Frequently Asked Questions

No. X-rays on growing puppies are almost meaningless. Diagnostic x-rays can be done on older puppies if a puppy shows problems or deformity, but x-rays on young puppies will not distinguish a potentially dysplastic puppy from a healthy puppy.

Instead, we x-ray the parent dogs at or after the parent dog’s second birthday. These films can then be reviewed by impartial persons to determine if the parent dogs have “good”, “fair”, “poor”, or in rare cases, “excellent” hips.

There is a procedure called “Penn Hip Certification” performed by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals on a puppy’s hips as early as 4 months. However, at this time it is cost prohibitive for the average person. PennHip Certication is currently about $450, compared to preliminary x-rays which cost around $160.

Both procedures can tell if a puppy may be prone to hip dysplasia but not until the puppy has achieved a little age. There is currently no way to determine hip dysplasia in infant (under 12 weeks old) puppies.

When one brings in a new puppy into a home with an adult dog the new owners often find themselves wondering how to handle the every day reactions between the dogs as the pack adjusts to the new member.  In many cases, the owners end up causing more issues that simply correcting what they have.

While every situation between dog and puppy is unique, the “stability” the adult dog and the circumstances the owners put the dogs in go along way in determining the final outcome.

Generally, if it a rule is good enough for a toddler’s playroom, its typically a good rule when dealing with puppy to adult or any dog to dog interaction.

1. You must monitor your dogs as they interact with the new puppy at all times. Do not allow your new puppy to pester, no matter how cute you think it looks. You can watch and allow the puppy to try and play with the adult, but if the adult dog says no you must walk over and enforce the NO to the puppy. When the puppy learns respect for the adult, usually the adult will accept the dog and they will begin to willingly play. If the adult is a senior and has pain it may never wish to play with the new puppy and the new puppy must respect this and leave the adult alone.
2. One of the first rules, if the adult dog is at rest the puppy must be stopped when it decides to go pounce on the adult.
3. If either dog initiates play and the other looks accepting of the proposal, let them play.
4. Do not allow the puppy to harass the older dog. Size does not matter. If the puppy is tiny and the adult is very large this is still no excuse to allow the smaller dog to harass the larger dog. It is not funny, and it is cruel to allow it.
5. Consequently, do not allow the older dog to harass the puppy.
6. When dogs are playing the play is over as soon as the adult walks away or otherwise turns its back to get away from the puppy. This is GAME OVER for the puppy.  The owner must walk over and stop the puppy from continuing. The puppy must learn to respect the other dogs around it. This teaches the adult dog that you have his back and he does not need to all out attack puppy because you will help. You are the ultimate leader, not the older dog and you must ensure the puppy does not harass the older dog. Usually a puppy can out play an adult, but this goes both ways. If the puppy walks away because it no longer wants to play the older dog needs to be told GAME OVER.
7. It is not always bad when an adult dog corrects a puppy for rude behaviors. It can be very helpful and necessary to teach the puppy respect and manners. An example,  if the puppy pounces on the adult while it is at rest. That type of behavior is not only rude, but it directly affects the dog that was disturbed. It is not wise to allow an adult dog to correct a puppy when the puppy was not interacting with the adult.With that said, this correcting needs to be monitored.  Do not allow the adult dog to correct the puppy went its not being directly affected. Example, the puppy is running through the how, you can not allow the adult dog to decide that running in not allowed.  REMEMBER, YOU ARE THE PACK LEADER!  You cannot give the adult too much power or you will set yourself up for future issues. The adult dog can stick up for itself, but it cannot make the rules for the rest of the house. Again, this goes both ways should you have an alpha puppy on your hands.
8. No bone or toy stealing. No one dog owns a toy. YOU, AS THE OWNER, OWN THE TOY! Do not let a toy or bone be “that dogs”. Whichever dog has the bone or toy at the moment is the dog who gets it – period. Do not allow one dog to walk over and take it from the other dog. This is simply a power play by the “taker”. Stop the dog who tried immediately. Do not set a rule that an object is only a certain dog’s object. Dogs can play together with the object, but one dog cannot steal it from the other if there is no play going on. If you allow one dog to own an object, you will be setting yourself up for future issues. That rule is kind of like toddlers playing in the playroom together. They can play together with a toy, but one child cannot decide to walk over and grab it if it was not part of the agreed on game. With all that being said, if you notice any object-guarding by the dog with the bone or toy take the object away. Guarding objects is also NOT allowed.
9. DO NOT praise or coddle one dog over the other during this adjustment time or you will create issues. You have to silently and calmly with a mamma-bear (or papa-bear) attitude monitor and referee the interaction. Stay calm, confident, and assertive without being loud and wordy. With a ‘matter of fact I mean it mode’. For instance, if you were watching two 2-year-olds toddlers play, you do not pick one child up and oooo and ahhh them for the other to see as a punishment because they were not behaving. You simply tell the kids to play nice. You do not allow them to harass one another.
10. Do not allow your older adult dog to be a leader over you or the puppy. Do not allow the puppy to be a leader over the other dog or the humans. It is acceptable for the adult dog to correct a puppy when the unwanted behavior directly affected the adult itself, but the adult should not be allowed to make the rules. Your adult dog and your new puppy need to see that you and all the other human-types are the ones ultimately in charge.
11. Time-outs do not work. A dog has no concept of that type of thinking. Dogs live in the moment. They does not understand time-out in a cage because he did something wrong 15 minutes ago. Dogs should never be punished in an “after the fact” manner. There is a difference between punishment and a correction. A dog should never be punished for deeds you do not like, but rather corrected. What’s the difference? A correction is when you give a command of disapproval at the moment the deed is about to be done or is being done. A punishment is anything thereafter.

Yes. A well-bred bulldogge should be exceptionally good with children. They are very tolerant, almost angelic in their ability to put up with the antics of small kids, and especially suited for children with a lot of energy. The bulldogge’s calm presence helps kids play nicely, and if the dog’s feelings or dignity is too badly hurt, the bulldogge will usually just get up and leave. They will  usually not retaliate with a growl or bite.

Bulldogges who have never encountered children may not understand them. In this case, barking and growling may indicate confusion and fear. If this is the case, a professional trainer with kids in tow should be consulted.I can not count the number of pictures of bulldogges in costumes we get every year from happy puppy customers whose bulldogges are the prime recipient of “dress up” time with the kids. I see bulldogges in every conceivable mode of attire, from tuxedos to belly dancer outfits, Superman to Darth Vader. Not only do the bulldogges put up with it —   they seem to enjoy the whole thing. They relish the closeness of the kids and the attention a Little Mermaid costume will bring when worn by a bulldogge.

And of course, no dog, bulldogge or otherwise should ever be left unsupervised with small kids. Only dog who have a history of tolerance should ever be left alone with children and then only for short periods of time and only with gentle kids who will not intentionally or accidentally provoke an aggressive response from a dog.

The short answer is YES they should be able to.  With that said, OEB only have 1 type of hair, not 2 or 3 like other breed; therefore, they are very susceptible to variation in temperature.  Generally speaking if you are comfortable in a tshirt and jeans, you OEB is fine.

Even though many of the standard English Bulldog traits have been breed out, those OEB with breathing issues are very prone to major heath issues when left outside or performing strenuous activities.

Short answer – ABSOLUTELY

First of all, ALL breeds or mixture of dog breeds can develop dysplasia; more commonly we hear of larger breeds, such as Labs, St. Bernard, etc with CHD (Canine Hip Dysplasia), simply because they weigh more; thereby putting more stress on the hip joints.  Bulldogs and by relation Olde English Bulldogges, are in the club as well because of their unique bone structures.  Although external factors, such as rapid weight gain, growth rate, nutrition and environment can play a role, we strong believe root problem is often genetics.  Study after study clearly indicate the total number of occurrences dramatically increase when one or both parents are also dysplastic.

All of our dogs are hip checked by an orthopedic DVM at 2 years of age and during their annual well visit.  Additionally, each female is re-checked as part of her pre-breeding check.

As a matter of normal operations, before any female is breed, she is taken for a complete veterinarian exam to ensure she is “sound” and “capable” of going throw the pregnancy process safely and without fear of any negative outcomes.  As part of this exam, we will typically do a general hip x-ray.  We are looking for changes in her hips that her sudden weight gain and wear and tear will not further exacerbate.  In addition, we are also look for signs of accelerated changes and arthritis.  If we determine such changes are not productive to our line or can have long-term negative consequences for her, we will not breed her.

