“What is a Leavitt Bulldog?”

The Leavitt bulldog is the modern recreation of the 1800’s bull baiting dog. They maintain the classic bulldog face and head structure, have a muscular, lean build, and a full length tail. They are a strong, smart, athletic, working breed designed to be amazing companions. They lack the common health problems and shorter lifespan typically found in other bully breeds.

Leavitt’s are an active and intelligent working breed that love their people immensely! They require owners that are strong leaders and very intentional about giving them a decent amount of physical and mental stimulation daily. Litters will produce a spectrum of energy levels, higher and lower drives but, overall, this breed requires a bit more time and commitment from their owners.

Short answer is yes; however, solid training and socialization are a must in creating good manners, impulse control, and establishing the owner as the leader. It is also important that the children are old enough and can understand appropriate behavior so that the dog’s boundaries and training can be respected. Puppies and dogs with a higher drive may be more of a challenge.

Early, consistent, balanced training and socialization is imperative with this breed. We want to capitalize on those early months of development and socialization periods to make the biggest impact that will effect them positively throughout their lives. An example would be implementing Puppy Culture protocols/training immediately after settling into their new home, followed by a well structured puppy class, and then continue on to some basic obedience classes throughout their first year. You want to avoid “Positive Only” training, as there may be times when undesirable behavior needs to be corrected as these dogs can be rather strong willed. Follow-through in this area will pay dividends for the life of the dog.

“What are the most common health problems with this breed?”

“What is the Average life span?”

This breed can be more prone to injury in their ligaments and joints, specifically their rear legs. They are a power breed and really make use of these. Allergies have been mentioned in the Leavitt community as well as idiopathic head tremors; however, like with so many elements of a dogs health, the way that they are cared for can make all the difference. A species appropriate diet, good exercise/conditioning, and avoiding toxins and chemicals can reduce the risks for a lot of these and today’s most common ailments in dogs. On average, Leavitts live 11-12 years and longer if a more holistic approach to their health is taken.

“What’s different about True North and why the price?”

We have committed to raising these bulldogs with the strictest and highest standards possible.  Every part of what we put into our dogs and puppies is of the highest quality.  We are a holistic/natural rearing breeder that offers a superior quality raw diet, holistic prevention and veterinary care. We provide a thorough and multifaceted puppy rearing program via Puppy Culture, thousands of hours of research to ensure we are using the most solid and healthful breeding practices, as well as also developing materials and content to support and educate each and every puppy family. Along with this, the longer we put this approach into practice, the healthier puppies we will get with each generation that is produced.  Healthy living absolutely effects genetics, which means that over time we are producing healthier and more well balanced puppies. All of these aspects and more put our puppies in a very high value category. We will never compromise on quality, and to produce puppies in this way comes with a higher puppy price.

“What is a Holistic/Natural Rearing Breeder?”

The basic principles of natural rearing are both simple and elegant. Simply stated, natural rearing means going back in time and raising, caring for and ethically breeding our animals as close to how they lived in the wild, prior to being domesticated. This means feeding a species appropriate, raw diet, living in a pack environment, on clean ground, having plenty of free access to fresh air, sunshine, clean, pure drinking water, and plenty of free running exercise. This approach also means that more natural methods such as homeopathy, essential oils, herbs, and supplements are used for preventative and veterinary care.

“What is a raw diet, and why is it important?”

Nutrition is the foundation of health and the canine diet should reflect the dog’s carnivorous design. A raw diet, also known as a species appropriate diet, is comprised of raw meat, organ, and bone along with a variety of other fresh foods. Puppies nourished this way develop a much stronger immune system, along with a much more sound musculoskeletal structure. Dogs enjoy overall superior health, evidenced by clean white teeth, fresh breath, pink healthy gums, shiny eyes, glossy, odor-free coats, and small firm odorless stools.

“What happens during the 8 weeks you have the litter with you?”

Since the inception of our breeding program in 2018 we have utilized the Puppy Culture method to raise our litters. We begin with excellent traction in the whelping box for fostering sound hips and in turn drastically reducing the possibility for hip dysplasia as adults. We perform 24 hour a day watch for the first 2 weeks to ensure the safety of the puppies and health and well being of mama. We start protocols to nourish and enrich their development starting at 3 days old through the time they go home to their new families. We cover many areas: Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS), sound and sensory protocols, positive interaction with many types of people and children, and training exercises that help them learn to deal with frustration as well as cultivating adaptability and focus.

“What process do you use for puppy families and selection?”

We very carefully screen all of our potential puppy families to ensure that our puppies go to homes that can and will give them the best life possible. Once approved, we have in depth conversation with each family to get to know their lifestyle as well as needs and desires in regards to energy and temperament. We use this information along with 6 weeks of careful study and observation of each puppy to come along side each new owner to find the perfect fit for them. It is a combination of first come first serve, and partnership and trust with us as the breeder to select their puppy.