Hi,
Iwas just wondering how much is the going rate for a KC reg bulldog pup?
Thanx Xanthe

Hi, the average seems to be about £1500.

Thank you

Yes they are around £1200/2000 jackie

Gosh that seems an awful lot of money compared with other breeds, is this because they are such a popular breed, or because they are hard to get hold of?

I know part of the reason for the high price is because the majority have to be born by C section and so incur high vet fees .
We explored the idea of a bulldog pup before we got Gus ( Staffy) . It was atcually because we felt we didnt have enough info about the breed that we decided not to get one and not because of the price!!
I do like Bulldogs though :)

Hi charlie24, they are hard to get hold of and you can loose them very easily in the nest or even before they are born us breeders work very hard with this breed i will not breed from any thing that i am not happy with,and yes they are very popular and this means that a lot of people are now breeding them that no nothing about the breed which makes me angry. jackie

Hi,My auntie breeds bulldogs and yes they are very hard to breed. Most are done by AI, then getting them to full term is another thing. The pups are normaly born by C section so there is a lot of cost involved. They are nice dogs though.

Tracy

Hi Tracy

They are bred by AI and deliver by C-section... i'm afraid that a dog like that is a freak of nature, modified by humans. People on here would be horrified if ear cropping were allowed in the UK, and yet practise that involves breeding a dog that frankly, is obviously not meant to be bred, is acceptable

Chloe

there are other breeds that need C-sections so dont breed from them?
Do we say to woman that cant have normal delivery right Mrs Smith you cant have any children because it would be a freak of nature if you cant deliver normally....NO

Ai isnt needed normally but can be done but then it is done in every species including human.

Whenever the issue of the cost of the bulldog is raised, the breeders say they always need c-sections. If there are any other breeds out there that always need c-sections, then perhaps they shouldn't be bred from either.

As for the human aspect, if I was having children by c-section and selling each one for £2000 then yes, you could say I shouldn't have children - but having one or two children through a c-section can hardly be compared to breeding say two or three litters when the breeder is FULLY AWARE that the dog cannot deliver normally - why are they breeding then - why put their dog at risk?

carolyn, if you paid a lot for your bulldog, then thats up to you, but people then can't moan that unscrupulous breeders are getting into the act aswell!

Hi Tracy,
Whereabouts in the world does your auntie live? I'm sure it's not UK - or if so, why does she not use a British sire for her puppies - why does she import semen from abroad such a lot?

Yes she is in the UK and breeds with UK blood lines. The reason she has her girls AI is the weight of the male.

Well AI is not allowed by the KC for dogs that are both resident in the UK. AI from an overseas dog can be used if prior permission is sought, and then a statement is required that ststes the donor has sired puppies, and the bitch that is nominated needs to be proven. So if your freind is AI-ing her bitches, they are doing so against the KC rules.

As Brainless says, your auntie is breaking KC rules and committing a fraud. The breeder must have written KC permission for AI before the procedure takes place, and the pups registration will state they are AI. The KC will not normally grant permission when both dogs are resident in the UK. Your friend doesn't sound very knowledgeable, and is leaving herself wide open for legal action. The financial consequences could be severe, as well as a possible KC ban.

assuming, of course, they are KC regustered - if not....

Good point, Chloe.

Of course, there would only be one reason for breeding unregistered bulldogs....:( ...or dogs of any recognised breed for that matter.

I rest my case JG.

Hi,
Bulldogs are inseminated by AI???? i always understood it always has assisted? because of the pure wieght of them??
can someone please correct me if i am wrong?
i agree the price of them should come down a little , but i also understand that some breeders are at a loss (well not so much of at loss but have to cover costs)
but there are lots of breeds that cost over a £1000, so why is the cost of buying a bulldog at question??
my last dog cost £1500 he was what i wanted, and i was happy to pay it and we only had the money as we made money on the sale of our house, otherwise we would have had to saved up for him.
i know of some bitches that havent whelped easy - but i have known others whelp very easy.
i think those that have whelped easy - the price of the pups should not be as much.
what does eveyone else think??
i think only those whose bitches have ran into trouble by giving birth to the pups should have the right to charge over and above £1000 to recoupe some of the cost that was involved.
but please can we leave the pure cost of the bulldog alone, and talk about the better points of the bulldog rather than the cost of one?
Jane.

