[Lara's mom]

Lara and I were out walking today and we ran into a guy with a really cute little bulldog. You don't see many of them in Toronto so, we got to talking and he was telling me all about his pedigree which sounded quite impressive. I asked him if he was going to stud Tony (the dogs name) out and, he said that it was really hard to find females because bulldogs cannot give birth vaginally. They all have to be delivered by C section. He also said that sometimes bulldogs have something he called "seal puppies." From what I gathered, it is one puppy that grows huge but is not viable. Has anyone ever heard of this?

[Lunareclipse]

Yes, or they are called water puppies. They have trouble using their legs and their legs stick straight out from the body. Most end up dying, but I have seen some get rehabilitated.

[cigwyllt]

I have heard of it in Cocker spaniels - only through seeing the odd one listed on a rescue site. I'd never heard of it otherwise. But I had heard that with a lot of so called "good" examples of some bull breeds vaginal birth is almost impossible because of the size of the pups' heads.

[Lunareclipse]

Whelping Water (Walrus) Puppies

[Deafdogsrule]

Yes, It's absolutely true, every word. English Bulldogs cannot give birth on their own, and they often cannot even procreate on their own either. Their bodies have been mutated so badly that they just cannot give birth on their own, It's not just the size of the pups head, it's the angle of the pelvis of the mother. There are some trying to breed Bulldogs that can give birth on their own again, but usually they are outcrossing to other breeds.

[akismaster]

All bulldogs and frenchies cannot produce normally because of their body. Breeding is going to be a little hard for their case because from what I know, a "C" dog that's pregnant would really cost a lot.

My cousin has a male bulldog and they're having the same issues with Tony the bulldog. It's hard on their case but who could blame them. They're born that way. You should also love them that way.

[cigwyllt]

But ethically, is it right to keep putting them through that? By the laws of natural selection they would die out. A caring, ethical breeder breeds only to improve the breed and a dog who has trouble delivering is retired from breeding. I honestly don't know how these "breeders" live with themselves when they choose to put their dogs through the trauma of caesarian birth.

[Lara's mom]

I have to agree with Cig on this one. I just can't see putting a dog through multiple C sections. What on earth were the breeders of these dogs thinking to screw around with them so badly that they can't even give birth naturally? I had no idea that the walrus/water puppy problem happened in so many different breeds. Poor things...

[dogs rule]

I would agree with Cigwyllt and Lara's mom. It's one thing to prefer say maybe a coat color, but to breed to the point of not being able to have puppies naturally!?
Sorry, but to me thats seems just wrong!

[myleen]

wow amazing

[MaraX]

I never heard of that.