Please do
not attempt to breed your bulldog until you are positive that you are deeply committedto the long term health and safety of
your bulldog (male or female) and their puppies. Are you intent on improving the breed? It takes a lot of effort to
understand the bulldog breed and their specific needs. Have you truly researched your bulldog’s pedigree? Do you think
that you can simply breed bulldogs in your backyard and earn tons of money? THINK AGAIN. THINK HARD. THINK LONG. THEN THINK
ONE MORE TIME!
One of the many reasons why bulldogs are
expensive is because they do require extra care and, very often, that care can be quite expensive. Those costs are reflected
in the cost of bulldog puppies. Bulldogs have been bred (some might say over-bred) to the point that they now actually need
SKILLED help in selecting mates, breeding, carrying, birthing (whelping) and caring for their own puppies. It may be
the case that your bulldog couple are the exception and can do all of this on their own, but it is also quite unlikely. The
bulldog is not a breed that you can just put in the backyard, let them mate, give the female a warm, safe place to birth and
leave them on their own to do what should come naturally. It is WAY more difficult than that.
Never breed your bulldogs before at least 18 months of age. It is generally accepted that
the first two heat cycles should be allowed to pass without breeding. The earliest to even consider breeding is the third
heat cycle.
Never breed your bulldogs if they suffer
from hip dysplasia, cataracts, cherry eye, heart problems, palate problems or any other serious ailment.
A healthy female bulldog who was herself whelped naturally is a prime candidate for
breeding.
Heat
Female bulldogs can enter their first heat cycle anywhere from 5-11 months of age. The average might
be 6-9 months. Every bulldog is different. You may have to pay very close attention and you may only notice very light red
or brown spots. Others will be obvious. The heat cycle (fertile period) usually lasts about three weeks, but it can vary from
7 days to an entire month or more. The average interval between cycles is approximately 7 months but, again, individual bulldogs
vary dramatically. This time is measured from the beginning of one cycle to the beginning of the next (not from the end of
one to the beginning of the next). During the first part of the heat (proestrus or pre-ovulation), you will notice male dogs
being attracted to your home. At this time your female bulldog will possibly show an increase in urination, swelling of the
vulva, and possibly also bleeding. It is likely that your female will NOT permit male dogs (or even male owners!) anywhere
near her at this point. During the second part of the heat (estrus or ovulation), the female bulldog will be more willing
to allow males near her and will be willing to breed with most any available dog. During this time, you DO NOT want the neighborhood
stray to pay a visit! Keep your girl under close supervision. Don’t let her roam freely! This time lasts an average
of one week but it can vary from 4-11 days.
Insemination
It would be wonderful if the bulldog breed could be allowed to mate naturally.
Most breeders do not permit this and, instead, they artificially inseminate their females. Artificial insemination requires
the deposition of the semen directly into the female bulldog’s uterus via syringe (through the vagina and past the cervix).
Gestation
Halfway through the gestation period (30 days) most pregnant bulldogs may need about 50% more food than normal. Nutritional
supplementation is very highly recommended, but do not supplement individual nutrients. Provide a multiple nutrient formula.
Specifically, do not supplement just calcium. Excess calcium has been associated with uterine spasms/inertia. Calcium is needed,
it simply should NOT be given in isolation nor in excess. Since semen can live within the uterus for a number of days before
fertilizing the egg, it is impossible to know the exact date that your bulldog started her pregnancy. As a general rule, it
should take approximately 60-63 days for the litter to mature enough to be born healthy. Rules are made to be broken however,
so close observation of your pregnant bulldog is far more important than any “whelping timetable”. There are numerous
cases when a Caesarian section was “scheduled” based on some artificial timetable and the puppies were “taken”
too early. The lungs are one of the last things to fully develop and early C-sections can result in “preemies”
that, at best, will have to struggle to survive, if they can survive at all. X-rays (preferably ultrasound) can confirm
pregnancy after approximately 45 days. It is sometimes worthwhile to test in order to confirm the number of puppies. For example,
if you see six puppies in a scan, but during whelping only four have emerged, you can be pretty certain that more are still
on the way.
Nesting
At least a week before you expect the litter to be born, alert your veterinarian and begin
observing your pregnant bulldog more often and more closely. As much as a week before, she will start “nesting”.
Give here plenty of soft, warm materials and let her arrange them the way she wants! You may notice that she will stop eating.
This is often done about 24 hours prior to whelping.
Labor
A sudden gush of green fluid indicates that the sac holding fluid around the
puppies has broken. (“her water broke”) Birth of her first puppy is imminent and the remaining puppies can follow
within minutes or even a half hour later. If you notice her straining constantly without producing a puppy, you should be
concerned. A dead puppy, a sideways puppy or a water puppy may be blocking her cervix and expert assistance will be necessary.
This is NOT the time to call your vet. Your vet should have been there long before.
C-Sections
Approximately
95% of bulldogs whelp their litters by Caesarian section. I (Jim) encourage breeders to consult with a veterinarian
that has specific experience in caring for English Bulldogs. Tell them that you will pay them in full for the cost of a Caesarian
delivery done at your location even if it is not necessary, but let them know that you would prefer to have them simply observe
your bulldog give birth naturally. Offer to sign a waiver of responsibility relieving the vet of any responsibility should
anything go wrong during the whelping. Ask your vet to use their best judgement to determine whether your bulldog should deliver
their litter naturally or if a C-section is absolutely necessary. Take away the incentive of $$$$. If you are willing
to pay the added fees of Caesarian delivery, even if the birth occurs naturally, you will encourage your vet to make a more
appropriate decision. There is no way to know for certain ahead of time but, in retrospect, if your bulldog is not healthy
and strong enough to give birth naturally, then you shouldn’t have bred her in the first place. To truly improve the
breed, only the strongest females should be allowed to breed. Once that decision has been made, however, let your vet decide,
but give them every reason to choose to assist your bulldog though a natural childbirth. Give them every incentive to come
to you so that your bulldog can give birth in the “nest” that she has built for her puppies, rather than be dragged
to the vets office at the last minute. It may cost you more to have the vet come to you, but it is worth it for your dog,
it is worth it for you and it is worth it for the breed. Take away the incentive of $$$$. If you truly care about the bulldog
breed, you will be willing to pay your veterinarian to guide your bulldog through a natural childbirth. You will be rewarded
with healthier, stronger pups and the inner satisfaction that you are working along with Mother Nature to improve and strengthen
the bulldog breed.
Nursing
Absolutely, there is no man-made formula that can possibly replace mother’s milk.
The first few days after birth, all mammals produce a specific form of milk known as colostrum. To deny your new puppies
this natural immune-enhancing nourishment is a travesty. Unless the mother’s life is in jeopardy, nursing is vital to
the pups. Don’t try to help too much. There may be details involved that you do not understand. In other animals, studies
have found that individual pups are actually assigned a specific nipple, and they only thrive when they return to “their”
nipple.
Warmth
Some statistics show that puppies die most often from hypothermia. Provide a dependable,
save, gentle heat source at all times. The bulldog mother will know that the warmth is available and will move the puppies
as necessary.
Another fallacy is that female English Bulldogs
have to deliver their pups through Caesarean section. While this may occasionally be necessary when birthing is
difficult, HEALTHY English Bulldogs can certainly deliver their pups naturally and successfully. Currently, over 90%
of English Bulldog puppies are delivered by Caesarian section. You should never attempt to free-whelp without the help
of a veterinarian who has extensive (specific) experience with English Bulldogs. C-Sections do not have to be a certainty.
They should not be scheduled. They MAY be necessary and should only be performed when it is deemed that they are necessary.
