Driver,

Sorry for busting your chops, let me see if I can help.

If I were in the market for a bulldog the first thing I would do is visit the Bulldog Club of America website:
http://www.thebca.org/

On the site, I would look for people in your area that are active in the club. It would appear they also have some sort of mentoring program:
http://thebca.org/bulldogmentors.html

Then I would look at the breeder referral list:
http://thebca.org/breedref.html

By getting in touch with mentors, breeders, and club members, I have no doubt that you will be able to find a fine reputable breeder, who confirms and health tests his stock.

I'm sure there are easier and less expensive ways to get a dog but this is the only method I would use. If you want to understand my process I'd be happy to explain it, but won't bore readers with the information who aren't interested.

Just remember, there as many ways to buy dogs as there are to buy cars. Saving some money in the short term might cost you more in the long term.

Breed clubs exist for a reason and at the very least, you can hope to be referred to someone who REALLY cares about the wellness of the breed and has interests in constantly trying to improve it with each liter.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.
B

GO DAWGS!!!!

OK
 

:popcorn:
http://www.akc.org/breeds/bulldog/
Just to clarify here, by English Bulldog you mean the short squatty ones. They, by reputation, have been overbred and bred into a corner. The owners want the wide front legs, recessed nose and protuding lower jaw. All these things can be health hazards affecting their walking, breathing and eating.
:thumbup: You might want to check into the American Bulldog. This breed is the closest representation of the original English Bulldog of the 1800's. The Am. BD is a fantastic animal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_bulldog
I have been aquainted with both breeds and end up feeling sorry for every Modern English BD I meet.:( They have big hearts and steady personalities but cannot even make 1 mile walk on a warm day.
I don't mean to offend with the above comments, just telling it like I see it and it is only my opinion.
Luv,
Lil Baby Knuckles

:iagree:
If you wanna do it, then do it right.

Hi,
I have an olde English Bulldog. She is going to be 2 this December and she is AWESOME! I prefer the olde english variant for the following reasons: She looks like a tough dog, she isnt mushy or resemble a melted marsh mellow, is lean and mean and has considerably less health issues then those of a regular bulldog (my friends have several). We got ours from a local breeder and couldn't be happier.

We have lots of little kids in the house, I am the father of 6 soon to be 7 and she is great with all of them. Even the little ones who like to try and ride her like a pony and pull at her ears. She just ignores them or gives a nice lick across the face which makes them laugh like crazy.

Now the the down sides: She snores (like you wont want her sleeping in your room), she likes stealing food (what dog doesnt), and oddly enough, if you put her in a kennel at night she will pee on anything you put in there. Mine is not the only one to do this either. I have talked to several bullie owners who say their dog does the same thing. Lastly she loves constant attention. You could rub her belly and pet her for 4 hours straight and she would look at you like "come on man!" if you stopped. Oh, and she is VERY stubborn! When shes not into listening she will ignore you like your not even there. But go ahead and whisper "want a cookie?" and all of a sudden she comes running like a bat of hell.

Here she is after some Christmas morning fun last year:

http://kimag.es/resizer/done/52132502.jpg


Hope this helps
BC

We have a 2 year old English Bulldog, and he is the love of my "dog" life...!

Yes he is a little smelly, and may fart, but is so precious.

As others above have posted, just make sure when you are looking at breeders, you dig in deep, and make sure they are reputable. Ask to see the mom/dad, and don't be afraid to ask about their previous litters and any health problems.

We had a small issue with our bullie in the beginning, with his skin, but turns out he was alergic to the grass in Tulsa, OK! lol, once he moved in with me full time, it was all good.

Have you spent any time around a bulldog before?

I love my Chi Chi, he is a wonderful dog!

The English Bulldog's have a lot of medical issues, their quite costly and have respiratory issues pretty much from day 1 I have heard. They are quite cute and seem to have great attitudes. One important note, besides the high medical costs is that many insurance policies have provisions that certain breeds (pit bulls etc) are factored in when determining a home's insurance cost. I'm not sure if English Bulldogs are in, but I know American Bull dogs are.

my advice is get a performance bulldog or a bull terrior/boston terrier if you are a responsible owner. I will always take performance dogs over pet breeds. my dog is CH UWPCH TT OFA-GOOD. and great with kids & old people ;)

http://formsite.us/willow.jpg

Well as long as people on the forum are trying to encourage you to get a bull terrier, I'd like to be the person who gives the opposing view.

It's not about being just a responsible owner, it's about being an extremely experienced and knowledgable handler. No casual pet owner should have one of these dogs. Only specialists with years and years of dog experience, handling, obedience, etc. should even consider one of these dogs.

And a Bull Terrier should NEVER be off leash or in multi dog enviornments.

Bull Terriers are the results of a cross between the Bull Dog and Terrier variety designed for one purpose, being better fighters. Of course we all know these dogs were developed to hunt and kill "Bulls and Bears" and were then later used to fight one another in blood sports that happened in "Pits"..

So regardless of how cute and cuddly they look or how good they are with people, these are dogs that were designed for one specific purpose, to be the best killer possible.

And while people have made them pets because of there often good nature around people:
a) they can and do sometimes snap
b) they are an extreme danger around other dogs.

So lets go further and discuss the fact that you might not be able to get homeowners insurance, that your god might kill another dog in the park, or maul your childs face. Do you really want to bring a bull terrier or a PIT fighting dog into your home and neighborhood? Or further support a breed that was only designed for it's ability to kill?