English Bulldog Love, how to care for your baby

Like all babies, he needs lots of love and cuddling,lots of rest and sleep, lots of love and cuddling, lots of good, nourishing food and more love and cuddling.

Moving to a new home, leaving his dam and litter mates and the only humans 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, try to change his life as little as possible.

Follow a feeding routine. The same times, the same amount, the same brand of food, the same supplements. Feed him in the same place at each meal. Be sure he has a special area all his own for his bed. Give him lots and lots of cuddling and petting. Do not let him play so long and hard that he becomes exhausted.

Sometime during the first 3 days, you should take him to your veterinarian for a check up and get to know you visit. Take along the record of his immunizations and wormings.

Once the puppy is settled securely into his new home, you can begin to introduce him to your way of doing things.

If you want to change the brand of puppy kibble he is eating, 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.

I feed my adult dogs RAW but feed puppies Royal Canin Baby Bulldog formula.  It is a top quality food.  Nutro is another good quality kibble.

A food dish with straight sides and flat bottom. The best material is stainless steel - avoid plastic.

A water dish, stainless steel is best.

A harness and a lead. Use a harness instead of a collar.  His first lead should be a light weight one, you'll need a strong leather lead as he grows.

Nail clippers or grinder.
There are several things which will make life easier and more enjoyable for you and your Bulldog.

First in importance is a wire crate.  I get one that is 36 x 22 x 24.  It is big for a puppy but it comes with a space divider that can "grow" with the puppy.  This comes very close to being a necessity. It is much easier to house train a puppy if he sleeps in a crate. Bulldogs do better in wire crates than the plastic, solid-side type because the air circulation through the wire crates is so much better. Dogs like to have a special "my place" so If you don't have a crate, try one, you and your Bulldog will like it.

A puppy pen. Even though you have a fenced yard, you may want to confine the puppy to or out of a particular area. Puppy pens are easily portable and very handy for keeping a puppy confined to a small area. They are especially useful for a winter puppy. You can put his bed in his crate, put the crate in a puppy pen, and put his papers in a corner of the pen.

A good brush. You can use almost any brush on a Bulldog but the best ones have flexible rubber bristles. You want one small enough to fit your hand comfortably.

Vaseline. Use this on his nose, on his eye wrinkles, any place you need to soothe and waterproof but don't need to medicate. Use it also on the thermometer when you take his temperature.

Plastic RealLemon. If he gets phlegm in his throat and chokes on it, a couple squirts of juice from the plastic lemon will help clear it out.

A good rectal thermometer.

Clear Eyes, Duolube, etc. for irritated eyes

Aspirin. For minor aches and pains. Most Bulldogs can tolerate aspirin but do not give any other human pain reliever such as Tylenol or Advil. Buffered aspirin such as Bufferin is better than plain aspirin and Ascriptin is better than Bufferin. Remember that the dosage for aspirin, like most pain relief medication, is based primarily on body weight. A Bulldog should never be given more than one tablet at a time or more frequently than every twelve hours. Some Bulldogs are allergic to aspirin, so use with care.

Benadryl. Either capsule or liquid. Use this if the dog is stung by a bee or other insect, and for minor allergies.

Panalog Ointment. A good all purpose ointment for minor skin afflictions. Also good for cleaning wrinkles, tail pockets and ears. Do not put in his eyes.

Bag Balm. Also useful for minor skin afflictions.

PeptoBismol. For minor stomach upset.

Kaopectate. For minor diarrhea.

Q-tips. Use for applying medication and cleaning ears.

Cotton balls. Use for applying medication, for cleaning and to keep ears dry while bathing.

Never ever give your Bulldog a rawhide toy. Even Bulldog puppies can tear a piece off the rawhide and choke on it.

Puppies like knotted socks to shake and play tug of war with. They also like Nylabone and Kong toys. Many like to play with balls, but be sure the ball is too big to lodge in the throat. They like cotton tug toys like Booda Bones. Some Bulldoggers give their puppies and dogs Choo-Hooves and the dogs really like them, but be cautious with these. They are an "only when I can watch you" toy. The only real difference between the toys for a puppy and the toys for an adult Bulldog is size. Throw a Nylabone away before it gets so small the dog can get the entire piece in its mouth.

