Bulldog Blog

I didn't intend to add anything today, but what happened this morning bears mentioning, if for no other reason than to insure that at least 'one' of these "Bulldog Blog" entries will be educational! I could share with you a most important 'recipe' now, but it might mean more to you after a few words of explanation. I'll make it short (??).

We awakened this morning as usual because the dogs were congregated outside our bedroom door reminding us that it was time to fill their breakfast bowls. Our day had begun; but upon opening the door, we were aware that there was an urgent need to interrupt our routine. There were eight faces outside that door, each attached to a body; and though the faces glowed with total innocence, someone's body was reeking with a smell only too identifiable. During the night, one of these darlings had ventured out through the doggy door into the night and had a rendezvous with something small, and white and black, and odiferous. And judging by the severity of offense, the meeting had been prolonged and of the up-close-and-personal type. I explained to the girls and to Little Man that mankind had found confession good for the soul; in silence they wagged their stubby little tails in confirmation of canine classification. With a grimace, I stepped forward and bent toward them ever so slightly, hoping to ascertain the guilty party from that distance. No luck. The only alternative was to hug them tightly in the customary morning greeting. Seven of them were pronounced innocent; one was . . . extremely guilty.

You've seen the t-shirts that say something to the effect that "PMS hit me today, and you'd better git otta my way!" Can be a fearful thing. So, is there anything worse than PMS in female humans? OH, YES: PMS in female dogs, and in my case: bulldogs. Gives a whole new meaning to the word 'bitches.'

We have 8 females: Our AKC girls are Fonyody Pitypang, Dazey, and Lucia our baby; and our CKC girls are Sugar di Soriel, Gianna di Soriel, Bama, LeeLee, and Idgy. At the present time, 7 of the 8 are either in a full-fledged heat cycle, just beginning a heat cycle, or seriously thinking about it. I will accept sympathy calls from any breeder who has survived this phenomenon of nature visited on so many females all living in the same house with their 'parents.' I know what you are thinking: this isn't a home, this is an asylum! Well, you are almost correct: just change 'asylum' to 'jail' and you will be absolutely correct. You see, we have crates (not necessarily color coordinated with room decor) in almost every room in a rather large house; these are for 'time out' sessions when cooperation doesn't happen to be on anyone's mind at any time during that particular day.

Every six months, during cycle time, we seem to have high-occupancy rates in crates; in fact, today I could have put out a 'NO VACANCY' sign! Let me give you an example of how personality can change during this particular time; there is no better case study than our sweet, gentle Fonyody Pitypang. This little two-year-old female can almost . . . smile. THAT is how pleasant she is by nature. And not only that, but when one of the females who is a bit more 'alpha' than Pitypang walks past her, Pitypang can hit the deck faster than a submarine can dive! Now, with that image of subservient Fonyody Pitypang in your mind, compare the following pictures of a 'normal' Pitypang . . . to a "PMS" Pitypang. From a lamb to a lion? From Dr. Jeckl to Mr. Hyde?

Oh, well . . . this will be over soon. But, it will come around again in about six months, give or take a few weeks; and then it will be breeding time. In order to have all those precious little faces in the fall, we have to endure some 'out-of-sorts' future mothers. But for now, 'move over Pitypang; think I'll crawl in the crate with you and let 'em . . . duke it out.'

Most English bulldog babies come into existence via AI, or artificial insemination. Semen that is inseminated into the female can be transported in fresh, chilled, or frozen form. If the breeder only owns females, as do we, then the location of the stud dog determines the 'type' of semen received. Semen from the Italian stud Nobozz Smirnoff Ice quite naturally comes in frozen form. This particular semen is collected from Ice by a veterinarian who owns Canine Reproduction Services (located in Milan, but the company operates throughout Europe). His assistant is a most capable woman who handles all the necessary paperwork; the pressure under which she operates is unbelieveable, and just as unbelieveable is the number of languages in which she must be fluent. The semen is frozen there at the veterinarian's facilities, stored and then packed in a container filled with liquid nitrogen; the container is flown to an airport near the breeder, and UPS delivers the container to the veterinarian who will perform the insemination. Now, IF you want the resulting litter to be AKC registered, then not just 'any' veterinarian can do the job! Only veterinarians (and their facilities) who have been approved by the American Kennel Club, after a vigorous on-site inspection, can receive the semen, store it, and then perform the insemination. And after the hoped-for litter is born, get ready to furnish the AKC a sizeable amount of paperwork, from both the approved veterinary center and from the collection center in the country of semen origin. Want an example of just one 'piece of credentialing' that the AKC will require? Okay, here's one: You must submit with the "Application for Registering a Litter from Frozen Semen," several pieces of documentation, one of which is a DNA test from the stud. Nobozz Smirnoff Ice had in place, of course, a DNA test certificate from a leading laboratory in Europe; however, the AKC will only accept DNA certification performed by their official lab located in Davis, California. A test kit had to be purchased, sent to Ice' s owner in Italy, swab samples collected, and the test kit returned to the AKC in Raleigh, NC, and then forwarded on to Davis, CA. I am NOT complaining! I absolutely believe in validating the identify and preserving the quality of a litter produced from a stud, no matter his location. When a breeder wants to create a certain little puppy, no process is too laborious.

