Preparing for the arrival of your English Bulldog
What do I need?
Other than love, love, love...your new baby will need a crate to sleep in and stay safe in while you are not supervising him or her. If you are going to continue to use the litter pan/exercise pen method, know that your puppy will quickly outgrow the pen and be able to jump up and lay the pen down. See the page "Litter Pan" to check out how I set up and exercise pen and litter pan. You can order these supplies online or stop by any PetsMart, Petco or PetSense for pens, pans and litter.
When purchasing a crate, buy on that is about 36" x 22". It will come with a divider that you can install and make an area just large enough for your puppy to have a bed and space to turn around and stretch out, but not so big that the puppy feels there is a "back part" of the den and wants to potty in the crate. The divider can be moved as the puppy grows and you only have to purchase one crate
The bowls. Always stainless, always clean.
Plastic bowls will eventually get chewed on, hold bacteria and cause rough skin and bumps on the chin. Stainless will last forever and is easy to clean.
The Food
I start the babies on Royal Canin Bulldog Puppy soft food when the puppies are weaned (around 5 weeks). It is a very good, very rich food that is specially designed to increase their appetite and start them on their way to solid food. Royal Canin makes a breed specific dry food specially designed to a bulldog's sold palet. I usually have coupons for a large bag of Royal Canin Puppy dry food included in the "Puppy Packet" that goes home with your new baby.
The puppy has FREE CHOICE, meaning the puppy always has access to food (and water) 24 hours a day. After the age of 14 weeks the puppy is fed twice a day. Any good quality food will work. My thought about food is: anything better than the quality bought off the shelf in the grocery store or Walmart. These puppies deserve better quality nutrition than what those brands offer.
Personally, I transition my puppies after 14 weeks to RAW. My adults are thriving on raw feeding. It is a choice that requires some education and lots of math (who would have thought?) but I believe is the biologically appropriate choice for a canine. I completely understand that it is not a choice for everyone. I am fortunate to live on a farm and have access to organic beef, lamb, chicken and eggs. You can read more about raw feeding
The Toys
We recommend Nyla bones and Kong Brand toys but puppies love common toys like a knot tied in an old sock, a length of rope or tennis ball.
Go ahead and get the big bones and the big toys. Like the crate, they grow into it before you know it. But, throw a Nylabone away before it gets so small the dog can get the entire piece in its mouth.
I like to put a dab of peanut butter inside the Kong toy if I don't have the treats available. They are happy to lay in their crate and chew for a long time on a bone or Kong toy. It relaxes them and helps with teething.
The Harness
Puppies walk much better with a harness instead of a collar. It will take your puppy a while to feel comfortable with something around the chest...usually they drop to the ground and stay still, refusing to walk. Practice makes perfect so give the puppy time to adjust. A harness is always better than a collar since the neck is so thick they can usually back out of a collar.
NEVER GIVE A BULLDOG RAWHIDE TOYS OR CHEWS!! IT IS A CHOKING HAZARD!!
Bulldog puppies and adults can tear a piece off the rawhide and choke on it. Rawhide becomes super soft and a bulldog always tries to swallow it. It is a serious choking hazard and should be completely avoided. 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.