puppies too young for kennels whilst the owners made an important trip abroad, it was to change my life and attitude to breeding Bulldogs, my parents had bred them and my grandparents owned them, I want to breed healthy ones!!
here is a view of Conner from the side he is 5 months old in this photo
Conner resting on Joshua........................
Everyone loved Conner...here's Charlie with him
he was very loving and gentle...........
Health Poll
Update March 2003
Since creating this website I have been very active in health issues in Bulldogs,I have carried on researching this condition personally,I have been told of many cases worldwide , I believe the cross with the pug creating our screw tail may have bought this in to our dogs
[this is not an exclusive condition to bulldogs,other breeds are affected and actually is present in humans and also in cattle ]
I also think that many bulldogs have a hemi -that causes no problems...I believe tight line breeding in certain lines to be the problem...I believe very short backs to be unhealthy , and likely to have these problems . I think Conner had dwarfism too .
I have become involved in Rescue work and this is also a good research medium as I have seen and looked after many more dogs than anyone would own in the normal lifetime ....I do know that no one intends to breed these disasters just as we never intend to have a disabled child ourselves ,I know that its heartbreaking when you love your bulldog only to find out he is less than perfect , but its selfish to create 'Conners' just to win in the show ring
..I recently heard there is another Conner from the same dogs ......
and the worse case I have seen 'Terry 'is no longer alive , he died aged 3 ..
March 2004
From the USA I had an e mail asking about a 9 weeks puppy who didn't squat to pee or poo just went on the move......diagnosed with hemivertebrae
September 14th 2004
Its still happening, I have been counselling a family ,a poor bullie baby boy Basil has it at only 5 months and he has to been put to sleep ,my deepest sympathy to the poor family who had bought him as a pet
Breeders please be aware,please try to avoid this condition at all costs
Hemivertebrae will never go away unless we work at it,Pugs and French Bulldogs have a screening programme.
Whenever you have to have any dogs in your breeding programme under anesthetic do a spinal Xray and be one of the first responsible breeders to take part in the screening for this condition .
This is the start of the condition becoming aknowledged and steps taken to reduce its incidence .
Hemi vertebrae in some breeds is defined as two or more present the dog must not be bred from
November 2006
At much personal cost to myself, making myself extremly unpopular just by actively seeking to make everyone aware of hemivertebrae .I think that at least now breeders know about this condition.
I myself even being extremley careful produced Mina who although very much alive and a pet living with my James [yes even after Conner my boy was compassionate enough to take on Mina ] She is living a normal life she just walks like John Wayne!
I xrayed her mother at the time of C section and saw she had a very bad placing of hemi in her spine when Mina went off her legs at 11 weeks ,she was Xrayed and I removed her mother from our breeding programme, she lives with a friend and another rescue now, she was young beautiful and a winner in the show ring showing no outwards signs that all was not well with her spine it hurt me very much to part with her but I knew she could produce another Conner.
The Bulldog Breed Council have now a Health Certificate which will try to eliminate a lot of problems caused by doubling up on faults.
It is a start and vets practices are set up to do this from December 2006 in a spread throughout the country .Approved Vets
It has been a massive task to get vets in the Scheme and to agree to charge £35 per testing ....but its done and now we will wait to see if alot of people take it up .
We particularly want people who never show a dog to find this Assessment as it may help them onto a healthy track of breeding for Health .
I have not written for a long time and I Feel I want to update you in my thoughts on breeding bulldogs .
First of all I have found that the % of completely free bulldogs spines is so very rare as the actual screw tail are hemivertebrae !!! so it is endemic in the breed which means besides being able to be seen its ressessive behind all dogs in this breed ,I feel at great personal cost to myself[ having to fight off and defend myself against a smear campaign ] I have atleast alerted the breeders who have taken onboard what I discovered , several very reputable breeders have had their breeding stock xrayed,
However I now believe that because no mode of inheritance is certain as its recessive I think any of us can produce it, from the back of any pedigree ,however once it has been seen it is unwise to repeat those linebreeds as the % is much more likely to produce one .
The Health of bulldogs is much improved , dogs can breathe silently and run like any other breed,they still can self whelp in the experienced owners hands but many are too short in back to do this and should go for a c section as soon as the bitch is in definate labour .
A good bulldog friendly vet is essential,and worth their weight in gold , young vets straight out of vets school are NOT bulldog friendly at all , they say the bulldog can't breathe can't run and give birth so shouldn't be bred.IF you come across a vet like this hot foot it to another practice , join the bulldog club for your area and ask the secretary who is a good bulldog vet or to put you in touch with a breeder who can reccomend one.
Bulldogs are no more troubled with herediatry diseases than any other PEDIGREE DOG in fact some breeds have far more known conditions , but the main area of concerns are being dealt with by expeienced breeders and they are working hard at it !!!
