Who doesn’t love a puppy? They are cute, fluffy, and playful. However, don’t let those innocent puppy eyes fool you – all puppies grow up to be dogs, and puppies growing up without the benefit of puppy training often grow up to be bad dogs. Here are some easy tips for puppy training to make the transition from puppy to dog easier on both of you. 1. Puppies grow up – act accordingly. Many puppy parents hold off on puppy training because, after all, they are just puppies. They think that puppy antics are incredibly cute. However, every time your puppy does something, remember how big your puppy will be as an adult. While a 10 pound lab puppy might be cute playing tug of war with your pant leg, chances are it won’t be nearly as cute when your 100 pound adult lab does the same thing. Basic puppy training means setting guidelines about appropriate behavior from the first day home.

2. Make the crate a second home. Another part of puppy training is to give the puppy his or her own space. The easiest way to do this is with a crate. The crate provides the puppy a place to sleep, a place to keep the puppy safe when you are not around, and an easy way for you to travel. Puppies do not like to go to the bathroom where they sleep, so a crate can be a very useful tool when doing puppy house training. The crate should be large enough that your puppy can stand up, turn around, and lay down comfortably, but not so large that he or she can poop in one corner and lay down in another. Do not leave puppies in the crate for extended periods of time – a puppy can hold his or her bladder for about as many hours as it is months old.

3. Never hit a puppy. It is a common misconception that hitting a puppy is part of puppy training. However, hitting a puppy during puppy training more often than not will lead to only one of two things – a dog that is afraid of you or a dog that is aggressive. Neither is the desired result of puppy training, and this will lead to a dog that does not make a very good pet.

4. Make puppy happy for coming. Getting puppy to come to you when called is one of the first puppy training steps that you should take. Doing this step of puppy training will have many uses – it will allow you to distract puppy from wrongful behaviors, it will allow you to find puppy if it becomes lost, and it can keep puppy from dangers activities like running into traffic. During puppy training, reward puppy every time he or she responds and comes when called. Small treats and lavish praises and pats will teach puppy that coming when called is a good thing.

5. Socialize. An integral part of puppy training is training your puppy the proper behavior around other dogs and people. Take puppy out often, exposing him or her to new situations and new people and pets. Reward the puppy for desired behavior, and reinforce simple commands like sit and stay. Remember to stay calm, as puppy will read your emotions and act accordingly. Starting puppy training early will lead to a lifetime of good times with your dog.

CRATE TRAINING:

By putting your Bulldog puppy in a crate you are giving him or her a sense of security and a place they can call their own. Dogs actually like having a “den” to cuddle up in. By putting your Bulldog puppy in a crate while you are gone it will also give you peace of mind knowing that they are in a safe place, away from harm, and not doing any damage to your belongings or themselves.

Crate training will also help with potty training. Make sure you put Bulldog puppy on a regular schedule for meal times & potty breaks and use the crate when you are gone or need your pet to rest. Bulldogs will typically not “go” in their home. They like to keep it clean and will hold it until you can take them outside to eliminate. Remember to always praise your Bulldog puppy when he or she eliminates in the area you want him/her to outside.

Bulldog Puppies have very small bladders so they cannot physically hold it for very very long. I would suggest that you take your puppy out every 2 – 4 hours. As your puppy gets older, naturally they will gain the bladder control and be able to hold it longer. Eventually this time should increase to 8 hours or more.

Another thing to consider when purchasing a crate is to make sure that you buy a crate big enough to accommodate the full growth of your pet. When your pet is a puppy and you are crate training, make sure that the crate has a divider panel. You can adjust the placement of the divider panel so that the puppy does not have full use of the crate thus creating the “den” feeling that will make your dog feel comfortable and cozy. In this situation the dog will not want to go in its den and will keep the area clean. If you give the puppy the full area of the crate it may be too large and the dog will make one area of the crate his potty area and the other area as his sleeping area. Adjust the divider panel so that your Bulldog puppy has enough area to get up and stretch but not enough room to eliminate. I like the life stages crate you can view it here: http://www.champbulldogs.com/bulldogbooksupplies.htm

Crate training your Bulldog puppy or dog is just a smart thing to do for you and your new bullie baby. It will give you the sense of security and peace knowing that your pet is not getting in harms way while you are away

 

HOUSE TRAINING:

So how do we house train our new Bulldog. What if he or she just doesn’t seem to get it? Believe it or not, it’s simple.

