Let's make it fun for you and the new member of your family "Your beautiful American Bulldog Puppy". Just follow the 5 simple and easy to apply steps listed below and you'll have yourself a well balanced, loving and sociable dog in the future.
Step # 1: House Training.
Your little puppy is just like a little baby meaning he will want to relieve himself regularly, usually around every 45 minutes or so... Your puppy will want to go to the toilet after drinking, sleeping, playing and especially if he is excited.
After he's had a drink take him outside and wait with him until he has done his business, he might go straight away or it could take some time, so be patient with him and try not to take him back in until he's done his business. If you take him in to early and let him do the deed inside, he will form the habit of waiting to back in and that will not be good for either of you.
The same goes for sleeping. After his nap just go through the cycle above, if you are going to play with him and get him excited then the best place to do it is outside as he will pee without any warning at all. Through constant repetition always try to take him to a designated place to do his business so that he gets a feel for where he should go. Associating him to the outside as the place to go to the toilet will eventually become the norm for him and soon you will find that he will whine, bark or scratch at the door when he does need to go.
Step # 2: Socialization.
Any dog not properly socialized especially from a young age, becomes a liability to all he comes into contact with and it's the owners duty of care to ensure that their dog is approachable and safe, not only for the dogs sake but for the owners and the general public also.
Socialization like all aspects of training is best done when the dog is young of around 12 weeks old. Socializing him is not difficult and can be fun for you and him. What we must not forget is that your dog, or any dog for that matter, no matter what the breed, essentially deep down, wants to be sociable as this offers him security.
It is imperative that he sees other humans as friends and not something he should be fearful of, so with that said, the easy way to socialize him would be to take him everywhere you go within the boundaries of limitation and let everyone you meet, touch, stroke and caress him…He'll love the attention.
Socialization should be a pleasant experience for him and one great trick is to carry a bag of his favorite treats with you and when you introduce him to other people, hand them one of his treats for them to give to him, this way he becomes accustomed to other peoples hands and sees them as something not to be fearful of. Introduce him to other animals, being mindful that the other animals you introduce him to are fit and healthy…Do Not however try to introduce him to any dogs that are roaming free as an attack from such an animal will cause no amount of set backs.
Take him for long walks in the park, have other members of the family, friends and their children brush him and take him for walks. Take him regularly to have his nails clipped and his teeth cleaned. All this type of handling will ensure that you will have a well balanced dog in the future knowing that he has nothing to fear from humans and if he has nothing to fear from humans there is no need for him to go on the defense.
Step # 3: Nipping and Biting.
Puppies as part of their learning curve and socialization procedure instinctively will nip and bite, it forms part of their play time, communication and social standing, but does this make it okay for them to do it? Well yes and no! Puppies will nip and bite regardless, as it is part of their generic make up, which goes on to form their social standing within the group to which they are part of.
It is important that you establish who the boss is right away, now I don't mean you do this in an aggressive manner, on the contrary, an affirmative NO while pointing your finger at him and making eye contact will be enough to get the message across. You should include members of your family and friends to take part also. Obviously you are not going to stop him nipping and biting at your first attempt, so repetition is the key here, so it may take a little time, patience will be your key to success on this one. If you don't nip this one in the bud at the outset it will cause many problems down the road and he will not be a very nice dog to be around when he is older, he has to learn to play by the rules…Period.
Step # 4: Chewing.
The little blighters it seems will chew just about anything they can get their little razor sharp, needle-like teeth on. The new pair of slippers granny bought you last year has took on a whole new function. They are no longer there to keep your feet warm, oh no, they are there to be shaken, tossed, thrown around the room, torn and snarled at. What about the carpet you just had laid, those few protruding strands are just too much to resist.
But why do they do it? Well apart from it being fun, there are a number of other factors to take into consideration such as teething. It must be awful for them cutting their teeth and so relief comes in the form of chewing.
The solution for this would be to give them a variety of different toys of different shapes and textures to play with, these toys can be quite varied from hard and soft rubber bones and balls, an old shirt or skirt (buttons and zips taken off please), squeaky toys, your brand new slippers (just kidding) you just have to use your imagination and of course your common sense.
I have heard it suggested that a ball of rope would be useful, but in my opinion rope strands can be swallowed and could cause stomach or intestine problems not to mention give you a hefty vet bill? Common sense is the number one rule here.
Our aim in providing such toys is to create a diversion tactic from your clothing and furniture onto something that is okay for then to destroy. Most of the chewing will be done when you are out or in bed so just make sure there are plenty of other things for him to concentrate on by scattering his toys all over the place.
Step # 5: Barking.
Consistent and continual barking is socially unacceptable, so I will to give you a few tips here that should help you greatly to quell this behavior.
Lack of stimulation can play a big part in his continual barking, so are you spending enough time with him, does he have enough play things and does he receive enough exercise, what about his environment?
Puppies along with adult dogs can become quite lonely if you spend a lot of time away from them. They need interaction and stimulation. No one would like to shut up alone in a room all day or night or tethered to a pole with nothing to occupy the mind, it would be enough to drive you stir crazy and your dog is no different, so spend quality time with him. If he feels he's had the attention he needs he will quite happily relax, sleep and occupy himself, but only if he has had some part of you during the day.
What about his play things are they stimulating enough or are they old, bland and boring, does he have enough, and are they of different shapes, sizes and textures, are they replaced often? I'm afraid only you can answer that one. Just make sure he's got enough to occupy himself with when you are not around.
Are you tiring him out enough, do you take him for long walks, runs in the park or play ball with him? After a session with you does he come back panting gasping for a drink? Regular and consistent exercise is not only good for him; it's good for you too. Good regular exercise is life changing for your dog and if you are consistent with it, you will have one happy bunny on your hands.
His environment can also play a big part in his continual barking, are there other dogs in your area that are continually barking if so, this could be a trigger for him to communicate with what is going on in the outside world, or is he being teased? Have a look and listen for any one or combination of factors; once you have recognized the problem, then you know there is something you can do about it. Have you changed house? A new location may be a little unsettling for him, in which case, you will need to take him out often until he becomes accustom with his new surroundings.
Consistency, perseverance, patience and gentle reinforcement are the key ingredients to having a well balanced obedient, well behaved dog. If that is the dog of your dreams then don't blame or shame him, instead…Train Him.
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