Now that the 'public service information' above has been delivered, you might be ready for a little breeding-related levity. Our LeeLee is currently keeping breeding appointments with Amasio. Amasio, being the regal gentleman that he is (has his own room kept at 65 degrees year round and eats food prepared for him as though he were royalty), doesn't appear for 'work' immediately. And although he likes to keep his ladies waiting, he does have a friend who initially greets them to 'set the mood' for what is to come. Below, please meet "King" Amasio . . . and his 'warm-up' buddy, Romeo.

I have donned my armor and made sure there is room for millions of messages on my cell phone and e-mail account, so . . . go ahead! Read this and then let me have it!!! Throw those spears, and blast away with your words. I'm old and made tough through time and experience; you won't hurt me, I assure you. Philosophically, each of us is entitled to an opinion. And the following is . . . mine.

What on earth am I talking about? Oh, a controversy that is probably one of the hottest beds of contention in the English bulldog breeding world. [Doesn't apply 'only' to English bulldogs, but this breed is the one with which I am most familiar.] And that volatile point of view is: IS there a place in this world for an English bulldog that is not a 'purebred'? Now, right off the bat, I will tell you that I am NOT referring to a "mini-bulldog"; in my opinion, that is pushing the HEALTH envelope a bit too far! Okay, I've already entered the mine field; I might as well trudge on.

The modern-day AKC-registered English bulldog is NOT what the breed was in the first couple of decades of the 20th century; English bulldogs then were much larger than they are now; 'that' was the breed standard! (My grandfather raised English bulldogs way back then; so 'yes,' I know this to be a fact.) I have discussed this issue in other places on my website, so I won't elaborate further here. Suffice to say that the breed was made much smaller by crossing it with a pug. [Does your AKC-registered bulldog snore loudly? Probably. Why? The pug, a much smaller dog and in no way related to the English bulldog, gave the breed a shortened trachea. Does your English bulldog have some spinal problems? It might. Why? Same reason.] BUT, just know that the standard for the AKC-registered English bulldog is much different today than a hundred years ago. AND, if someone has an AKC-registered English bulldog, is this 'really' a purebred? "All the way back" a purebred? "How far back" a purebred? Do ALL the AKC-registered English bulldogs look just alike? They don't, do they. Can you not see 'other' breeds in them? Experienced breeders can identify these breeds, quite easily.

So, am I 'attacking' the American Kennel Club? No! I am not. I am simply saying that a purebred registration doesn't always mean 100%, not even if the dog is AKC registered! Do I believe in the strict recordkeeping required by the AKC? ABSOLUTELY. I am only pointing out the fact that an English bulldog that is 'very' high percentage English bulldog (can be as much as 90% or greater) will NOT be allowed registration by the American Kennel Club. And that is okay!! This dog WILL be allowed registration by the Continental Kennel Club (CKC, not to be confused with the Canadian Kennel Club), who sponsors performance competitions, not competion in the show ring according to conformation standards as does the AKC. And, though the above explanation is simplistic, that is what a "CKC-registered" English bulldog is, in a nutshell.

And now HERE IS THE IMPORTANT PART: Does this mean that a CKC-registered English bulldog is 'lesser' than an AKC-registered English bulldog? Does it? NO, a thousand times NO! In fact, a CKC-registered English bulldog very likely has a significant health advantage over an AKC! And why is that? Well, whatever 'other' breed with which these English bulldogs have been crossed (neopolitan, mastif, Staffordshire bull terrier, etc.) has given them a longer, wider trachea and therefore a stronger respiratory system! You won't hear a snoring symphony coming from these dogs! And if you need your dog to stay outside, then the CKC-registered English bulldog will be able to do that! MOST AKC-registered English bulldogs must have C-sections; CKC-registered dogs do not. And why is that? They are, usually, a bit larger. Compare the two English bulldogs in the picture below:

Our Gianna is from our CKC line; Fonyody Pitypang is AKC registered. Gianna's sire is an import English bulldog from Italy from the Soriel Bulldogs; her paternal grandfather was shown and blew away his competition! These dogs were registered by the FCI-ENCI, registration that is the equivalent of our American Kennel Club; that registration would have easily transferred to the AKC, but the owner/breeder did not choose to do that. Gianna's dam had lineage back to the Soriel dogs, but her line had been crossed with the neopolitan breed. She is, therefore, not AKC registered; but she is a beauty in our strong, healthy CKC line. And our Fonyody Pitypang? Is she healthy? This young Hungarian import female has many champions in her pedigree, but she has an amazingly healthy respiratory system. So, let me quickly add here that not ALL AKC-registered English bulldogs have health problems!! They do not! BUT, if there 'are' going to be health problems, the AKC's likely will have them more readily than the CKC's.