Surely, breeders who have a genuine love of the breed (and I personally think they are wonderful) will do all they can to encourage the breeding of self-whelping lines - and I know these exist - and not go down the route of routine c-sections? The more self-whelpers, and the fewer assisted whelpers, used, the better for the breed. As for routine AI - that is the quick way to ultimate breed extinction.
Just my opinion.
:)

Charlie - if bulldog breeders didn't charge so much for their puppies, then they would not be so attractive to unethical breeders. If a bulldog puppy went for £800 say (which is the maximum that should be charged for ANY dog IMO) then it would make them just the same as all the rest. I also don't think that the fact they have c-sections is a justification for charging up to £2000 for a puppy... it sounds like more of an excuse for charging that to me.

I know this will upset the bulldog owners out there - its just my opinion, and nothing will change that.

C :)

I have recently brought my first bulldog and I really would pay it all over again for her,she is worth every penny.
They are like no other breed I know of,very loving brilliant fun,a sheer joy to own.
I did wonder about the price but what the hell i would have only spent it on bills and other useless things :-)

the problem is that the more popular the breed becomes, the more puppies will become available, and the price will naturally, start to drop - meaning they will lose that exclusivity factor they have at the moment. Look at Great Danes - if a breeder tries to put the price up further than the "accepted levels" then the potential puppy buyer will go elsewhere... there are rarely waiting lists too...

far better to cap the cost at £1000, breed rarely, and be careful who get the puppies...because it only takes a few to fall into the wrong hands for the above to happen. they are just too attractive to the wrong type at the moment.

Hi all,
What Chloe says makes a lot of sense to me.
I'd say it's time that breeders concentrated on producing healthier, robust dogs that have at least a reasonable chance of whelping naturally. Time, I think, that the breed standard was re-evaluated, with the interest of the dogs in mind?
Why re these dogs being bred to such extremes, when obviously nature is refusing to co-operate? Am I right in saying that these poor dogs don't live very long too?
I'm sure Bulldogs are great characters, but how much happer would they be if they could enjoy the quality of life that most (well cared for) dogs, take for granted?
I regularly see a couple of Bulldogs out with their doting owners, though not in warm weather, as the dogs can't breathe :(

Ah, Chloe, if only that were true of all Great Danes too ........ and price is not always a reflection of quality!! You obviously never looked for a harlie before you bought Willis!! :D

M.

CAN WE STOP NOW look there are those of us that love and care and are very protective towards this great breed and there are those that would like to see the extinction of it we are never going to agree so please lets stop it isnt nice to keep going on about one breed thank you Jackie the very proud owner of BULLDOGS.

true - I know of a breeder asking £1800 for a harlie recently - and whats the justification for charging that? "use him at stud" :rolleyes: and they have nothing but problems too, so it seems.

Hi corsa girl, I think the point is many dog lovers, myself included, feel very sorry for the poor Bulldog :(
No animal lover like to see a dog that has difficulty walking and breathing on even a reasonably warm day. I hate to think what these and other flat faced dogs are going through at the moment.
I would imagine it is almost impossible to take them to the park or wherever in this weather and car rides must be a definate no,no?
Let's see the good old Bulldog in a healthier form - that is of course up to compassionate, sensible breeders, though I would imagine pressure to conform is immense?

Many pedigrees have been bred to extreme. I have two chihuahuas, both decent sized for a Chi, but many Chihuahuas are being bred way to small to satisfy demand in the show ring - in my opinion.
Chihuahuas too often need caesarians due to their diminutive size and the head shape. Chi breeders too, need to be questioning if they are acting in the breeds benefit when selecting breeding animals.
Most dogs bred are destined for companion homes, with peple who hopefully care about the quality of life and longevity of their friend.

dont feel sorry for our bulldogs , mine have coped fine in this hot weather.
Jane

I think someone forgot to tell Truly she IS a bulldog :) she is running around like a looney chasing rottweilers and is showing no signs of slowing down,now she has our rottie pup by the neck wrestling :) :) :) :)

Wow, so very different to all of the sorry looking specimens that I've ever seen. Though since the hot spell, they haven't been around :(

