Raising Olde English Bulldogge Puppies: Bulldog Puppy Training and Tips.

Your puppy now depends on you for everything - food, water, exercise, training, good

health and hygiene. Please remember that all puppies are different, and you should

consult your veterinarian and trainer for specific needs of your pup.

It is exciting to bring your new puppy home and into your life and heart. I know you

will be excited to show him / her off and play with him / her right away but remember

to give your puppy some time to adjust! We recommend three days at home. No

visitors and no outings. Your puppy is undergoing a lot of change and they need lots

of rest while they adjust. Adding more stress during this transition is detrimental to

both their mental and physical health.

The Role of "THE TREAT" Game

Puppies are notorious for picking up everything and anything. Acknowledging that

while dogs explore the world through their mouth and nose, this can also be

dangerous when they start gulping items or get a hold of something poisonous. Let's

teach our puppy a fun game that could save their life! It is called the treat game.

1. Week 1: Once a day (if possible) wait for your pup to be interested in

something else. Walk up to them and put the tasty treat at their nose and say, "treat".

Give the pup the treat and praise. That's it!

2. Week 2: Start calling "treat" and have the puppy come to you! No barriers

involved. Be in sight. When the puppy comes to you, give them the treat

and praise! That's it!

3. Week 3: Call treat and go to the fridge. Barriers and distractions can be at

play now. Challenge the pup and wait until they are playing with a toy! Reward with a

tasty treat! That's it!

4. Week 4: You only need to do this a few times a week. Wait for the pup to be

really interested in something else (another dog, toy, bone, food, children,

etc.). Give a high value treat from the fridge and praise them. That's it!

The Why?

Now, anytime the puppy has something in their mouth they should not, or that you

need to get from them, simply call, "treat" and go to the fridge. They will drop the

item when you say treat or when they get to you. Do not put any focus on it! Put your

foot over it and wait for the pup to toddle off. Then pick it up. Do not ever chase a

puppy with something in their mouth. You are only adding value to it. Just call "treat"

and walk to the fridge. No panic or stress! You have done your work in ensuring you

don't have a resource guarder or gulper in your house!

The Role of "Puppy Puppy Puppy" Recall

We imprint all of our puppies to the recall of "puppy puppy puppy". In effect, this is

actually their "name" and not their assigned "litter name" that we may have referred

to throughout our correspondence. This is a lifesaving tool we are giving you, so what

can you do to ensure your puppy continues to have this vital recall?

Practice twice a week with a high value treat that they never get otherwise (cheese,

chicken, etc.). Wait for them to be distracted by something (focus is not on you) and then call, "Puppy puppy puppy!" As soon as your pup gets to you, have the biggest "puppy

party" and give them the treat. That is it!

1. Do not ever use "puppy puppy puppy" as a punishment (to put them in

their kennel, call them from inside, etc.). It has to be 100% positive EVERY

single time!

2. No not overuse this command. Your dog will learn very quickly to ignore

you if this command is overused - twice a week and no more (unless your

dog is in a life-threatening situation).

3. How long should you keep reinforcing this command? We recommend

doing this for the rest of your dog's life.

4. When can you use this command? If your dog bolts out of the door, won't

recall when off leash, and /or could be in danger, etc.

To Consider:

If your dog bolts out into traffic, assess the situation quickly. Calling them might be

fatal because you may be asking them to run back into traffic.

If you encounter an aggressive dog, this recall could be great, or it could trigger the

aggressive dog to chase (a long down stay might be best in this situation). Again,

assess and use your best judgement.

Step it up and practice this command with a long drag line (20 plus feet) and take

them out in a high distraction area. When they are not focused on you, call the

"puppy puppy puppy". If they don't come? Reel them in and keep calling them.

Remember to only be positive and happy (even if you are frustrated you had to reel

them in!).

Give them lots of praise and a treat when they reach you. Coming to you should

always be positive and safe!

