26/06/2025
Everyone says "breeding is not for the feint of heart", and while I haven't suffered the losses that many established breeders have, my journey towards becoming a breeder has not been without its own problems.
My first disappointment came 4-1/2 years ago when I bred my beautiful girl (with an awesome pedigree) to a wonderful Champion stud (with an even better pedigree), only to have her have a just a single gorgeous pup....after she had rebsorbed a 2nd fetus. Second breeding to the same wonderful stud only produced 2 pups - to which the vet stated she felt my girl "just didn't throw many eggs"; and that was followed 3 weeks later with her getting pyrometra resulting in my girl being spayed.
I have owned OEB's for 13 years, so I am not a stranger to the breed; but when you plan, study, research, and learn from breeders that are the best of the best - working for 6 plus years towards your dream of sharing your love of the incredible Olde English Bulldogge breed through becoming a breeder yourself, it's absolutely heartbreaking to have your hopes and dreams shattered when your prime 'stud to be' develops Canine Idiopathic Epilepsy. 😭 https://vhc.missouri.edu/small-animal-hospital/neurology-neurosurgery/facts-on-neurologic-diseases/canine-idiopathic-epilepsy/
My beautiful Blue Tri-Color boy Dizzy Gillespie developed two series of seizures about 3 weeks apart within the last month; so he is now on anti-seizure meds full time and I cannot consciously offer him for stud with this condition. I had planned to debut him this fall....
The vet cannot explain "why", and neither parent's line has any history of the illness, so I'm just stunned and disappointed. Idiopathic Epilepsy occurs more frequently in purebred dogs, and usually happens between the ages of 3 and 5 years old. My boy is almost 4....
Despite this unexpected setback I am NOT giving up on my hopes and dreams of breeding, but for the foreseeable future Legendary Sunset Bulldogges breeding hopes and dreams are on indefinite hold.
But I vow that I will continue to learn, and I will be back.🥰🐾
