Last Updated: 7 months ago
When you bring home a cute bulldog puppy as a gift or a surprise for a loved one, we rarely think about whether or not the recipient knows proper bulldog puppy care.
We are just getting the puppy because they are sweet and charming, and we hope that they will be our lifelong friends, right?
Sadly, it isn’t as easy to take care of a bulldog puppy, be it an American bulldog puppy, an English bulldog puppy, or a French bulldog puppy. This is a breed of dog that requires a little bit extra attention, thanks to their unique attributes.
Fortunately for you, you’re here, and you can get a better understanding of what type of Bulldog puppy care you need to know.
When Your Bulldog Puppy Arrives Home
When you first bring your puppy home, you are going to want to take a few days to spend all your time with him and keep him company.
Try to bring your puppy home in the morning or mid-afternoon. This way, he can familiarize himself with his new home, eat, and bond with you and the rest of the family. With luck, he’ll have tuckered himself out and will fall asleep quickly.
When he wakes up, you’re going to want to start him on a routine. The sooner he learns a routine, the easier it will be to train him.
What that routine consists of is up to you, but it could look something like this:
- Take him out to the bathroom as soon as he wakes up
- Playtime and/or walk
- Potty break
- Playtime
- Potty break
- Bring him back in and give him some food and water
- Potty break
- Dinner time
- Relax
- Bed
Of course, your schedule isn’t going to be as planned out or as generic as this. You do, however, want to try and get your puppy on a steady potty break/mealtime schedule.
This makes your life easier, and it’ll lessen the chances of any accidents happening inside.
Feeding Your Bulldog Puppy
When you pick up your puppy from the breeder, they should give you a diet sheet that tells you what the puppy has been eating, how frequently, and how much they’ve been eating.
You should continue with this particular diet for a few days until they acclimate to your home.
After two or three days, you can slowly change the food to your preferred puppy food. If you do change its food, you want to make sure that you are giving him food specially formulated for bulldog puppies because they need extra calcium to fortify their bones and decrease the likelihood that they will develop arthritis or hip and/or elbow dysplasia.
During meal times, you should give them 10 to 15 minutes to eat. After that time has elapsed, take the remaining food away and save it for the next meal. You should always have a water dish full of fresh water so your puppy can stay hydrated.
As your bulldog grows, you can swap out the puppy food for food that is formulated with extra nutrients to help keep their bones strong.
Training Your Bulldog Puppy
Training your bulldog isn’t just for your benefit; it will benefit your puppy as well. It’s a natural instinct for your bulldog to follow the lead of his pack leader, which is you.
Through proper training, you will be teaching your puppy what they need to do to make you happy and how you expect them to behave. Keep in mind that this isn’t going to happen overnight and it will take some time, but with some patience, it’ll be a rewarding experience.
Getting your puppy housebroken is one of the most important things you should focus on. We already mentioned that you should take your puppy out several times a day to go potty, but you also want to choose a designated spot outside for the puppy to go to the bathroom.
Look for a spot that is free of any debris and is covered, so they’ll be able to go to the bathroom outside, even in the rain, and not get wet. After they go to the bathroom, bring them back inside and give them a treat or extra cuddling time.
Exercising Your Bulldog Puppy
Bulldogs aren’t the most active of breeds, but that doesn’t mean they don’t require a little bit of exercise.
You aren’t going to have to go above and beyond with a bulldog, but you should take them on a short walk at least once a day.
Be careful not to have them outside too long in extreme heat or cold, as there are more inside dogs than out.
Grooming Your Bulldog Puppy
When it comes to giving your bulldog puppy care, you don’t want to assume that because the breed has short hair, you won’t have to groom them.
Yes, it’s true that they do not require a lot of grooming, but if you want to keep their coat soft and smooth, it would be a good idea to brush them about three to four times each week to get rid of losing hair.
Also, you don’t want to give them a bath more than necessary. That means if they aren’t covered in mud and do not smell bad, then they are good to go.
By bathing them too much, you are stripping them of the natural oils that they need to prevent skin rashes.
Conclusion
No one knows just how much work goes into caring for a cute bulldog puppy—or any puppy for that matter!
It can be a handful, that much is true, but it can also be a great experience—especially when training is complete and everything is perfect. Being a new puppy owner can be a little scary because you have a new life to take care of.
With proper training, your puppy will be well-fed, happy, and will know better than to pee on the bathroom rug!
It’s those small things that make puppy ownership worthwhile, don’t you think?
Resources:
