I have thought about writing this blog often but have never done it. Today I was watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and I realized I needed to do it. I am the mother to one Frank The Tank Gore He is an almost 4 y/o "english" Bulldog. He is very adorable, I mean really cute! I might post some pics. Anyhow owning a bulldog is a very adventurous undertaking. It is true they do love attention, they will watch TV with you and want to be around you ALL the time.
When I was looking into dog breeds My Rottie was getting up there in age and her health was fading fast. Arthritis, hip dysplasia, smoked lungs, tumors, etc. I knew she wouldn't be with me forever and I also knew that I would not be ready to love again for a really long time after she went to Heaven, Hey all dogs do! I was very right she has been gone almost 3 years now and I miss her more then words. One day I will write her a blog that is fit for how amazing she was and what an impression she left on so many people. This blog is for the bulldog though. I was newly disabled and couldn't do much physically so I wanted a "lazy" dog. All you hear is how lazy bulldogs are. They are not LAZY!!! My dog is so hyper!!! Always running and jumping. People will sometimes admit this but add that it is only for the first few years...uh yea that is because you feed your dog way too much junk and they are now morbidly obese and therefore in pain so they lay around all day. If you keep your bulldog at a healthy weight this does not happen. Bulldogs are not supposed to be fat, it is actually really bad for them.
When people speak about the negatives of bulldogs they say that they fart, snore, and burp a lot. You hear about the possible health problems that result in large vet bills. Then somewhere in a sweet way they throw in stubborn like it is a positive almost. I knew we could handle the vet bills if our bully happened to be struck with the bad luck of being a mutant breed gone bad. He was! Frank has had 4 surgeries and will have more in his life, his poor legs are riddled with scars and his vet knows him and myself by our nicknames. The bill passed 6k before his third birthday. His breeder went on and on about his father's wonderful blood line and she was right he does have a good strong line on his fathers side but she couldn't have cared less that her bitch(hey that is the proper term) was the reason for his genetic issues. Though he came with a health guarantee she did not back it up and told us to take her to court or get over it. Instead of spending more money on her we put our mulah into our vet's hand. So yes if you are wanting a bully make sure you have a Vet fund of at least 4k in the bank.
The things you don't hear or at least I didn't was the REAL negatives of owning a bulldog. I'm sorry to all of you out there that don't want the light of truth shone down on this breed that you charge 3 grand a puppy for but the people deserve the truth. This blog is not the only place you can find this info, it is out there is you look for it. The lightest of them is they eat everything!!!! They will eat underwear, baby wipes(clean or dirty), plastic bags, ink pens, rocks, sticks, ornaments, really anything they can physically fit down their gullets. The best part about this(sarcasm) is that they will puke it up several hours later and you get to play "guess the half digested item". If they don't puke it up then you get to play "pull the 3/4 digested item out of frank's butt before he jumps on the couch!" Now the smell of the gas that you get to endure throughout this process is just delightful!
Bulldogs are stubborn and not "Oh how cute he refuses to go into his crate cause he wants to stay with us!" No, they are stubborn about everything and will not ever look at you as though you are above or in control of them EVER! They are in control of themselves and what they will or won't do. They have an Alpha male complex to the point of ridiculous. They learn who they can get away with bullying and who they can't but don't ever expect them to back down to you completely. The problem comes into play when they decide they are above someone for example my little brother. He is 8 years old and Frank thinks he must be higher in the pack then him... Which bring me in to my most worrisome negative about bulldogs.
Bulldogs are aggressive. With a teacup pom-chi this might not be a problem and may even be cute to a point. With a 55-60 pound bulldog with a jaw built for taking down full size bulls this is not cute! Frank is built like a brick shit house and knows he is tougher then nails. He was attacked by a full grown pit bull in his first year of life and took him on face first with no fear. That dog had his jaw locked on Frank's lower jaw piercing all the way through. Frank didn't yipe, jump or try to run out of its grip, he stood tough and chomped down on that Pit's nose until Frank's Daddy came to his rescue. We rushed him the vet and he had a drain and stitches put in but after that day we saw a new side to him, we blamed this traumatic event. However in talking to other bully owners(once you are in the circle, you find out the real deal) it was natural for bullies to become aggressive. I have heard different ages usually between 2-3 years of age. Maybe the pit made Frank grow up too early.
The issue is that Frank's stubbornness, strength and aggressiveness have led to him appointing himself as the Alpha over children and some adults. Towards me he will growl if I try to discipline him or hurry him in or out of the door, mostly though he knows not to mess with Mommy and Daddy! Anyone else though he will be aggressive with. If they have food that he wants, he will just take it. If they are in his spot he will attempt to move them. He will come at people and scare the crap out of them and even bite at them. I don't fully trust that one day he won't hurt some one. I will say he is very protective of me and that does bring me some comfort when I am traveling with him.
I have seen an episode of dog whisperer that showcases an aggressive bulldog and on the third Harry Potter movie you can also see the true aggressive nature of a bulldog. This is a real issue that the breed has. I feel it is covered up often. Please remember that these dogs were custom bred to be low to the ground, wide and have strong jaws. Their purpose was to take down and kill a full grown bull. They are not lazy, farting, sweet hearts all the time. If you are wanting one I would suggest you really investigate not only the breed but your life, bulldogs are not the type to be left home all the time. They want to go out into the world, Frank is happiest when we are traveling and the more days he is confined to the house the more his aggression shows. They are very expensive and many bullies end up in shelters because people simply cannot afford the bills. If you want a no muss, no fuss kind of dog then don't get a bully. If you are the type who can take your bully everywhere you go then it might be a good fit for you :)
I do love my frankalin the tankalin but he is a handful and I have had to learn how to best work with his natural behaviors.
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