I hope the above will help explain the difference in the two registrations (there are likely far more similarities than there are differences!). IS there a place for both? Well, let me ask you: Are there some families who truly want an English bulldog, who want that wonderful, loving personality the breed possesses but who need their dog to be able to stay outside the greater part of the day or year round? Are there some families who want an English bulldog, but they want a dog that can play outside with children and go on long walks with everyone? The answer to those questions is a definite YES. Conversely, are there people who want an English bulldog and who need the dog to stay inside, and there is little time for exercise? Are there people who love to show their dogs and want to be able to enter conformation competitions? The answer to those questions is a definite YES, as well. SO!! IS there a place for both the CKC-registered English bulldog, AND the AKC-registered English bulldog? I say . . . THERE IS. What the potential buyer must decide is the following: WHAT IS YOUR PRIORITY? WHAT DO YOU NEED YOUR DOG TO BE ABLE TO DO? And if you want the 'bottom line,' ask yourself this: IF you had to prioritize 'size of the bulldog' or 'health of the bulldog,' which would be first? Most people would say 'health'; but, if you say 'size,' that is FINE! That is your choice based on the desires and needs of your family. And I am not saying you can't have both size and health: it certainly 'is' possible. And if you want the 'very bottom line,' heed the following: In choosing a CKC-registerable puppy, you need to be CAREFUL; in choosing an AKC-registerable puppy, you must be VERY careful. That's about as basic as I can get.

Okay, so go on down and buy the materials you'll need to make the pipe bomb you intend to send to me. And from now on when UPS delivers a package, I'll have to listen for a ticking noise, but that's okay. THAT'S how much I love my bulldogs . . . BOTH my AKC and my CKC children; I value them equally.

I am certain that at one time in your life, you have been asked, "If you could be an animal, what would you be?" I always remember saying that I would want to be a bird so that I could fly around 'up there' and glide along on air currents. I even went skydiving when I was 52 years old just to see what flying would be like! And for someone who has a fairly decent fear of heights, that was a major undertaking. Evidently, at that time I wanted to be a bird REALLY badly!

One of our girls decided this week that she wanted to be a cow; if only I had thought to reach for my camera on the way out the door to find her, I would have visual evidence of her desire. Unfortunately, I was in a blind panic and didn't think at that moment that I might could use a photo of my neophyte 'Bossy.' Which one of our ladies quite evidently wanted to change from a canine to a bovine? I'll post her baby picture here: This is Gianna at about 4

months. Now, with a precious face like that, WHY would you EVER want to change? And how do I know she prefers to run with a hooved herd? She left home . . . to join them.

Our girls live inside the house with us; they go through a doggy door at will to play in the back yard (securely fenced, of course). They are never allowed out the front door and into the front yard. The only time they go out the front door is when we harness them and take them on walks in our neighborhood. They DO know the routine route, however. Gianna has evidently been eyeing a cow population grazing contentedly behind a fenced area just down the road in our subdivision. And so when the front door was left carelessly ajar just a crack, Gianna knew this was her chance. She evidently hit a bee-line for that pen of bovine ladies because her door of opportunity was narrow indeed, literally and figuratively.

When Gianna did not return to our pleas of "Here, Gianna! Where are you, Gianna?", we jumped into our reconnaissance vehicles and headed in opposite directions, not knowing which direction she might have taken. After a fruitless search, we came back to the house, more panicked than ever, to continue our search on foot. I found Gianna within five minutes. Where was she, and how did I find her? Well, as I passed by the pen of cattle, one of the herd looked . . . smaller, though her head was to the ground and she was eating grass with the best of them. And her color was a bit different: the other members of the party were black or solid red, and yet one of them--the short one-- was red and white and green. Green? Yes . . . . green. When Gianna made her escape, she was only red and white. What had happened to my sweet baby in such a short period of time that would have added a whole new hue!

I called and called for Gianna to come; she knew we were there because she raised her head and took a couple of steps toward us. But she did not leave her newly joined family willingly! Only after constant coaxing and cajoling did she come to us. And when she reached us, the green was only too identifiable. All I need to say is the following: "Why do dogs love to roll in manure?"

I have always heard that one possible answer lies in the fact that the dog is trying to hide its own scent; it is trying to be invisible; it just wants to be one of the bunch! Well, try hard as Gianna may, she can never be one of 'that' bunch. She came on home with us, wistfully casting a glance or two behind. The first order of the day when we got inside the house was to rid her of the wearing of the green. Must have used half a bottle of shampoo before she was once again only a two-toned bulldog. Yes, she still smells a bit. This afternoon I looked out back and she was sitting in the wading pool; I could only see her shoulders and head. That is unusual for her, not to be 'in' the pool, but for her to be sitting there. I have a feeling that she has had enough of being a cow IF a cow smells like that! She may forget though, when she hears those lowing tones of enticement. I may need to brand her . . . just in case.

