Now that you have fallen in love with the perfect little puppy. I have great hope and happiness for this new relationship between you and this wonderful little soul! Please remember this little darling, as adorable as he/she is, needs love and training to fulfill the dreams both of you have for his/her life!

Crate train your puppy.  Don’t think cage, think playpen or crib.  No one thinks twice about putting our children in a play pen or crib as these items protect baby from things that could cause harm.  A crate, used correctly, helps potty train and also saves the carpet, furniture, your shoes etc.  Besides, sometime in puppy’s life he will need to be used to being in a crate, kennel or cage, such as at the groomers or the vet.  I have successfully used puppy pads in the crate for a puppy living alone. I put a folded towel or bed at one end and a puppy pad (or 2 if necessary) at the other end (usually next to the door). Puppies quickly learn to sleep and rest on the towel and use the potty pad for doing their 'business'. I change the pads as often as I see them soiled. If no crate is available, or your puppy is having loose stool, I will use the unused bathtub in our bathroom the same way, towel at one end/puppy pads at the other. Bathrooms are easy to keep extra warm (little puppies need extra warmth) and the tub is easy to disinfect and clean after your puppy has finished using it.

A few more simple tips to help you enjoy your puppy more in the house:

• Take your puppy outside to go potty before you settle in on the couch or before you set him/her down on the floor to play.
  
• Using a cat/kitten collar (or any collar with a bell) so you can hear where your puppy is at all times.
  
• Give your puppy LOTS of toys to play with! Mine especially like soft toys with squeakers in them. If that toy can have long legs/arms, better yet. They like to chew on rope things and 'Kong' fill-able rubber toys filled with peanut butter. More toys equals less chewing on YOUR things (shoes, furniture, etc).
• Training Treats - We recommend 'Natures Recipe Training Treats' from Petsmart. Remember, if you feed a big handful of these to a little puppy, make sure your puppy goes outside afterwards 
• Dog Food - We use Diamond's Naturals Large Breed Puppy food, which can be purchased at TSC (Tractor Supply) and most pet stores.
  
• Flea and Heartworm Prevention - 'Interceptor' is safe and comes from your vet. It will keep nearly all common worms under control in your Bullie. If you ever plan to breed your dog, do not use the flea pill Comfortis. It has not been tested safe for breeding dogs. Advantage spot-on flea treatment is what we use, also from our vet. These treatments are not cheap, but the health of our pets is priceless.

Teaching your puppy to sit can be done in only a few minutes with a positive attitude and a few treats. I just say 'sit', push their bottoms down and reward immediately. Once they hold that sit a few seconds, I reward again. I progress to asking puppy to 'focus' for 3+ seconds as they get good at sitting. Any sitting and focusing practice will really calm and mentally exercise your puppy. Training your puppy to walk on a leash is easy and fun. Walks can focus and calm your puppy too. Olde English Bulldogges are super smart, attentive and eager to learn. Your puppy can go as far as you can take him/her.

If your puppy has an upset tummy, take them to the vet asap. They can become dehydrated and weak very quickly, once this happens they can go into hypoglycemic shock and die. Puppies chew and mouth everything. Worms, giardia and coccida are common parasites that can attack puppies, they must be treated aggressively and immediately. Diarrhea and failure to grow are the 2 major symptoms of parasites. As gross as they sound, walking in feces then licking paws, drinking from a puddle or a few fleas can be enough to cause one of these problems. Treat early and get your puppy on flea and heartworm prevention and you will be in good shape.    

I hope this letter provides you with some helpful information! We want you to enjoy your Bullie for many years to come!

Love,

Valerie

 

One of the biggest new puppy challenges is housebreaking. There are many effective ways to housebreak your puppy. Most involve an exact schedule for feeding and walking.  Our puppies do best fed twice daily and walked until they 'use the potty' following their meals. A walk or trip outside every 2 or 3 hours, especially following naps, will curb most accidents in the house. Unfortunately, most people cannot be this perfect dog parent and by falling short, potty training becomes a nightmare. When this happens the happy joyful dreams we had for our puppy, become covered with frustration and anger. I understand because I, too, have 'failed' at being the perfect parent.

If you can provide the schedule above, that's wonderful! You probably won't need to use these ideas. These ideas are for those who work, have children, or have a busy unpredictable schedule that doesn't stop for our new 'baby'. My first tip is to ALWAYS take your puppy out as soon as you wake up and before you go to bed; if you don't, you will regret it.

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Caring For Your New Puppy