General Bulldog Care
The Bulldog is a very unique breed, the symbol of all things British. However, owning a bulldog is not as straight forward as you might think. He is a totally man made breed and needs human company.
General Appearance
Smooth-coated, thick set, rather low in stature, broad, powerful and compact. Head massive, fairly large in proportion to size but no point so much in excess of others as to destroy the general symmetry, or make the dog appear deformed, or interfere with its powers of motion. Face short, muzzle broad, blunt and inclined upwards. Body short, well knit, limbs stout, well muscled and in hard condition. Hindquarters high and strong but somewhat lighter in comparison with heavy foreparts. Bitches not so grand or well developed as dogs.
Characteristic
Conveys impression of determination, strength and activity.
Temperament
Alert, bold, loyal, dependable, courageous, fierce in appearance, but possessed of affectionate nature.
Coat
Fine texture, short, close and smooth (hard only from shortness and closeness, not wiry).
Colour
Whole or smut, (i.e. whole colour with black mask or muzzle). Only whole colours (which should be brilliant and pure of their sort) viz., brindles, reds with their various shades, fawns, fallows etc., white and pied (i.e. combination of white with any of the foregoing colours). Dudley, black and black with tan highly undesirable.
Size
Dogs: 25 kgs (55 lbs); bitches: 22.7 kgs (50 lbs).
Why does he look so funny?
Over 100 years ago the Bulldog was created to participate in the so called sport of "Bull Baiting". Everything about the bulldog was bred purely so he could carry out that function, the entire head and body shape allowed him to do the job he was intented for, his undershot jaw allowed him to grip the bull tightly, his flat nose allowed him to breath whilst doing so, the folds in his face took the bulls blood away from his eyes, his massive chest and short front legs gave him the strength required to keep the bull pinned, his shallow joints allowed him to spring the bull from a standing position. He still posseses these qualties today, except the aggression that had taken over 100 years to breed out, today's bulldogs are one of the most gentle breeds of dog known to man and is an ideal companion for our children. He is not designed to be atheletic and therefore if you are looking for a dog that you can enjoy long walks with then this isn't the breed for you. He is no couch potato either and therefore does require a daily half hour walk.
Health
As a general rule todays bulldog is pretty healthy, some do have breathing difficulties due to the shape of their head (ie brachycephalic - short nosed) and occassionally they may develop structural faults due to their shallow joints, for this reason you need to keep an eye on young pups (under 9 months) so as they don't damage their green bones. The shape of his head does make it difficult for some to cope with hot weather, but providing you are sensible and appreciate that the this breed is totally unique, problems will be few and far between.
Maintenance
For the same reasons that you wouldn't buy a long haired breed and never brush it, don't by a bulldog and never expect to have to wash his face. The bulldog will require daily attention to his face and maybe under his tail too. Wipe his face over daily, ensuring that you wipe out the wrinkles (especially the one that goes over his nose) with a damp cloth or baby wipes, make sure you dry thoroghly and if any soreness is present wipe a little Sudocrem into the folds. A dab of vaseline on his nose will keep it soft and prevent it from drying out and becoming flaky. Make sure that the ears are clean and that his eyes are bright and clear, tear stains can be combated with a daily wipe over with Optrex Eye Lotion and cotton wool, not only is this safe for his eyes but Optrex contains Boric Acid that will lessen the stain. His coat should be brushed on a weekly basis which will also give you the opportunity to check for any skin soreness and fleas - and during the summer for ticks!
All this may sound like hard work, but for the time and energy he will request from you, in return he will love you unconditionally and be loyal to you and your family no matter what. Owning a Bulldog is something that should never be taken lightly, they are a high maintenance breed, so before purchasing that cute little puppy read as much about the breed as you can and it's also a good idea to attend a breed show where you will be able to watch the bulldogs in the ring and have the opportunity to talk to breeders and other bulldog owners.
All bulldog owners MUST know and understand the following
Severely hot weather can be fatal to a bulldog, they don’t even need to be moving about in it to succumb to the heat. Please make sure that any exercise is given early in the morning or late in the evening, don’t be tempted to go for a nice Sunday afternoon stroll when it is very sunny or hot. Also please don’t allow your bulldog to lay out in the sun for long periods, they do not know when they have had enough and it doesn’t take long for their panting to become out of control.
