Bluefairy

Pete.the.dog ~ I hope you get some answers....sometimes you have no choice but to use a kennel, we live in the Mid North, and went to one kennel near us, we walked in and walked out within 5 minutes....it took 5 minutes to tear our eyes away from the cats with puss filled eyes, about 10 of them in a large aviary, and the dogs kenneled in the hot sun with no shelter OMG! Thats now 2 out of 2 I would never go to again. We don't have the option of having family or friends that we can board our dog, so its either take them with us or don't go. Most times its for Drs appointments in the city, so we don't have the choice. I guess, when we get another dog, its going to be a quick 6hr day trip, never overnight. Lynn

I have a couple more questions Because of their short face, do they need a special food bowl? I heard a slanting bowl is best. When walking, what do you use....collar, harness, etc? Is it ok to clean the wrinkles/folds with baby wipes....those hypoallergenic ones? What food do you recommend for these dogs? Do they put on weight easily? Are they a food oriented dog? When bathing what do you use? I asked the weight question as I have seen a lot of Frenchies on you tube that are overweight and it doesn't look very comfortable for them being that size, and obviously not good for their health.

We took Annie to a kennel for an overnight stay, it was recommended by our vet who said everyone raves about it...... The place is very shaded with trees, great as its hot up here. The individual kennels open into one court yard, in which Annie was placed. We gave them her blanket to make her feel more at home, and we said goodbye and left... We got back the next day and Annie's collar was nearly chewed off, she was filthy, her blanket was soaked and she walked with a limp every since. We found out they slept in open kennels on cement floors. Annie was an indoor dog and had never slept outside. The limp was the start of arthritis on a congenital Hip problem. She had problems getting up after laying in one spot for a while, or moving at all if she was cold. I would never take my dog to that place again. And I'd never recommend them, oh and it cost us $12 for the night. Lynn

I feel like a huge weight has been taken off my shoulders now that we have finally picked one breed and a great breeder..... I'll update on here when a puppy becomes available, and when I get pics, my first stop is here :lol: Plus of course lots of questions along the way, I like to be prepared Thank you all Lynn

After much talking, our family has decided to go with the French Bulldog. I have contacted Mjosa as she is in SA, and as she was recommended by people on here, I'm happy with that At least I don't have to keep searching anymore...... Thanks again everyone for your great help. Lynn

Thank you for the replies, I appreciate your honesty and your wisdom. And yes us newbies, even though I have owned several pure bred dogs over the years, its as hard to pick a breeder now as it was years ago..... Shells - Thanks, I'll go do a search for them, I remember now she posted pics of her gorgeous Bulldog. Thanks for reminding me. If only we were more in tuned to those warning bells going off when searching for a breeder.... Lynn

Thanks, I have just planned a special trip into the city for this Yes I was shocked they bred so many dogs...how on earth could anyone manage them all. I sent an email asking a load of questions, one being can we come down and look at your BB...she emailed me back asking me to ring her mobile.....I then got sus and wondered if they didn't want written records. But I'll stay right away from them. I remember asking about Frenchies a while ago, and Mjosa came up, I might check out their web site and ask them a few questions. Thanks again for helping me avoid a disaster. Hubby thought they were ok....off to tell him I have stuck them off my list. Lynn

Thanks for the replies, The breeder I mentioned breeds - Staffies, Amstaff, Italian Greyhounds, Tenterfield Terriers, British Bulldogs and English Toy Terriers. I find it hard to imagine anyone breeding so many dogs, the pictures of the kennels, the grounds and even the Humidity Cribs for the puppies looks great......but I am apprehensive of it being a puppy farm. They don't show their dogs themselves, but the dogs go on to win heaps of ribbons and championships. Yes I know the pricing of these two breeds I like are expensive, and because of the way they are delivered and health tested I understand and I am prepared to pay for a good quality pup, but I don't want to waste that much money on anything less than top quality. I also don't mind waiting any length of time for the right pup, or going interstate for one. I have found good and bad points for these two breeds. The Frenchie is slightly smaller, half the weight, more lively, so all good qualities. The British Bulldog, is slightly taller, a hell of a lot heavier, more of a couch potato, so like us The two things putting me off the British Bulldog is the health issues and the size of them......my first Aussie Bulldog was more this size, its ok but if you need to grab them they weigh a ton..... I live in the far north of whoop whoop so going to see a dog show will have to be organised into a couple of days holiday. I'll see if I can find any shows going around the time I next go into the city. But your right its a great way to see these breeds up close and personal. For breeders should I ask the ANKC? Can someone tell me what CC stands for, it was mentioned several times but I'm not sure of the abbreviation Thanks again. Lynn

