~Puppy's New Home ~Equipment ~The Medicine Chest
Care Tips
Puppy's New Home When you arrive home with your puppy, remember - your puppy is a baby Bulldog. Like all babies, he needs lots of love and cuddling, rest and sleep, nourishing food, and of course lots more love and cuddling. Moving to a new home, leaving everything 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 it is best to change his life as little as possible. Stick with the same feeding routine - the same time, amount, brand of food, etc. Feed him in the same place. Once the puppy has become settled, you can begin to introduce your way of doing things. If you want to change the brand of food, the change should be slow and gradual. Substitute a small amount of the old food with the new brand and slowly increase the ratio of new to old until the old brand is completely replaced with the new. |
Equipment A food dish with straight sides and flat bottom. The best material is stainless steel - avoid plastic. A water dish, stainless steel is optimal. A collar and a lead. A lightweight, small link "choke" collar works best. It should be long enough to slip over the puppy's head with room to spare, but should not have more than a six inch "tail" when around his neck. His first lead should be lightweight; as he grows you'll need a strong leather lead. |
Nail Clippers or Grinder **There are several things to consider that will make life easier and more enjoyable with your Bulldog. First is a wire crate (wire has better air circulation than the Veri-Kennel type). It is much easier to house train a puppy if he sleeps in a crate. It is also safer for your puppy to travel in a crate and he will have a place of his own to sleep in if you are staying overnight. Dogs like having their own special place and a crate can provide this. A puppy pen. Even if you have a fenced yard, you may want to confine the puppy in or out of a particular area. These are easily portable and handy to have around. A good brush. Find one with flexible rubber bristles and fits your hand comfortably. |
The Medicine Chest Vaseline - Use this on his nose, eye wrinkles, any place that you need to soothe and waterproof but don't need to medicate. Also use it on the thermometer when you take his temperature. A good rectal thermometer. Plastic Real Lemon - If he gets phlegm in his throat and chokes on it, a couple of squirts of juice from the plastic lemon will help clear it out. Panalog Ointment - A good all-purpose ointment for minor skin afflictions. Also good for cleaning wrinkles, tail pockets and ears. Be careful to keep this clear of the eyes. Bag Balm - Also useful for minor skin afflictions. Pepto-Bismol - For minor stomach upset. **Consult your vet for dosing. Kaopectate - For minor diarrhea. ** Consult your vet for dosing. Q-tips - Used for applying medication and cleaning ears. Cotton balls - Use for applying medication, for cleaning and to keep ears dry while bathing. |
Toys Never give a Bulldog a rawhide toy. Even Bulldog puppies can tear off a piece of the rawhide toy and choke on it. Knotted socks - great for them to shake and play tug of war with. Nylabone and Gummabone toys - throw away once it is small enough that he can fit the entire toy in his mouth. Balls - Be sure the ball is too big to lodge in the throat. Booda Bones or other cotton tug toys. YOU! |
Feeding Bulldogs should eat out of a pan that has a flat bottom and straight sides. Stainless steel works best as it lasts longer. Do not use plastic for either his food or water. A two to four month old puppy typically eats four times a day. At this age the kibble is usually softened with warm water and cottage cheese and/or yogurt can be added. Never feed a Bulldog a kibble that contains soybeans. The puppy may be fed on a set schedule or have food available to him at all times. Choose the method that is most convenient for you. At four to six months a puppy's feeding regimen should remain the same, with the number of feedings reduced to three. At six months this can drop to two. In most cases a growing puppy, with plenty of exercise, should eat as much as he wants. If the puppy becomes obese, consult with your vet. At a year, most dogs do well on one meal a day. Find what works best for you and your dog. Bulldogs are switched from puppy to adult kibble at 9-12 months. The smoothest transition is to the adult version of the puppy kibble you have been using. Any change in food should be done gradually, substituting more and more of the new for the old. Your Bulldog should have fresh water available at all times. While it is not necessary to add to a good kibble, some dogs prefer to have supplements on their food. The most common are cottage cheese, yogurt, and oil. Cottage cheese is great for growing Bulldogs since they must grow a lot of heavy bone in a short time. Yogurt helps their digestive System. About a teaspoon per feeding is sufficient for both. Oil helps to keep the coat and skin in good condition - a teaspoon twice a day. Corn or canola oil works best. Never give a Bulldog an oil that contains soybean oil. Treats - Should usually be dog biscuits. The occasional bite of people food won't hurt, but do not give him chocolate or onions. |
