re: Any English bulldog owners here?

My wife’s cousin bought one as a puppy. Within a year it had totally destroyed his finished basement. He even had to replace Sheetrock where it would try to dig through the walls. Chewed up furniture, pool table, you name it.

They are very stubborn and anything on the floor, he believe is his. I crate trained mine and it was pretty easy. I can leave him inside all day now with zero accidents. Like others have said, train with treats, mine goes buckwild over em.

I have a bulldog that is about 10.5 years old. He has been great and really has had minimal health issues. As previously suggested, I researched a ton on breeders and bought a "pet quality" dog from a breeder that bred show dogs and had done all health testing done that could be done. You may pay a little more buying from a top notch breeder, but odds are you'll save money (and heartache) over the long run.

His personality is that of a bulldog. He's stubborn, but hilarious at the same time. I wouldn't believe some of the stuff he does if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. They have some energy when younger, but ours has been very laid back from around when he was 2-3 years old. He has also been great with our young child and has never shown any aggression at all to anyone. He does shed and fart, but so do many dogs.

Overall, he's been a great dog and not much more trouble/expense/maintenance than many other pure bred dogs in my experience.

These pictures and stories remind me of how fun that dog was. I never, ever want another due to their health issues (I don't think it's fair to have them in south LA with our heat, poor things can't breathe) and maintenance. But like everyone says, those are some hilarious dogs. His sense of humor amazed me...they KNOW when they're being bad and do it anyway. They accept their punishment ( ) and seem content with their bad decisions! And their gas smells HORRIFIC. Unlike any other dogs I've ever been around.

And as puppies? Cutest things you'll ever see.

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Staffordshire Bull Terrier

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Isn't that pretty much just a fancy name for a pit bull?

I have had several. They are fine companions, can be very entertaining, and are happy to just lay around and be couch potatoes most of the time.

However, before you buy one, you should know:

1. They are subject to a multitude of health problems - skin, eye, and joint problems are common. They also have habit of picking up and eating anything they can put in their mouths, which creates potential for health issues. Odds are you will make several of your vet's boat payments over the life of your dog.

2. They can be extremely stubborn. Be sure to train your puppy to sit, stay and especially "drop it" - once they have something in their mouth, it's practically impossible to get them to let it go if they don't want to.

3. They shed, a lot.

4. They drool.

5. They fart.

6. They snore, sometimes very loudly. The first bulldog we had snored so loud he could be heard all over the house and couldn't sleep in the same room as us.

7. They can be possessive about their food, and probably shouldn't be fed around other dogs or small children.

8. They are not heat or exercise tolerant. Do not expect your bulldog to be able to run with you. A short (<1 mile) walk per day in moderate Temps is plenty of exercise. They should be an inside dog and not left outside in temps >85 degrees.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

Have an old English bulldog. She has been a great dog for the family. The kids love to play with her and she loves playing with the kids. Not sure about health issues yet bc she is only 1-1/2 yrs old. She truly believes she's human though. The kids get the biggest kick out of watching her jump on the trampoline. Overall a great dog.

The Olde English Bulldogs are larger and are known to have fewer health problems.

My wife is obsessed with them. I refuse to ever buy one. I think the last 4 years of me saying that has finally made her realize I'm not joking