I've noticed the heavy-coated breeds have been suffering just as badly - at least bulldogs have a short coat. Incidentally, did you watch "The Osbournes" on TV recently? They have a bulldog, who is seen running upstairs and around the house quite easily....
:)

Yeah - lola - she's gorgeous. They actually gave her away at first because she (they) had issues with her housetraining and she actually belongs to Jack (the son) and he wasn't taking much notice of her. But they got her back because they missed her so much - aaahhhh :)

My Bulldogs dont need any one to feel sorry for them thank you, and as for the walks well you would have to be a complete fool to take a dog out in this weather no matter what breed it is? and the same goes for the car even if the air con is on you have the heat when you get out, i am lucky i have a very large garden where my dogs can run around at 5/6am before it gets hot, the evenings we sort out the walking as we have got a number of dogs not just bulldogs we do it late in the evening if it is cooler,. Jackie PS I AM A DOG LOVER TOO. Oh bye the way we have Bullmastiffs too and they cope with out any difficulty, why dont we ask every one that owns short nosed dogs how they cope in this weather and how they feel about about it.

I've got boston's and the hot weather has not slowed them down at all. They still run and play and lay in the sun. But the hot weather is harder on Tiva she is more the Canadain breed.

I personally would not blame the breeders for the brack breeds (bulldogs), because as far as I'm concerned it is as much the judges fault for the way they are. If a dog is not looking right in the ring it definately would not win. Look at the boston terriers they were originally made from the crossing of a english bulldog to a white terrier (which is now extinct). The boston was more skinnier with a longer snout. Then they crossed that with a frenchbulldog. Now the snout is suppose to be more pushed in, square squat bodies like the bulldog. I have found that the Canadian boston is alot more bulldog where the states breed is more terrier. Since I do have both and the puppies from the two crossed, the result the muzzle isn't as pushed in and they are not as squat and more active. The states breed seem to have a lot more energy and very hyper and hystrung, where the Canadian is more layed back. At least this is the difference between Tiva and Junior. When I had my other boston Menace (canadian) his face was really pushed in more then Tiva and not hyper at all.

I believe the bulldog way is not to be hyper and more layed back. Either way I do love the breed and the pushed in face. Just lovely dogs. Alot of smaller breeds do end up with sections.Here the price is: English bulldogs go for $2000 and up depending on breeding or pet, French bulldogs $2500 and up depending on breeding or pet, Boston terriers $1500 and up depending on breeding or pet, American bulldog $1500 and up depending on breeding or pet same with French Mastiff and Great dane of course breeding is alot more for all the breeds. The Harl Great Danes don't know why they cost more cause when I last talked to a breeder about Danes I was told that there are so many problems with them just like the White Dobe, Boxer and they should not be bred from. People saying a rare color so they charge more for the animal I think is bullcrap.

My friend has an english bulldog just over a year I believe and very energetic she goes for daily walks :)

Anyhow just my own opinion :)

ttfn :)

there will always be people out there that cannot get it through there thick skins that bulldogs arent interested in going for 10 mile hikes. they are natural couch potatoes. but they also love playing and running and doing all the things *normal* dogs do. and no they dont have a short life expectancy.....they do live to be over 12 and more. and as for the price.....i wont even go there.....been there got flamed bought the t shirt. .

hi tanni,
i know a bulldog that walks 10 miles a day....which is unbelivable looking at my lot :D
Jane.

well me and you know that bulldogowner......but try telling people who have never owned one....showed one ....or lived with one. just as well there are those of us who actually know what a great breed this is...and how much of the bad press they get is absolute cr*p.

Hi all

Have been away from the computer all weekend enjoying the weather with my dogs, two british bulldogs. I agree with others on here anyone walking their dogs out in this weather must be idiotic, yes thay pant, but doesn-t every other dog in these temperatures. My dogs run around like noones business, they are such playful dogs. We could get into all the breeds and find faults with all, no breed is free from this. And I am sorry but I have to disagree I really don-t think there are that many unscrupulous breeders out there, have you ever tried to get hold of a bulldog, it is extremely difficult.
My dogs are the same as any other, my sister has a 6 month old labrador and my two will play and play and play, my partners parents have two french briards, again they keep up with them.
I have only been on this ite for a few months, yet have had to defend the breed on countless occasions and you bet if a bulldog is mentioned the topic always ends up heated.
And its always from people, like Tanni said, who have never owned one, showed one, lived with one, loved one.

