I have a almost 1 yr old bully named Daisy. We also have a 5yr old son, 4yr old son and a 16 mth old daughter. We got Daisy when she was about 4 1/2 mths old. In hindsight -- I probably shouldn't have gotten a puppy but an older bully. Daisy is great with my kids but I have to really watch her when she gets to playing. She can knock me over when she comes barreling through a room. And she loves to chew on everything but HER toys!! Lol!! I am forever pulling matchbox cars out of her mouth. And oh how she loves a good pair of shoes.

She is wonderful though with my children. Never once has tried to play bite them. She also knows her limits with my children.

I am a stay at home mom so someone is always with her. (Not that it has helped with housetraining, she still has accidents!) but someone is always her to make sure she can go out on a fairly frequent basis.

Kim & Daisy

Bulldogs are the best breed and are wonderful and very good with children as they get older and out of their puppy stage. They are very gentle and loving and must have plenty of human attention. Pups are very active and nip, jump, just like any other breed, so early training is a must for a well behaved dog.

Are you prepared to spend money to 1) purchase a pup as they are not cheap and 2) spend money if need be to correct any medical problems the dog may have. Bullies are prone to a wide variety of problems from eyes to breathing to allergies to wrinkle infections, this even coming from great parents. Hopefully you will really research the breed to see if a bulldog will fit into your lifestyle and also to locate a reputable breeder in your area or within driving distance. Never buy from a petsore!!!!!

I see a major problem in that the pup will be alone all day. Pups must be let out every 3 hrs until they can control their bladder - usually beginning around 4 mos old. They also need to be fed 3x daily when they are small as their bellies cannot hold much food at one time. To leave a pup all day will surely not help in housebreaking or training, not to mention being crated for most of the day with no human interaction. Hopefully one of you can run home at lunchtime or have a friend or relative get to the house to take care of the pup. This would need to be done until the pup is able to control their bladder and can go all day (sometimes this doesn't happen until 7-8 months old, all depends on how the pup takes to training). There are some things you can do to lessen the chance of accidents like not leaving water in the crate but tiny pups will go when they need to.

Have you given any thought to either a rescue or older dog? A dog that is older and trained that can be alone for the day without any accidents would make a wonderful addition as well as a great cuddle companion for your son.

Good luck in your search.

Not to scare you but would you be willing to love a dog even with health problems. These guys are very susceptible to health problems. For example, my Madison has seasonal allergies and food allergies. So, we have special medicated baths, wrinkle medicine, allergy medicine and special hypo-allergenic food. Oh, and they do require daily wrinkle upkeep...do you have time with a four year old son to start and keep up this routine? If the wrinkles aren't kept clean they can be breeding grounds for bacteria like yeast. Also, they can have breathing problems. They absolutely cannot under any circumstances get overheated. They will die. We live in Texas so it gets really hot here. During the months of April to October, Madison is taken out during the morning and evenings/night. NEVER during the day as it is too hot for her. She is Never left outside. They are inside dogs.

I am truly not trying to scare you, but a lot of people get bulldogs thinking they are cute and as easy to take care of as a lab. Unfortunately, that is just not the case. Like the others have said, you really do have a newborn baby to take care of. Are you and your wife ready for another child? That's basically what you'll have. Madison was such a chewer that even with toys and supervision, she destroyed the moulding in our bathroom in a few minutes with her teeth and jaws, which are incredibly strong.

However, after much reading and investigation if you and your wife decide you are truly ready for a bulldog then it's one of the most rewarding decisions you'll ever make. He/She will become your best companion. They love attention and are faithful to a fault. They are a bit stubborn at times, but you learn to work with that! Obedience classes help a lot.

Just please research this thoroughly before making a decision. They are not snap decision purchases. They are life long commitments. I've seen too many bulldogs surrendered or worse because the owner was overwhelmed by the needs of the dog and decided they weren't ready.

However, if you decide you are ready and willing to take a bulldog into your house and your heart then welcome to the wonderful world of being owned by a bulldog. As a bulldog owner, you will find your bully will move in and take over your heart! They truly are remarkable animals. Good luck to you. I am truly not trying to discourage this purchase, I am only trying to open and honest about what is expected.

Best of luck to you and your family. Keep us posted.

