Puppy Info

Taking your puppy home

Puppy Care

The new lucky owner(s) of one of our American Bulldog pups will also receive an information pack about health care for the breed, Local Obedience clubs, contact information for the local Vet clinics, Collar, Lead, and a bag of puppy food to either help continue the same diet or help wean onto a new one.
We also have written contracts for all our pups that we go through with new potential owners and if all is agreed upon then both us as the breeders and the new owners must sign it before the puppy goes to their new home.

When the time comes to finally bring your new puppy home for the first time, you can pretty much count on three things: unbridled joy, cleaning up your puppy’s accidents, and a major lifestyle adjustment. As you’ll soon learn, a growing puppy needs much more than a food bowl and a doghouse to thrive. And while it may be a lot of work initially, it’s well worth the effort. Establishing good and healthy habits in those first few sleep-deprived weeks will lay the foundation for many dog-years of happiness for you and your puppy.

Socialising your puppy

Socialising your puppy is one of the most important things you can do. It’s also the best time for you to bond with your puppy as you lead him through this crucial life stage.

Social whirl; Socialisation is going to be an ongoing process throughout your dog’s life, but the most critical period is before six months of age. Between one month and three months old, a puppy gets almost all of his adult sensory, motor and learning abilities, and what a puppy learns early in life stays with him for life.

It almost goes without saying that the more loving interaction you have with your pet, the better. So include a little work in your play times and a lot of play in your work times. Make learning fun!

Spend time with your puppy. Socialising your puppy means spending quality time with him. So give him lots of attention and affection, pat him and call him by his chosen name. Introduce him to your neighbours and people who may come to your home regularly. Show children how to pat him.

Socialising your puppy with other dogs is equally important, but needs to be done in a safe, controlled manner. To begin with, only socialise with dogs whose owners you know, and be sure the dogs have been immunised.

Opportunities for socialising your puppy; Your puppy will respond amazingly well if you take the time to introduce him in happy ways to all sorts of people, places and things. For example…

Go to puppy school.
Visit dog-loving friends.
Take your puppy on errands with you, but never leave him in the car in warm weather.
Invite people over to your house, as socialisation is about creating pleasant associations with new events and faces.

As soon as your vet says it is safe, introduce your puppy to the sights and sounds of his world. Make this experience fun by praising him and taking along some dog treats.

Toilet Training

The process of housebreaking often brings on feelings of nervousness and worry, but the process does not have to be stressful—for you or the puppy.

The truth is this is a situation in which you have Mother Nature working with you right from the start while puppy training. When the puppies are first born, they eat and they relieve themselves inside the den, but the mother always cleans them. There is never a scent of urine or feces where the puppies eat, sleep, and live. When they get old enough, they learn to use outside areas as they imitate their mother.

Conditioning your puppy

In this way, all dogs become conditioned never to eliminate in their dens. From two to four months of age, most pups pick up on the concept of housebreaking and crate training quite easily since it is part of their natural programming.

Your Energy

As always, remember that your own energy is a big factor in your housebreaking efforts. If you are feeling nervous or impatient or are trying to rush a puppy to relieve herself, that can also stress her out. Using a loud, high squeaky tone to encourage your puppy to “go potty” is a distraction to the dog, so try and avoid any conversation at all.

Setting a Routine

First thing every morning, bring your puppy outside to the same general area. It is important to remain consistent throughout the process so your puppy can learn the habit.

Once your puppy has successfully gone outside, it is important to reward the good behaviour. It doesn’t have to be a big, loud celebration, but a simple quiet approval or a treat can get the message across of a job well done.

Puppy's Digestive Tract

Another built-in plus when it comes to housebreaking is our puppy’s digestive tract, which is extremely quick and efficient. Five to 30 minutes after the puppy eats, she’ll want to defecate. So with a consistent eating schedule, and your attention to the clock, your puppy can maintain regular trips outside.

In the early days of housebreaking, you also want to make sure the puppy has a place to relieve herself where she feels safe; a place that seems and smells familiar. Have you noticed how dogs will often eliminate in the very same spot they’ve done so before? The scent acts like a trigger.

Important Puppy INfo