Like you literally cannot win no matter how hard you try? Recently, I took a trip to beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada – the land of fun and fantasy. The buildings, food, and even the shows are dripping with luxurious entertainment. It’s easy to forget that Las Vegas is simply a business model with rules designed to take money out of your wallet. We are drawn to the allure of winning big,...
There is nothing like tooting your own horn right? Some days it seems like our Bulldog health “message” feels exactly like that; self-complementary and aggressive. We repost testimonials that tout the extraordinary health and experiences past adopters have had. The content on our YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook has frequent reminders about our differences in our approach to breeding. Part of this reasoning is the disgust that simmers in our hearts as we have watched how the bulldog has been bred...
Recently we agreed to partner with a trusted breeder within our network to use their stud, Hollywood (pictured above) in a series of 4 breedings. Hollywood is everything that I believe in and want in our bloodline. From a phenotype standpoint, he breathes better than any bulldog I have been around. That means he has a huge trach and no palate issues. His snout is extended slightly by about 1/2 inch which gives more room for his palate and reduces...
This photo has been on my mind for the last couple of days. It’s a photo of one of our offspring cleaning house at an ABKC (American bully kennel club) bulldog show. She took on 150 English bulldogs in the ring and won best of breed. What you all need to know is that this would have never happened in an AKC show ring. The ABKC has intentionally developed a bulldog breed standard that requires dogs to have athletic and...
Occasionally I am asked what the most important factor in producing healthy, English Bulldog puppies is. My answer is always the same. The studs. Having a line of studs that produces high-quality Bulldog puppies is by far the highest priority in our breeding program. The ratio of females to males in a breeding program is typically 3:1 or greater. So, each male has a greater impact on the breeding program as a whole. A single stud can change the...
As you all know, we take the health of our bulldogs very seriously. There is nothing more beautiful than the sight of a well-bred bulldog that is healthy and functional. This ideal is the motor that drives us and is at the heart of who we are at Bruiser Bulldogs. Obviously, the ideal bulldog is very important to us. However, it’s important to explain how we reach these goals, and a vertical pedigree is a big part of that. As...
The foundation that drives our breeding program is health. If you research the bulldog breed you’ll hear that the bulldog is difficult to care for because of “health issues”; but what are these “health issues?”. Our first step in creating a healthy bulldog is defining and addressing the major “health issues” the bulldog suffers from. One of the most glaring issues that the bulldog breed suffers from is breathing issues. As we know, many bulldogs famously suffer from breathing issues...
7 tips to traveling with your bulldog Here are some tips and reminders for making travel easy and safe when you take your bully with you! 1. Visit the Vet To start, we recommend that you pay a visit to your veterinarian for a checkup. Make sure that your bully is up to date on all vaccinations, rabies and preventatives. Depending on the destination, you may need to have a health certificate for you bulldog. For instance, pets traveling to...
In a previous article, we wrote about what size of crate you should buy for your bulldog. Now, you will need to have a fundamental understanding of the dos and don’ts of crate training. Crating Philosophy When considering the natural habitation of a canine, often its home is a den, cave, or similar close-quartered shelter. They used this space as their home, to sleep, escape from danger, and raise their young. Obviously, your bulldog would not appreciate roughing it out...
One of the first steps in preparing for the arrival of your new bulldog puppy is purchasing a puppy crate. Here at Bruiser Bulldogs, we are big advocates for crate training (we will go into one important benefit of crate training later in this article), and selecting a proper crate is naturally a very important first step. Choosing the correct crate, the first time, can not only save you money and hassle; it can also jumpstart your potty training program. The...
The question comes up all of the time. Should you use a harness or a collar for your new bulldog?” Bulldog owners often wonder which style is the most comfortable, safe, and effective for their bulldog. The answer is actually somewhere in the middle. Both collars and harnesses are specific and useful tools that are effective in their own unique situations. Although collars are the most common choice, they may not be the best choice for all of your...
Entropion (inward rolling of the eyelid edges) This is a common eye problem that can occur early or later on in life and most commonly affects the lower eyelids. What is Entropion? Entropion can be found within any breed of dog but the problem often centers around a few, very specific breeds. It is very common to see entropion in breeds with wrinkled or over exaggerated facial folds… hmm sounds a lot like the bulldog. We all...
Interdigital cysts: (growth between the toes) Soft to firm fluid-filled swellings that form in the web of skin between the toes. Occasionally, these cysts will rupture or discharge their fluid. Many of you bully lovers out there have noticed small, wart-like cysts that occasionally pop up between one of your bulldog’s toes. It is first important to remember that these cysts, while troublesome, are not a critical threat to your bulldog’s life. This being said, cysts should be...
