January 10th, 2012 
LeeAnn If you know me or have been a regular reader of my blog, you know that I love English Bulldogs. As you can see in this post, In Celebration of our Faithful Companions, I grew up with them. Bullies literally make me weak in the knees. There is nothing cuter than an English bulldog puppy. Nothing.
Gracie as a baby
Despite this intensity of emotion, I will not have another after my Gracie.
English Bulldogs are extremely popular now; I believe they are the second most popular breed. The University of Georgia mascot, UGA, lives in Savannah and thus there is a special enthusiasm for bullies in Savannah. I know several people who are contemplating getting a bulldog.
With this breed more than others, an informed decision is crucial. You must know what you are getting into and you must be diligent in your research on breeders. There are good breeders out there; my husband and I are fortunate enough to call one such breeder good friends. If you are thinking about purchasing a bulldog, you may want to read Can the Bulldog be Saved?
My parents owned four English Bulldogs throughout their married life. The first, Boomer, they purchased when they were newly married and living in Princeton, New Jersey while my dad finished his last year of college. They lived in an apartment and Boomer could not make it up the stairs due to breathing difficulties. Eventually, his nose collapsed and he had to have what was then major surgery. Their next three bulldogs suffered from breathing issues, a hole in the heart and a stomach which turned over, respectively, along with a number of less significant health issues. After losing their final bulldog, they made the decision that their hearts could not handle another one.
When my husband and I were married, we were a little like the animal Brady Bunch. My husband had two beautiful English Setters, who were trained bird dogs, and I had my two Humane Society kittens, Oprah and her sister Rosie, who has since passed away. Although the bird dogs were gorgeous and sweet, they were not my idea of pets. They were uncomfortable in the house and were only happy if out in a field pointing at birds. Plus, they pretty much didn’t care if I lived or died as they were so bonded to my husband.
I decided that I needed a bulldog. My husband was supportive; my parents wrung their hands and tried gently to warn me. At that point in my life, the heartache that I had lived through with two of my parents’ bulldogs was a distant memory. I only remembered their incredible loving personalities and funny dispositions.
I found Gracie’s breeder in a classified ad in Northern Georgia. We visited his house and I felt safe as the owner of the mother was a veterinarian, who was a recent graduate of the University of Georgia vet school (one of the top in the nation). The father was owned by a professor at the vet school.
From the beginning, Gracie was (and is) the most amazing dog that I have ever known. The bond formed between us very quickly. The health problems started almost right away as well.
First was the hip dysplasia and a TPO on each hip, which totalled over four thousand dollars.
Due to her breathing problems, she probably should have had surgery to open up her nasal passage. The author in Can the Bulldog be Saved? compares their breathing to ours if we clamped our mouth and nose shut and were then able to breathe only through a straw. Imagine then getting out of breath for some reason and being able to breath only through the straw. When I come home everyday from work, that is how Gracie greets me; she gets so excited to see me that she starts to gasp for breath. It breaks my heart.
In her later years, Gracie has encountered some significant eye problems, which required surgeries. I almost lost her in the first surgery due to her breathing problems. For the second surgery, the eye surgeon did it in the office, with me never leaving her and holding her, and then I whisked her into our car, where my dad was sitting running the air conditioning at full strength, to recover at home. I know now that she couldn’t survive any additional surgeries.
We constantly combat skin and allergy issues in the ears, in the folds on her face and under her curled tail. The tail pocket is especially problematic depending on how tightly curled the tail is. Moisture gets trapped under there and infections grow; the same situation can occur in the skin folds on the face. Our twice daily routine is for me to check her skin folds and ears, and medicate them if necessary. Every time she goes to the bathroom, we have to wipe and clean under her tail.
Gracie is also on medication – four different types of pills, and our vet visits us at least once a month, maybe once every three weeks. Our vet comes to us; due to the breathing issues, we cannot take her to a vet’s office as she gets too stressed.
During Gracie’s lifetime, my husband and I have had two other English Bulldogs, neither of which lived to maturity due to various bulldog issues. With the passing of each one, a piece of our hearts went with them.
Has my sweet Gracie been worth every effort and every cent spent on her? Without a doubt. And because of her, and the other bullies that I have had in my life, I will always love English Bulldogs.