Grooming Use a soft bristle or rubber brush to thoroughly brush your Bulldog at least three times a week. Start at the rear and brush against the hair. After you have brushed the entire dog against the grain, brush again with the grain. Follow this with a good rub down to keep his hair shiny and skin healthy. In the spring and fall, during shedding time, you may need to brush more often and give more frequent rub downs as this will remove the dead hair and distribute the natural oils. Return to top. |
Bathing If your Bulldog receives frequent brushings and rubdowns, he does not need frequent bathing. Most only bathe their Bulldogs when he is dirty and obviously needs a bath. The best place to bathe a Bulldog is some where you can easily control the dog and water supply and you are able to rinse the dog thoroughly. ***Tip: take your dog (especially a young puppy) out to do his business before bathing. Be sure to have all your bathing supplies on hand before beginning: -Shampoo: Use a mild, no tears shampoo such as Lambert Kay or Groom-Rite. Baby shampoo such as Johnson & Johnson No Tears and Avon Tearless also work. Only use flea shampoos when necessary as these are quite harsh. -Cotton balls -Q-Tips -Eye ointment or mineral oil -Vaseline -Wash cloths and towels Be sure to dry wrinkles completely. |
Nails Most Bulldogs need their toenails cut on a regular basis - usually every two weeks. The nails should be kept as short as possible. Either a dog nail clipper or an electric grinder can be used, whichever you choose - ensure they are sharp. Be careful not to cut into the quick. |
Wrinkles Bulldogs tend to have messy face wrinkles which require regular cleaning. How often depends on the individual dog. It's better to clean more often rather than not often enough. When you clean the wrinkles, wash his nose and apply Vaseline to keep it soft. You can clean the wrinkles with a soft damp cloth and then dry, use the shampoo you use for bathing (be sure to rinse and dry thoroughly), or use baby wipes with lanolin and aloe. Whichever method you chose it is important to get the deep nose wrinkle clean. If it is irritated you may need to apply some ointment to help soothe and heal. |
Training House Training - Consistency is key. A puppy is a baby; his capacity is small and his muscle control is limited. Take the puppy outside, preferably the same area each time, as soon as he wakes up, shortly after each meal, about every hour he is awake, just before nap or bedtime. Always praise the puppy as he is going and move away from the area as soon as he is finished. The puppy must empty bladder and bowels before he goes to bed for the night. Very few dogs soil their beds, so it is best to keep him confined at night and any time you are unable to watch him. Immediately take the puppy outside if you see him sniffing and circling. If he "goes" in the house, say "No, No" and take him outside. Praise for correct behavior works much better than punishment for incorrect behavior. To succeed in training your puppy to go outside and not inside you must be consistent and patient. Lead Training - It's best to start lead training as soon as possible, but make sure your puppy is settled into his new home before beginning. A lightweight "choke chain" and a lightweight lead are necessary for this training. Put the collar on the puppy so that it goes over his neck from left to right. Fasten the lead to the collar and let him lead you around. If he doesn't move, walk a bit and coax him into walking with you. Never pull on the lead and drag or choke the puppy. This should be a good experience so be plentiful with the praise. As he becomes acclimated to the collar and lead you may begin to give little tugs and encourage him to follow you. He should always be on your left side. Lead training should be conducted in several short sessions (5-10 minutes) rather than one long session. While you should not play with the puppy during these lessons, be sure to praise him often when follows you. Once he is following you consistently, you may take him on short walks around the neighborhood. If you need to correct him, 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. With a few minutes a day, every day, lots of praise, patience and consistency, you will soon have him walking nicely at your side. |
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~Toys ~Feeding ~Grooming ~Bathing
~Nails ~Wrinkles ~Training