Bulldogs World

I have read, that most accidental deaths are due to heat with Bullies -

We limit Gizmo's outdoor time, in the summer - if it gets to be about 75 Degrees - she is done, she doesnt want to be outside to play.- and we are in Delaware - so summer doesnt last nearly year round like down in florida.

You will learn to read your bully - But you have to watch the heat -

No long walks in the heat - I hope being in florida you have Central Air - a Necessity with a bully.

The White fur? I'm no help there.

have you read the http://www.bulldogsworld.com/puppy  ?   the Puppy Area of this site?

well as a wealth of info. Read as much as you can about them.   It is a must that you find a vet that is familar with bulldogs- some think they are but do your research.  There are several bulldog rescue groups in FL that can also advise you on a vet.  Feed a quality food - bullies are prone to allergies.  By several tough chews like nylabones.  I do not buy any ediable chews like rawhide because my dogs swallow large pieces and can choke.  Kennel train...  also I highly recommend taking them to a puppy class.      Good luck and enjoy.

Jax is mostly while with black cow spots on his belly.  They are really everywhere, but you only see the ones on the rest of his body when he is wet.  Yes they can sunburn, but we have not had an issue with Jax.  Some bully's are better with the heat than others.  Ozzy cannot be outside above 80ish for more than 10-15 minutes before he has breathing issues.  Jax can be out longer.  (this is just sitting on the deck) In the summer we walk at night when it is cooler.  Humidity seems to really bothers Ozzy but not Jax.  Each bully is different and you will get to know your bully's quirks quick enough.  Enjoy puppyhood--it is hard work, but it goes by so fast.  I also recommend a good class--training and socializing your bully will make him/her a welcome guest most places.  The bulldog vet is a must--we saw a fill-in vet when Ozzy was a pup and she was very anti purebreed and put every possible thing that could go wrong in his chart--this made for a lot of insurance fights.  Oh yeah insurance has been a god send for us.  Ozzy had corneal ulcer surgery ($3k+) and Jax will be having knee surgery ($3k+) in January. 

Again enjoy your bully they really are the best medicine--after a crummy day a work, I come home to my two beautiful faces and everything is better.

Lyn

I have a 11 1/2 year-old white puppy myself. :)

The home page has a list (somewhere) of things to get in preparation for greeting your puppy. I find it really well done and useful.

Yes, be very, very careful of the sun and heat. The whitey's do sunburn, especially on their little bellies. But ALL bullies are way more delicate than you think. So AC environments only in the summer (ie no trips to the beach) except for a quick pee. If you do have to take him for a walk, wait until late at night. And remember the pavement stays pretty hot constantly, so keep him in a grassy area if you can.

As for the spots, if you are saying "grey" you are probably seeing the pigment on his skin which is black.  Perfectly normal!  You'll continue to see that throughout his life on his belly and where the fur is thinner.  We call Stella "cow belly!)

That's it for now, but feel free to drop by with any questions, any time.  The people here are very knowledgeable and super helpful!

Congrats on the new bully!  They are the most loving dogs ever and have huge personality, you will love him!!  Here's a list of musts in my opinion:

-get pet insurance, Trupanion is great for our needs.  we had a foxtail issue that ran nearly $2500 and we only had to spend around $500 out of pocket and this was in the first 8 months

-find a vet that sees lots of bulldogs

-never leave your bully outside when you are away-keep indoors with the ac on

-crate train your dog at night and when you are gone for up to one year (we did it until 10 or 11 months)

-my vet checked my dogs pallate when he neutered the dog and we got his pallate lasered before it became an issue since the vet could tell it could be an issue in another few years (he sees 8 to 10 bulldogs a day so he really knows the issues).  now frankie breathes even better than before and the vet said it could add up to an extra year to his life due to less strain on his heart and lungs when he gets older

Good Luck!

Congrats on your new baby! The best advice I can give from one white bully owner to another is be dilligent about wrinkle cleaning because the stains are more noticable on a white dog. I got Sissy as an adult and her wrinkles were pretty badly stained when I got her but it's pretty easy to keep under control now. I clean her wrinkles weekly (I live in CO though so there's like no moisture here the majority of the time) and feed her a grain-free food. Outside of that, she prefers the couch to the great outdoors so sunburns haven't been a problem.

Thank you to everyone for all of the replies and helpful tips. We named our baby Gino. He is doing really well, and we absolutely LOVE him. Our home feels full of life and energy, and it's great. (Picture attached and as my icon) :)

I will probably start another post about this - but wanted to try to get some more feedback. Gino has a big biting issue. I'm not overly concerned with chewing furniture, because he's been easy to stop in that department. But he bites us - pretty hard! My lip bled from him yesterday. Any tips for stopping the nips? 

Potty training tips will be much appreciated as well. He usually goes on his potty pads, but I want to start taking those away soon. I'm taking him out as often as possible. He will be 11 weeks on Sunday, so I know some control will come with age. 

Thank you all again. This forum is going to be especially helpful for us, I can already tell! :) 

Ashley