The Difficulties in Breeding English Bulldogs

Breeding English bulldogs is difficult, time consuming and expensive. Although loved for their large, wrinkly heads, the size of these heads combined with the narrow waists of the females make it nearly impossible for bulldogs to whelp vaginally. Just getting a female pregnant in the first place may cost a small fortune.

Choosing Breeding Stock

Bulldogs should never be bred until they are at least two years old. By this time, both the sire and dam will have stopped growing. Also, any congenital or inherited diseases will be apparent. Common diseases in the English bulldog include cleft palate, the bleeding disorder Von Willebrand's disease and heart abnormalities.

It is unethical to breed dogs with known health or temperament issues. Unfortunately, bulldog breeders tend to choose breeding stock based on how well dogs match up to the national breed club's breed standard. The big debate in the English bulldog world now is to let the face grow longer to help reduce the many breathing issues that occur with brachycephalic or flat-faced dogs. Veterinarians interviewed for the 2010 National Geographic documentary And Man Created Dog (2010) even came out opposed to breeding English bulldogs -- period. Dogs with longer muzzles breathe better but will not win prizes in shows.

Insemination

Female bulldogs usually come into heat twice a year, but not always. Although they are in season for about three weeks, there are only a few days when they will be most fertile. It is safer and more cost effective to breed by artificial insemination or AI than by traditional mounting method. Chilled or frozen semen can also be stored for when the female comes into season. A veterinarian should inseminate the dam.

There are three methods by which a veterinarian can insert the sperm. These are:

• Vaginal deposition where semen is injected directly into the uterus
• Surgical implant in the uterus
• Trans-cervical inseminations done with a catheter or endoscope to ensure the semen is placed in the uterus

The first and last methods are most popular since the dam does not need to go under anesthesia.

A veterinarian is again needed to determine when the female bulldog is fertile. This is done by taking a vaginal smear and examining the hormone levels. A vet may also need to inseminate the dog twice, because sperm only lives about three days inside of a female. This helps ensure the bulldog is inseminated sometime in her fertile period.

Whelping

Whelping must be done by Cesarean section with the female bulldog under anesthesia. There are many problems with Cesarean sections in dogs, especially if the female rejects the puppies because she has not gone through the birth experience. The mother can also die while under anesthesia.

Summary

There are many problems facing anyone breeding English bulldogs. The breeds' anatomy does not permit normal mating or delivery. These must be performed by a veterinarian. Bulldogs For Dummies (Wiley Publishing; 2005) estimates that breeding one female bulldog costs up to $10,000 for each attempt at a litter.

Sources

And Man Created Dog. National Geographic. Originally aired August, 2010.

Ewing, Susan M. Bulldogs For Dummies. Wiley Publishing; 2005.

Bulldog Information. "Hereditary Defects in Bulldogs." http://www.bulldoginformation.com/bulldogs-hereditary-defects.html

Bulldogs World. "Artificial Insemination." http://www.bulldogsworld.com/breeding/artificial-insemination