Hi, I am very interested in getting either a British Bulldog or a French Bulldog. I love the bulldog breeds and have owned 2 Aussie Bulldogs, but both had to be PTS due to cancer, one in 2008 at 8yrs and my newest pup last week at 11 months. I have done heaps of research into both breeds, but this has led to questions I hope you can answer for me about the British Bulldog. I read that there are numerous health problems associated with this breed, and I am worried if I get a pup I might end up with huge vet bills.....so my questions are: Do all pups come with one or more health problems? Is it true Pet Insurance won't cover a British Bulldog? Are the health problems obvious before they go to their new homes? Or can they appear later in life? Can anyone recommend a good breeder to me? Does your Bulldog have problems? I know about the breathing problems and thats Ok, its just I don't want to get another dog that is going to cost me thousands of dollars like my last 2 dogs. I don't mind minor problems either, I just want to be prepared and know what I might end up getting into. I have seen heaps of TV shows, read Bulldog owners descriptions of their dogs, but nothing gets mentioned about these health problems....one owner says that Bulldogs are collectible But when I read in magazines etc they make the health problems out to be catastrophic and of major concern.....but I keep thinking if it was as bad as they say it is, why on earth are people still buying these dogs?????? I hope you can help me? Lynn

Hi, Either this year or next my family and I have decided to get another dog. We have done a lot of talking and research into different breeds and we have come down to two that we all love, but undecided as to which to choose. Its either a British Bulldog or a French Bulldog. I have found lots of breeders contact details, I have seen a few web sites. Some are in my state of SA, most of them aren't. I would like to ask the breeder if its ok to come and see their dogs and any pups if they have any, not to buy yet, just to get an idea of size, temperament, etc.... I don't mind buying a pup from interstate, as I have done this before, but this time I want to see them up close first. But what I want to know is how do you know the breeders are OK? Is it better if a breeder breeds one breed of dog or lots of different breeds?......yeah I know sounds like a BYB, but I don't think so. Do you think its ok to ask the breeder to see their dogs at the kennels? I have checked out Dogs SA, and have asked the secretary for a list of approved and registered breeders, just waiting for a reply. I have heaps of questions to ask but not sure who to ask.....I can't find a forum for British Bulldogs at all, and the one here isn't used very often, but will ask just in case. I'd much appreciate it if anyone can help me Lynn

I'm in the same boat as you OP, I have gone through all the Pet Insurance places and PIA seems to fair better than anyone else. So I will go with that too. I have had 2 pets, a cat and a dog, both costing in the $1,000's in vet bills for separate illnesses, and I don't want to be caught out again. Lynn

Thanks Megan, My last two dogs got cancer, the first died at aged 8 in 2008, the 2nd was ill most of her short life, and her vet bills for operations, biopsies, blood tests, urine and feces testing, etc.....it came to nearly $2000 with her having to be put to sleep at aged 11 months. Our cat developed a life threatening illness, that she was operated on and hospitalised for 4 weeks....again in the $1,000's. So I am seriously looking at getting Pet Insurance this time round. So with our bad luck of having animals at vets....you can see my point I don't mind the usual small bills, vacinations, desexing, etc....its the emergency ones that are the killers, they usually come when you least expect it. Our vets used to be pay on the day, but now we have such a good repore with them they except payments. I'll definitely be doing some research, thank you. Lynn

Hi, I no longer have a dog, as she was put to sleep on Jan. 4th. But eventually I hope to get another dog. But also have a cat that has been through hell and back with a life threatening illness and survived. I usually just pay the vet bills, sometimes into the thousands, but I have never heard of Pet Insurance before. Can someone please explain what it is? What do they cover? What don't they cover? Can it be for any vet visit or only emergency care? What companies do it? Is it for all pets? Is it worth it? I'm assuming going by my animals track record it will be so worth it to me Thanks Lynn

Hi, I have been in love with the French Bulldog Breed for several years now. And I hope in the future to one day be the proud owner of one If I decide to get another dog I want a slightly smaller dog of the bulldog persuasion. The Frenchies are perfect, smaller, just as stubborn most of the time, energetic one minute lap dog the next. I have done quite a lot of research in the this breed, reading everything I can get my hands on, so I feel I would be prepared for nearly everything. But I do have a question: It has been said Frenchies love a companion. I could only ever get one dog, but would it be enough just having human companionship? My hubby is retired, I am home all the time. I have grandchildren, but they rarely visit. So the only ones home all the time are us, plus our 4 yr old cat who loves playing chasey. Thanks