I think you are the only snae voice in a situation which might cost you thousands and some heartbreak. First thing, is the EB fixed? Has it been socialized? Has your husband spent any time with the dog, has he seen the EB with other dogs in a neutral territory? Is the EB food aggressive? Last thing you want is to commit to caring for another persons dog and in order to keep things sane and safe you have to toss the dog in the garage for the entire time you are in charge.
SO...Find out if it is fixed, spendt time with the dog so you can SEE that it is not dog aggressive or food aggressive - make sure it does not guard its toys or bedding etc.
Next you have an injured dog, which you have just spend a couple of grand on to help out an injured dog automatically becomes a target to any dog with agression issues. So there is one big ol red flag right there.
English Bulldogs can go either way. They can be absolute fighters or they can be pretty mellow. I have to say tho that you need to remember bulldogs come from a fighting history and they dont give up easily in a fight. They are stubborn and are a HUGE BLOCK OF MUSCLES...Do you research, satisfy yourself as far as temprament of this particular animal goes and remember you will now have to deal with 4 dogs 24/7 - My opinion, there are plenty of less possible disasters to be in.

I have had english bulldogs for over ten years now. As with any breed the temperament of each dogs varies according to what kind of life and training the dog has had. An aggressive EB can be very dangerous as they have extremely powerful jaws to go along with all the muscles in their body. In other words they can cause alot of damage. My little angel right now loves other dogs and is extremly submissive with them. I went away recently and she stayed with my friends who have two cats, and baby got along great with them. But I took the time before I left to go over to their house with my dog to see how they behave. The fact that your hubbys friend can't do that may speak volumes in regards to what other things he hasn't been able to do with his dog, such as socialize and train. I love the breed and a well trained bully is great...an untrained on can be a handful. Ever watch dog whisperer and Veronica's show....English bulldogs were their toughest cases.

Also be prepared for snoring and drooling. My current bully does not do these things but my previous girl you could hear a block away.

I've not known very many aggressive bulldogs, most are very sweet even with other dogs. But I'd never babysit a dog without having it meet the family first.

OK, thanks for some voices of reason. The two human males think it's absurd that I want to do a meet and greet. This fellow doesn't have the time to do it; I don't have the time to dog sit. I'm kind of trini's mind; if he doesn't have time to check out a family, what else hasn't he had time for? Just the fact that he thinks his dog is flawless makes me think he's obtuse. As much as I love my dogs, they aren't without quirks. My million dollar dog (my affection name for my 'free' rescue) has his good days and his bad days. I knew a moist cold climate would be hard on his arthritis, I just wasn't expecting it to be bad this early in the 'winter' season. I'm going to try acupuncture so I'm not heavily dependant on the Rimydl, but that situation will only be worse by December (the month he wants to leave his dog with me.) No one has tried to challenge his status in my family so I'd like him to be king as long as possible. We have a comfortable dynamic going, so why upset it. DH says this one is a sweetie too, but I can think of better ways to ruin my holidays than in an emergency room. I have visitors that will want to see the sights and that means leaving dogs to their own devices for hours. I might be a nervous nellie, but you've reminded me that it's not without cause. Experienced dog people and a breed lover all say, a meeting is crucial.

If anyone is REALLY alert, they might remember that DH did this a few months ago, but without asking first. I have a friend who claims that we should always look for progress--not perfection. I'm making progress with DH. He came home, asked me to sit down, and started begging. He can be as effective as the dogs at a good whine. It's a good thing there is one adult in this family. The dog might be the 4th greatest dog on earth (behind mine of course) but until I meet him, why risk it. There does appear to be awful lot of muscle behind that winning smile. Thanks again for your help.

Darenka if you babysit you might fall in love. Is it possible for you to go meet the dog with a couple of yours? Bulldogs are great...the only breed I will ever have. They are so funny. My girl is 45 pounds and tries to balance herself on the arms of our couch. They are the biggest clowns.

Meghane....I've seen aggressive bullies...not nice... my mom's female and my female never got along...they would go after each other. ....my old girl was very possessive of me and any other dog came around she would try to attack..(totally my fault...I used to take her to play with other dogs until she got worms and that stopped)...she even attacked a huge rottweiler once and ended up with her head in the dogs mouth....I'm training my new girl much better and we have regular dog play dates :-)

Oh great Trini, just what I need, to fall in love with another breed. I did have a master plan: 2 dogs and a temporary rescue (the wayward teen who went out and got herself knocked up...due to her family's STUPIDITY). I currently have 3 thanks to the soft-hearted DH--so much for the master plan.

I guess the fellow in question is typical for his breed, he had DH in tears of laughter. But in all the amusing stories, I kept hearing "pushy, high energy, humping, and whirling dervish", none of these things inspired me. While my senior is no longer a ball of fire, he usually puts in 4 miles a day and the younger dogs do more. So DH doesn't have low energy expectations in a dog. I know this seems trivial, but I wasn't even thanked for the last 5-week dog sit. Different owner, but I think saving these single fellows $1,000+ in dog sitting fees deserves some heart-felt thanks plus a might nice gesture gift for my dogs at least. The fact that he doesn't want to come out just makes me suspect he's in the clueless owner catagory. Of course I could pack up some dogs and go to him, but I think the owner probably needs some socialization training. He's got two months. I think he should be able to inconvenience himself for a few hours. For my part, I'll keep an open-mind about the dog. I'm always willing to be amused by a new dog.

I would listen to YOUR inner voice.

Your husband's friend needs to look for a good kennel and leave the dog there for the month. You are not running a kennel, and your husband needs to learn to say "no" to his friends. How many of them have baby-sat your dogs?