Generally, the closer your pet is to attaining two years of age, the more likely he/she will remain free of premature joint disease.  Therefore, if we find an accelerated rate of abnormal wear or arthritis, particularly if the female is “just coming to 2 years”, we will NOT breed the trait into our line.  We will spay her and she will become a pet.

When raised with cats and small dogs, OEB’s will usually not be a threat to these small companion animals. However, puppies need to be taught from the very start not to be too rough with the cats or the little dogs. This is frequently accomplished by the cat and small dogs themselves and the owner should allow it. Go ahead and let the cat terrorize your puppy. They have a limited amount of time in order to instill respect. Let them. Not allowing them to teach the puppy to respect these other creatures could cause problems at a later time.

Bringing a puppy into a house with an established bulldogge is usually fine. Just don’t let the two play unsupervised. Bulldogges are very big and sometimes don’t pull their punches. They aren’t trying to be mean, it’s just the way they play. OEB’s have a tendency to play very rough with each other and might not tone it down all the time with a puppy. SET THE LIMITS, your puppies are growing and developing and may be accidentally injured.

As adults, chance encounters with other dogs while on the trail and in the park are generally not a problem IF your bulldogge is properly socialized by plenty of play time with other dogs while growing up. Dog training classes and dog day care are excellent ways to socialize your puppy. If not properly socialized, your dog could become unfriendly toward other dogs. Because of your bulldogge’s size and “never give up” nature which is part of what makes a bulldogge a bulldogge, we whole heartily recommend socializing your puppy.  Not doing so could cause problems as your dog may mature into a bully with other dogs (no pun intended!)

As far as cats are concerned, a bulldogge raised properly with cats will not be a problem should you desire to add another cat in the future. Make sure your bulldogge understands that chasing the cat is a BIG mistake and start introductions with the dog securely tied to a large, stationary piece of furniture.

We do not ship puppies outside of the continental United States. It’s too hard on them.  We will only consider selling a puppy overseas if the buyer flies into Dallas and picks the puppy personally and is flown back within the main cabin.

We will only ship puppies with an escort and must be flown within the main cabin.  CSB can provide an escort at an additional fee, including airfare.  We will deliver your puppy to your doorstep for $3.00 per loaded mile, plus any overnight accommodations on any deliver more than 350 miles from 76064.

Dog hip dysplasia (CHD – Canine Hip Dysplasia) is a malformation of the hip joint – instead of a nice round ball fitting smoothly into a deep socket, the joint contains a shallow socket and irregularly shaped ball.  These malformations cause uneven contact between the joint surfaces, as well as compromised stability.  Arthritis is an expected outcome from having dog hip dysplasia.

Typically the root cause of CHD is genetic, however rapid weight gain or growth, and either over or under exercising can also contribute to its manifestation.  Per the Orthopedic Foundation of Animals, Bulldogs are the number 1 dog suffering from CHS.

Here are x-rays of “normal” dog hips. For the sake of full disclosure, these are NOT bulldogge hips as you will very seldom ever see bulldogge hips this clean.   The red line highlights the socket and the green line outlines the femoral head (ball) and neck.  Notice the hourglass appearance of the thin femoral neck.  The region of solid green color represents the part of the femoral head that is buried within the socket.  Also note in the first x-ray the absences of any jagged edges or arthritis around the femoral head.  In a perfect world, this is what you should strive to obtain.

This is an x-ray of a dog that has severe CHD.  Notice the areas of roughened bone, with spurs off the top of the socket and extra calcified masses.  These regions of extra bone growth indicate degenerative arthritic change.  Both the ball and the socket are irregularly shaped and fit together poorly.  There is poor coverage of the femoral head.

The femoral head and neck are outlined in green.  Notice how thickened femoral neck is compared to the normal dog hip x-rays.  The region of solid green color reflects the amount of femoral head that is seated within the socket.  Notice how much flatter femoral heads are and how little of they are seating into the sockets as compared to that of the normal dog hip x-ray.  The green or red circles with no coloring in the center represent abnormal calcified masses.

Believe it or not, despite these horrific looking x-rays, with minimal treatment this dog can lead a fairly active with only the occasional use of prescription medication.  Approximately 75 percent of young dogs with CHD can maintain function well into their senior years without developing hip pain. Although medical and surgical options are available for young and mature pets with CHD, most dogs are initially treated with medical supervision.

