Bulldogs can be high maintenance animals. They are more difficult to breed; they frequently can't deliver their own puppies; they usually need help raising puppies; and they need more frequent and knowledgeable medical attention throughout their lives than many other breeds. It's cheaper to buy a beagle. That aside, they're funny, intelligent, eccentric companions who will fill your home with lots of love and laughter.
The Bulldog is an old and highly specialized breed, with unique physical characteristics developed to be used in bull baiting through hundreds of years of selective breeding. The result was a man-made dog perfectly suited for a sport that has now been banned for more than 150 years. These dogs, and the traits we find so appealing, exist because breeders decided to save the breed at that time, rather than let it die out. They took the aggressive bullfighter and bred it into the friendly Bulldog that we find today.
People made the Bulldog what it is and the dogs need people to ensure their continued survival. In looking at the standard for the ideal Bulldog many characteristics are those needed for success in the bullring. The deep stop, wide nostrils, undershot jaw, and low slung body were all desirable for approaching the bull, holding onto it and helping breathe while blood is flowing from the bull. Similarly, the general appearance and attitude suggesting great stability, vigor and strength were desirable in a fighter. Some characteristics, like kindness and courage without viciousness or aggressiveness reflect the changes caused by breeding dogs after bull baiting stopped.
Each breed has structural peculiarities that predispose it to develop different strengths and weaknesses from other breeds. Bulldogs' structural differences from other breeds may lead to more frequent visits to the vet for a number of problems. These and other health issues in dogs are discussed in the section on Health Topics.
Bulldogs are among the brachycephalic breeds - those whose heads are comparatively short and wide, with noses that do not extend far in front of the face. These breeds may have a higher incidence of problems breathing, especially in hot weather.
These traits are congenital; they may be inherited or may crop up in a line of dogs with no known carriers. Although the problems involve breathing, it consists of at least four separate traits that are independent. Each trait exists on a continuum, resulting in a wide range of possible combinations. The four areas that combine to affect breathing are the soft palate, the trachea (windpipe), the adenoids and tonsils, and the nostrils and nasal passages.
Similarly, Bulldogs have shallow hip sockets, leading to some slight degree of hip dysplasia in most dogs - this contributes to the characteristic "roll" required in the standard. It is not usually a problem for them, nor does it usually require surgical correction, but it will show up in x-rays in a way that would be abnormal for other breeds and may confuse a veterinarian who is not familiar with the characteristics of the breed.
Other breed characteristics may result in the possibility of some dogs developing "Cherry Eye," extra eyelashes, entropion, ectropion, cruciate ligament weakness or tearing, hot spots, interdigital cysts, impacted anal sacs, osteochondritis, or panosteitis. While no dog is likely to exhibit all or most of these faults, they do crop up with varying degrees of frequency in some lines.
All of this makes it important that you not only get your dog from a reputable breeder, but that you have a veterinarian who is knowledgeable, but who is knowledgeable and has experience with Bulldogs. Your veterinarian's understanding of the breed and their unique characteristics will make the successful treatment of your dog more likely and reduce the dangers should he or she need to undergo anesthesia for surgery at some point.
