The bulldog is probably the one dog that people are mistaken about more than any other. From their history of being bred and used for bull baiting - where they would attack and drag a bull - they've had the reputation for being mean and aggressive, but in fact nothing could be further from the truth. The British bulldog is a wonderful and gentle dog that makes a great family pet.

Not only do they get along great with children, but they love children and make great companions. As with any dog, when they are first introduced to children it should be done on a gradual basis. It makes sense that no child should be left alone with any dog for any reason. The bulldog, however, will instantly become one of the family. Many believe that they don't consider themselves as 'dogs' but more like the rest of the family members.

One of the characteristics that make the bulldog stand out above other dogs is their great tolerance and patience with children. There are also very calm and docile animals, seldom barking unless they really have something to say. They love playing with children, sometimes to the point of not knowing when they've had enough. Because of their intolerance to heat, their playtime often needs to be interrupted so the don't overheat.

They are not very high on the scale of top watchdogs, but their appearance alone is usually a deterrent for any strangers thinking of breaking into your home. They have a face that looks mean and aggressive along with their reputation of terrorizing bulls many years ago. In reality they are far too laid back and gentle to be aggressive watch dogs, but their love and devotion to their family would make them protect them if the situation warranted it.

They are not active dogs at all, but are more content just lying on the floor looking at their master or family members. They are chronic chewers all their lives so it is important they always have an abundance of chew toys available to save your furniture from being destroyed. Bulldogs are not the easiest dogs to train. They are slow moving and somewhat stubborn, but are trainable to a certain point and would certainly benefit from the most basic obedience training. One must keep in mind, however, that the bulldog does not respond well to excess exercise, often being described as a couch potato.

If there is one reason why families may hesitate in getting a bulldog as a family pet, it's their short life span. The idea of owning and loving a bulldog only to lose him in a few years is often something many dog owners don't want to have to deal with. They can live 8 to 10 years with good care, however. As much as some families love taking their dog with them in the car, owners need to be very cautious when traveling with the bulldog, as he cannot stand the heat anywhere near as well as most dogs.

For a family dog with children of any age, the bulldog makes the perfect pet, being loving and loyal to all family members.

As much as we love our dogs, they all have little quirks and habits that seem to annoy or bother us. With the English Bulldog, it's their never ending drooling. It's true that many dogs drool, but the bulldog seems to have it a little worse than most dogs. Many owners of bulldogs would like to know first of all why they have this problem and secondly, if there is anything they can do to help the problem.

The reason why English Bulldogs drool is because of the size of their face and all the loose skin that hangs on their face. The more loose hanging flesh they have, the more they drool. There really isn't enough 'sturdy' flesh to hold the drool inside their mouth. Anytime the bulldog has anything to drink, they are going to drool and there really isn't any way to prevent that. Many owners will dry the dog's mouth after they drool to lessen the chance of them getting a pimply rash, which is common with Bulldogs.

With all the excess drooling the bulldog does, many of them end up with the dog developing lip-fold dermatitis, a disorder consistent with dogs with a hanging upper lip and lower lift folds. It is cause by dermatitis brought on by an accumulation of saliva and food. The symptoms are the lips and skin around the mouth becoming smelly and having a greasy brown look to them. Again, if you dry the loose skin often, you may be able to eliminate this problem.

Some bulldog owners believe that not all bulldogs drool, but most of them do. Some of the ones that do drool can actually get their owner wet; some have described it as being like someone had spilled a glass of water on them. Another 'wet' habit the English bulldog has is coming up to his owner and shaking his head back and forth. The owner will often feel like someone threw some water on him! Others claim that when their bulldog walks through the kitchen, he leaves a trail of water behind him from all his drool. This is how bad the drooling is with some of the dogs.

