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General Care and Information on the Bulldog
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This Page is under construction ....please check back later Your First Bulldog and Early Days Equipment ...bedding, crate ,feeding bowls Feeding following a diet Daily Care
Flea Treatment Front Line from the Vets
Toys House Training Emergency Medicine Chest Common problems Behaviour Hints Puppy biting This behaviour with needle sharp teeth and a driving passion to nip everything whilst they are awake needs firm but kind discouragement from biting skin, a sharp toned no and a distraction with something they are allowed to bite should help. Puppy biting seems to shock people and they mistake it for aggression, in my own breed, bulldogs I always say if they are awake they are biting until the phase passes at about 16 weeks where you suddenly realise they have not bitten you or your shoes or trouser bottoms for a few hours ! They of course carry on chewing and destroying for a lot longer but most do settle down eventually and can’t be bothered to chew. Toilet training puppies trained early are the puppies belonging to an observant and trained owner, l always make a big point of explaining the biological fact that if puppies are clean before 16 weeks it’s the owners who are trained at recognising the puppies needs, as physically just like a human baby they have to get control of their bowels and bladder and it also is variable how long this takes some as late as 9 months, do not chastise them severely or you may cause fear issues and a condition called coprophagia. This means they start eating their faeces [to hide the evidence]...I really stress this point as many people are expecting puppies to be trained far too early and I hate the thought they may smack them when they cannot help or control their ablutions. Explain how to house train a puppy .Your eight week old puppy may already choose to go outside if they have the option, or at least go on newspaper, never leave puppies in a run/pen full of faeces as they may start eating those too. Treating them as dogs not children. Common dog problems are caused by people treating their dogs as people not as dogs ,when you are talking with the owners its worth mentioning this, letting puppies up to the human bedroom and onto the bed takes away the order of the pack and whilst its lovely to cuddle up with a puppy many huge adult dogs become very territorial over the sleeping arrangements so your advice should be to put the puppy in its own bed downstairs in the kitchen with a radio on and closing ones ears for a few nights and it will be instilled that at it bedtime and the place to sleep is his own bed ! Tell the owners to leave the puppy in a safe place, kitchen, crate or playpen so it is used to being left alone .New puppies need a lot of sleep and if they get no peace through being woken up and played with you will be complaining he is hyperactive in no time and if never left even for short periods you could cause the dog to develop separation anxiety, unpleasant for all Avoid ritual goodbyes and often go out of the room and upstairs without taking them with you so you do teach them their place in the pack. Copywrite Vicky Collins-Nattrass 2009 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ok ! You bought your puppy but now your learning really starts….. Tips for looking after your new Bully baby….and keeping him safe Remember that your puppy will turn out just how you treat him in these early days ,my main thought you should apply is ask yourself when he’s big will I want him to do this ? If the answer is no you have to work at instilling, kindly ,the behaviour you want . The first few nights he will probably miss his litter mates or his mum a cuddly teddy bear [with its eyes removed ] and the radio playing softly will help him not be so lonesome, in a safe area in your kitchen or under stair area make him his bed with a baby gate , or buy a crate as his indoor kennel when he’s settled in he will rarely soil his bed so this will also help house training after the first night if he cries ,after one check up to make sure nothings wrong ,you have to ignore his cries. If you bring him to bed or run to his cries he will learn a powerful lesson that you come at noise and demand. Other than safety issues its best to generally ignore bad behaviour and reward good. Make a good check around to make sure wires plugs and small things that could be choked on are well out of a little puppies way even if you are in the same room you will be surprised at the speed and the damage a pup can do in minutes Your breeder should have given you a care sheet specifically on the diet and a routine that your new puppy is used too… even if you don’t like the food the pup has been reared on follow it to the letter for at least a week whilst the puppy gets used to its new environment, then you can try by adding one thing new in small quantities to the existing diet . Never add more than 1 new food in 48 hours or you won’t know what upset him. Do not give a bulldog puppy the hide chews, they go slimy and if left alone I have heard of and had experience of a bulldog choking on one [these are the stuff that those mock shoes are made of] Put a collar on the pup only when you are with him, its easy for an inquisitive puppy to hang himself ,but let him wear it a few hours a day to get used to it before you try out walking If your puppy hasn’t had his final parvo shot, do take him around in your arms and in your car before he has completed his jabs. Experiencing many sounds sights and noises is imperative to be in place before 16 weeks when a natural shy and spooky attitude develops, this will help him develop into a well balanced and well behaved dog. Remember it’s at least 16 weeks before the bladder is under full control [like babies who are not able to be potty trained till their bodies are capable of control] if you train your pup before this, its you who is trained!! :-)) Scolding and shouting can create fear issues with puppies .It may start them eating their own faeces as an attempt to hide the evidence that gets the anger directed at them or make them sneaky and hiding where they are defecating. Do have him micro chipped pedigree dogs get stolen everyday here in the UK , a chip may alert a suspicious vet to check for the number enabling you to make a positive identification ,it’s a wise precaution. Do check for any escape routes out of your garden and if it’s overlooked by a public pathway NEVER leave him outside alone whilst tiny. Care should be taken that if he corners any cats his eyes may get scratched, causing ulcers, if cherry eye develops seek help from your breeder as to which vet to go to correct this, do not let your tiny puppy have a general anaesthetic unless its life threatening not to…6 months is safer and make sure your veterinary surgeon is bulldog knowledgeable. Worm the puppy according to the instructions from the breeder it should be 2 weekly till 12 weeks then 3 monthly for 1st year then every 6 months for life, especially if you are letting the dog /puppy play with children, modern wormers dissolve worms are environmentally friendly so if you don’t see any don’t assume there are none, the puppy will thrive after a worm burden has been removed. Take the puppy to training classes or to vets puppy parties to socialise him , this early meeting with other dogs may help avoid dog aggression coming into play as he matures .Barking at noises can be kept to a minimum by praising the puppy for letting you know about the ‘nasty’ intruder but you will now deal with it…. Taking away the pressure to protect will relieve the puppy of the burden of being a protector….become your dogs ‘alpha person’ pack leader and you will have a happy harmonious home for him. Do not let your bulldog puppy go up and down stairs, not only is it easy for them to throw out their joints but it’s a real danger that as they come down they gather speed and momentum causing a broken neck or spinal injury I have heard of both of these things happening Keep in touch with your puppy’s breeder, or if this fails join your local bulldog club where you should be able to meet someone to help and be your mentor as you discover the personality of our wonderful breed. This information is written by Vicky Collins-Nattrass
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Copyright Reserved Genie in Box Productions 2005/2011
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