BRONZE ICON BULLDOGS
Bulldog 101 - the 8 major things we strive for.
Bulldog 101
"The better a dog is built, the longer it will last."
So lets get down to the basic's of Bronze Icon's "Breeding Program". Every breeder does things differently because every breeder values different things in their dogs. That doesn't make other breeders wrong (unless they are breeding unethically of course), it just provides more diversity for adoptive families like yourself.
This page is designed to help you understand what we value structurally in our dogs and to help determine if we and our pups, are the right fit for you.
Screw Tail vs Straight
When breeding bulldogs, either English or Olde English one of the major things we want is a good tail. A good tail to us is one that can be docked clean and be both attractive and functional. We purposely breed away from corked tails. This doesn't mean we don't have them in some of our dogs, or that we don't produce some with corked tails, but simply that we would like to eliminate them over generations and the complexity of health issues they can imply.
Screw tail is due to a malformation of one of several vertebrae in the tail. It most commonly occurs in Bulldogs, who have a clear genetic tendency for it. The condition can also rarely occur in pugs, Boston terriers and Manx cats. Other names for the condition include corkscrew tail, ingrown tail, tail fold dermatitis and tail fold intertrigo.
How bad is screw tail?
How severe the condition is depends on how deep the tail fold goes. In some cases, screw tail leads to an infected, painful and itchy skin fold. The tail can partially obstruct the anus, in which case feces and anal sac fluid enhance the skin infection. The tail fold may then become painful and itchy. In most cases, the smell is so terrible, that it is sometimes difficult to breathe near the poor dog!
How is screw tail treated?
Mild cases may be treated medically or conservatively. Skin fold dermatitis, a skin infection between the folds of skin, can be treated with antibiotics by mouth or inside the skin folds along with daily cleaning of the skin folds. Cleaning involves special shampoos, antiseptics, baths or medicated wipes.
Ironically, while cleaning the skin fold helps treat the infection, it can also make it worse. The reason is that bacteria love the environment inside the skin fold because it is dark, warm and moist. Therefore, any liquid or ointment placed inside the skin fold maintains the moisture level. This is a classic, vicious cycle with no end in sight. Most of the clients I see for this problem are frustrated after months or often years of unsuccessful treatments and sometimes exorbitant veterinary bills. Unfortunately, if the case is severe, medical treatment will not be effective.
Surgery to fix screw tail?
The best way to treat a bad case of screw tail is surgery. This entails removing the end of the tail and the infected skin fold in order to end up with a clean area. This is a fairly technical and challenging procedure, which is typically performed by a surgeon.
Screw Tails come from the last 100 or so years of breeding them with Pugs. Its definitely not something we would like to see in our dogs. Not only is it miserably itchy and painful for them, but alot of work for you to maintain. It creates dificulty when going to the bathroom for them and makes an awful mess for you.A common tail amputation of an adult dog is about $1200-$1500 CAD - so why not just eliminate it? Well, thats exactly one of the things that we try to do.
Another serious condition in dogs with these prominant genetics is "Hemivertebrae". It is a congenital (“at birth”, “born with”) malformation of the vertebrae seen most often in short faced, screw tailed breeds like our bullys. Most dogs and breeds normally have from 49 to 53 vertebrae, while the screw tailed bulldog might have 10-15 fewer depending on the tail formation. In Bulldogs those tail vertebrae that are present are usually deformed.
So lets get rid of that, shall we?
Bulldogs with straight tails are coming back in full spades. Some breeders choose not to dock the tails, others do. A bulldog puppy may not be born with a perfectly straight tail, it may be kinked at the end or corked half way down, so docking is a preferred method to remedy this.
Whats in a jaw?
Bulldogs are notoriously known for their undershot jaws, visable teeth and tounges hanging out of their mouths....but this as well, is not something we strive for when breeding. A functional jaw is vital to a healthy and active life. It is natural to the breed to have a slight undershot jaw as it was purposeful when grabbing bulls by their noses, to avoid ripping them off, and pinning them to the ground. Yes, thats right, like all breeds there is a direct purpose to their structural anatomy.
"The purpose of a breed will determine the way it is put together, and in order to truly understand the way your breed is built, you must understand why it was made that way. Each breed has a history and usually a specific purpose. Knowing your breed’s history and purpose will help you to understand why the dogs should be built the way they are. The breed standard is a written description of an ideal specimen of the breed." - Miles Lanier
So, that being said another major thing that we try to breed out of our dogs is a faulty jaw, and by faulty we mean deformed from its original purpose. Due to inbreeding and 100 years of breeding to Pugs, the Bulldog English or Olde has alot of reversing to do, which is where direct crosses with English and Oldes are beneficial to such anatomic ailments. Cross breeding can often correct bone structural damages such as this.
