What do I need to know before I commit to becoming a bulldog parent?
First, it's important to understand the needs of an english bulldog. English bulldogs are great for families that don't plan on taking their pups on long mountain hikes or keeping them in the backyard for extended periods. These dogs require indoor living, although they definitely love sunbathing, and they really aren't capable of doing a lot of physical work. These guys are awesome best friends and love cuddles and relaxing in front of the television. They are hilariously human like. Another important thing to understand before committing is that bulldogs need wrinkle maintenance along with ear maintenance. They are often prone to allergies and need high quality food and vitamins. One last important thing to understand before taking the plunge is that bulldogs are expensive due to the breeding process they require. English bulldogs require artificial insemination and caesarian section to have litters. Once litters arrive, the breeders have to help the bulldog mothers very similarly to caring for human infants. It's around the clock care and very demanding work. Bulldogs require health testing to ensure that proper breeding takes place so as to have healthy puppies. All of these procedures and demanding weeks of rearing puppies add into the cost of a properly raised, healthy english bulldog.
Ok, I would like a puppy from Simpkins' Southern Bulldogs. What's next?
We don't always have puppies. We are a small family bulldog breeder and all of our mamas are our pets, so we don't have room in our home for lots of mamas that produce litters year round. If we currently don't have a litter available and you would like to join our waiting list, please reach out and let us know by completing our questionnaire. When joining our waiting list you will sign our waiting list agreement. We add each family to our waiting list for $500 which is applied as a deposit towards the total cost of the puppy. We let members of the waiting list know when the litter is expected and when they are born and "pick of litter" goes in order of those on the list. Some people are looking for a particular gender or color, and all of that is considered into the waiting list as well. Feel free to reach out with questions about the process if you'd like.
The first step to being added to the waiting list is to complete our questionnaire. The questionnaire is not in-depth or intrusive. It just covers some very basic questions so that when I call you to discuss our puppies with you I can know a little about you and your family, and know how much knowledge you have about the bulldog breed to let me know if I should explain more about skin care, lifestyle, and other aspects about raising bulldogs. If you're ready to take the next step, fill out this questionnaire and I will call you soon to discuss more.
So, let's fast forward to the actual process of what to expect after a litter has arrived.
The Deposit Process
Once you have decided to get a puppy from us we do ask for a deposit if the puppy is not of the age to leave the care of its mother. (If you are on our waiting list you will have already paid this deposit.) Deposits can make people nervous and rightly so. There are many scammers out there. The reason for asking for a deposit is to ensure that you are serious about your decision. Once you come to us and let us know that you're serious about one of our puppies we hold that puppy specifically for you. We no longer let anyone have the option of purchasing that puppy. If, let's say, something came up and you found a different puppy sooner or decided this wasn't actually the best time to get a puppy after all, we would have to start over from square one in searching for the perfect family for the puppy once he/she is 8 weeks old. A deposit ensures that you are absolutely positive that this is the decision you would like to make. Our deposits are $500 and are due immediately upon making a commitment to purchase one of our puppies, whether by being placed on the waiting list for an upcoming litter or by placing a deposit for a specific puppy that is currently available. The deposit goes toward the total price of the puppy. We welcome people to meet the puppies, view their living space, and meet their mother. With Covid everything is definitely different, so if the Covid numbers are high or if you live too far from us to make a quick trip to visit, we welcome and encourage video chat. We are happy to answer any questions that you have and let you meet the puppies and mother via video. Deposits are accepted in cash if meeting in our home or through Zelle if meeting via video chat. A deposit is only necessary if you were not previously on our waiting list. Feel free to look over our puppy deposit agreement.
Once you have placed the deposit we keep in touch often. I know how exciting it is to see your puppy grow! You can expect plenty of pictures and videos of your baby as he/she grows while waiting for your puppy to be of age to leave mom. A few weeks before picking up your puppy you will receive information about what food and other necessities to purchase so that they can be available by the time your puppy arrives at their new home.
While We Raise Your Puppy
Your puppy is our puppy while they live with us. We raise them as members of our family. They are not raised in a separate building from our home, but instead are raised in a loving family atmosphere.
Bulldogs need a lot of supervision while nursing their puppies, and because of that I am up every two hours around the clock, including throughout the night, for the first two weeks of their life. During that time, and especially during the first week of their life, please do not expect individual pictures of puppies. Puppies of that age cannot maintain their body temperature on their own and need constant warmth so I don't separate them from their siblings to take individual pictures. While they sleep in between meals I also often take the moment to catch a quick nap so that I am able to stay up around the clock. You can, however, expect group pictures of puppies sleeping and nursing and I am sometimes able to get a good picture of their face if they are laying just right. Once their eyes open, around the two week mark of their life, you can expect a lot more individual pictures of them. As they grow I will update you on their development and growth, and you will receive adorable photos and short videos during the weeks that they live with our family. I post a lot of adorable updates on Facebook as well, so be sure to follow the page to see their adorable and funny antics. Some videos that are too long to be sent via text are able to be posted to Facebook, so I will often post longer videos on Facebook than what you will receive on your phone.
