Once upon a time...

July 14th, 2018 the world was introduced to a cute and sleepy little puppy who would eventually be named Zeus. He was so cute! Of course as soon as I saw the photo I was smitten. I decided to start doing some research on the breed to see if he would be a good fit for our family. I also wanted to see if he would make a good companion for our Great Dane named Ares.

Ares - our 5 year old dane

The first thing I wanted to research about the breed was health. Having a Dane means many health issues and I was hoping to get away from some of those worries. Here is what I learned from a few different sites:

1. Health: This dog is a healthier breed than many modern bulldog breeds. There are still some concerns to watch closely for, as with all dogs.

a) Canine hip dysplasia. This is where there is abnormal hip formation of the hip socket. Check out this link for info: https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/musculoskeletal/c_dg_hip_dysplasia

b) Bloat (AKA Gastric Dilatation Volvulus - GDV). This is where the stomach can dilate and twist around it's short axis. It is very painful and requires immediate medical intervention. It will usually require surgery to fix and can be deadly very quickly. If you suspect bloat in any dog do not hesitate for a second and go to the vet. Check out this link for info:

https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_dg_gastric_dilation_volvulus_syndrome

c) Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome. This is where dogs that have a short nose and a flat face could have potential breathing issues as there could be partial blocking of the airway. Check out this link for info: https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/respiratory/c_multi_brachycephalic_airway_syndrome

d) Cherry Eye. This is where the third eye lid (AKA nictitating membrane) can protrude and cause a prolapse. Most often this is corrected by surgery if it is recurring. Check out this link for info:

https://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/dr-coates/2015/june/cherry-eye-dogs-32818

Another thing I was worried about in regards to health that I read about happening with the English Bulldog was the skin folds and bacteria collecting and causing infection there. The Olde English Bulldogge does not have as many wrinkles but it is still good practice to keep the ones they have clean. Mostly for these guys it's about making sure any eye discharge is cleaned so it does not run down into wrinkles around the nose. I also wanted to know about how the weather would affect this breed. The English Bulldog does not do well in extreme weather, especially heat and can suffer from heat stroke. I learned that this breed also does not do great in heat and to make sure to watch closely as they can overheat quickly. Not an ideal breed for long hikes or jogs in the summer, but a great companion for a lazy Dane.

Next I wanted to know about lifespan. Once again owning a Dane means living with the knowledge that they have one of the shortest life spans of all the dog breeds with only 7-8 years, and we had already lost one at the age of 5 to cancer. What I learned was that thanks to the careful breeding done by today's breeders and what breeds were picked to create this dog (a mix between the English Bulldog, American Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier, and the Mastiff) the lifespan is higher with many living between 10-14 years.

Next question on the mind was temperament. This one was important to me as our Dane is a big factor in why we are bringing a puppy home, I really want him to have a companion. What I learned was that the Olde English Bulldogge is trustworthy, loyal, and protective. Early socialization is important and they need a strong pack leader but they make great family dogs as they love fiercely and are not afraid to protect the family from anyone who looks suspicious. And yes, they get on great with children and other dogs. Yay! So far everything is looking good for bringing a new family member home.

Up next on the check list was trainability. When I looked into the regular English Bulldog before every site I checked stated the breed was stubborn. As a first time dog owner it scared me away from the breed. This time I had owned two Danes and felt a bit more prepared but still wanted to see what I was getting into. According to many sites this breed is eager to please and highly intelligent making it highly trainable. This breed is very strong and training should start early. Make sure to only train for short periods of time but often while a puppy and always make training fun. Lots of praise and rewards! This breed can be a wonderful companion with the proper training and socialization.

The last thing I was wanting to learn was about care. Would it be as easy as caring for a Great Dane in regards to baths, eating, exercise (Danes are giant couch potatoes after all). I wanted to make sure we had a dog with the same energy level as our Dane and we had gotten used to how easy he was to care for exercise wise. I learned this breed is not overly hard to care for and similar to the Dane. They have a short and shiny coat that will need brushing once a week and it will shed an average amount. They are an athletic and strong breed so they will require walks and play time in a yard. We already take Ares on two walks a day for an hour each time so this dog would fit nicely into our exercise routine and we also have a nice fenced in yard for the dogs to play in together. For feeding this breed should be feed up to 4 cups a day but spread out throughout the day. We already feed our Dane like this to try and prevent bloat so I felt this would be easy to get a puppy into the routine as well.

Once I felt I had spent a good amount of time getting to know this breed and speaking with the other family members about it (yes, you better believe I asked Ares if he wanted a little brother) we decided it was time to go and meet my friend's Olde English Bulldogge puppies.

Sites I used to do my research:

https://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/dr-coates/2015/june/cherry-eye-dogs-32818

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olde_English_Bulldogge#cite_ref-ReferenceA_4-2

https://pethelpful.com/dogs/Is-The-Olde-English-Bulldogge-The-Right-Dog-Breed-For-You

https://www.dog-breeds-expert.com/Olde-English-Bulldogge.html