Shortly before our Brindle Boxer died, we had purchased an English Bulldog from a local breeder in Upstate New York. We ended up loving the breed so much we did some online searches to find out more, and saw the adds for miniature bulldogs. English bulldogs are typically unable to breed naturally due to their breathing issues and unable to birth puppies without C-sections due to the head size of the puppies. The MBCOA site promoted the breed as being able to breed and birth naturally, and that seemed like a comparatively positive trait along with the fact that the dog would be small (no more than 30 pounds and no more than 12 inches in height). Sounds perfect, right? We reviewed pictures on the website and their was a male that had the same brindle coloring as our Boxer that passed. The breeder was a member of the MBCOA, so we felt more comfortable that there was an agency willing to back the breeder. The puppies would be ready for the new year (Jan). We only received one other pic during the time we corresponded with the breeder, some story about not being able to upload pictures. I continually asked for the date of birth of the puppy, and she wouldn't call or email me back. Well, the puppy was flown to NY from Palm Beach International Airport mid-December and we found out that the puppy was born 11/1/05, only 6 weeks before. The puppy was skinny and looked much more like a Boxer than a Bulldog. Remember we had had both breeds, so we were familiar. The puppy came with food that had been taken off store shelves due to wheat contamination that was making dogs ill. I tried contacting the breeder to discuss transporting the puppy at 6 weeks of age, that was way too young to take him from his Mom - but she never responded. I tried contacting the MBCOA, and after 4 months of continuous e-mails they told me that the breeder had been removed from their approved list. Yet, I could still go on the website, and the breeder was still listed as a MBCOA member. That "miniature" bulldog is now grown. We've been fortunate that we've only had to have entropion surgery for him ($1200), and no other major issues. He weighs 65 pounds, 7 pounds more than our "standard" English Bulldog. He is the same height about 20 inches. His head and limbs are smaller than the standard but that is about it. There is no such thing as a miniature bulldog. Your best bet is to adopt from English Bulldog rescue, there are a ton of dogs that need loving homes or are victims of trying to breed a smaller dog.
0 comments