Are you familiar with the reality television show, "Wife Swap"? I'll have to admit that the first time I heard of the series, I thought that we as a country had finally flipped if a network was airing a show featuring 'swingers.' Though I have watched the show only a couple of times, I now know that 'swaping wives' involves the performance of household duties only.

Armed with but a rudimentary familiarity with the show's premise, I felt some trepidation in opening an e-mail from a producer of "Wife Swap." At first I though the message was another piece of spam, junk, bulk, garbage; however, the more I read, the more I realized this offer was legitimate! And the offer, should I accept, was . . . $20,000, and that is a LOT of . . . dogfood! The producer explained that they wanted to do a show that would require one 'wife' to come into a household where there were several dogs who lived just as though they were children. (My mind's eye quickly saw June Clever of "Leave It To Beaver" driving up to our home; that poor woman . . .) I would imagine when the producer saw the name of our website, www.ourbulldogchildren.com, she must have thought, "This has GOT to be my lucky day!"

So . . . what did I have to do to be able to buy all this dogfood? Well, I had to open our household to the new wife, and to several technicians armed with cameras, lights, and cables for a period of approximately two weeks. I wasn't sure where "I" would go and what I would encounter 'there,' but I did know what my replacement would encounter here! You've heard people say that immediately prior to a disaster their lives flash before their eyes? Well, that is not far removed from what happened here: a panaramic picture of my entire day zoomed through with a speed sufficient to make my head spin on my shoulders! We have twelve dogs in this house (nine bulldogs, two shih tzus, and one miniature French poodle); in anybody's book, this is a pack!! WE manage quite well because we practice Dog Management, Advanced Level, continually; but, for an unsuspecting 'wife' coming into a completely strange environment, what would result would be nothing short of a catastrophe. Let me see if I can make words paint a picture for you; I think I can accomplish this feat using only five words: "LOTS AND LOTS OF BLOOD."

Now, I am well aware that television executives must be creative in order to produce programs that contain captivating content. I have no doubt that this household would have provided some unsuspecting 'wife' with a totally new experience. I have no doubt that someone tuning in to our particular episode would have been entertained by watching this poor soul trying to survive. And I have no doubt whatsoever that this woman would have returned home with a whole new appreciation for her clean, calm, dogless household. However, I did decline the producer's offer within a period of less than ten minutes of having received the invitation. I just did NOT want to be responsible for the total breakdown of another human being. Besides, what mother leaves her babies in the care of a stranger? Not this one!!

Would you like to see just 'one' of the pictures that 'zoomed'?? Here it is!!

It is going to come as no surprise at all that I believe there is NO breed like a bulldog! They just have one problem: they can't breathe. Well, they CAN breathe, but . . . if you have an AKC bulldog, you'd better be VERY careful when your little short-nosed bully goes outside in the heat and humidity. If you are not careful, depending on how long the dog is outside, the type of weather you are having, and what the dog is doing while he or she is outside, you'll find your dog lying on its back, four feet up in the air, and it won't be playing--it will be resting, permanently. Such is what almost happened to us this week!

Now, I am usually with our bulldogs most all the time; if I am not right there beside them, I am monitoring their activities closely. That kind of supervision is not an option when you have a pack of dogs living together. Rare is the household who can boast of having several dogs in close quarters who do not occasionally suffer rather severe snarls. However, when you have a new mother and eight babies (one week old) in one nursery room, another soon-to-deliver female in the second nursery room, and everyone else wanting his or her fair share of attention (now THAT is a bulldog for you!!), you can expect some near-911 situations. And 'this' is how we almost lost our Fonyody Pitypang; the tragedy that loss would have represented is inestimable.

The catalyst was a squirrel. John and I take great pride in raising our wonderful puppies; however, if truth be known, we very likely raise an annual crop of squirrels whose quality rivals our bulldog babies! We have two large pecan trees in the backyard; the abundant nuts provide all the nutrition a mama squirrel could possibly need to produce several hundred offspring a season. For a time, we ardently protected the rights to our trees; but when pie tins hanging from the branches, squirrel guards on the trunks, and owl balloons peeking down from the highest limbs deterred nary a prancing-tailed rodent, we waved the white flag. Let them have the pecans; we are too old and tired to fight.

