Because we are relatively new breeders (and how we wish we had begun this endeavor years ago), a bit of personal information is perhaps in order. My husband works with me as an equal partner in raising our bullies. He is a wildlife biologist, and his Ph.D. was earned with a major in vertebrate ecology and a minor in evolutionary genetics. Currently, his work with white-tailed deer is related to how the physical features of an animal are influenced by genetics. His professional training enabled us to make educated selections when purchasing our females as babies, and then in choosing the studs that will be used as breeding time approaches. I am a retired secondary school teacher who developed an infinite amount of patience over two decades; that asset has served me well in living with and being responsible for the daily raising of these energetic babies, now adults. In the early 1920's, my maternal grandfather raised English bulldogs (large-sized dogs in those days!) on his farm in North Central Texas; they worked with him in the fields as he herded his cattle and mules. The two that were his favorites were two white males, Buster and Tige. I think he would be most approving of my current endeavor; perhaps we have come full circle.
Are there not enough dogs in this world without a new breeder coming along to add to the population? The answer to that would be a definite "Yes," IF the kind of dog produced were just 'any' dog, or 'any' bulldog. We don't believe our dogs fit that classification Our bullies can provide a HEALTHY companion for those who prefer the loving, loyal characteristics of the English bulldog breed. It is true that bulldogs have the reputation of being expensive to maintain. And that is why I was not too surprised to hear a woman in a veterinary clinic say recently, "Your dog is absolutely beautiful, but I wouldn't want a dog that is so high maintenance." THAT is what she understands the purebred English bulldog here in the United States to be! Her beliefs are representative of most people here in this country because that has been either their experience with the breed or what they have heard or read. I hastened to tell her that while her observations were correct, depending on the English bulldog purchased, ALL English bulldogs did NOT have to have the problems she so commonly associated with the breed. A person who truly wants an English bulldog can have that lovely, loyal breed . . . and it CAN be as healthy as any other breed in existence. With care, having a canine friend like this IS possible! What do you have to do? You have to search diligently until you find a breeder YOU CAN TRUST!!! (Call their veterinarian!! ASK about them; ASK about their dogs!!! How long has the doctor KNOWN the breeder and the dog in question!!) That breeder needs to give you, for CERTAIN, a one-year health guarantee, yes! BUT, that breeder needs to PROMISE you (and you have to feel you can believe what they say!) that he or she will be with you throughout the life of that bulldog!! We do our best not to bother the owners of our babies, but we do plan to stay in touch with them as long as that bulldog is living . . . and beyond.
So, with the above beliefs, WHY do we have two AKC females? And WHY have we bred them to AKC males? The answers to those two questions are explained in the fact that ALL AKC females do not have the problems so feared. One of our AKC females, Dazey, is a large-bodied girl with genetic ties to an import English bulldog from Brazil. I have observed her closely for months as she plays; there are NO serious respiratory problems, and she can stay outside and play as long as any of the other CKC registered bulldogs AS LONG AS we are mindful of the degree of heat and humidity. Because of this, and because her breeder, Linda of Blissful Bulldogs, perfers AKC bulldogs (I respect her highly as a person and as a breeder), I will see to it that Dazey is bred only to an AKC male. Because of this selected breeding, we feel that Dazey's puppies will be fully as healthy as is she. Our second AKC female is our Little P; we bred Little P's mother to a multi-champion male in Sirmione, Italy (frozen semen). She is spectacular in every way.
The majority of our females are high-percentage English bulldogs, registered by Continental Kennel Club. Now, it is at this is the point where a heated debate can emerge as to whether these are Olde English Bulldogges. And, for the most part, that debate is fueled by whether the debater raises AKC's or . . Olde's. The Olde is mostly characterized by a bulldog who is rawboned, a picture of which appears on the IOEBA logo (easily researched). I do not believe that my females fall in that category; if you do, that is absolutely your perogative. Thankfully, we live in a country where a person's individual opinion is allowed. What I do KNOW beyond all doubt is that our puppies are able to be outside much of the time; they are able to travel with families and play outside with children. They are able to do so many things that a purebred cannot do. HOWEVER, it is my firm belief that there IS a place for BOTH the purebred AND the high-percentage bulldog. I don't see that there needs to be such a fierce, combatant attitude about those who breed 'both.' That type of attitude is harmful to those receiving the brunt of the criticism, and to those from whom the animosity originates. There is ample 'room' for us all . . . individuality is the American way.
In summary, some people sincerely believe that if they are going to invest thousands of dollars in a puppy, it should carry AKC registration. They are willing to sacrifice a bit of a health factor in order to have an English bulldog with the standard personality of the AKC English bulldog, one highly unique and so very dear. That is their right and their choice! We will breed AKC puppies, but we will do our very best to breed the 'right kind' (i.e., 'healthy'), or we will not breed them at all.
These bulldog children of ours enrich our lives every day. If laughter is indeed the best medicine, then there rarely should be a need for a medical prescription. We want to produce healthy, beautiful, bully, wrinkled puppies in the likeness of their parents who will bring the same measure of comfort and pleasure to you as they do to us. As Luca of Old England Bulldogs (Sirmione, Italy) says, "Try, try to share your days, your hours, your minutes with a bulldog, and only then will you understand you could not live without them."
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