Potty Training

Depending on your bedtime schedule, remove food and water 2-3 hours before your

bedtime to allow the puppy a greater chance of holding it all night. Remember that

your dog's bladder will not be fully developed until he or she reaches five months old

Therefore, as your pup gets older, they will be able to hold it longer. If you do have to

take your puppy out at night, please do not make this a play session. Be matter of fact

(as little talking as possible) and get down to business. Praise the potty behaviour and

right back into the kennel. These puppies are very bright and if they know that you

will get up in the middle of the night to play, talk sweet and love on them, they will

start waking you for this attention alone. I strongly suggest kennel training, and potty

training is one of the biggest reasons why.

Puppies will rarely potty where they sleep.

This is one of the main reasons I begin"potty training" puppies at three weeks old by dividing their whelping box into 2sections - one for a nurse and sleep area and one for a potty area. When you bring your puppy home and put him or her into an appropriate sized

kennel (not too large, just enough room to turn around and lay down) they will fuss

when they have to go potty! If you cannot watch your puppy or it is naptime, tuck

them into their kennel. When it is time to go out, place the kennel by the door and let

the puppy walk him or herself out. In the beginning you may need to place the kennel

right at the door, sometimes they squat just after a few steps! Over time, you can

move the kennel farther and farther away from the door. While puppies understand

the concept of a den vs. an elimination area, you are bringing them to a new "den"

and you will have to show your new puppy the ropes!

When your puppy has an accident, please just clean it up thoroughly and move on.

Only clap hands and scold vocally IF you catch the pup going potty. Rubbing their

nose in it, etc. is not acceptable and is a complete waste of time. In your pup's brain

they are wondering why you are making them smell their own urine or feces. They

know what it smells like! In general, your pup will need to potty every 30 minutes as

well as after a nap, vigorous play, exiting the kennel and following meals. When in

doubt, take out! Again, if you can't watch your puppy, in the kennel they go!

Kennel Use

Dogs are den animals and actually prefer sleeping in small places. The cost of a crate

may initially seem expensive, but when you compare it to the cost of ruined rugs

and / or chewed up furniture, it is well worth it! When you bring your puppy home, it

is best to begin using the crate right away.

The kennel needs to be large enough for them to walk into, turn around and lay

down. You should, however, refrain from giving your puppy a large kennel in the

beginning, because you don't want them to have enough space to have both a

"sleep" and a "potty" area inside the kennel.

Kennel training can make potty training easier, gives you and your puppy a few

breaks throughout the day and helps keep your puppy safe when you can't watch him

or her! I suggest putting a small plastic bin with a lid on the top of the kennel, filled

with many different toys to keep your puppy occupied while he or she is inside the

kennel. Toys like Kongs, Busy bones, Nylabones, etc. are all great options. Puppies will

enjoy going into their kennel to see what special surprise you have for them!

Even though we expose puppies to kennels early on, they have free reign in and out

of them. Once you close the door, protest will occur. This is where tough love comes

into play - you will need to ignore the whimpering all the way up to the outright

screaming (just make sure the pup does not need to potty or that something is

wrong). If you let them out , you are teaching them that screaming will get them out! If

you console them , you are teaching them that they are correct in their feelings of

disdain. Both behaviours from you will make this process very difficult. Try to get the

pup to enter the kennel on his or her own, by luring them with one of those special

treats or toys and then close the door. Make sure you name the behaviour as they

walk in with the word, "house" or something cleverer if you prefer. Generally, the

crying and protesting only lasts 3 days - stick with it, it will pay off!

Socializing and Developmental Stages

It is imperative that your new dog socializes with other people and pets in a safe

manner. Try to steer clear of other dogs and any areas populated by puppies and

other dogs for a few weeks, until your veterinarian has administered all of your dog's

vaccinations. Having your puppy around other people, dogs, new locations, in the car,

etc. will create a much happier, well-socialized dog in the long run. You will be so

proud to take your pup with you on the go, and he or she will enjoy meeting new

people and visiting new places.

However, you must be cautious of Parvo, a highly contagious and very dangerous

virus that can live in any environment for years and can be easily tracked into your

own house on your shoes. We suggest you clean your house before your puppy

comes home, keep your shoes at the door and employ the "all four off the floor"

method to socialize your puppy until he or she receives its parvo vaccination.

Do not keep your puppy sheltered during these precious developmental weeks,

just make sure that you avoid areas with other dogs and that your pup keeps all four

paws off the floor outside of the home. Brief and safe socializing is so important to the

proper development of a puppy. I have 8 weeks. You have 8 weeks. And it takes both

of us to ensure a stable happy puppy follows!

