Breeding
Sub-links for this page
Firstly, it has to be said there are a lot of scams going on out there. The first rule of thumb - If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is!! You will NOT get a purebred, papered Bulldog for $800.00 end of story.
Secondly, this is not a breed to "play" with in breeding.
There are dedicated breeders in New Zealand who have spent a lot of time, expense and heartache trying to improve this breed of ours and it becomes so frustrating when you have people purchasing a pup and then ringing long time breeders to share what has gone wrong.
If you are purchasing a puppy find out what the breeder knows in regard to pedigrees, lines and health issues that are likely to crop up. We all get bitten occasionally when something new crops up but most breeders should be well aware of what is in those lines that they are combining and if it truly is a good healthy combination.
We have had our share of respiratory and heart ailments and most of us are well aware of what lines we need to stay away from, I too have been heartbroken with youngsters dying far too early so have spent some time investigating and learning pedigrees.
Some quick basic genetics. You will hear the terms outcrossing, line breeding and in breeding.
Outcrossing is putting two absolutely unrelated dogs together and keeping your fingers crossed that it gels.
When you read their paperwork (Pedigree) you will not see any names whatsoever repeated on the papers, this has been described to me in past as throwing all the ingredients into a milkshake and hoping it comes out okay.
If you are going to do this, hopefully the dog and the bitch come from linebred pedigrees and carry what we call a phenotype, as in they compliment each other in the way they look. Put two outcrosses together that don't even look alike and all sorts of interesting things can happen.
Please read your standard on what a bulldog should look like.
Linebreeding is where there are relations in the pedigree, you can bring this pretty close in one or two lines without it being an issue, those lines you are bringing in double are the ones whose traits will show up the strongest, so for example if a line is lacking in foreface and showing teeth and you double that up, then expect some of your pups to develop this.
Inbreeding is not something I would be game to consider doing, this is where you bring together two very closely related dogs, grandfather to granddaughter, mother and son, if there are problems to be had in that gene pool they will come screaming to the forefront.
Care of your bitch prior to breeding is absolutely critical, that girl has NOT asked to have pups, she would be quite happy going through life without them especially when you see how uncomfortable they get when pregnant and just how much those pups suck out of their mums.
Her nutrition and well being is crucial, long before she has babies.
Why breed? And don't answer because she wants babies,
rubbish! As close as I am to my dogs, not once has one of my girls "asked" to have pups. MOST people breed for the show ring and to improve the quality of their own dogs.
I have seen some dogs and bitches bred that make me cringe and it certainly cannot be said they are being bred for improvement. The second reply I have had to this question that also gets my hackles up is, so the kids can see puppies born! Great, you're taking them to the vet for the c-section to completely traumatise them - lucky kids.
I know this sounds fiery but I have dedicated years to my chosen breed and I have seen things happen that could have been totally avoided and my heart aches for those poor miserable wee dogs that live the life of ill health and pain because someone decided it would be a good idea to have a litter. Just remember a bulldog is still a dog first and foremost, it should be able to walk, play, breathe and be part of the family happily.
When things turn bad in breeding, they turn into a nightmare, and these are not just bulldog things either.
I have added some photos on the sub page for people who have never seen some of the things I am going to discuss, a couple of them are not pretty, please do not be offended.
The best thing you can have on your side at this point is a dam good, experienced bulldog vet whom you keep in touch with and who knows when your litter is due and is prepared to be "on call". I am so lucky to have a vet such as this who is dedicated and ready to help no matter what the hour, cause you can lay money on that everything will start happening late at night or in the small hours of the morning.
Probably the worst scenario is the bitch has fallen pregnant, has got a rather large belly full and dropped dead days away from due date. This is a very real occurence and one to put at the top of the "things to consider" list.
Due date has arrived, first stage labour sets in, every thing going on nicely. No pups arrive. 2.00am in the morning off to vet for emergency c-section, whelp has twisted sideways and blocked the way.
Pups are arriving but dead, she's not getting them out quick enough, goes into uterine inertia which simply means contractions stop and c-section has to be performed to get the rest out.
Last few days of pregnancy she seems to "swell" in front of you, drinking heaps of water. Alarm bells need to ring that she is taking on heaps of fluid, water pups are the concern here not to mention the size and health of the mother. More often than not bitch will not start labour for some reason when there is a water pup (photo on sub page).
C-section will be necessary. Do not let your bitch go past her due date.
Ketosis, Pregnancy Diabetes, bitch stops eating a few days away from due date, she starts becoming very lethargic and listless. Drinking copious amounts of water. Urine sample must be tested. Breath starts to smell like acetone, if ignored can lead to ketonic coma and death.
Simply speaking you need to be pretty vigilant of your bulldog bitch coming in to those last few days of her pregnancy. Spreading her meals out, taking her temperature twice a day from at least 10 days out from her due day and keeping an eye on her food and water intake.
Making contact with your vet so that they are up with the play
If your girl is looking truly uncomfortable and not settling then best to get her checked and make sure there is nothing else going on.
My thoughts at this point are, she's my girl, I haven't met the babies yet and if she needs intervention and I loose the pups then so be it.
Main common factors to assess when pups are first born are: water pups, these whelps are grotesque, full of fluid. Some breeders and vets do try methods of saving these pups through diuretic treatments, I personally haven't had any luck.
Some pups are born with there back feet facing the wrong way, these will turn, please do not euthanise these whelps. (photo on sub page)
Cleft palates, there will be a hole in the roof of the mouth where the hard palate has not formed. (Photo on sub page) Some will persevere with this and tube feed, It can be a costly exercise and you need to weigh up the pros and cons of this decision.
Hare lips, where part of the front lip is missing, surgery can be performed when the pup gets older (photo on sub page)