If you’re looking for a new addition to your family, one of the most popular options is the Blue English Bulldog. Their size, appearance, and exercise requirements are just some of the ways that this dog stands out from the pack.
But before you rush to sign the forms, you’ll need to make sure that you’re making an informed decision. To help you do this, let’s look at some of the most important aspects of the Blue English Bulldog.
In this post, we’re going to be looking at all things Blue English Bulldogs. Including some general facts about personality and traits, some tips on training and how to set up your home, and an in-depth look at health issues and how to adequately care for them.
Related Reading: French Bulldogs vs. English Bulldogs – What’s the Difference?
Blue English Bulldog Appearance
Let’s start by looking at the physical features of the Blue English Bulldog. The main difference between this breed and other types of English Bulldogs is the color of the fur. In this case, you’ll notice that the dog has a blue/grey coat.
When you rub the dog, you might notice that they have a fawn undercoat. You’ll also notice that their nose, footpads, and eyeliner will also be blue.
The exact shade of blue will often depend on the type of Blue English Bulldog that you purchase.
You’ll also notice that the Blue English Bulldog tends to have a very large head. Their eyes are round and evenly spaced. Though their color will often be darker, the exact shade will often depend on the dog.
Across their face, there are numerous wrinkles and folds of excess skin, which many owners love to play with when patting their dog.
They also have very powerful, muscular legs, with their shoulders wider than their hips. Because of this, they have a peculiar, ungainly walk. To many people, it can sometimes look like the dogs are waddling, rather than walking.
Their thin hips are one of the reasons why Blue English Bulldog tends to be more expensive than other breeds. It can often be hard for a female to give birth.
As a result, they’ll often need to get a C-section birth to make sure that the mother and child are healthy. These can often be an expensive surgery.
Size And Weight
It’s also important to consider the size that the dog will be. The Blue English Bulldog will be a very short, compact dog. Generally, they will grow to between 12 to 15 inches at the shoulder.
This makes them perfectly suited to living in apartments, as they won’t need a lot of space to move around.
Though they might only be small, you shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that they will be light. You’ll often discover this when you pick them up. In most cases, they will weigh between 40 to 50 pounds.
However, because of their adorable faces, they will often become a little more overweight.
Blue English Bulldog Personality
You must be taking into account the temperament of the dog, so you’ll be able to make sure that you’ll be providing an adequate home.
Thankfully, the Blue English Bulldog tends to be a very docile dog and will be able to slot into most lifestyles very easily.
The English bulldog was originally built for bull baiting, which requires an aggressive dog. However, once the violent sport was outlawed, the breeders have been focused on making them a great family pet.
Today, they are loving and calm, making them a great choice for your household, especially if you have children.
However, despite their calm nature, they can still display some possessive characteristics. The best way to address this is by enrolling them in a training program at a young age.
In most cases, the Blue English Bulldog will be very intelligent and willing to respond to commands. This makes them easier to train.
Once you’re tired them out, the Blue English Bulldog is a loveable couch potato. In most cases, they’ll spend their day curled up in a comfortable place and fall asleep.
This makes them an excellent lapdog, as they’ll love to cuddle with you and watch a movie.
You’ll need to remember that the Blue English Bulldog has a unique face. Because of this, they tend to drool. They also love to show their affection by licking you.
Exercise Levels
Another reason why people love this dog is because of the low to moderate exercise that will be required. The amount of exercise required will depend on the type of dog.
For example, most puppies will have more energy to burn than older dogs.
Generally, though, you’ll need to give your Blue English Bulldog at least 20 minutes of activity each day. In most cases, you’ll be able to tire them out easily. It’s not unusual for a bulldog to stop in the middle of a game, so they can fall asleep.
Also, because they don’t need to spend a lot of time exercising outside, they can be a great choice for anyone living in an apartment.
It should be noted that the Blue English Bulldog has a shorter face and flat nose. This can often mean that it will get hot easier, making them prone to overheating.
Because of this, you might want to make sure that you try to exercise with them in the afternoon when the temperature will be starting to drop.
Caring For Your Blue English Bulldog
To make sure that your Blue English Bulldog is happy, there are a few things that you should do. Thankfully, on the whole, this breed is very low maintenance.
Grooming
With any dog, you need to make sure that you’re grooming them properly.
This will ensure that you’ll be able to keep them healthy. While they tend to have a relatively short coat and won’t shed much, you’ll still need to brush them. This will ensure that you’re removing any dead hair.
Generally, you’ll need to brush them once a week.
However, the most important part of grooming is to wipe them. Often, bacteria can get stuck in the folds of their skin. This can cause potential health issues.
You might also want to make sure that you’re taking care of their dental hygiene.
This can mean brushing their teeth or giving them a toy that they can chew on to clean their mouths.
To make grooming a little easier and a little more comfortable for them, you may want some doggie specific grooming items.
Getting a dog-specific shampoo is a great start, and there are also dog dryers to make drying after a bath a breeze.
If you’re looking to give your Blue English Bulldog a unique style, you can get some dog clippers as well!
Health
On the whole, the Blue English Bulldog tends to be fairly healthy. Though, as they get older, the risks of conditions, like hip and joint issues will increase.
To prevent this, you’ll need to talk to the vet frequently, to make sure that you’ll be able to detect these issues in advance.
The other thing that you’ll need to monitor closely is their weight. Because of their adorable face and loveable personality, they tend to be given treats frequently.
This, combined with their low exercise requirements, will make them more susceptible to weight gain. Often, this can be a contributing factor to other health conditions.