Obedience/Training

Please start training your puppy immediately. They are smart, eager to learn and want

to please! Dogs are pack animals and are looking to you for leadership and guidance

when they join your pack. You will be amazed at how much they can learn starting at 8

weeks old. It is very exciting and rewarding when your pup learns something new!

Start with sit, down, stay, kennel and go potty. I also highly recommend enrolling your

puppy in a puppy kindergarten class. They get to socialize, start learning self-control

and begin on basic obedience tasks. Follow through with any "puppy homework" you

are given to continue building your relationship with your pup and helping he or she

learn through repetition. Please do not stop at puppy kindergarten. Upon graduation

enroll your pup in a basic obedience class as well.

Puppy "Massage"

10 Step Puppy Handling Exercise

This approach is performed to improve your pup's ability to handle different types of

touch, handling and sensation.

It can be performed in ANY order. Do not put your puppy down if they are agitated or

upset. If they are displaying resistance, stop until the puppy calms and then resume!

Reward with positive praise and snuggles when done!

1. Rub and gently tug on their ears

2. Cover their eyes for 3-5 seconds

3. Open their mouth, inspect their teeth and place your finger inside of their

mouth. You can rub their tongue and gums. I also always watch teeth to

ensure they are coming in correctly. Every once in a while, issues with tooth

eruption do occur.

4. Rub their belly and chest in a wide circular motion.

5. Run your hand up their back (from tail to head) a few times to ruffle their fur.

Also practice "heavy petting" - patting your pup's back like you are burping

a baby

6. Gently tug and twist their tail.

7. Rub your fingers in between all of their pads on their paws

8. Tap on the tip of their nails

9. Put your hands on their collar and apply a slight tug or pressure

10. Touch their nose!

This is an excellent time to check the puppy over from head to foot each day ensuring

everything is forming correctly and the pup's conformation looks and feels good. I

use my hands and fingers as a way to explore and touch every part of them. You can

be standing (elevation work) or sitting - try both! Don't always perform the

"puppy massage" in the same room at the same time. As pups age, it helps to do this

exercise when they are sleepy - after a solid play session is a great time. It is also

CRUCIAL to have others do the massage as well. You want your dog to be tolerant to

touch by friends, strangers, kids, the elderly, veterinarians, groomers etc.

The Puppy Crazies

FRAP (Frenetic Random Activity Periods) is the technical term for what I call the

"puppy crazies" or others call the "zoomies." These FRAP sessions typically occur

approximately two to three times a day. This is when your well-mannered puppy goes

absolutely crazy! He or she will run around, jump on the furniture, attack everything,

spin in circles, bark and quite honestly act like they have gone off the deep end. This

is totally normal! The good news is that these periods of high energy only last a few

minutes and your dog will grow out of them. With that being said, this is a time when

young children need to be picked up and placed in a safe location! FRAP and young

children are rarely a good mix.

Veterinarian Care

Vaccination records are enclosed in the puppy packet. However, your vet will advise

you on what is best for the proper care of your pet. Please spay or neuter your pup at

approximately 12 months old. The health benefits are overwhelming, not to mention

the implications of an unplanned pregnancy can be devastating.

Parasites

Unfortunately, parasites in pups are extremely common and it is estimated that 95%

of pups have parasites. We do our very best to keep our puppies parasite-free. They

are dewormed at 4 weeks, 6 weeks and 8 weeks. However, not all parasites respond

to particular deworming and excess stress with "go-home" can "awaken" parasites

that previously lay dormant. Upon bringing your puppy home, it is worthwhile for

your pup to have a fecal test done at the veterinarian when you bring them in for their

vaccinations.

Love and Patience

You have made the important decision to let a puppy into your heart and home. We

sincerely thank you for trusting us to give your puppy the best start possible. I know

there will be frustrations and patience will be tested in having a puppy, but I also

know the rewards are wonderful and exponential. Enjoy the complete innocence of a

puppy, their ability to stop and smell the flowers, and maybe even taste them, their

curiosity is contagious, and playfulness is humorous, I can promise you that you will

gain a comedian, confidante, companion, and ultimately a new family member.