Bringing Baby Home
When you arrive home with your puppy, remember - your puppy is a baby. 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.
Note: your puppy will suffer from separation anxiety from his/her littermates in the first few days. This is normal, and your baby will be fine. Expect to be up with your baby just like you would a newborn baby, as this is your new world you are introducing them to and it’s all new to them. All dogs have different demeanors and personalities, and some will take to their new home better than others. Harmolee assures you that your puppy has been played with and cuddled as our own, and he has not been locked in a kennel alone to grow, until sold, as puppy mill breeders do. We are here for you 24/7, and if you have any questions, please feel free to call us.
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 breeder's 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 begin to 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
First in importance is a wire crate or "kennel". This is 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. It is just as important for your dog to be in a crate in the car as it is for you to wear your seat belt. If you do not have a crate, or one won't fit in your car, get him a dog safety car harness. Bulldogs do better in wire crates because the air circulation through the wire crates is so much better. Dogs like to have a special "my place", so if you don't have a crate, try one, you and your Bulldog will like it.
A food and water dish with straight sides and flat bottom. The best material is stainless steel - avoid plastic. Plastic can have tiny cracks that gather bacteria that will make your dog sick.
A collar and a lead. A light weight, small link "choke" collar is best.
There are several things that will make life easier and more enjoyable for you and your Bulldog.
Yard
A fenced yard (sturdy fenced yard, it IS a BULLdog; they will ram everything), no exceptions, and do NOT under any circumstances, leave your bully alone outside for very long. They are heat and cold intolerant.
Brushes
A good brush. I like the Furminator brushes. 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.
Nail Clippers
If you travel with your Bulldog, you'll need a large insulated water jug so that you'll have water from home available for him. A small water pan that hooks to the side of his crate is handy, or they make them that fold and snap up, so you can put in pockets.
Toys
Never ever give your Bulldog a rawhide toy. Even Bulldog puppies can tear a piece off the rawhide and choke on it. Trust me, I know, they DO love them, but I have seen Witten swallow them whole and choke, because they get nasty slimy and stinky, and it's not pretty.
Puppies like knotted socks to shake and play tug of war with. They also like Nylabone and Gummabone toys. 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. They also love (with supervision) water bottles stuck in socks, because of the sound effects of chewing on this. Do not buy them the ropes knotted at both ends. Witten eats these and you have to pull them from his rear because it doesn’t digest of course and he gets it stuck coming out.
Bulldog Medicine Chest
Vaseline.
Use this on his nose, on his eye wrinkles, any place you need to soothe and waterproof but don't need to medicate. Use it also on the thermometer when you take his temperature.
Plastic bottle of Real Lemon Juice.
If he gets phlegm in his throat and chokes on it, a couple squirts of juice from the plastic lemon will help clear it out.
A digital rectal thermometer
your dogs temp should never go below 99 or above 104, you need this tool, make sure you have one if you have this breed of dog!!!
Clear Eyes
for irritated eyes
Aspirin.
For minor aches and pains. Most Bulldogs can tolerate aspirin but do not give any other human pain reliever such as Tylenol or Advil. Buffered aspirin such as Bufferin is better than plain aspirin, and Ascriptin is better than Bufferin. Remember that the dosage for aspirin, like most pain relief medication, is based primarily on body weight. A Bulldog should never be given more than one tablet at a time or more frequently than every twelve hours. Some Bulldogs are allergic to aspirin, so use with care and under close supervision of the dog.
Benadryl.
PINK capsule. Use this if the dog is stung by a bee or other insect, and for minor allergies or hives (not with breathing problems, which require an emergency trip to the vet).
administer up to 1 pink pill per 25lbs lb every 8 hours. You can give it down their throat or hide it in a hot dog, its a small pill.
Panalog Ointment.
A good all-purpose ointment for minor skin afflictions. Also good for cleaning wrinkles, tail pockets and ears. Do not put in his eyes.
Bag Balm.
Also useful for minor skin afflictions.
PeptoBismol.
For minor stomach upset and diarrhea
Pepto-Bismol regular strength liquid: 1/2 to 1 whole teaspoon per 10lbs every 3-4 hours by mouth.
Tongue and stool may darken temporarily. DO NOT OMIT WATER, BUT CUT OUT FOOD FOR 12 HRS if your dog has diarrhea.If the vomiting and/or diarrhea persists for more than 48 hours; the dog has a fever, is depressed or shows abdominal pain; or the dog does not continue to be active and alert, contact your veterinarian. Meaning if you call your dog to go for a walk or go outside and he/she does not respond as usual..something is not right.
Q-tips.
Use for applying medication and cleaning ears.
Cotton balls.
Use for applying medication, for cleaning and to keep ears dry while bathing.
Ivomec
Call me for specifics on this, its good for heartworms and parasites of many kinds given correctly and on time monthly.
Beano
Your dog has gas, we all know this. This works. 1 pill per meal, if the dog is larger, you can increase to two, but do not go over 2 pills.
Vitamin C and Apple Cider Vinager
For a bladder infection, a vet trip with antibiotics and treatments can be avoided if your little lady responds to vitamin "C" and apple cider vinager in her water , which acidifies urine. She will be peeing frequently with little coming out at all and it will smell. Call me if you don't know for sure, maybe I can judge. Tablets of vitamin C are more easily administered, about 2 mg per pound. Apple cider vinger needs to be about one tsp to a pint of water.