A busy few days having health tests done on dogs we wish to mate in the future. Great news that all our dogs have good hips.
As a breeder I have took quite an interest in health issues in dogs and talk to vets and enquire more than most. I also speak to specialists if I get the opportunity, as I wish to learn. I do not just breed dogs with no thought. I have a quest for knowledge.

Its lovely to see good hips on an X-ray but the more I learn about health tests and study the more I have to say Hip dysplasia is just pure bad luck. You can have generations of great scores then one day suddenly produce a higher score. I am not convinced its totally genetic, and even speaking to vets who health test they agree. But we continue to have them done of course. We have never produced Hip dysplasia, in a vizsla, but I have friends who have done, and they have had numerous great scores then suddenly get that one dog. We must remember theirs more to just the parents having good scores. We need history of good scores, but also their will always be that one dog which will end up with bad hips from bad diet, over exercise and environmental. Most breeders today will not know the pedigree going back ten generations as most have given up. Many pet breeders do not know anything past the dog they own. Or bother to find out. I was reading today how a Labrador owner has a litter of puppies and only now realised she should of had DNA tests, Hips, elbows, eyes done. So she has gone ahead and bred the dog with nothing.
Their are still people out there that dont have an absolute clue, except wanting fluffy babies. Their was about 20 comments immediately telling her how many tests she should of had done. Her argument was, well we was going to keep one. Er yes but you’ve still got to sell the other 9 now with out any testing done what so ever. No license paid for. No tax is being paid because she thought she would just keep them. The breed she has are going for £2000-£3000 and doesnt think she needs to submit a tax return. (SMACKS MY HEAD against computer)!

Breed averages aren’t really a true representation of what hips score be. All this means is say 100 dogs done, they look at the average of those 100 dogs. But their could be another 5000 dogs bred who weren’t scored, so we dont know a breed average. So do not worry about breed averages too much as they are not accurate. For example hardly any Pugs are ever scored, but the odd Pug can have HD. But their is no real breed average score because only a handful of dogs done in history. I think a lot of people just dont understand what its all about, and some breeders brag on the back of they are under breed average. One Vizsla done of mine is a 15, and it was the breed average when he was done. So a good score in the day, now people think ooooo you cant breed a 15. Totally wrong. Today scored he would be prob a 10. He has never produced a puppy over a 13. So great hip scores and even scores.
When we had Weimaraners we had 0:0. 1:0, 3:2. 1:1 and fantastic to see on paper. But then for no reason got a 17, but it was even and not HD. So as I say you can have generations of low scores then get something alittle higher. Their is far more to this than meets the eye. We bred her to a low score dog and her offspring were 3:3 and under. Never producing HD.
I have grown with breeding dogs and learnt from mentors who will say theirs more to hips, I never truly got it until now. One Vizsla breeder told me she had a score of 34 and was breeding her bitch to a dog with low score. At the time I thought well I wouldn’t do it. But now I understand as all the generations before never had HD. Its a funny old world we live in. We should score yes, we will continue to score. Touch wood we never see HD. I know another breeder who is a vet who had higher hips in her dog breed. Never produced HD but higher scores. The moral there is know your blood lines, which cant be done until you’ve done it for generations.

Growing slowly is important for any large boned dog. Dogs fed kibble grow too quickly, and often joints can suffer. Raw fed dogs grow at a slower rate, and they are leaner, with muscle. Where as Kibble dogs can put fats on. This doesnt mean the barf fed dont wont get HD, but slower growing is beneficial to joints. Getting the right vitamins and minerals is important. Its the whole package. I guess we are what we eat. !

I spoke at length to a specialist once on bone issues in dogs. A friend asked if the five minute rule was correct. She said no. A puppy that is destined to have HD later in life will get it. She said a puppy however must never do something outside the realms of normal. So no skidding on laminate or oak flooring. No jumping off steps. No running up and down stairs. No jumping off sofas. Do not drag a puppy up a mountain or by six months take it jogging. Do not get a mountain bike and let the dog run beside. Dogs bones do not set until after 12 months. It is 18 months truly when the joints are what they should be. So until 18 months, no jogging with any dog, no mountains, no running beside mountain bikes. She said USE COMMON SENSE! A friend also asked what about a dog with HD should it ever exercise ? Of course she said. Do not crate a dog and make it miserable. The joint wont be any worse if the dog has a walk, or crated for ever. But a crated dog will be frustrated and miserable. So again using common sense. You wouldn’t jog with a dog that had HD. You would walk, and enjoy the countryside.
I knew someone with a dog with HD, Alsatian back in the days when they looked very different. It had HD but if it ran you wouldn’t know. The dog wasnt lame. I couldnt get over the fact the dog was not lame. They did swimming with the dog. The dog had supplements in its diet. Basically they strengthened the muscles and ligaments in the dog and the way they supported the joint. So the dog lived to a good age, fairly pain free. Very committed owners who cared for the dog. I watched the dog move and I really couldnt tell one way or the other. That memory stayed with me.

We must think about it all as what we do with out dogs can affect the outcome of their health. It is still right to buy from breeders who have hip scored. But just understand we are not scientists in veterinary medicine or know every in and out of it all. We learn the more we do. We try our hardest to do things right. We score our dogs, and now is up to you as the owner to make sure it has correct exercise, correct diet.

