So, you are ready for your new Bulldog puppy? here are some things to be aware of and helpful tips.

First is the hunt. Searching for reputable Olde English Bulldog breeders can be a tedious and so risky. Let’s face it, most breeders aren’t on the up and up like One of a Kind Bulldogs. First off, do NOT buy from a breeder/person you can not talk to on the phone at minimum. You have to be able to ask many questions like parents temperament, health, bloodlines, quality of care, what type of guarantee they give, are they open to public, what type of health testing do they do, etc… Buying dogs from breeders in another state is NOT a bad idea, but buying from breeders in other states sight unseen can be risky. Make sure you buy from a breeder who is generally open to the public. Event though distance is an issue, a breeder open to public shows they have nothing to hide typically and it gives you an opportunity to see the quality of care and temperament of the dogs. Again, if buying from another state, at least make sure they are open to their local customers and have had people on their property to make sure they are doing a good job.

Now that you have found your breeder, hopefully One of a Kind Bulldogs, make sure you are well informed about the breed, its common health concerns, training requirements and so forth. The more educated you are the less road bumps you will hit. At One of a Kind Bulldogges we make sure we educate all of our buyers on the breed and the requirements of raising Olde English Bulldogge puppies.

When bringing home your new Bulldog pup make sure to have all your basic necessities ready and pre-bought. This includes harness, crate, collar, name tag, leashes, food bowls, food and toys. We prefer our new owners avoid pet stores and contact with other dogs for the first couple months while the pup is getting it’s vaccine regiment. Bringing home distemper, parvo or an upper respiratory infection is no good 🙁 and these things are more likely at high traffic pet area like dog parks and pet stores. 

Now, for starters we HIGHLY recommend crate training!!! Crate training can be the best friend of a new dog owner. Crate training a dog is meant to mimic their natural instinct to den. Many times you will notice your new puppy run under the bed or couch, somewhere small, enclosed and safe for them, this is what the crate is for. Crate training your dog will help with potty training tremendously! Please crate train your dog, it is best for him/her and the fur parents. here is a site with some useful tips on Crate training your dog. One of the best reasons for crate training besides potty training is that you can rest assure your pet is safe in a crate while you are gone avoiding the dog getting into electrical cords, toxins or anything else that is dangerous. Obviously crate training is not your only tool. make sure you walk he dog regularly. I typically recommend letting pups out every hour or two to be safe. By 12 weeks old the pups should be able to hol their pee in for a solid 4-5 hours and typically by this age they are going potty 4-5 times a day, sometimes less depending on how many daily feedings. We feed our pups twice a day, morning and evening, but we know some people like to split up their dog meals into 3 or 4. If feeding 3 or 4 times a day is feasible with your schedule then go right ahead, but if not, two times is sufficient. By 9-14 months old many of the Bulldogges food drive slows down and I start eliminating the morning meal. By over a year or so they are only getting one meal a day at 5pm.

Now, often I am asked what if i work during the day? Well, Bulldogge puppies at 8 weeks old can be a handful, they will pee and poo every hour, sometimes less. They key is to stay patient and have a plan of action for the first few months. If you are gone most the day, be prepared to come home to a mess every day. If you cannot hire a sitter, friend or neighbor to come every few hours and stimulate your pup and let it go to the bathroom then you will need to push a lot more training after 12 weeks to catch up. If you are in this situation you can always close off your kitchen, leave a crate in there and tape potty pads to the floor. This will give your pup a little room and freedom while keeping your house in one piece. We do not recommend using potty pads for more than a month or so, it can become a habit and the pups can start peeing on floor mates and throw rugs. make sure your pup obviously has adequate water when you are gone and of course all its favorite toys. We also do NOT recommend ANY bedding for the first few months. Our pups are raised on old sheets and towels til 5 weeks, so sometimes they will pee on them as a reminder of their childhood, haha. Avoid any soft or absorbent bedding for a while until your puppy can be trusted to not pee on them or chew them into pieces.

Some other things that are handy for your new puppy, make sure you have treats, natures miracle stain remover, a bitter apple or bitter yuck chew deterrent spray, a lot of toys and of course some type of training manual. We highly recommend the book “How to be your Dogs best Friend” by the Monks of New Skete. It is a great book that teaches owners how to be the alpha/pack leader and truly give a great understanding of how dogs think and work.

Now, if your dog is flying in you might need a little more to prepare. This is what I recommend for my customers who are picking up a pup at the airport. Our pups come crate conditioned, so they are fairly used to the crate when flying, BUT it doesn’t mean they won’t leave a mess. Bring a 2 liter of tap water and some towels just in case their is a mess in the crate. The puppies are typically underfed their morning meal, so once at home and settled feed your pup a normal meal size, no need to over feed to make up for short breakfast. The first night or two might be rough, especially if crating, but stay consistent and do not give in. We recommend the crate be placed somewhere far enough from you to where the pup cannot see you but close enough to where you can here the pup and get up to let him/her out for potty.

Just remember, owning a puppy is not easy, they will have many accidents, chew up a lot of your favorite stuff, jump on your friends and family and so forth, but with consistent training, socialization and a healthy relationship your pup can turn into the best Olde English Bulldogge puppy fur-baby ever! We highly recommend consistent training for the first 2-3 years of life as this breed is still learning and developing til then. The more time, training, research and love you put into your dog, the less likely you are to have problems.

Hope this was informative and helpful. feel free to add anything else through the comments thread 🙂

Ary www.OneofaKindBulldogs.com