I focus heavily on socialization with our puppies. A bulldog's sole job in life is to be a best friend, so I prepare them to live in the human's world. On a daily basis they are exposed to a broom, mop, and vacuum. I do this to clean, but also to desensitize them to these tools that often are very scary to many dogs. I use a lot of human baby toys with them when their ears first open, around the three week mark, to make sure that they are desensitized to strange noises as they grow. They will be exposed to noises as strange as rattles and tambourines, along with things as mundane as car keys. I begin to take them on daily walks using a puppy stroller when they are old enough, usually around the four to four and a half weeks mark of their life. This is to expose them to the noises of cars, wind chimes, barking dogs, and all of the other strange noises that we as humans barely notice. All of this is to desensitize them to the strange sights and sounds of the human world. During this time you will get updates of their progress and their funny and adorable responses to new experiences.
Meeting your Puppy
Meeting your precious puppy is such an exciting event! If you have been on the waiting list you will have been receiving updates on the litter and your puppy for some time now. If you have just put a deposit down for your new puppy, you will be just as excited to meet your new family member. I allow people to come and to meet their puppy in my home and I am also happy to video chat with families that live too far to come in person.
If you live within driving distance and plan on coming to meet your puppy in person, here is what you should expect during your visit. The first thing that I ask is that shoes be removed and that you wash your hands. This is to protect the puppies from any dangerous viruses or bacteria that they could accidentally be exposed to. I have known of many breeders that were lax with hygiene protocols that ended up losing puppies to bacterial infection and/or viruses after family visits, so I am very careful. After hand washing is when the fun begins. You will get to meet and play with your puppy in person in a relaxed atmosphere in my living room. You will see where your puppy is being raised, meet their mama, and spend some playtime on our living room rug. We ask that no other family pets be brought to our home during this time due to the puppy's young age. Pictures of your baby may be taken during this time and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions that you'd like.
If you are unable to come to my home due to distance, I offer video chat. During a video chat you can expect to see your puppy in their living environment, see them play with me and with their littermates, and have the opportunity to ask any questions that you'd like.
You will receive a Puppy Congratulatory Pack that is loaded with information to help you be as prepared for your puppy as possible. It will come with a checklist of helpful reminders leading up to the big day, information on how to prepare your home, your pets, and your family for your new puppy, and it will come with information about setting up your one month free trial of Trupanion pet insurance if you choose to do so.
On the Day of Pickup
On the big day you can expect a puppy pack from us. Included in the puppy pack is a wealth of information, your puppy's one year health guarantee, along with your AKC registration paperwork, a blanket with their littermates' and mother's scent, and a special toy to go home with. At the time of pick up we accept cash only.
When you purchase a puppy from Simpkins' Southern Bulldogs you become part of the Simpkins' Southern Bulldogs' family. We love to receive updates about our puppies as they grow and we, as your breeders, are always available for any questions that you may come across. Communication with us does not end when the puppy leaves our home. We assure all of our clients that we are always available to answer questions or give advice if you're new to the bulldog breed.
I don't live in driving distance. Am I still able to get a puppy from Simpkins' Southern Bulldogs?
If you don't live in driving distance but would still like to purchase a puppy from us it's absolutely still possible. We can meet you at our local airport to meet with you personally, give goodbye hugs to puppy, give you all of the same information we give local buyers including your puppy pack, and answer any questions you have before you fly home with your new baby. The other option is that we can fly to you. Since we are very protective of our puppies, the puppy will be delivered by us personally instead of using an independent flight nanny. The puppy will ride in the main cabin, not in the cargo hold, to ensure the comfort and safety of the puppy during the flight. Flying a puppy to you generally costs around $500, but prices vary depending on location due to the difference in airline ticket prices.
Want to take the next step?
If everthing sounds great then please complete our questionnaire. We ask that families complete this when seeking to be placed on the waiting list or when placing a deposit. The questionnaire is not in-depth or intrusive. The purpose of the questionnaire is to help me get to know a little about you and your family, and it also helps me know how much knowledge you have about the bulldog breed to let me know if I should explain more about skin care, lifestyle, and other aspects about raising bulldogs. We also like to know a little more about the families that our puppies go home with because these puppies are very much considered our family as well. Click the red link below to head to the questionnaire!