I am asked all the time what treats can puppies have that are fed natural diets. It is quite simple but foods which do not contain loads of E numbers.
The best foods are dehydrated natural foods. Gluten free biscuits.

Do not be duped into buying dogs at huge prices and its not a true pedigree dog.. 

What is an unrecognised colour and how did it happen ?
It means a colour which shouldn't genetically appear when putting dogs together, which can only be the result of cross breeding.

It happened due to breeders wanting to produce, designer, rare, and charge more money. But in the process they have now ruined pedigree dogs with crosses.  As they are in the majority now. 

The pedigree dog came about by select breeding, towards knowing the health problems a dog would have, what it would like, and most of all the temperament of the dog was perfected to live with humans in family homes.  

The recognised colour is now in the minority in French bulldogs and Pugs.  I have just gone on find a puppy with the Kennel club who has allowed these breedings to be registered and I couldn't find a single litter which didn't have unrecognised colours in it.  

It may say fawn, but when you look at the litter their could be a black and tan sitting there or a blue.  They register them as sable fawns, blue fawns, lilac fawns.  This still means unrecognised colour litter. 

Do not buy from anyone who can not show you all the relevant health tests for the breed of dog when you visit the breeders home.  If they can not find the health certificate it doesn't have one. 

I had 1 litter of Frenchies 2020, and I had so many people contact me wanting recognised colours but when they saw the litters they could see something wasn't right.  Make sure you find the right breeder. I am happy to give you other names of breeders who will put you in contact with people they know with the correct colour French bulldogs.  

So why is an unrecognised colour a bad thing?  The French bulldog breed is in a poor state of health and with the introduction of these other breeds it added in far more health problems. Which in turn will cost the owner thousands at the vets.  Lets try and do whats right here for the dogs themselves.  We want healthy puppies. Every dog is going to have health issues at some point because they are living animals and we can not create perfection.  If we could of done human race would be free from cancer, heart disease and so on.  But we can try through select breeding of our dogs to do the very best we can for them.  We are in the position that if we do not try and do the right thing that these breeds could end up banned which they have been in Holland and it looks like France is set to follow.  It is a great shame these breeders go on about colour and have ignored the most important thing which is the health of these dogs.  
The only colour the Kennel club wont register is Merle, because this can cause deafness and blindness.  I saw recently a fawn offered for sale with no eyes, and it was deaf, as a grandparent was Merle. 


Please please do not be duped and do your research.  Go to the French bulldog club of great Britain and start reading.

http://www.frenchbulldogclubofengland.org.uk/colour.html

http://www.frenchbulldogclubofengland.org.uk/rare-colours.html

Friendly advice: 😀

Not only do humans get colds more in the winter times but also colds in dogs appear quite often October time onwards. It always used to be two shows that dogs came home with dog colds. So what is Kennel cough? It is a dog cold in a nutshell.

Dogs catch Kennel cough from other infected dogs. If your dog catches it, then it will get better again over time.

Although their is a live vaccine available the chances of it being the right one is very minimal as their are hundreds of strains of Kennel cough in dogs. So often the vaccine is a waste of time giving. Also because its a live vaccine put up the nose of the animal it can transfer to other animals, so it is something a Silvestre dog would not ever have.

Signs of a dog cold:

• Cough
• Sounds like something could be stuck in back of throat.
• Not interested in food.
• Snot
• Runny nose, clear
• Depressed, lethargic and fever.

For breeds which have no length of nose it can be fatal, especially in young puppies. I would consult a veterinary surgeon immediately if a Pug, or French bulldog had Kennel cough.
But for breeds which have longer noses it passes easier over time. Any concerns what so ever speak to your veterinary surgeon for advice. They will give phone consultations during lockdowns.

You can treat Your dog yourself, but if your dog seems lethargic then you must contact your vet asp. Honey is good for sore throats, dissolve a teaspoon in water. Their are holistic remedies available from your holistic vet. Such as herbs. Lots of people treat with human cough syrups to some success but make sure they do not contain drugs in which have any ill effects to dogs. Only recently I was told young puppies must not have honey. So older dogs only.

Keep your dog warm, in a crate is a good idea with blankets, and make sure the dog is drinking fluids. If your dog is not well you should not take them where other dogs are as it is contagious. Use common sense. The Kennel club used to say from the onset of Kennel cough we couldnt go to a show event for 21 days.

For dogs with immune problems then you need to keep a close eye on them as it can turn into pneumonia. So take each dog breed as a different case. Always speak to your vet first. Do not go on facebook and ask for advice. No one is legally able to give medical advice on your pet. This is why you must speak to your vet.

Dogs vaccinated with Kennel cough vaccine can shed the virus for 7 weeks after administration. So other dogs can catch Kennel cough from your vaccinated dog. I understand that day care facilities may require the Kennel cough vaccine, but it really is not something I would wish for my dog to have. Dogs will gain their own immunity from exposure.
If you have a baby puppy, do not let it mix with a dog that has just been vaccinated with kennel cough. Be cautious.