Easter this year brought not only ducks and rabbits and chickens; but along came the squirrels, who could not wait to survey the potential crop to be harvested come autumn. There is one other created being who detests maurading squirrels worse than John and I, and that is a bulldog, or at least our bulldogs . . . and especially Fonyody Pitypang. I do not know how long Pitypang had been circling the tree, just as a hound would after a fox. In the heat and humidity of South Texas, her 'hunt' would not have had to span a time period of more than a few minutes. When I came out of the nursery from caring for the babies, there stood Pitypang, in evident distress. Her tongue was at full extension, and she was gasping for air; with the panic I felt, so was I. I quickly doused her with water and put her directly in front of a large fan whose high volume almost blew her across the room. And then I remembered what I had read: "When you have a bulldog with breathing problems, RUN FOR THE LEMON JUICE!!!!" I had bought two bottles, just for an emergency of this nature. Quickly I filled a syringe with the magic yellow elixir and released the bitter-as-gall liquid down Pitypang's throat. IMMEDIATELY she ceased the heavy panting and within a minute, she was breathing normally. Now, I will tell you that she did have a 'sour persimmon look' on her face, and she was looking at me with furrowed brows, but . . . she could breathe!!! I honestly feel that without the lemon juice, our precious girl would have succumbed that very day to heat exhaustion (and Pitypang has an excellent respiratory system for an AKC English bulldog). IF YOU OWN A BULLDOG, YOU MUST OWN A BOTTLE OF LEMON JUICE! It can save your special friend's life!!

I heard someone on t.v. say this morning that this was Friday, August 10! WHAT??? It can't be!! What happened to the rest of May? And all of June and July?? THIS is August!!?? Oh, my goodness . . . this is far worse than I thought! The last time I wrote in this blog was May 10th; where have I been? Now, I may have lost track of time, but I DO know what happened!! I HAD TWO LITTERS OF PUPPIES, THREE WEEKS APART! No, I don't mean I had two females who each had a litter of puppies; I MEAN THAT 'I' , PERSONALLY, HAD TWO LITTERS OF PUPPIES!!! At least, THAT is what it feels like!

Superwoman here didn't think an additional pair of hands would be needed; words from experienced breeders fell on deaf ears. But, HAD I listened to sage advice, I would not be emerging from a catatonic state. Perhaps 'catatonic' is not the correct category, however. Being in a stupor does allow one to move . . . and if I have been doing 'anything,' it IS moving. Well, more succinctly . . . running . . . from one nursery complete with mother and 8 babies, to the other nursery, occupied identically. There WAS no sleep! When the sun peeped over the horizon each morning and a new day began, I made a feeble attempt to lift my wretched body from the 'dime-store' mattress on which I was sleeping beside the whelping box, and peer over the side to count puppies. I must have counted those puppies at least a hundred times a day! There were supposed to be eight (in each whelping box, but in separate nursery rooms, of course); and when I counted and didn't reach 'eight,' panic set in! WHERE WAS THAT LAST BABY?? Was it under its mom? Had I drifted off to sleep and the baby had perished underneath its mother? (During the first couple of weeks, you do NOT leave the babies AT ALL!!! Even if you have to go to the bathroom, you put the babies in a basket and take them with you!!) And what relief to count noses again and find that indeed there were eight babies there! And feeding time? Oh, my goodness! When mama begins to wean her babies, it is time for cereal, and then kibble moistened and blended, and then kibble moistened, and then progressing to dry kibble. Do you know that for a time there, there was somebody or something EATING around here every hour of the day, and part of the night! Well, everybody ate except John . . . poor John: toward the end of the most intense period, he had Cassius' 'lean and hungry look' oozing from every pore.

But, one nursery is now empty; and the second holds only two babies waiting to go to their new homes. I have time to rest; time to sit and play with those two little ones; time to run to the store while they are sleeping, but I'm not at all certain I enjoy the silence. I open the door to the empty nursery room, and no one bounds across the room to greet me; there are no food bowls to fill, no waterers to clean; no toys to sanitize. I miss their little smiles, I miss all their kisses. Is raising babies hard work? Absolutely! Worth it ALL? A THOUSAND TIMES OVER!! I cannot WAIT for the next litter of babies!!! My rocking chair is still . . . and it needs to be moving. And so do I.

Just how sick is this world!!!! And just WHO is the sicker: the mercenistic lowlife who produces these films, or the uncivilized, sorry-excuse-for-humanity sicko who buys them!!! I'd say they are just about equal. What am I talking about? Well, let me tell you. It will repulse you. (You can certainly verify online what I am about to tell you! BUT, be careful and be CERTAIN you have a good anti-virus program installed!! These sites are so 'filthy' that had I not had adequate software protection, one of the sites would have been a source of harmful virus infection! Thankfully, I was 'cleansed' of this . . . corruption.)

I receive many e-mails from people all over the United States (and elsewhere!); ninety-nine percent are WONDERFUL people who want to ask about the possibility of bringing a puppy into their home. And I welcome all questions and inquiries. However, I recently received 'one' e-mail that has been unlike any other; and I hope to NEVER have that experience repeated. A prospective owner wanted to buy my little male, Lorenzo. If you knew this precious little boy, knew his gentle heart, and could see the innocence expressed in his loving little eyes, then you would know why "Crush's Films'" apparent reason to buy Lorenzo is anathema to me. These people HAVE to be the very essence of evil, Satan personified. And now, if you can bear a more detailed explanation of the reason for Crush Film's existence, read on . . .