Jolene

Speaking as an outsider to bull and mastive breeds, I was at a show yesterday and there were over a dozen Bulldogs there, only one was making what I thought an excessive amount of breathing noise when exercised, the rest were fine both when being exercised and when sleeping in their cages and breathing in silence with their mouth shut. Did notice a couple of French Bulldogs that were very noisy when breathing.

Must say the Elks and Mals were panting far harder than the Bully breeds or the mastives, or if it comes to it, my sister and I who found the temperature very hard to deal with, but then we are both over weight and under exercised so may be we should learn from the owners of the bully breeds and put the work in.

I went to see a breeder once who had an older Bulldog bitch up
for re-homing with fee for spay op.
All his regularly walked out a good few miles, and were very lively
and healthy and all his pups were at that time self-whelped by his bitches.
Sadly the older bitch did not like my Boxer bitch so we did not have her :(
Boxers vary with which can take the heat and which can't as with many other breeds not just the 'bull breeds'.

just read through this thread again. a question for honey...where are these*many sorry looking specimens* you have seen?.

Hi Tanni,
The huffing, puffing, waddling Bulddogs I see regularly are living in my area and I live in the North of England. They were also in evidence in the show ring at Crufts :(
A lady I used to work with had a much loved Bulldog, sadly died of heart disease at about 8 years, was never a healthy dog.
Thankfully well cared for and loved though.

Hi Honey

You must be very lucky as I never ever bump into any bulldogs whatsoever on my travels, unless going to a show. There are plenty of dogs of other breeds that die at 8 years old.

Jolene

Honey

Bulldogs don't waddle, they 'roll' and they are supposed to walk like that. They Bulldogs that I experienced at Crufts did NOT huff and puff either, including my own! Perhaps we weren't looking at them from the same angle!!!

All of my dogs including the bullies have coped remarkably well in the heat, they one suffering the most is a small black crossbreed!!

Norm

How sad, that there are also other breeds that have so short a lifespan, are these the "giant breeds?" Why are they dying so young?

I am pleased to hear that there are apparently Bulldogs out there that are remarkably healthier than the ones I see. Hopefully one day I'll have the pleasure of meeting one. A family in the next street bought a Bulldog puppy several months ago, a charming little boy. The puppies seem quite active compared to the adults?

A good while ago, I read an article in Dogs Today about a chap who was trying to develop healthier Bulldogs, more like the older type?
I think he was becoming increasingly dissillusioned by the way the breed was developing, breathing problems and the need for caesarians.
Perhaps with the support of The Kennel Club, this would be an option?
It would, perhaps be step in the right direction as far as dog welfare was concerned? Smaller head = natural birth?

The Kennel club took such steps some years ago when they altered many breed standards to remove any clasuses that encouraged exageration. Most recently all breed standards have been amended with a clause stating that they whould be judged with the heakth and welfare of the dog in mind (or words to this effect).

What has to be remebered in genetics and selective breeding that changes take generations.

Are breeders actually working within these guidelines do you think? Or are they just words on paper?
Anyone think if there havs been any, even small improvement in this direction yet?

Those who wish their pups to be successfull in the show ring had better be or their dogs will be penalised in the ring. Those who are breeding just for money may or may not take note, likewise those who cross breeds to "improve" the breeds health, are they really doing so or do they see it as a "good selling point".

All animals, including us, have congenital and inherited disease and health problems, man more than most, doctors have been and are trying to improve the situation in man, but it will take years & years to get anywhere, but in dogs the process is quicker because you can select what is bred from and what is not. Even so it will take years because traits re-occur many generations later, and it only takes one breeder to make a misstake in their breeding program and that error can reappear 10 years later, when a number of individual animals are found to be affected. So you then have to start again, trace all the dogs who have that particular dog(s) in their pedigree and remove them from the breeding pool.

So although most of us would love to be able to eradicate problems within our breeds it takes time and patience, the only other answer is to lose the breed.