I have a bully. They are the sweetest cuddle bugs. Lets start with the bad first.

They are very expensive. I recommend not getting one from a pet store because although they might be cheaper, they will usually have many many medical problems. If you decide to buy go to a reputable dealer. You can find reputable dealers from the AKC. The other option is to adopt from a rescue. My next bully will come from a rescue. The downside to a rescue is that they usually have medical problems. Thats not to say that buying one from a breeder will be hassle free, but you are more likely to get a quality bully from a bully who breeds for health as well as looks.

Okay so you heard me say medical problems alot already. English Bulldogs are one of the most medically problematic dogs. They can have breathing problems, skin issues, eye problems, hips and shoulder problems. Many of them also snore and pass gas quite often. They also can drool quite a bit. They are stubborn and are totally inside dogs. An english bulldog cannot spend its life outside. They can not take the heat or cold for very long. Because of the way their face is mushed in, it is very hard for them to breathe when they get overexcited or hot. A bully can get quite expensive because of their medical issues.

On the other hand they are very sweet dogs and love to be loved. If you are looking for a dog to take nice long walks with a bulldog is not for you. They would much rather lay on the couch or in your bed. Because bulldogs have short hair their maintainance in that respect is better than long haired dogs who require trimming and grooming. However because of the folds on their face you must clean their face every day to avoid smelly yeast growing. You should also clean their tail pockets to avoid infection there as well....we clean our dog every time she goes to the bathroom with baby wipes. Bulldogs can also be highly allergic. My last bully was not allergic to anything...my current one so far is allergic to bannanas and mango. We feed her a high quality food (Orijen) to avoid other skin issues and her snacks are raw fruits and veggies....this is to avoid chicken and grain in her diet...which some dogs are allergic to.

As I've previously mentioned bulldogs drool. My current one does not drool as badly as my old one, however we still wipe her mouth everytime she drinks water as it has a tendency to get very wet by her jowls. We keep drool rags in everyroom of the house.

Both my bullies love to cuddle. They feel they are lap dogs no matter how much they weigh. They are stubborn and tend to listen much better when food or toys are involved. Otherwise they will look at you and decide if they want to obey or not. It may take some time but they will usually obey with proper training. They are hard to train.

On the other hand they are major clowns. There is never a dull moments with a bully. They are my breed of choice and I will never own another breed. They fit my lifestyle perfectly. They do not need much room, they do not shed as bad as some other dogs, but they do shed. They are very friendly and I've never had a problem with my bulldog hurting people. My old bulldog did not like other animals...she was spoiled rotten as my only child and did not particularly like the idea of a sibling. My new dog is fine with both people and other animals...it all depends on training.

As I write this at 12:24....my bully is still sleeping in my bed...thats how lazy they can be. Their butts jiggle and wiggle when they walk or get excited. They are a fabulous companion. But like I've said they can get expensive so do not buy if you do not have money for vet bills. Vets love to see bulldog owners because they know you will be there quite often especially as the dog gets older. I have to go now, hope this helps.

Everything the previous poster said, is true! Very expensive but worth it...My son has 2 and wouldn't have another breed of dog...They do have a short life span and his 1st bully, Harley, crossed over the bridge about a year ago...He's since adopted another, this one a male from a friend that just couldn't keep him any longer...He, Kenny and Wrinkles are great buddies...I was amazed at the difference in their builds...Wrinkles, the female, is more tall, where he looks exactly like the dog on the trucks, with the bowed front legs..They are both very heavy.. And another thing, bullys can't swim, but of course not all of them know that...Many times, Wrinkles had to be rescued from the pool..They did get her a small pool but she prefers the big one so they made her a life jacket...Another funny thing, our son's love to go to the Dairy Queen, but you can't say it, you have to spell it or they are sitting by the truck ready to go...And with their legs so short, they both have to be lifted into the truck to go.....

Like the other poster said, they are lazy, love the bed or the sofa...I love to see how excited they get when we visit and those butts wiggle back and forth....

Great family dog and can be protective....If you can afford one, go for it....There's not too many people own bullys and those that do really get noticed.....

Irish I forgot to mention the swimming :-) Bullys don't float...they fall...however, we have taken Tootsie to a dog park that has a lake and she as well as a few other bullies have gone in for a swim...however..if a bulldog falls into water, they can not get out. Never leave a bully unattended around water. When we were forced to put Candy to sleep in Oct, 2008 we got tootsie less than a week later. When we picked her up I took her to my dads house which has a pool. Hubby said to take her off the leash and see what she does...toots was already 10 months old...anyway toots saw a rabbit and tore off after it...straight into the deep side of the pool....I jumped in right after her fully clothed glasses and all....they sink fast. Bulldogs also tend to forget how big they are and will try to force their way through the smallest spots sometimes. Like I said..they are clowns. Candy was around 35-40 pounds....Tootsie is 46 pounds. But we have seen bulldogs weigh as much as 100 pounds. My mom has two...one male and one female...the female is about 80 pounds and the male around 75. Bulldogs come in many different shapes an sizes. The best way to determine which one you will get is to either see the parents or to get an older bully. We prefer the smaller ones as they tend to have less medical problems. Candy lived to be 10 years old. Putting her to sleep was the hardest thing I ever had to do. The house was empty so we had to get another one immediately. getting another breed did not even cross my mind. Once you go bully you never go back. they are worth all the trouble and expense in my opinion. But please do your research thoroughly. There is another website call bulldog domain.com which will give you a better idea of what you will face. Bulldogs do get noticed...I've had many people stop their cars and come to play with them. I've also done that as well. Anytime I see a bulldog I go goo goo, and I have stopped my car and gone to play :-)

Agreed adding that Bull dogs are fighters and they need to be trained early on not to be in a dominant position. They can get just as out of control as as any other dog without the correct behavioral training.

mazer....I agree that all dogs need to be trained not to be aggressive. However, english bulldogs are one of the most docile of the breeds. They were fighters in the 1800's but have since been bred to get rid of the aggressiveness. I just don't want people to think that english bulldogs are any more aggressive than other dogs can be. As a matter of fact my cousin just had a baby and as I was holding the baby all my dog did was sniff him and then lick his foot. :-) English bulldogs may look mean but they are more likely to lick you to death than actually harm anyone....of course any dog can be trained to be aggressive and the english bulldog can be a formidable foe because they still have their lock jaw. We just went on vacation and left our dog with a friend of ours who had two cats....she is so submissive that she would not go into the bedroom which the cats had claimed as their territory.....if the cats moved too fast she would run after them but if they turned around and stood their ground she would just stare at them. When the cats ran into the bedroom she would stop at the door. This was the first time she had ever been in close proximity to cats and we were told she had no problems...as a matter of fact the cats owners said they were more concerned with the cats hurting her :-)

Actually they were not bred to fight. They were used for bull baiting. Their job was to bite a bull on the nose to weigh the head down.

Check out the American Kennel Club link below. Try to find a reputable breeder as Bulldogs can come with severe physical and/or mental problems from bad breeders. There are also lots of Bulldog rescue clubs. The AKC club also has links to breeders and rescue clubs.

Here is a link that might be useful: AKC Bulldogs