Keys:

• First and foremost, consult with your DVM.
• Keep the rest of the dogs body as fit and strong as possible.  The dogs weight and overall health condition is typically the underlying catalyst.
• Treat the inflamed joint itself using nutriceuticals (glucosamine, omega-3’s etc.), a structured exercise program to build hip strength and stability, manual therapy, if needed.  Other nonsurgical treatment may include acupuncture and anti-inflammatories.

Some of the problems associated with English bulldogs can occur in Old English Bulldogs but in much smaller scale. Entropion, cherry eye, minor allergies, poor breathing, fold maintenance and dysplasia are problems that occur in bulldogges and many flat faced breeds, but should not be common in a well established breeder.

We work very diligently to breed out many of these problems.  What you will find is that breeders who are breeding for a single trait often carry these traits forward.  Before you purchase your puppy, please asked to inspect the parents.

Most people feed their dog’s dry kibble or canned wet food. These processed foods might not be appealing to us, but they contain all of the nutrients dogs need to stay healthy. Quality commercial dog foods are highly regulated and have undergone rigorous testing by veterinary specialists.

Dogs, unlike cats, are not strict carnivores. While meat makes up most of their diet, domestic dogs can also derive nutrients from grains, fruits, and vegetables. These non-meat foods are not merely fillers but can be valuable sources of essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Good dog food will contain meat, vegetables, grains, and fruits. The best dog foods contain high-quality versions of these ingredients that are appropriate for your dog’s digestive system

We strongly believe it’s a good idea for pet owners to stick with a high protein food with low fillers and either low or no grain.  This isn’t rocket science or voodoo magic, its practical since.  We use Diamond Natural Chicken and Rice All Life Stages along with 4-Health wet food, but we could just as easily use Blue Buffalo, or Taste of the Wild, or any number of good foods.  It’s all about the ingredients, what your budget can afford and what is available in your market.  When doing your internet research, make sure you reference an object third party and not a site sponsored by a particular manufacture.  I think www.dogfoodadvisor.com is a pretty good site for basic information.

When getting your new puppy try to stick with one diet and one type of treat for a while until your dog adapts to its new home and environment. If you do decide to change, make that change over several days adding a little more new food to the old.  Make an abrupt change may cause your puppy issues.

Better food equals buying less food and picking up less poop. Dogs eating “name brand” big box store food eat twice as much because of fillers and junk and can easily poop 8 times a day. Better food should keep adults to 1 or 2 stools a day.

FEEDING TIP:

A meal is your dog’s biggest paycheck. If you leave your dog’s food down all day, it sends a message that you’re not in charge. Instead, ask your dog to “sit” or “sit” and “stay” before giving the meal. Your dog thinks if you’re in charge of the food, you must be the top dog. Even better, feed your dog twice every day, and you will have two opportunities to be the top dog.

Entropion is fairly common in dogs and is seen in a wide variety of breeds, including short-nosed breeds, giant breeds, and sporting breeds. Entropion is almost always diagnosed around the time a puppy reaches its first birthday.

In short, it is a condition where the eyelid rolls inward, causing the eyelashes to rub against the cornea (surface of the eyeball). This is often irritating and can be painful condition which can ultimately lead to blindness. Although any dog breed can some degree of Entropion, Bulldogs are especially at risk for this heritable disorder. Surgical correction is usually successful if performed early.

Symptoms and Types

In brachycephalic breeds of dogs, such as the Bulldog, excess tears (epiphora) and/or inner eye inflammation are common.

Cause

Although medical factors, such as repeated eye infection, can lead to entropion, facial shape is the primary genetic cause, particularly in short-nosed, brachycephalic breeds like the bulldogs. In these types of dogs there is more tension on the ligaments of the inner eye than would normally be seen. This, along with the conformation (shape) of their nose and face can lead to both the top and bottom eyelids rolling inward toward the eyeball.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is fairly straightforward through a general examination. Any underlying causes or irritants should be dealt with prior to attempting surgical correction.

Treatment Care

There is an array of treatment options depending on the severity of the condition, up to and including surgery.  In severe cases, facial reconstruction may be necessary.  In mild case where the corneas are not affected, artificial tears can be sued to lubricate the eyes.  Ongoing management of entropoin requires ongoing follow-up care and maintenance from a DVM.

Prevention

As entropion is usually caused by a genetic predisposition, it cannot really be prevented. If your bulldog is affected, prompt and consistent treatment is your best option once it is diagnosed.

