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No, probally not. If you are a first time Dogue de Bordeax buyer and you would still like one after reading this page , then go get one!
There are 3 reactions people will have when they see or hear about your dogue..."Oh he is so cute!!"...."wow, that is a big scary dog"....but most people will have the 3rd reaction by never visiting your house again. By far the comment you will hear the most is " He's soooo cute, but he does drool alot, doesn't he?". And most of these people will never visit your house again either.
Now, if it sounds like i'm trying to talk you out of buying a Dogue, I am. Only because if there is the slightest doubt in your mind that this may be the wrong breed for you. you should not get one. Not in your interest, but in the interest of the dog. Your dogue will worship you like no human being or animal has ever done. He will get so attached to you, that leaving him by himself, even for a short time, is considered punishment and will break his heart. Therefore, if you change your mind when he grows up and decide you can no longer keep him in the house - for whatever reason, you will have one very, very sad dog.
The drooling
Your friends that have the "oh, he's sooo cute, but does he drool alot" attitude are right. They do. There is no way to make it sound any better. And since these dogs are not able to live chained up in the front yard, you will have to live with it. You will find drool everywhere, even on the ceiling. Do not get dressed for work in the house, and take everything off before you come back at night. Sure you can have drool towels all round the house to catch it before it drops or flies off, but your dogue will master being faster than you. Try having more than one... everything you own will be covered in drool.
The training
Douge de Bordeaux do not listen. They decide what to do whenever they feel like it and you will continously look a fool being pulled through the streets by your dogue. You need to have alot of patience if you expect your dogue to do anything but sit. Even lying down is a challenge. If this is going to be your first dog, prepare to enrol in puppy training, and do not expect to win "the most improved dog" award, ever. Expect to still be training your dog when he is grown up and expect absolutely no results.
The expenses
If you do not have plenty of money left at the end of each month, you should not be getting a dog at all, but for certain you should not be getting a Dogue de Bordeaux. Your dogue will eat more than the rest of the family. And they are demanding. To keep him healthy, you will want to feed proper food, that does not come cheap. And then there's the toys and treats. Try and find a collar for his neck, a bed big enough for him! Whenever your dogue needs medicine he needs more than the usual family pet. The Dogue de Bordeax is prone to certain diseases, particularly joint and skin problems. If you are not certain you can handle any medical bill that can come your way, stay away from the Dogue de Bordeaux.
The size
140 lbs of dogue is alot of dog. You will need some strength to take this guy for his daily walks. And if you have not trained him well and he like to fight other dogs or chase wildlife, try holding back a Dogue de Bordeaux! Even simply controlling his joy when you come home can turn the house into a war zone, and you into a punching bag. Since he will probally not follow your commands , you want to be certain that you are willing to go the distance with something at least your size.
Holidays
If you like to spend your summer vacation in far and distant lands, forget it. The liklihood of finding someone that will watch a dog of this size are slim. Putting him in a kennel will break his heart and is therefore out of the question. Finding a hotel or a place to rent that allows dogs this size is challenging. Taking them on planes is no go. From the moment your Dogue de Bordeaux moves into your house, he decides where you go on holiday.
Lifespan
It is possible that your dogue may not get very old. There are statistics that put the average lifespan of a dogue to just under six and to find one that reaches the age of ten is rare. If you can handle all of the above, you will fall in love with your dogue and you will worry alot. And the day will come - long before you are ready for it - that you must part ways. It will break your heart as it would to loose a family member. The years together will be intense, but unless you can cope with a preature departure of your truest friend, do not get one.
Plenty of reasons not to get a Dogue de Bordeaux. But if you are one of the insane that falls in love with all of the above, nothing will enrich your life more than those years that you can spend together...
