Caring
for the bulldog
The
ten golden rules of puppy care
Owning a puppy can be a lot of fun and highly rewarding –
however, there are a lot of responsibilities involved. Here, we’ve compiled
a list of ‘golden rules’ to help remind you of some of the more
important things you need to know about raising a puppy.
Rule 1
Training starts on day one
Since dogs aren’t born fully trained, your puppy will be looking to
you for guidance. Good training plays a big role in ensuring a happy and successful
relationship between you and your dog. Through training, your dog will learn
to understand what his human companions expect of him and be better equipped
to fit into his environment. Likewise, the better you understand your dog's
behavior, the more rewarding your relationship will be.
Rule
2
A puppy needs a balanced diet
What you feed your puppy really matters. In fact, he needs special nutrition
with just the right amounts of protein, fats, minerals and vitamins. A puppy's
diet must also be balanced so he receives the right amount of nutrients. Food
should be concentrated to allow him to take in all the needed nutrients with
a small amount of food. And always make sure your puppy gets plenty of fresh,
clean water.
Rule 3
Keep your puppy well groomed
Start grooming your puppy at an early age. The earlier your dog gets to know
the procedure, the more readily he will get used to it.
Rule 4
Puppies need regular dental care
Taking care of your puppy’s teeth now will prevent a lot of problems
later on in his life. In fact, the number one health problem for dogs, apart
from being overweight, is periodontal disease. The accumulation of tartar
and plaque and the resulting gingivitis can lead to more serious disease.
So start brushing your puppy’s teeth now, because most dogs over two
years of age who haven’t received regular dental care have these dental
problems.
Rule 5
Exercise your puppy daily
Part of the normal routine for a healthy puppy is regular exercise. The amount
your dog needs will depend not only on his size, but also on his breed. Don't
make the mistake of over-exercising your puppy, however. A growing puppy’s
bones aren’t yet strong enough to cope with the extra stress this puts
on him.
Rule 6
Regular vet check ups
Ideally, you should choose a vet even before bringing your puppy home. Then,
once your puppy is home, you should take him in to the vet within the next
day or so for an overall check-up. In the first few months, there’ll
be several visits to the vet for various vaccinations and spaying/neutering.
Once your pup reaches adulthood, at least one visit a year is required to
ensure his ongoing good health.
Rule 7
Give your puppy home health checks
You can play a big role in keeping your puppy healthy by doing health check
ups at home. Checking his weight, coat and skin, eyes and ears, teeth and
gums, and doing spot checks can prevent little problems from turning into
big ones. .
Rule 8
Introduce your puppy to other dogs
One of the best ways to teach good canine manners is to allow your puppy to
interact with an adult dog. Most adult dogs won’t be aggressive toward
a puppy though sometimes, a big dog will find a way to put a puppy in its
place, perhaps with a growl or a snap. Don’t prevent an adult dog from
doing this, since puppies learn to limit the strength of their bite and how
to control themselves. If you prevent an older dog from controlling a puppy,
then the puppy soon learns to think of himself as the boss and that he can
do anything he wants
Rule 9
Reward good behavior
Positive reinforcement is a powerful way to make your puppy a well-behaved
member of your family. Reward him with a treat or praise when he does what
you tell him. This will encourage the repetition of good behavior and will
increase the likelihood that he will repeat the desired behavior in the future.
Rule 10 Be patient
Breeding
Take time to think about this very carefully before you decide to mate your bitch.When it comes to the Bulldog breed in particular, they arnt easy to reproduce.Firstly I think you should get advice from experienced breeders and ask for their opinions and guidance.You will have probably heard the old saying that it is good for your bitch to have a litter,but I would take this with a pinch of salt as there are plenty of healthy long lived bulldogs out there that have lead happy lives without having produced a litter of puppies.If you have had a lot of thought on this issue and you still feel that this is what you want for your bitch, then I recommend that you take the time to ask yourself a few valuable questions:
Are you always around to provide your bitch with 24
hour attention for the first 2 to 3 weeks after she has given birth and do
you have a supportive understanding family? Bulldogs are very clumsy
and they can sit or lie on their newborn babies causing them to get squashed
and suffocated. It is essential that they are never left unattended.
Has your home got the facilities to manage with a growing litter of puppies until you can find right homes for them all? Are you prepared to accept back any puppies that you sell, any time they need Re-homing?
Do you have a vet that you can get hold of day or
night and that understands and is sympathetic to the Bulldog breed and are
you prepared to take the risk with your bitch if she requires a caesarean?
Please Note: 85% of Bulldog bitches require caesareans, which means that they have to undergo a general anesthetic, this can sometimes be a risk depending upon each and every Bulldog and how they react to it. You will need to take extra care of your girl and bathe her stitches every day with boiled luke warm water and maybe just add abit of antiseptic to prevent infection until her stitches have to come out. The vet usually tells you to come back in 10 days time to get the stitches removed. Your bitch will feel better after her stitches have been removed. A good vet will usually tell you that you shouldn’t let your bitch have more than 3 caesareans in her lifetime.The cost of having a caesarean can range from £250 upto £800 + depending upon a couple of factors such as: the amount of puppies that she produced, weather or not she needed to be put on a drip, if they had to operate on her in the day or in the evening, how many staff they needed to use, if the puppies needed any medication, if the bitch needed any medication or if there were any unforeseen complications.