I have two key words for you:

Confine and Observe.

While there is a great deal to know about food and water scheduling, timing can vary from dog to dog. (Feeding only two times daily “first thing in the morning” & again around “4 – 6pm in the evening” is a good start. Try to limit water after 7pm.) Now w e’ll just concentrate here on the main concept which is to confine your Bulldog dog to an appropriately sized crate when you cannot observe him.

A properly sized crate is large enough for your Bulldogdog to stand up and turn around, but hardly bigger than that. If you have a puppy in a large crate, he’ll think he’s got a bedroom with a bathroom built in. He’ll wee in one corner and sleep in the other.

The correctly sized crate consists of bedroom only with no “bathroom.” So if your crate is too large, go to the pet store and purchase a crate divider so you can temporarily reduce the accessible area.

Your Bulldog should be in his/her crate unless you can observe him 100%. This means that when your Bully is loose, he/she has your undivided attention. Consider attaching a 6 foot light cord to the collar so you can more easily locate the dog, and prevent her from leaving the room without you. Simply step on the cord to stop him/her.

At the first sign your Bulldog puppy needs to go, whisk him/her outside. Those signs include circling, sniffing, anxiousness, whining among other symptoms.

When you’re not observing your bully puppy with full attention, you confine her/him to the crate. That being said, you do need to ensure your dog has liberty periodically so he’s not all day in the crate. By being diligent now, you’ll be able to give your Bulldog years of liberty with no worries. So it’s well worth the investment in time at this stage.

Be sure you spend time playing with your Bulldog puppy, and also let him or her wander outside the crate. Avoid tossing your bully in the crate as punishment. Alleviate your guilt feelings by placing toys in with him/her.

This method makes it impossible for your bulldog to have an accident. You’re either right there to take him/her out, or he’s in the crate where your bulldog normally won’t want to go. When you’ve had a month with no accidents, you can begin to let you bulldog earn a little more liberty, five or ten minutes at a time.

That means he/she can be out of your sight for a few moments at a time. But only a few. You want to build slowly on a record of success until your dog literally forgets that the house ever contained a bathroom.

For each week with no accident, you can give your bully a few more moments of liberty at a time. However, if there is an accident, go back a step, and reduce that liberty. One accident in the house erases progress made for the several previous days.

Confine and Observe your way to house breaking success. In the course of just two or three months, you’ll have a dog you can trust in the home. It’s going to be worth the effort!getting hungry?

TO or NOT to use puppy training pads. If you use pads it will be harder for your puppy to understand it must go potty outside.

Potty training a dog is one of the most frustrating things you will have to do. Take heart in the fact that once your dog gets the potty training, you won’t have to teach it again. In many ways, potty training can be rewarding too. Not only can you help your bullie to stop making messes on your favorite carpeting, but you can develop a strong relationship of trust and bonding with them to.

Here are 5 steps to make potty training successful in your home.

1.Use a crate. Crate training is very effective. A crate is used to allow your pet to have a place to sleep and teaches them to control their bladder. They won’t soil their bedding. Then, when it is time to get up and go out, you can easily do just that. The bulldog learns from the start that you control potty time.

2. After meals, give your bulldog puppy 15 minutes and then take them out. Food is a trigger not only to eat but also to go. When it comes to potty training success, allow your pet to get outside when the urge is approaching. What’s more is that you shouldn’t leave food out. Put it down for them at the designated time and allow them to eat for 15 minutes to 30 minutes and remove the bowl. Soon he will learn and that again allows you to control potty time.

3. At Champbulldogs.com we always pick a potty spot. Select the area of your yard that you want your pet to go in. Take them to that spot every time to go. This will help your puppy to learn that when he needs to go, he needs to come here. What’s more is that the smell of urine is yet another trigger to your pet to go.

4. Remember that rewards need to be emotional, and therefore it is more successful to give them a reward of a patting and rub down then it is for you to hand them a treat. Also, treats are food which triggers potty time again!

5.Reward success, and limit punishing accidents. Although you will be angry and you will want to punish your Bulldog remember Bulldogs respond much better to love.

Caring for your bulldog is hard work, but very rewarding! When it comes to potty training, success will come much faster when you install these five tips into your program! Best of luck potty training! Champbulldogs.com