Bulldog Puppies
When you arrive home with your puppy, remember - your puppy is a baby Bulldog. Like all babies, he needs lots of love and cuddling, lots of rest and sleep, lots of good, nourishing food and MORE love and cuddling.
Moving to a new home, leaving his dam and litter mates and the only humans he has ever really known is a very traumatic experience for the puppy, so try to make the move as easy as possible for him. For the first couple of weeks, try to change his life as little as possible.
Try to follow the breeders feeding routine, same times, same amount and if possible the same brand of food. Feed your puppy in the same place at each meal; and be sure to provide a special area for his bed. Avoid playing for tool long and hard a session so that he becomes exhausted.
If you do want to change to a different brand of food, then try to introduce the new brand slowly by mixing it with the regular one; gradually add more and slowly withdraw the old until you have made the transition.
Give strong consideration to purchasing a puppy pen or wire crate; puppies are sincerely easier to house train if they sleep in a crate/cage.
Adult Bulldogs
Exercise
There is a common myth permeating the dog owners world that bulldogs do nor require exercise. Proper exercise is vital to the Bulldog's general health and well-being. Exercising your bulldog can be a positive, natural cure against excessive chewing; this is normally an indication that your adult bulldog is bored with its internal environment. DO NOT overexercise your bulldog puppy. Exercise should be avoided immediately following meal times or during the day time of hot summers.
Bulldog Heatstroke
In cases of hot weather take precautions to ensure that your dog is not overexposed to the sun; early morning and evening exercise is strongly advised. Never leave your dog alone in a car during the summer, not even for a few minutes. Once a bulldog has suffered a heatstroke they become much more susceptible to heat.
Worming your bulldog
Both puppies and adult dogs require regular worming; the most common internal parasites are round worms, hook worms, tape worms and the very dangerous heart worm.
Tail and Feet
If your bulldog has a tight screw tail, they may suffer with problems during hot weather. The tail area can become moist and lead to irritation, bathing the affected area with water and a mild disinfectant is advisable remedy. Dry thoroughly and apply a small amount of talcum powder.
If you notice your dog is in pain whilst walking, examine between his toes to see if any lesions have appeared; these are more common in the forefeet and tend to appear singly.
Anal Glands
If you see your dog sliding around on or licking his bottom and back legs then this may be an indication of blocked anal glands. Injuries and bacterial infections are common causes of obstructed glands.
Emptying a dogs glands periodically is advisable at around 3 month intervals, a vet is advisable in this procedure but with some practice you can perform this action yourself.
What do bulldogs eat?
Bulldogs prefer to eat out of a vessel which has a flat bottom and straight sides; stainless steel is better than plastic for both longevity and sterilisation purposes. If possible use stainless steel for a water dish as well.
Bulldog puppy feeding
New puppies should be fed four times a day; their diet should mostly comprise of puppy kibble softened with some warm water, you can if you wish add a table spoon of cottage cheese and or yogurt. Unless instructed by a vet, DO NOT feed a bulldog puppy with puppy food containing soya beans
From four to six months a puppy's feeding regimen should remain the same but the number of feedings may be reduced to three. At about six months this number can be reduced to two.
Maturing Bulldogs
How often you feed a dog a year or more old depends on your preference and the dog's. Most dogs do well on one meal a day. Some do better on two meals a day. You may prefer to feed in the morning or the evening. This is up to you. If you like it and the dog likes it, it's the right way.M
A Bulldog usually eats puppy kibble until it is at least a year old. If he is thriving on puppy kibble, leave him on it until he is at least two years old. You can feed him puppy kibble all his life, if it agrees with him. Most Bulldogs are changed from puppy to adult kibble at around twelve to eighteen months. The best change is to the adult version of the puppy kibble you have been feeding him. It does not hurt your Bulldog to change from one brand of dog food to another and then to another and so on as long as each change is done by gradually, substituting more and more of the new brand for the old.
Grooming and bathing your bulldog
Your Bulldog should be thoroughly brushed at least three times a week. Most Bulldogs love to be brushed. Use a soft bristle or rubber brush. Start at the rear and brush against the hair. After you've brushed the entire dog against the grain, brush it with the grain. Follow this with a good rub down. This will keep his hair shiny and his skin healthy. During shedding time, spring and fall, you may need to brush more often, give more frequent rubdowns. The idea is to remove the dead hair and distribute the natural oils.
A bulldog that receives frequent brushing and rubdowns does not require frequent bathing; most owners reserve bathing to when the dog is dirty and obviously requires a bath.
Make sure you take young dogs outside to do their thing before you attempt to wash them indoors.
As with all breeds of dog, fleas can be a problem, make sure you change the dog's bedding on a regular basis, frequent brushing is also highly recommended. If your dog acquires fleas then seek out a veterinary recommended flea shampoo and closely adhere to the instructions of using the product.
Nails and Wrinkles
Most Bulldogs need their toe nails cut on a regular basis - about every two weeks. The nails should be kept as short as possible. You may use dog nail clippers or an electric grinder. Most Bulldoggers use the clippers, either guillotine or scissors type. Which type you use is up to you, but they should be sharp. When the blade begins to dull, replace it or buy new clippers - dull blades can be painful to the dog.
Most bulldogs have messy face wrinkles, these increase in number and disarray the older the dog is. Your dog will appreciate you keeping these wrinkles clean, you can use baby wipes to do this, also protect the nose with a good rub of vaseline to keep it soft.
Training a bulldog
The key here is consistency. Take the pup outside, preferably to the same area each time, as soon as he wakes up, about ten minutes after each meal, about every hour when he's awake, just before his nap or night bedtime. The puppy must empty bladder and bowels before he goes to bed for the night. Always praise the puppy as he is going, and move away from the area as soon as he is finished. Very few dogs will soil their beds, so it is best to keep him confined at night and any time you cannot watch him. If you see the pup "hunting" (sniffing and circling) take him outside immediately. If you see him urinating or defecating in the house, say "NO, NO" and take him outside at once. Do not scold him unless you catch him in the act. Praise for correct behavior works much better than punishment for "incorrect" behavior. Remember, a puppy is a baby, his capacity is small, his muscle control limited. Be consistent, be patient, and you will succeed in training him to go outside not inside.
Lead training
You will need a light weight "choke chain" collar and a light weight lead. The collar should be long enough to slip over his head with ease and have some room for growth, but should not be more than six inches longer than the circumference of his neck. Put the collar on the puppy 50 that it goes over his neck from his left to right. Fasten the lead to the collar and let the puppy lead you around. If he doesn't move, move a bit and coax him to move after you. Do not ever pull on the lead and drag or choke the puppy. This should be a happy experience for the puppy so give him lots of praise. As he becomes used to walking about with the collar and lead, begin to give little tugs and encourage him to follow you rather than you following him. Always keep him on your left side. Keep his lessons short. Several five to ten minutes sessions a day are better than one half hour session. Do not play with the puppy during his lesson, but do praise him often when he follows you. Once he is following you with consistency you can begin taking him on walks around the neighborhood. You will probably need to give him several gently tugs the first few times to keep him with you rather than exploring on his own. You may need to stop and talk to him a few times. Again, do not pull on the lead and drag or choke him. A quick jerk and immediate release on the collar is the way to control him. Do not try to rush this. A few minutes a day, every day, lots of praise when he does it right, a quick jerk and release to correct when he doesn't, lots of praise, patience and consistency and he will soon be walking nicely at your side. If you plan to exhibit your puppy, you will also need to train him to stand still and let you hold his head. Start this training along with the lead training as early as possible.