From Wikipedia: "Also known as 'animal snuff films', crush films are basically footage of small animals such as insects, mammals (especially rodents) and possibly reptiles being crushed . . . These are underground productions which people supposedly buy for sexual pleasure, but due to the pain dealt to animals as a result, these films have been made illegal in some regions. The legality of crush erotica and the actual practice of crushing varies by region. There are currently no known laws forbidding the crushing of objects and insects, however the production or trade of crush erotica involving live vertebrates is condemned by animal rights activists and is illegal in many countries including the US and Great Britain. As witnessed on online message boards and chat rooms, crush fetishists usually take a firm stance for or against what they define as 'hard crush' (crush erotica containing the death and torture of animals)."

Apparently, some degenerates do not observe the laws (but with a wicked heart and mind, WHY would they???!!!!). An online ad posted August 9, 2007, states, "I am a local artist who makes "crush" films. If you are interested in purchasing custom made crush videos, and want more information . . .please contact me. I DO NOT participate in animal stomping, just straight foot fetish "crushing." Serious enquiries (sic) only!"

And in China? Peta2.com reports the following: "As if China's cruel fur trade wasn't appalling enough, now there's this: Recently a video has been circulating online showing a woman in high heels stepping on and killing a small puppy. This cruel clip is part of a sick fetish known as "crush videos." . . . We need your help to convince the Chinese government to take steps to stop such cruel videos from being made."

SO . . .WHY WOULD CRUSH FILMS BE CONTACTING ME, WANTING TO BUY MY LORENZO??????? What do YOU think????? I know what "I" think!!! And I am repulsed, outraged, and furious. THEY what to buy my little boy, MY LORENZO???? They want to film while some woman steps on his precious, innocent little head and crushes it!!!!???? My words to you, after "Go to Hades" is "OVER MY DEAD BODY" . . . and I mean that quite literally.

If you are a breeder, and you are reading this: PLEASE do diligent research to SEE who might be wanting your babies! Hopefully this will never happen to you, but . . . it did to me. I HAVE to do what I can to STOP THESE CRUEL, EVIL PEOPLE!!!!

Let me preface this episode by saying that our sweet, funny Dazey went to the vet two weeks ago, a trip of about 4 miles. In the whole 3 minutes it took us to get to Dr. House's office, hyperventilation was progressing rapidly. We live in a very quiet subdivision where the lots are about 3.5 acres in size; we don't have 'close' neighbors. And since Dazey is an "AKC" English bulldog, and she lives in South Texas, she stays inside most of the time. Though she is extremely friendly, her exposure to the outside world is minimal. And, though she is right with us ALL the time, (her nighttime crate is right beside our bed!) her opportunities for car rides are limited. Therein lay a monumental problem for . . . Miss Dazey.

You see, Miss Dazey has an appointment with Dr. Timothy Thompson in Marble Falls VERY soon; Nobozz Smirnoff Ice's semen is on "ice" (!!) there, waiting for her! And Marble Falls is about an hour away . . . and an hour back. And if Miss Dazey could not make 3 minutes to Dr. House's office, HOW was she EVER going to arrive in Marble Falls in the 'calm' condition needed? There was only one way: John's job would be driving Miss Dazey every day until she adjusted to movement on wheels. How long would this take? Well, considering the degree of discomfort on the initial ride . . . a LONG time! John and Dazey and I (John driving, and Dazey doing her best to sit in my lap!) left here one day last week for our maiden training trip. I was proud of all of us; we survived!! With constant reassuring and plenty of caressing, Dazey's panting went from a 10 (on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the level just before passing out) a couple miles down the road, to . . .oh, about a "6" by the time we pulled up in our driveway and let Miss Dazey out. She took off like a rocket for the garage door where she put her nose in the crack of the door, waiting for us to let her in!!!! We were already dreading the second of what we thought would be a series of similar, stressfilled trips.

To our HUMONGOUS surprise this morning, as John was leaving for work, Miss Dazey darted out the door and beat him to his pickup!!! The pictures will tell the rest of the story!! Evidently, Miss Dazey decided that rolling along on wheels was pretty neat after all. I believe when the time comes for us to head northwest for Marble Falls, there will be one female bulldog who will . . . load herself.

CAVEAT EMPTOR, DELUXE . . . Translation: 'Buyer Beware, Big Time'!! I cannot emphasize strongly enough (in fact, I should put this particular blog edition completely in RED, and I would but 'red' is a little hard on the eyes) that you MUST DEMAND that the breeder furnish you with a DNA CERTIFICATE on both the sire AND the dam of the puppy that you are thinking about choosing for your home!! I was told that there is deception beyond belief in the dog world among breeders; I was told that breeders will show a picture of the mother of the puppies, but it will not be; I was told that semen can be 'mixed' in an AI (artificial insemination) from two different males; I was told that unfeeling, greedy breeders will breed on each cycle (2 a year, usually) without allowing the mother to heal and rest her body; I was told that mothers as young as 9 months are bred and have their first little ones while the mother herself is still a relative baby; I was told that . . . well, I'm not certain you want to hear any more. In light of this irresponsible behavior: no care for the health of the baby; no care for the health of the mother; no concern whatsoever for the family placing their trust in the breeder to tell them the truth, I ADAMANTLY say that YOU MUST DEMAND A DNA CERTIFICATE FROM YOUR BREEDER!! Is that certificate going to guarantee that the breeder cares about anything other than the money?? NO, but . . . a DNA certificate will at least START to make them accountable; it will be at least SOMETHING that you can use to verify the parentage of the puppy you purchase. AND IF THE BREEDER REFUSES TO DNA HIS OR HER DOGS, THEN YOU NEED TO GO ELSEWHERE. IF A BREEDER REFUSES TO DNA, THEN THAT IS THE SAME THING AS A RED FLAG THAT WAVES BRISKLY IN THE AIR AND SAYS, "SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT." CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!!!!!!

