Caring for your Bulldogs:

This is an excerpt from the bulldog education committee:

Bulldogs are special. Bulldogs are different. Those of us who have had Bulldogs for several years still remember our first Bulldog and how much we didn't know about them.

Bringing baby home:

When you arrive home with your puppy, remember - your puppy is a baby Bulldog. 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 the breeders 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 week, 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 and a stool sample.

Once the puppy is settled securely into his new home, you can hegin 10 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.

Equipment:

A rocking chair or a really comfortable big chair you can sit in and cuddle your new Bulldog puppy.

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 collar and a lead. A light weight, small link "choke" collar is best. It should be long enough to slip ovr tlie pup's head with room to spare but should not have more than a six inch "tail" when around his neck. 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. This comes very close to being a necessity. It is much easier to house train a puppy if he sleeps in a crate. If you travel at all with your dog, he is safer and happier riding in a crate and if you are staying overnight he has a place of his own to sleep in

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.

If you travel with your Bulldog you'll need a large insulated water jug so that you'll have "home" water available for him. A small water pan that hooks to the side of his crate is handy.

Wrinkles:

Bulldogs tend to have messy face wrinkles. The older they get, the messier the wrinkles. How often you clean these wrinkles depends on the dog. Some do very well if you clean the wrinkles a couple of times a week. Some need it on a daily basis. When you clean the wrinkles, wash his nose and apply a good rub of Vaseline to keep it soft. It's better to clean more often than you think you need to than not often enough. You can clean the wrinkles with a soft, damp cloth and then dry. Or you can wash them using the shampoo you use to bathe the dog. Be sure to rinse thoroughly and dry thoroughly. One of the best ways is to wipe the wrinkles clean with Baby Wipes with lanolin and aloe. Whatever method you use, be sure to get the deep nose wrinkle clean.

For more about bulldog care click here.