How to recognise when your bulldog is too hot
In an emergency you can substitute 7UP for the lemon and packets of frozen veggies for the ice. Find a horse trough, stream, river or pond to stand your dog in or knock on the nearest house and ask to borrow a hose pipe. Remember this can happen at any time, even if up until now he has coped perfectly OK with the heat. Prevention is much better than cure.
Note: Stress can often bring on the same symptoms and should be treated in the same way as described above.
Common Ailments
Cherry Eye: Where the gland under the third eyelid protrudes and looks rather like a cherry in the corner of the eye. Your vet will need to remove the gland (some prefer to tuck). Occasionally removal of the gland causes dry eye
Elongated Soft Palate and other airway disorders: Every bulldog has an elongated soft palate, this is because of the shape of their heads (ie: brachycephalic - short nosed). In most cases this causes nothing more than snoring, but in severe cases will cause your bulldog difficulty in breathing. Heat and exercise will cause loud, gurgly breathing, (commonly known as "roaring") and your bulldog may appear to be "lazy". The severity can range from loud breathing when excited, during/after exercise to total exercise intolerance, regurgitation of food to permanent breathing difficulties. The condition can be corrected with surgery and you need to be sure that the vet you chose to carry out this surgery totally understand brachycephalic breeds.
Tear Stains: If your dog has a white face you may find that over time the tears from his eyes cause his face to stain red. This may be attributed to the red colouring in the food he’s eating but this is not always the case, some bulldogs produce red tears and some don’t, those with white faces will have these stains more than dark coloured faces. A daily wipe with "Optrex" eye wash will help, Optrex contains boric acid and witch-hazel which will break up the stain and will not effect the dogs eyes as the solution specifically for use in the eyes.
Sore Wrinkles: Looking after a bulldog involves daily care of the face and the deep folds. Wash their faces on a daily basis with either a soft cloth and water or unscented baby wipes. Be sure to dry the face properly and then apply Sudocrem to the folds, extra care is needed to the nose roll which in some bulldogs can be very deep.
Any exercise will make him pant but watch for when the panting becomes "heaving" this is the earliest sign that he is getting too hot. When the panting has become loud and is becoming a "roar" he has already become too hot and the outcome can be fatal:
Stages of overheating:
Your bulldog will begin to "heave" as he pants
Your bulldog will begin to "roar" - best described as sounding like severe asthma
He will begin to look tired and distressed
His tongue will be very floppy and very red in colour
His body temperature will rise (normal temp approx 38.6)
His airway will swell and his throat become full of white foam (caused through the excessive panting)
He will quickly become exhausted and will fighting for breath
He could die
How to prevent overheating:
Do not allow your bulldog to lay out in the day time sunshine
Do not walk your bulldog in hot weather
During hot weather keep your bulldog inside during the hottest part of the day
How to deal with overheating:
Lower his body temperature: Always ensure that you have ice to hand during the summer months. Pour cold water over your dog, especially around his head, rub ice around his head and under his tail (around his rectum). If possible stand him in a cold bath and keep going with the ice until the breathing is less laboured.
Clear the airway: Squirt some lemon juice (from one of those plastic lemon shaped bottles that you squirt on your pancakes) into the back of his throat, he will hate you for it, but the lemon juice will quickly break up the excess foam and clear the throat. Do not allow him to drink a lot of water as this can cause him to vomit.
Keep him calm: Once you have reduced his panic keep him in a quiet place and keep a close eye on him.
If this doesn’t work then you need to get to a vet as quickly as possible - put a cold damp towel under him for the journey
Bulldogs overheat quickly because of the shape of their throats, their soft palates are almost always too long and when they get very hot they cannot pant sufficiently to keep their body temperature down, their attempts to pant quickly cause the production of foam which in turn blocks the throat and causes laboured breathing and eventually they will begin to roar as they try to breath through the blockage.
Summer Check list:
Plenty of ice
Jiff Lemon Juice
If you need to go out freeze some damp towels the day before and take with you together with both of the above items and plenty of cold water.