Is your bulldog too fat despite your best efforts to alleviate the problem? Does your bulldog snore loudly? Then, you need to read this carefully; the two can go hand in hand!

We took our beautiful, though roly-poly, Dazey for insemination a little over a month ago. One of the best veterinarians in the country (canine reproduction specialist, approved by the AKC for foreign semen insemination), Dr. Timothy Thompson of Hope Animal Clinic in Marble Falls, TX, examined Dazey and then came out to speak with us. He advised that we NOT inseminate Dazey at this time because 'she was too heavy.' Now, I had 'had' Miss Dazey on a weight reduction program for some time, but purebreds are not the most active bulldogs around; and, in my own estimation, I had not had sufficient success. Dr. Thompson agreed. What was the danger? Death . . . to the mother and the babies.

Very recently, a beautiful young female (and her babies) died the day before her C-section was scheduled. She was too heavy, and the growing babies pressed against her heart; the stress was too great. When Dr. Thompson told us about this tragedy, we could not GET Dazey out of there fast enough! She would be a virgin the rest of her life!!! However, that drastic action would not be necessary; we simply had to reduce Dazey's weight. But HOW would we DO that? I had tried the prescription diet kibble from veterinarians' clinics; it had fiber and the dog felt 'full,' but we had not been successful with that regimen. Our Dazey was at least 15 pounds overweight. We, and she, needed help! Dr. Thompson recommended "Slentrol," which is an appetite suppressant, and a dog kibble based on the Adkin's diet plan. He also told us that weight reduction 'might' help considerably with Dazey's breathing!

One month after Dazey began her dosage of Slentrol (and it has a really nice taste) and began her 3 cups a day of "Veterinary Exclusive, Calorie Control CC, High Protein" kibble by Royal Canine, she is down 10 pounds!! And do we notice any difference in her actions? OH, YES!! She now bounds across the backyard (okay, she . . . 'lopes a bit'; but she never even loped before!). AND the greatest difference we notice is that Dazey has ceased to snore!!!!!! She sleeps in her crate in our bedroom, so we have ample opportunity to monitor her sleeping habits. Prior to the weight loss, Dazey snored LOUDLY; she could be heard in other rooms! And now? She 'purrs,' lightly. What a difference these two products have made.

DAZEY IS SO MUCH MORE HEALTHY THAN SHE WAS!! IF your bulldog snores loudly, and if he/she is overweight, please ask your veterinarian about "Slentrol." One objection to this magic elixir is that the dog doesn't seem to enjoy its food. Well, perhaps it has been enjoying its food 'too much.' When the weight of your beloved dog is where it should be, you can monitor food intake and keep the weight down. You do NOT have to use Slentrol forever!

We will inseminate Dazey during her next heat cycle; she will be at normal weight and ready to house safely the babies of Nobozz Smirnoff Ice. I cannot WAIT to see these little ones!! Our precious, precious Dazey, sweet, sweet girl that she is, depends on US to care for her . . . and we will! She is SO much more than a . . . puppy maker. She is our little girl.

was in his office. There was a serious problem: six precious little babies had managed to implant very close to Gianna's heart. Dr. Thompson of Hope Animal Clinic in Marble Falls, tried so hard to stabilize her to give her, and therefore her babies, just one more day; but when the heartrate continued to climb, he had no choice but to do an emergency C-section about 8 p.m. that night even though the babies were being born almost a week early. Dr. Thompson's staff worked diligently to stimulate the babies; their little noses and feet turned pink and they were doing well in their doctor's incubator. About two hours later, we brought the babies and their very groggy mother, home. Two of the babies were not nearly as developed as the other four. We tried desperately to save these two little bulldogs: one was a male, the other a female. By the end of the second day, we had lost them. Right then and there, we vowed that NEVER again would we bring babies into this world unless we had EVERYTHING at our disposal that was needed to give them every chance to survive. Although the arrival of our new incubator just one week later could not save those two beautiful babies, it was there should a situation like that ever occur again.