With good nutrition and a proper heath regiment, OEB’s can have an average lifefspan of 10-14 y

With so many dog food choices, it’s no wonder people don’t know what to feed their Bulldogge!

To answer this question, let’s look at basic canine physiology.

A dog is a carnivore, meaning that although a dog can eat and digest carbohydrates in the form of fruits, grains, and vegetables, it can not do so easily. A dog’s digestive system is designed to digest meat, bones, hide, and prey animals’ stomach contents.

A dog’s digestive system processes food quickly –  usually, 12 to 24 hours. Compared to humans, who are omnivores, our system takes about 24 to 36 hours to digest a meal. After gorging on a meal, a dog is ready to eat again reasonably soon. Humans are grazers, eating a handful here, a handful there, with our digestive system taking all the time it needs to digest the complex carbs that are an everyday staple of the omnivore’s diet.

Although the dog food companies would like for the dog-owning public to believe that complex carbs such as grains and vegetables are good for dogs, the reality is that these hard to digest foods are just that – hard to digest. Sometimes too hard to digest for the dog’s simple and quick digestive system.

What happens when you feed a dog complex carbs?

Not much. This means that the dog simply doesn’t digest these complex grains and all the good nutrients they contain. They just pass through the dog’s system and your wallet without doing a lot of good.

With this in mind, what should a dog eat?

Ideally, you will feed your dog a limited ingredient, fully-balanced, grain-free dog food. However, this may not be feasible for the average person. Grains are a cheap protein source for dog foods. This is why the average dog food has one or more grains as the first ingredient. But many Ole English Bulldogge’s do not do well with grain in their diet. Some dogs are very allergic to grains. So what can you do?

The least expensive, hassle-free alternative to your dog eating fresh, whole organisms like rabbits and rodents is feeding a grain-free dry dog food. CSB supplements our dogs with high-quality wet food to add additional nutrition and liquid to their diet.  Getting all the nutrients in order and in the right quantities is difficult.  If time and money prohibit both cooking your dog’s food and/or feeding them grain-free food, try the limited ingredient dry dog foods with only one grain, such as rice or oats.  Just remember, your dog is not what he eats; your dog is what he digest!

Try to stay away from corn, as many dogs seem to have difficulty digesting it.

If you are feeding the best quality food you can afford, and your dog still has itchy skin, runny eyes, emits clouds of gas, and has chronic ear infections and sores in between the toes, look at the list of ingredients on the food you are feeding and switch to something else. It often takes several weeks to see any result. When switching dog foods, do so gradually. A dog’s simple system does not tolerate change if done too quickly.

Crooked Star Bulldogges has conflicted thoughts surrounding this topic.  On one hand we fully understand the overall  health of the dog depends on the hormones provided by the testicle or ovaries.  However, we also understand the need to spay/neuter to control unwanted pregnancies.  Our solution is to allow 11 months to provide proof.

Recent university studies have suggested that spaying and neutering dogs too early can result in a higher incidence of both behavioral problems and ligament/joint problems.

The studies have indicated a correlation specifically between early neutering of male dogs and fear aggression and early spaying/neutering of both sexes and ligament problems.

In other words, males neutered too early may become untrustworthy with strangers and in unfamiliar situations and both sexes altered too early may develop the canine version of torn ACLs as the long bone in the legs grow longer after early neutering but the corresponding ligament attachments may not. When the dog reaches physical maturity the ligament may tear, causing pain, lameness and permanent disability.

How early is too early? That’s a very good question.

Many veterinarians advise female bulldogges be spayed prior to their first heat cycle, while others suggest to wait until afterwards. We always advocate working closing with your Veterinarian team to figure out the best solution for your situation.  At any rate, the first heat cycle usually occurs between the dog’s 6th and 9th month.

Male dogs tend to mature more slowly. When is the optimal time to neuter your male dog? That depends on your dog. Some breeds mature faster, others more slowly. It is a safe bet to say that neutering a male dog before 6 months of age is too early. Waiting until sexual maturity or beyond may cause unwanted behaviors to crop up and become ingrained. Neutering a dog before the testosterone-produced behaviors such as leg-lifting in the house, inter-male aggression and mounting appear on a regular basis is recommended. Neutering after the behaviors become habitual will lesson the behaviors but may not eliminate them entirely.