There's just no need, so lets stop.
Below are some images of some good jaws - lets check those out.
See the difference? A bulldog can still look like a bulldog without all those protruding teeth.
Wrinkles and Eyes.
Some people say that bulldog puppies are the absolute cutest puppies on earth, and they are in most cases absolutely right. Who doesn't love a puppy? If your heart doesn't melt when you see a squishy soft bulldog puppy, than you might just not have one (just kidding). But what happens to all those adorable wrinkles? Where do they go once the dog becomes "a not so adorable puppy" anymore?
Too many wrinkles can lead to a plethera of skin infections and eye disrders. Its cute, but when you're paying thousands of dollars to improve your dogs quality of life, whats the point? It not only impedes their breathing as they get older but disables their daily movement and ability to exercise which puts them over weight and then opens the door to joint, hip issues, heart and lung issues.
Below is a gallery of whats "too much" for us. Some people and breeders love it, but its just not for us.
Entropion in Bulldogs
Most owners of dogs suffering from Entropion will first observe that there is something wrong when the affected eye remains partially shut and is excessively tearing. Entropion is most common in dogs less than a year old. Both eyes are usually affected at the same time.
Aside from the sagging of the eyelids, Ectropion in dogs is usually accompanied by a mucopurulent discharge from the affected eye. The exposed conjunctiva is also noticeably reddened and there is decreased capacity for tear production. Your veterinarian can conduct a Schirmer Tear Test to assess the tear production of the dog.
Entropion is an uncomfortable condition where the eyelashes constantly rub against the cornea. When it occurs in both eyes, it is called as “bilateral entropion”.
Treatment for Ectropion usually depends on the complications. Mild cases don’t usually need treatment however the presence of conjunctivitis may require treatment. Severe cases of Ectropion may need surgical intervention.
Allergies and ailments.
Bulldogs have a reputation for a predisposition to skin ailments and allergies...is this true? Absolutely it can be in some lines. Like we had discussed on our previous genetics page reccessive and dominant genes play a very significant role when breeding any dog, especially bulldogs. Almost anything can be bred out of a line if its bred properly, but you really need to know your dogs and their lines in order to do that.
In our opinion 90% of all bulldog skin ailments are directly linked to diet. Proper nutrition is absolutely vital to a healthy bulldog, on many levels. Like human beings bulldogs may develop allergies over time. You may have no problem as a puppy but then suddenly your dog turns 3 and wham.....what the heck is going on?? Another thing that can happen is that dog food brands can change their recipes without notifying the public. A food your dog may have been happy on for years suddenly isn't working anymore - don't blame your dog, its not their fault.
One of the major allergies we see is to chicken, and many dogs of different breeds have chicken allergies or sensitivity. Does this mean your dog is a disaster? Nope. It just means that their body isn't keen on chicken.
Chicken allergies, or allergies in general usually surface in a multitude of ways. Usually the first indicators are itchy ears and feet (if your dogs tail is corked expect that one to be desperately itchy too). Your dog's white fur may even turn red or orange, the rolls on their face will get gooey and just down right gross. All of these things indicate an allergy of some kind, and in theory can be easily fixed.
A method we like to use when determining allergies is "Kinesiology". This is a newer form of non-traditional medicine, but it works wonders if you are pulling out your hair trying to figure out whats wrong with your dog. Kinesiology has proven to be extremely successful on animals. Kinesiology is essentially a technique of muscle testing using a magnet - the science and art of movement in the body. Muscle testing uses the muscle system of a person or animal’s body in the presence of a product as a source of information. Some refer to it as body wisdom. It is a method used by chiropractors, naturopathic doctors, and nutritionists working in private health food stores for many years. Holistic vets use muscle testing in their practices and a growing number of pet owners are learning about this wonderful tool to better health.
In itself Chicken sensitivity or specific allergies like shellfish, eggs etc are not a big deal. You breed away from them and within a few generations they should be out of your lines. But what happens when a dog has multiple allergies and can't eat anything? Well thats when the bills add up, it gets expensive and very challanging maintain a good quality of life for your dog.
Raw diet has also been proven to be very successful in skin ailment prone breeds. Bronze Icon provides our in house raw diet recipe to all our adoptive families.
Structure.
We like big bones and we cannot lie..........