You must consider expenses such as stud fees, travelling costs to visit the dog and the possibility of a large vet bill as I mentioned earlier.Also the food cost for both the puppies and the mother arnt going to be cheap as they require plenty of the best quality food in order to keep them in the best condition.Puppies need to be kept constantly warm at a temperature of between 75 to 80 degrees F for the first few weeks to have the best chance of survival, so you have to take your heating bill into account.You will also find that you are always using your washing machine to wash dog blankets and other essential items for your puppies and their mother until you puppies go to their new homes.You will need to make sure your machine is a reliable one.
Before mating your bitch make sure that she is in the best possible condition, so she should not be overweight and be fit and active with no hereditary problems.Dont consider mating her on her first season, she should be well over a year old a physically and mentally mature enough to cope with a having litter.I usually wait for my bitches to have their 3rd season before I consider mating them.
Searching for a Stud Dog
You need to do a bit of research and look at the build of your bitch and if she is lacking in certain departments then you should look for and use a stud dogs that compliments her.Also take time to look at both her pedigree and his see if they are both compatible, as you don’t want to be mating two very close relatives together as this is when you start to produce dogs with faults and sometimes serious defects.Have a look at a few dogs then decide but make sure you don’t rush into anything that your not happy about, always ask as many questions as you can think of.Also go to a few shows.I do recommend you do all this before she comes into season.The fee must be paid usually when the mating is completed and the stud dog requires experienced handling, bulldogs ususually require the help of a few people during the mating process, because if it doesn’t all go to plan it can put both the dog and the bitches health and more seriously life in danger.
Bulldog bitches coming into Season
Usually they have they have their first season after they reach six months of age.Sometimes some bitches don’t start until they reach eight or nine months.It starts with the vulva swelling up and then she will produce red blood for approximately ten days. The colour will gradually lighten to a pale pink, followed by a straw tinge. When this occurs for the next four to eight days she will be ready for mating.The vulva will gradually shrink back down to the normal size and by day 21 her season will be over.All bitches are different and Bulldogs are especially known for having strange seasons and being difficult to get into whelp.It is important that you take your bitch to the dog on the correct day of the cycle at usually around ten to fourteen days.This is only a guide as all bitches are different especially bulldogs.If you are unsure about what day she is on then it may be worthwhile going to your vet for a cytology test (blood test) to tell you when she will be ready to be mated.
Puppy Menu
Breakfast; (about 8.30
Pro Plan puppy all in one (Chicken and rice ) Biscuits with Beef mince or
Tuna and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese (Soak one big hand
full for each meal give him more as he grows) and a drink of Goats milk with
a spoonful of natural yoga mix in with it
(dinner)
1.30
Pro Plan puppy all in one (Chicken and rice ) Biscuits with chicken or sardines
in oil (Soak one big hand full for each meal give him more as he grows) and
a drink of Goats milk with a spoonful of natural yogurt mix in with it
Supper;(about 8 pm )
Pro Plan puppy all in one (Chicken and rice ) Biscuits with Beef mince and
Parmesan cheese (as dinner) with tined cat food or bran and a drink of Goats
milk with a spoonful of natural yoga mix in with it
when they get to about 12 weeks I put the on just 3 meals a day breakfast
about 8 am dinner about 1 pm and supper about 8 pm
Change water each day, whip there eyes with baby wipes or if white faced put cream on their eye side each day to stop them from staining
Tablets
each day: cod-liver oil tablet, Garlic tablet, in winter
And 2 calcium tablets a day when they get to about 5 months old
Get them used to the car, when they is 6 months old start to take him short
walks then go a bit farther each time till she/he can walk a good
distance a day (keeps them fit) but not till he is over 6 months.
When they are 6 months just give her two bisc meals a day with just a bit of meat in (Tuna tined or cat food or cooked beef from the pet shop or hearts from the butcher cooked they love the hearts) then a drink of milk
I feed them on Pro Plan puppy all in one (chicken and rice )Biscuits or Supper dog puppy biscuits chicken and rice and pedigree weaning porridge for there morning meal they will go off the porridge don't worry when they do just give them 3 bisc and meat meal when they are about 5 months old stop soaking the bisc just give them him dry it does there teeth good
Make them stand for about 5 minutes a day and get him used to people and other dogs.
Hope you do well with him/her they are my babies and very sweet natured
If you are worried about any thing just ring the breeder don't forget they
are only babies and need time to them self to sleep
they should be insured for 6 week they will write to you to carry it on please
do so as vet free can be very high
Give his lots of love but when you ask them to do some thing always make him
do it or they will rule you not the other way round ha ha