Puppy Buyer Beware

So, you have fallen in love with that cute, little, squishy, flat faced, wrinkly, sweet bulldog puppy and you are ready to add one to your family. You are probably surfing the internet searching for that ‘perfect puppy’ from a ‘reputable’ breeder. You see a picture of the pup of your dreams and you want it NOW!

I know that feeling well, and trust me when I say, we have all been there. Hopefully, this article will get you thinking with your head instead of your heart before you jump in and buy that cute puppy.; The internet is a great way to find breeders and puppies. Unfortunately, there are quite a few scammers out there preying on potential puppy buyers who are not aware of what they are truly buying. Let’s face it, all puppies are cute but is it the bulldog you have always wanted?

It has been brought to the attention of the BCCC there are CKC registered ‘black’, ‘tri’, or ‘blue’ bulldog puppies being sold as ‘RARE’ and these breeders are charging excessive amounts for them. They are rare, but they are rare because reputable breeders would never breed these dogs. These colors are considered undesirable in our purebred bulldogs written standard. The ‘written standard’ is like a blueprint for breeders to follow to keep the unique characteristics of our breed consistent. Breeders who intentionally breed these colors are not acting in the best interest of the breed. They are however lining their pocketbooks by charging excessive amounts for these puppies. These breeders are not welcome members of the BCCC as they do not follow the outlined ethics requirements of this club.

Other types of bulldogs you need to concern yourself with are mini bulldogs. These are not bulldogs!!! These are some type of cross breeding. When two different breeds are crossed there is no way to predict the potential health risks that may arise from a breeding like this. Beware!

Another risky puppy buying venture is the puppy that was imported from another country. Brokers import puppies from other countries at a discounted price and sell them for profit. There is a great risk to shipping puppies and many show up sick. It is almost impossible to enforce a health guarantee or have any support for your new puppy when dealing with these situations. A reputable breeder is careful who their pups are placed with, a broker does not.

I have heard many times from pet buyers they are not interested in papers because they do not intend to show. A bulldog does require registration papers to show but papers offer an assurance that this puppy is a purebred bulldog. Papers include not only a registration with the CKC but more importantly link your dog to a pedigree showing a family history. This information is your insurance of truly owning a purebred bulldog and offers quite a bit of information. If you want to know what your pup will grow up to be like, or the health of the pup, the answer most often will lie in a 5 generation pedigree.

Be leery of the breeder that wants a deposit prior to pups being born. Often these deposits are non refundable and there is always a chance the dam does not get pregnant, the pups get sick or even die. In that case you may have to wait until the next litter, whenever that may be. There is nothing wrong with requesting to be on a waiting list with no money exchanged. To leave behind a $500 deposit on a pup that doesn’t even exist is locking you into a pup you may decide you don’t even appreciate once it is born. Once you have at least seen pics of a young litter of pups and there are some choices available to you then leaving a deposit at that time would be more logical.

Buying a bulldog puppy is a decision that warrants using your head not your heart. Once you have done all the research and it appears to be a logical choice go ahead and let your heart give that bulldog puppy all the love it deserves!

Cindy Madill – Jamler Bulldogs Reg’d
1st Vice President – Bulldog Club of Central Canada