Blue English Bulldog Health Issues
| Health Issue | Description |
| Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome | Common in animals with a pushed-in nose and shortened or “smooshed” faces. Can result in breathing problems, panting, an intolerance to exercise and difficulty eating. |
| Difficulty Breathing | Genetic abnormalities caused by selective breeding have a significant impact on an English Bulldog’s airways |
| Temperature Regulation | When there are issues with breathing and panting the stability to regulate temperature becomes impaired. Always avoid hot humid days and going outside. |
| Skin Problems | Skin infections and irritation such as eczema or bacterial infections |
| Bone and Joint Disease | Can result in Chondrodysplasia which is an abnormal growth in cartilage. This can, in turn, increase a dog’s likelihood of having bone and joint problems. |
| Eye Problems | Issues involving vision can become a problem in later age for English Bulldogs. Conditions like Cherry Eye is the enlargement and resultant prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid. |
| Head shakes | An uncontrollable vibration in the head and a vet is required immediately. |
| Allergies | Bulldogs are known to have some of the most allergies of any dog breed and they center around food allergies and skin allergies. |
| Thyroid and Heart Disease | Selective breeding can cause issues with these internal organs |
| Cancer | According to PetMD, Lymphoma is a “blood-borne cancer of lymphocytes, which are a specific type of white blood cell” and Bulldogs are susceptible to this. |
Living Conditions
As we mentioned, you don’t need to have a big backyard. In fact, the Blue English Bulldog will be quite happy to live in an apartment.
However, there are a few things that you’ll need to do to make sure that they have a comfortable living environment.
First, you might want to make sure that they have access to water and a shady area to relax. It’s important to remember that they won’t like very hot or cold conditions.
This can mean that you might need to leave on an air conditioner when you’re at work. Also, you might be able to use a dog coat during the winter.
Setting Up Your House/Apartment
Regardless of whether you own a house or an apartment, there are a few things that you should do to prepare the area for your Blue English Bulldog. First, make sure that your backyard is secure.
Your dog will want to spend all of its time with you.
However, it still won’t hurt to make sure that there’s no chance that they will get out of the property where their small size can put them at risk.
You might also want to take measures to prevent them from overheating.
It can often be a good idea to place a bowl of water on the floor, so they’ll be able to have a drink if they are getting too hot.
You will also need to get used to the signs that they are starting to overheat, making sure that you can take action early.
Blue English Bulldog Popularity
English Bulldogs continue to be one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States. Below is a list from the American Kennel Club’s 2019 registration statistics.
| BREED | 2019 |
| Retrievers (Labrador) | 1 |
| German Shepherd Dogs | 2 |
| Retrievers (Golden) | 3 |
| French Bulldogs | 4 |
| Bulldogs | 5 |
| Poodles | 6 |
| Beagles | 7 |
| Rottweilers | 8 |
| Pointers (German Shorthaired) | 9 |
| Pembroke Welsh Corgis | 10 |
| Dachshunds | 11 |
| Yorkshire Terriers | 12 |
| Australian Shepherds | 13 |
| Boxers | 14 |
| Siberian Huskies | 15 |
History Of Bulldogs
The English Bulldog has a rather grisly history. Originally, they were bred for bull-baiting. This was once a popular sport. In this sport, a dog would face off with a bull.
The dog would be required to seize the bull around the nose.
When grabbed in this area, the bull would be so overcome with pain that they would no longer be able to attack effectively.
However, as you can probably imagine, not every dog was able to achieve this task, with many getting injured or killed as a result.
Because of how violent this sport was the British government outlawed it.
As a result, the breeders changed their approach. They tried to select the dogs that had the best temperament, making them a family dog.
They did this by breeding them with Pugs and other well-natured species.
Blue English Bulldog Costs
When you start looking for a breeder that sells the Blue English Bulldog, you’ll notice that they can be quite expensive, and difficult to find.
Depending on where you’re getting them from, you might be expected to pay well over $5,000 for a dog.
Though this seems like a lot of money, there are a few reasons why they might be so expensive.
First, the bulldogs tend to have very large heads. Because of this, it’s generally not possible for the females to give birth naturally.
So, the breeder will need to pay for a C-section. It can also take some careful breeding, to make sure that you get the blue/grey-colored fur.
If you don’t want to pay these high costs, you might want to try asking adoption agencies in the area about whether they have any Blue English Bulldogs available.
In most cases, you’ll be able to rehome from these organizations for a much lower price than buying from a breeder.
Dog Insurance for Blue English Bulldogs
Just like humans, dogs make bad decisions and find themselves hurt or injured, and the Blue English Bulldog is no different (no matter how smart they may be!)
And, unfortunately, just like humans, dogs can get sick with disease or illness. Trips to the vet should be included in your cost analysis when deciding on getting a dog.
Of course, it’s always a good idea to practice preventative healthcare. We discussed the risks with obesity, so making sure your dog is eating the right amount and exercising can do wonders for their health and vet bills when compared to sedentary dogs eating low-grade food.
Making sure there isn’t unnecessary wear and tear on your Blue English Bulldog’s joints can help improve their long term wellbeing as well.
If there’s a lot of getting in and out of cars or up and down heights day today it can be a good idea to invest in a dog ramp or dog stairs as well.
Final Thoughts
The Blue English Bulldog can make an exceptional companion. They are friendly and love to be around people, often getting along well with children.
They’ll also be perfectly suited to those in apartments or people who only have a small backyard. With their lack of grooming and low exercise requirements, they can be kept by almost anyone.
So, if these qualities appeal to you, investigate adding a Blue English Bulldog to the family.