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LeeAnn, I felt the same way after my last bulldog. Then we got Bumble and that all flew out the door. I didn’t get the chance to see whether she would have had major health problems, but I loved every moment I had with her. Out of all of the dogs we have owned, the (4) bulldogs have actually been the least expensive to maintain and the least expensive medically. Gus, our very well bred Labrador required surgery on both rear legs to fix a cruciate ligament problem at the rate of 5000.00. My last Bull Terrier had a heart condition and was Hypothyroid. I spent well over what the Labrador cost. The heart condition required lots of meds and many many trips to the vet for emergencies and maintenance. She died at the ripe old age of 6. Benson, the bulldog (so far) outlived all of our others and died at the age of 13 (missed 14 by a couple of months). I am NOT saying that bulldogs are better or healthy…I know many folks that have had severe problems. I think that article could have had any breed name put on the title. Any animal (horse..would have a really long list here.., dog, cat…..) that is over bred and bred purely for looks is bound to have problems (Look at the American version of the GSD)..especially when they become popular. It is always a toss up when you purchase and animal and always heartbreaking when you lose one. Even the shelter dogs that I have been around are not always the most sound animals. Our neighbor has a mix breed shepherd that has major hip problems that started when he was only 5. My cat, Fester (rescue) died when he was 2 from a disease that he had from birth. The bottom line for me is that I try everything that I can control to keep my animals healthy and happy. If something out of my control takes them away from me early…then I did my best and they had a good life. I look at my own health the same way. Do the best you can, be as healthy as possible and hang on for the ride. You never know what will take you out. Just look at Gracie! She is picture perfect even if she does require extra care. You have a lot of love to give and to receive. When I look at my bulldogs..I don’t think that they lived miserable lives. I think that they were happy fun loving animals. However…the bullies that we have owned are NOT show dogs. Do things with the bulldog need to change…YES. Most of the problems associated with animals and the world today can be summed up by one word…..GREED. I don’t know if we can fix that. Sorry for the long reply..
Jill – thank you for your long response!! I appreciate the perspective and I agree with you completely that greed is at the bottom of the problem. That was the issue with our second to last breeder (not Conroy’s breeders, who are incredible people). My concern with English Bulldogs right now is that they are so popular, I think people are making uneducated decisions and are unprepared for taking care of these precious babies, who sometimes need a lot of care. I love hearing that Benson lived that long!! Gracie is turning 11 soon and I keep telling her that she has to give me at least two more years. I worry that I will never be able to feel the same about a dog as I have felt about my bullies. Thanks again for your thoughts!
I kind of forgot to say that I hate to see you say that Gracie will be your last bulldog (really the whole point of my long winded post). I felt that way too when Thatcher died. It took me several years and Bumble to get over that feeling. And then….you know what happened. It is very difficult when you love them so much.
Jill – you are very right – it is so difficult (but so worth it).
I remember meeting Gracie when she was still a pup. She has always been a special dog, and the bond between the two of you is palpable. It’s amazing what we’ll do for our pets, isn’t it? I always thought of them as family members. I couldn’t imagine them having to spend the night outside, for instance, and when my cat of 22 years developed diabetes, I gave him his shot of insulin every morning (funny story about that and a HIPAA release!). Bottom line, they welcome us into their hearts just was welcome them into ours. Of course it’s worth the good, the bad, and the ugly. xx
Jenn – I remember your very geriatric cat!! I had a shock yesterday when I realized Oprah is going to be 14 this spring. Where does the time go?? xoxo
LeeAnn, I had no idea about the health ideas that bulldogs face. When you talked about the breathing issues, I kept thinking about all I’m learning in yoga about the importance of deep breathing. And then I think about. All the animals and people who live with chronic disease and pain as a regular basis but live full, happy, and rewarding lives. My sister is a double transplant recipient and has given her a new lease on life, but still has many issues to contend with. And on top of dealing with her own health, she fosters needy (and often unhealthy) dogs, giving home to five right now! Anyhow, I think it’s so fabulous the loving care you give to (and receive from) Gracie. I agree, it is all worth it. And I also agree with Jill, in that if you love the breed that much, maybe it’s your place to care so deeply for others following Gracie. Only you will know that for sure when the time comes. And for now, I know you treasure every moment with her sweetness.
Robin – your sister sounds like an amazing woman. I keep thinking about fostering. Thank you for your incredibly kind words – they mean so much to me. I think you are absolutely right with regard to my personal bulldog decision – time will tell for me. And I will treasure very minute with my sweet Gracie – as I know you do with your Grace too!
Hi LeeAnn, I believe there will no right or wrong decision with regard to any future animals for you. You will do what will serve you and the animal best, I’m sure of that!
I am short on words this week as I am exhausted. BUT, reading this gave me a perspective I have never had in regards to any dog. I am sad to learn how these dogs suffer in their lifetime. BUT, I also feel like G-d must have a reason to give this dog a chance. YOU are such a lovely person to allow Gracie and the others you have loved to enjoy being here. Loving an animal is easy. Taking care of an unhealthy animal is not. I admire and respect the diligence and dedication you have to raise animals like this. I know that Gracie looks at you and thinks to herself, “How did I get so lucky to GET this human?” I know how she feels in regards to you……how did I get so lucky to find you and be able to call you my friend? xo
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