Have a great bully day,
Kristen & Madison

That is a fantastic suggestion (about the older puupy from breeder), I am going to keep that in mind for myself if I'm ever looking for another bullie. Thanks! Knowledge is power, and there really is a wealth of information on this board.

and they are anawesome breed....smile
things to consider or ponder...a bullie baby plays rough....all teeth ..real little landsharks..so you'd have to protect both your son and your bullie baby from the bullie overdrive,constantly...tons of patience(but as a father I can most likely assume you already have that).......and of course it can be done..but it needs mentioning...
Many folks on here have bullies and work full time..however most for the first several months do either have a friend or neighbor..or dog walker..or even day care ...to meet the needs of feeding and potty breaks for the bullie pupster...they are indeed like a newborn(only with needle teeth...lol)..and need the same type of care you have found for your son...while you work..
..and yes they do need to go out about ever two hours...all day long and all night ...My Mojo went out 2-4 times a night till he was almost 4 months old...I was very sleep deprived ..and a bit goofy..but he is indeed past that stage now at almost 6 months...
..If you can cover or work out those things..then I would like to add..once the bullie gets a bit older...because even though pupsters are trying and time consuming it doesn't last forever....smile...anyway ..when they are older,and I suggest obedience trained..they can be single minded...they are bright enough but sorta live in their own little thoughts...and have very short attention spans...so training is almost a must..and there is nothing more fun or humorous then a bullie in classes...folks love them..smile .
They do get along very well with children..and are loving ..and comical..and pure joy ....
...this is great board for any questions,information,direction in obtaining a pupster,support,humor..and loads of awesome bullie pictures...ask away...and I'm sure you can find out many helpful ideas...if you should not get replies just repost..this board moves fast..and not every one of course is on at the same time...good luck..and also the home home page here as many good informative articles...blessings..ce

Hi! I have 2 boys ages 4 and 7. We got our current bully when they were 2 and 5. She is wonderful with them and a part of our family. I had a bully for 13 years before her, though, so I am experienced in bully care. I realized when looking for a puppy that it was hard to be sure there were healthy puppies out there without knowing a lot of bulldog folks. So doing your homework is important. Keeping the price of the puppy in reserve for vet bills might also be prudent. Some folks get lucky, but others aren't. There are a lot of health issues as you can read on the board. If both you and your wife love to take care of and baby an animal, a bulldog might be for you. I agree that you are going to need a dog walker. There is almost no place in the country that you can leave a bully unattended outside. They need climate control, not too hot or cold. So someone has to let them out. They are heat sensitive and can overheat and die easily. They have wonderful personalities that blossom with their families attention, love, and care. That's why we love them so. Remember a young bully under a year will like to chew, too. Let me suggest considering an older bully. If you go to dog shows and meet some of the bulldog people, you might be able to find a breeder. Sometimes they keep potential show prospects until they are 6 months or a year old while trying to decide how they will turn out. If they are not going to show them at that point, they may look for a home for them. That type of situation would be ideal for you. It will probably be housetrained and may be past the chewing stage. That's what we did with our current bulldog. She was a year and a half when we got her and hasn't chewed up a matchbox car yet. She loves us all so didn't have any trouble bonding as an adult. Remember, too, that you aren't going to take your bully on extreme walks, either. A short walk, yes. Lots of bully cuddling, yes. No jogging.

Please research and learn as you are doing and you will be able to decide if a bully is right for you. If you find a breeder, you can email the webmaster to see if he knows of them and has any info.

Ain't it just the truth about how much work they are?! Good thing I was already a stay at home Mom.

that you want a bullie puppy, but be forewarned, it is like having a newborn baby. If you work full time you might want to look into some kind of doggie daycare/ pet sitter. Be sure to read all the good stuff on the bulldogsworld.com homepage. There is so much good info there. Good luck, once you have a bullie, you will be addicted. My baby is only 15 weeks, and I already want another one.

i think buying a bulldog for your son is not a good enogh reason to get one... they can be very high maintenance, have very unique needs, can be much more expensive than other dogs/pets and require some degree of knowledge of the breed in order to mainain healthy and happy.

i think you should do your research (asking on this board is a great fist step!) and do it because you and your wife are fully committed. i think your son is too young for the puppy to really be his dog.

with regards to the puppy being home alone - puppies really need a lot of time and attention during their first year, so unless you can make arrangements for someone to come feed, walk and play with it during the day i would say wait until you can. For one, your puppy will need to be fed 4 times a day, and taken out to potty about every 2-3 hours (including during the night)... i know because i have a 12-week old puppy!

hope this helps and good luck!

~cristina~