Our incubator is equipped with controls for heat, humidity, and oxygen. It gives the little ones optimum opportunity for adjustment to life outside their mother. Though we didn't really need it with our LeeLee's litter in April, we used it! The babies thrived in that paradise for the first three days; I took them out when it was feeding time every three hours, and they bonded with their mother well during those hours. This also gave LeeLee time to rest. We would take nothing for this wonderful piece of technology. Yes, it was expensive, but there IS no monetary value that can be placed on the life of tiny baby who entered this life because of 'you' . . . and depended on 'you' to help it live! A breeder has responsibility not only to the families who place their trust in that person, but also to the precious babies they bring into this world. And if we do have a baby again who is not able to live, then it will be not be because of 'us' . . . not ever again.

I recently received an e-mail that needs to be shared; the life of your dog could be at stake. The problem is an ingredient in sugar-free gum, 'xylitol,' that, although not harmful at all for humans (in fact, it has been shown to be extremely beneficial), can be lethal for a dog. Following is the text of the message about . . . xylitol.

"Warning to all dog owners; please pass this on to everyone you can. Last Friday evening, I arrived home from work, fed Chloe, our 24 lb. dachshund, just as I normally do. Ten minutes later I walked into the den just in time to see her head inside the pocket of Katie's friend's purse. She had a guilty look on her face, so I looked closer and saw a small package of sugar-free gum. It contained xylitol. I remembered that I had recently read that sugar-free gum can be deadly for dogs, so I jumped online and looked to see if xylitol was the ingredient . . . I called our vet. She said to bring her in immediately. Unfortunately, it was still rush hour and it took me almost half an hour to get there. Meanwhile, since this was her first case, our vet found a website to figure out the treatment. She took Chloe and said they would induce her to vomit, give her a charcoal drink to absorb the toxin (even though they don't think it works), then they would start an IV with dextrose. The xylitol causes dogs to secrete insulin, so their blood sugar drops very quickly. The second thing that happens is liver failure. If that happens, even with aggressive treatment, it can be difficult to save them. She told us she would call us. Almost two hours later, the vet called and said that contents of her stomach contained 2-3 gum wrappers and that her blood sugar had dropped from 90 to 59 in thirty minutes. She wanted us to take Chloe to another hospital that has a critical care unit operating around the clock. We picked her up and took her there. They had us call the ASPCA poison control for a case number and, for a donation, their doctors would direct Chloe's doctor on treatment. They would continue the IV, monitor her blood every other hour and then in two days, test her liver function. She ended up with a central line in her jugular vein since the one in her leg collapsed, just as our regular vet had feared. Chloe spent almost the entire weekend in the critical care hospital. After her blood sugar was stabilized, she came home yesterday. They ran all the tests again before they released her and, so far, there is no sign of liver damage. Had I not seen her head in the purse, she probably would have died and we wouldn't even have known why. Three vets told me this weekend that they were amazed that I even knew about it since they are first learning about it, too. Please tell everyone you know about xylitol and dogs. "

Our bulldogs depend on us to protect them, and it is our responsibility to know all the dangers that could take them from us.

Although most all breeds have a somewhat supercharged inquisitive gene, a bulldog seems to have a penchant for looking for everything it should not find and deserves a blue ribbon for its ability to get this 'no-no' in its mouth. One of my favorite snacks 'used' to be raisins; now, I don't even keep them in the house (you even have to be careful of raisins in cookies). (Grapes I eat only at the table.) Tomatoes? Onions? Bulldogs cannot have them; they can be toxic. Now, just how 'many' would have to be consumed before real danger was a concern? I would imagine several, BUT that risk should not be taken. Wild onions growing out in our yards are worse than white onions we have inside. Chocolate? Can't have that either! In fact, if the food/drink contains caffeine, then dogs can't have it. Macademia nuts and walnuts? No. Corn on the cob is a definite negative (cob in intestines; goodness gracious, don't even want to think about it!) Animal fat and fried foods, not good either! Bones (only raw; can get these at a butcher shop); other 'cooked' bones can splinter and cause serious problems. Rawhide? Surely not best; ALWAYS supervise ANY bone eating! So, what can a dog have who must be inside because of heat/cold and is experiencing cabin fever? The best pass-time toy is a kong stuffed with peanut butter/meat/cheese and then frozen. And make sure the kong is large enough that it cannot be swallowed! (An excellent resource for suggestions in this area, and most all other areas as well, is www.caninecare.com. )

And foods are not the dog owner's only concern: be careful of antifreeze, glue, electrical cords, socks and underwear, and toys with parts that can be chewed off and ingested. Dr. Jon at petproducts.com publishes a daily newsletter that gives excellent suggestions, such as those just given. True, Dr. Jon also advises buying pet insurance and other products through that site, but those purchases are totally optional. His advice is free.

Ownership of a dog, and especially ownership of a bulldog, requires recognition and acceptance of responsibilities. Sometimes at the end of the day, I think, "Now, just what have I accomplished this day?" And oftentimes an answer eludes me. But then, I think, "Well, I have taken good care of my dogs; they know I love them and they are happy." And . . . . . that is enough.