In short, the more loose skin a bulldog has on his face, the more they are going to drool. Short of wiping the dog's face off all the time, there is very little you can do about the drool. One possibility is to try to train your bulldog to not shake his head while next to you. Some individuals, on the other hand, find this behavior of their bulldog quite endearing. Another thing you may try is never to feed the dog by your table or while you are eating. Each time he opens his mouth to get a treat or food, he is going to drool. Another method one family uses is to tie a bandana around the dog's neck with the triangle part on their chest. This is pretty efficient for catching the drool.

The Bulldog is a very wonderful dog to have as a pet. They get along with everyone, but they especially love being around children. From the time they enter your home, it will feel like they are one of the family. In many ways, it will seem like there is another person in your home. You will especially feel this way at night when you hear your new bulldog snoring. Yes, bulldogs do indeed snore.

When you first hear him snoring, you'll be sure that you are hearing things, but it's only your bulldog snoring as he sleeps. The reason for their snoring is that they have very short breathing passages. They don't snore quietly, but rather loudly and on most nights. Some of this may stem from years ago when they were bred to bait bulls. They needed to have their facial structures a specific way to make this possible. The bulldog had to have a short muzzle and a wide lower jaw to enable the bulldog to grab onto the bull's nose in the same manner as a vise. He would then have to hang on to the bull and drag him. The nose of the bulldog had to be upturned otherwise the dog wouldn't be able to breathe when he was holding on to the bull. This plays a large part in why the bulldog snores, because of his inability to breathe as other dogs do due to their facial structure.

There is another factor with the bulldog that may contribute to their snoring. They cannot be left in any area that is hot or not properly ventilated as they overheat very easily. Not sleeping comfortably often contributes to snoring and this may play a part with the bulldog. They have always been known for snoring and snorting. There is a cause for concern however, if the snoring gets too loud. Some bulldogs suffer from laryngeal edema, which is swelling of the airway and what sounds like loud snoring may in fact be difficulty in inhaling. If the bulldog makes this sound all the time, they may suffer from too small of a laryngeal opening. Some bulldogs also suffer from brachycephalic upper-airway syndrome, which can cause the dog to collapse from exercise, excitement or high temperatures. Any of these problems may contribute to the actual snoring that the bulldog is known for. Although snoring is common with the bulldog, if he or she seems to be having more trouble than normal, seek medical attention from your vet for the dog.

Surprisingly enough, everyone that owns bulldogs claim that the snoring doesn't bother them at all. In fact, most of them say it's a rather pleasant sound and definitely a sound they've become accustomed to hearing. Perhaps this has something to do with the lovable and cuddly personality the bulldog possesses.

If your question is price . Maybe this is not the breed that you should be looking into. There is a great deal of time, effort and expense involved in raising a Bulldog litter. Without going into too much detail, it can cost $2000-$3000 to breed and deliver not to mention raising a litter. Consideration for the time invested must be added. The average litter size is 4. Getting the female ready for breeding requires pre-breeding testing, ovulation testing, etc. - approximately 3 trips to the vet. Then the female is usually artificially inseminated, another 3 trips to the vet, not to mention the expense for the semen/stud service which is $500 and up. Then you wait 4 weeks for an ultrasound and/or x-rays. (It is important to be sure the female is pregnet). Special diets and constant monitoring for the next 5 weeks, plus getting the nursery getting with heating pads, bottles, blankets, medical supplies, milk replacer, puppy scale, and the list goes on and on. Then comes the C-section which can cost upwards of $600 assuming she went into labor DURING regular office hours(almost never happends) Emergency C-sections are very common and cost anywhere from $1600 and up. Females produce only 2 -3 litters. This is a special breed which requires the help of humans to bring a litter to 8 weeks of age. In spite of their appearance the Bulldog, as a newborn puppy is extremely fragile. It requires constant monitoring of the puppies (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Bulldogs don't make the best mothers because they may lay on a puppy on accident and not even realize it. The puppies are normally checked by the vet at least 4 times during their first 8 weeks, including worming and puppy shots. It is a breed that requires MAXIMUM effort on the part of the breeder to make sure that all the puppies turn out healthy.