Vets
common sense forword
if your puppy or dog should give you any concern at all please please pay a visit to your vet as what may seem to be "nothing serious to worry about"can develop rapidly into something more threatening......
Basic Bulldog Care
As with all dog care,each breed will have it`s own particular requirements which can sometimes be unique to the type.Bulldogs are such a breed and listed here are some of the basic things to bear in mind about your "bully" that you will need to pay attention to,some on a daily basis and some less frequently.
Excercise;This is the most important part of your puppies development,too much and you`ll wear out your new puppy and too little and you will get a flabby pup that slowly but surely gets overweight and whose bones do not grow straight and he/she will suffer for it in later life.follow feeding amounts on food packs exercise2-3 times a day,just remember that even though you may want everyone to see your dog they can only take small steps.
Bathing;If you have children this can be a fun time,gradually though and not rushed otherwise your puppy will learn to hate this..We use a solid plastic childrens paddling pool which can be used outside in the summer and taken indoors to use when it`s too cold and "baby" needs a wash for the show...gradually introduce your puppy to this by first barely covering the bottom without getting their fur wet then over time start to splash a little and introduce some more water...You should never need more than about an inch {2.5cm} of water to wash your dog ,Our kids usually end up getting in with ours ! puppies learn to almost dive in after a few tries and love to play with their toys when they`re in the water...Using the paddling pool also makes it far easier when you have an adult dog that`s way too heavy to lift into the bath!
Tail; one of the most important things to bear in mind is a tightly twisted tail,as a bulldog cannot reach behind to clean his or herself after a poop you may need on a daily basis to clean using a baby wipe or similar along with a suitable cream around the base of the tail area.it is quite hard to see when your puppy is really young but any competant breeder should be able to see this in his or her puppies and advise accordingly as to care...a very tightly screwed tail can sometimes become painful for the dog later in life so along with your daily/weekly care list always bear this in mind and make sure you clean thoroughly around the tail area especially during the summer months as prevention is always better than cure..
Tear stains;This is common in many animals,your puppy has folds of skin all around his/her nose etc and as the eyes naturally run the fur around it will discolour and stain..this has to be done every day as during the summer months untreated areas can easily become infected and sore resulting in an expensive trip to the vets...there are many solutions and wipes available for this from any pet shop.....
Grooming;Part of your bonding with your puppy is to get them used to being handled and cared for as often as possible,your puppy will need this and it will make real treatment of problems that much easier should the need arise.A grooming glove is very good rather than a brush as it will rid your puppy of loose fur without scratching any possible little sore areas..everybody has different opinions as to how to groom a "bully" try out as many as you can and decide which one is best for you and your puppy...
Worms;As with all pets whether you think they need it or not you should worm them..follow the instructions for the dosage by weighing your puppy and calculating how much they need.It`s usually a case of numbers of tablets or powder..if tablets crush between 2 teaspoons then mix with a little tuna or similar...always use a special treat food for medicines and it`s easy...Bulldogs don`t swallow like many dogs,they chew to a fashion but to me they always swallow more like a duck! ,so we never try to administer tablets as they seldom go down and you end up finding them on the floor an hour later...
Diahorea;Should your puppy develop this it is essential to take them to the vets without delay..initial symptoms if left unchecked can develop rapidly into a more serious condition..under no circumstances attempt to fast your puppy as you would an older dog,they are losing both fluids and body weight all the time..for slight problems try mixing the regular dried food with natural yoghurt...should symptoms last longer than 48hrs go to your vet for advice as there are many causes such as bacteria or virus along with the usual suspect of worms..your vet will examine a stool sample under the microscope to get the correct treatment started..for mild cases mix boiled rice with shredded poached chicken and give as needed until it subsides..
Growth
We`ll assume that youv`e now purchased your puppy and that they have settled into your home,it`s not wise to immediately start to weigh your puppy as they will probably lose a little weight whilst they settle in for the first 2-3 weeks..don`t change your puppies food from what the breeder has been using as the combined stress and change of diet can lead to the "runs" which apart from being stressful for your puppiy is no fun to clean up,on newspaper or not..When your puppy is eating well and has settled down to a routine you can begin to weigh on a monthly basis..Don`t weigh any more often than this as there won`t be enough of a week to week difference to record..Now,the figures below are averages and not a written standard,dogs on average are larger when adult than bitches so expect a little variance at 12 months or so...The most important thing to bear in mind is over feeding,this will put extra strain on your puppies joints whilst they grow and your dog will suffer for a lifetime so hold back on the treats if you feel your puppy is over doing it...seek veternary opinion if you are worried at all..
These are average weights over a 12 month period,the first figure is months and the second weight in kilo`s.for dogs you`ll need to add slightly more as they are nearly always heavier when fully grown.
1/2 2/4 3/7 4/11 5/15 6/17 7/19 8/20 9/21 10/22 11/23 12/24 as stated these are not "set in stone" and some puppies grow at different rates at different times so don`t worry if you`re not quite along these figures..if your puppy is healthy and eating well but not putting on weight there may be another factor for not gaining weight such as worms..Consult your vet should you be concerned..Also bear in mind that just as we are all different regardless of height/weight of our parents,so are dogs.
testicles;(boys only lol) as a young male pup grows his testicles will descend,this can be anything from about 6-8 weeks up to a year or more old..if you are buying your boy as a pet only this will not be a problem in any way for your puppy as you will be castrating him from about 7 months onwards..doing this will not only help towards aggressive tendencies towards other male dogs but also it will help to cut back on the strong urine smell from an entire male and sometimes it will help in controlling mating tendencies....it is not uncommon for a vet not to be able to feel both testies at a young age as they will almost certainly be there but 1 or both will still be in the abdominal cavity....the time to consider castration is when your boy starts to cock his leg to wee rather than the squat he has been doing so far...you should not consider castration before this point as it is not necessary....
If you are purchasing your boy for potential showing in the future you will need to bear this in mind when making your choice as no breeder can offer any sort of guarantee that he will have both descend in the future...discuss this with the breeder at the time...