Structure is absolutely paramount to a well bred bulldog. The better a dog is built, the longer it will last, regardless of its purpose. Think of it in comparison to building a sky scraper, a faulty frame or shotty ironwork impedes the structure disabling it from maintaining its weight and making it unsafe and potentially disasterous. Without a solid foundation, the rest of that building will not be able to meet its purpose.
It is exactly the same with any living organism. We have all been designed to fufill our "breed" or "species" purpose, without strong legs a runner cannot run, without healthy lungs a deep sea diver cannot dive....and so on. So even though the bulldog no longer meets its original purpose of "bullbaiting" it still needs to have a solid foundation to carry the rest of its genetic disposition.
"Sound structure is of paramount importance to every breeder that hopes to have longevity in the lifestyle of selectively breeding dogs. Sound structure is vital to a breeding program, and balance is the key to soundness. Sound structure allows a dog to do its job, efficiently and effectively, for most of its life before age begins to disable the dog. The harder a dog has to work to perform basic tasks, the harder it is on the dog’s body over the course of its life. Correct shoulder and rear angles combined with good flexibility and strength makes for a dog that moves properly, with efficiency. Efficiency of movement is always important, but keep in mind different breeds call for different structural make up and thus the physiology changes." - Miles Lanier
So the question is, what do you want in your bulldog? A working dog? And athletic, high drive dog? A lazy companion? An active family pet? Only you can answer this, which will help determine which of the bully breeds will be best for you. But regardless of the type of Bulldog you would like to join your family, all dogs, and we mean all dogs, need good hips, elbows, knees, spines, skulls, jaws and feet.
"The purpose of a breed will determine the way it is put together, and in order to truly understand the way your breed is built, you must understand why it was made that way. Each breed has a history and usually a specific purpose. Knowing your breed’s history and purpose will help you to understand why the dogs should be built the way they are. The breed standard is a written description of an ideal specimen of the breed." - Miles Lanier
Breathing and Nares.
Tempermeant.
Lets talk about realistic expectations for the bulldog breed.
Now like I have mentioned before on previos pages, there are many kinds of bulldogs - and each bulldog has a specific function or purpose that is reflected in the dogs structure. If you want a healthy, structurally sound bulldog that can run, chase and breathe - then expect and increased prey or work drive as well as intellect and basic breed instincts. This is the part where knowing your history about the breed is paramount to both you and your dogs "relationship" success over the years.
A properly structured English or Olde English Bulldogge will naturally be larger, leaner and keener to chase rabbits, cats and squirrels. These dogs when bred properly have efficient and powerful jaws as well as an incredible bone to muscle ratio and strength. In short these dogs are powerful, and like any great power, if it is neglected or mistreated it is almost always guaranteed to go sideways on you. And so this is where you, the educated adopted person(s) takes everything you have read on the breed variations and apply it to your future. This is also where you make a very real commitment to training and the proper socialization of the "formula one race car" you are about to invite into your home.
Genetics do play a huge part in your dogs tempermeant, as form effects function and vice versa - BUT ENVIRONMENT, APPROPRIATE DIET, EXERCISE, MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND STRESS FACTORS OR "TRIGGERS"' play a huge part.
If you are looking for a lazy, functionless couch potatoe, WE DO NOT HAVE THE DOG FOR YOU.
If you are looking for a high drive, althletic pulling monster machine - WE DO NOT HAVE THE DOG FOR YOU.
If you are looking for a mix of family and athleticism with the potential to either be protective or completely submissive - THEN WE MAY VERY WELL HAVE THE DOG FOR YOU.
One of the most important things we educate adoptive families on is making the decision before you bring your new bulldog into your home, in where you would like his future to take him. And like any child you may raise adding a bulldog is very parallel. WHAT YOU DO FROM DAY ONE WILL DICTATE WHO YOUR DOG BECOMES. So, do you want a guard dog that is great with your family but not great with strangers, other dogs or threatening situations? Or do you want a dog that is great with everyone and would open the door to let a stranger rob you? Depending on how you train and raise your bulldog you will get one or the other, but you CANNOT HAVE BOTH. This breed is not capable of understanding "our" social dynamics. It see's in black and white with an impressive drive.
Agrressive behaviors in bulldogs start to exhibit arount 12-16 months of age. We reccommend you have your dog enrolled in a NON TREAT BASED basic obedience course by 16 weeks. In fact, we ask all adoptive families to sign a committment to train waiver recognizing and committing to just that.
If you don't want this life for your dog, please head our advice wisely and start from day one socializing and training your bulldog with techniques specific to this breed.
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