Toy color matters!  See the 2 pictures below to get an idea of how your dog sees the world.

Your Bulldog should be thoroughly brushed at least three times a week. Most Bulldogs love to be brushed. Use a soft bristle or rubber brush. Start at the rear and brush against the hair. After you've brushed the entire dog against the grain, brush it with the grain. Follow this with a good rub down. This will keep his hair shiny and his skin healthy. During shedding time, spring and fall, you may need to brush more often, give more frequent rubdowns. The idea is to remove the dead hair and distribute the natural oils. 

A Bulldog that receives frequent brushings and rubdowns does not need frequent bathing. Most Bulldoggers bathe their dogs when the dog is dirty - when it obviously needs a bath. Of course, if you are exhibiting your Bulldog he needs a bath before he goes to the show. A show dog in the ring should be a squeaky clean dog in the ring.

Where do you bathe a Bulldog? Any place you want to and can! Some Bulldoggers have a big deep sink, some use the bath tub, some use the kitchen sink, in the summer some wash the dog on the lawn. You need a place where you can control the dog, where you can easily control the water supply and where you can rinse the dog thoroughly. It's a good idea, especially with a puppy, to take the dog outside to "do his thing" just before you bathe him.

Gather up all the things you will need before you start. You will need: shampoo, any rinses you plan to use, cotton balls, Q-lips, eye ointment or mineral oil, Vaseline, wash cloth, towels. You will want a mild, no tears shampoo. Most Bulldoggers use a dog shampoo such as Lambert Kay or Groom-Rite. Some use a baby shampoo such as Johnson & Johnson No Tears or Avon Tearless. Most use a special whitening shampoo for white dogs (Lambert Kay Snowy-Coat, Bio Groom Super White, etc.). Many use a special shampoo for red dogs (Ring S Burnished Bronze, etc.). You may on occasion need to use a flea shampoo but since these are quite harsh, don't use one unless you really need to.

Put a couple of drops of mineral oil or a bit of eye ointment in the eyes and place a cotton ball securely in each ear before you wet the dog. Wet the dog thoroughly from just behind the ears to the tips of the toes on his hind feel. Be sure his underside is wet, too, not just the top and sides. Apply the shampoo starting at his neck and working back. Work the shampoo in to be sure you get all the way through his hair to the skin. Pay special attention to his paws (wash between the toes), his tail (clean all around the base), and the genital area. On a bitch, be especially careful to clean the vulva. Wet the wash cloth and use it to dampen the dog's face and ears. Put some shampoo on the washcloth and wash the dog's face. Wash the wrinkles over the nose, on the forehead, around the nose and under the eyes. Wash his nose. Wash his ears, inside and out. Now rinse. Rinse until you are sure every bit of the dog, especially in the wrinkles and tight places, is thoroughly rinsed and there is no shampoo any place. If you are applying a rinse, do it now, following the instructions. You can use a dog conditioner rinse like Oster Creme Rinse, Oster Coat Conditioner or Francodex Oatmeal Creme Rinse, or you can use a "people" conditioner like L'Oreal Creme. For a white dog, you can use a rinse of 4 Tbs. Mrs. Wright's Bluing, I qt. water, 1/4 cup baking soda. Mix enough bluing into the water to get a darkish blue (not black). Pour the bluing mixture over him and work in with your fingertips. Do not rinse. Do not towel dry. Let the dog drip dry. For red dogs, try VOS Henna Conditioner.

Dry the dog with towels. Take the cotton balls out of the dog's ears and clean any wax carefully using a dry Q-Tip or one with a dab of Panalog. Rub a dab of Vaseline onto his nose to help keep ii soft. You can then let him air dry or use a hair dryer to finish the drying. It's best to keep the dog inside until it is completely dry - about two hours.