Bulldogs World

They are so wonderful and so hard at the same time  :)

For the potty training, you are right.  Time will improve the situation.  At 11 weeks, he can't hold it more than about 3 hours at a time (the general rule is 1 hour of retention for every month of age).  If he's already barking to go out, that's excellent.  And no No. 2 is even better - "chocolate covered puppies" are not that much fun to clean off, trust me...  Sounds to me like you are doing the right things.  Frequent outings and cheerleader level praise when he does his thing outside will carry the message across.

As for the biting, that's always tough.  There's nothing like going in for a smooch and coming back with a bloody lip or nostril - ha!  The key is to not let him get away with it.  When he nips, make a yelping sound like a fellow puppy to give him the message that it hurts.  Also, shove a toy in his mouth right away.  He'll eventually understand that biting toys is good, biting people is bad.  If he keeps getting rough during play, drop everything and walk away.  There is nothing a pup hates more than a stop to fun time.  When you are playing, remember he might nip you by accident if you are holding the toy - clearly this is not the same thing.  But if he's going after your hands or feet - give him a firm "no" and walk away! 

These are some of the tricks I learned and they worked for me.  My "puppy" is now 11 1/2 years old.

Only becasue this is the #1 question that people ask about bulldog puppies.   They are BIG biters, we call them sharks with shark teeth.  Every bulldog puppy does this.  It will pass in time but the first 16-20 weeks are hell!  My thought is that this is the only breed I know of that has a jaw that changes so dramatically in the first 6 months of their lives and in reality it changes throughout their life.  The jaw bone grows, moving forward and upward, it widens and then you have the normal teething process going on. It hurts!  You have to be very consistent at using a command like "No Bite" and offering something else the puppy can chew on.  Make sure he has his toy basket and offer him a toy from his basket.  I have found that the nylabone pacifiers and keys were a favorite for my puppies, you can also find teething toys you can freeze and of course they love stuffed toys.  Of course monitor them with any toy to make sure they don't tear it up and injest anything.  Puppy proof your home...just like you would a baby and if you have kids make sure they don't tease the puppy when he's nipping.

Bitter Apple sprayed on things you don't want chewed on can help.  You can spray it on your toes and fingers, just remember it tastes icky, but oddly enough some puppies don't mind it.

I personally think using a peepee pad in the house when you are trying to potty train them is counter productive.  First you are saying it's ok to go in the house and then you are telling them no, bad going in the house.  So consistancy and constant monitoring is your best friend in potty training.  Out every 30 minutes or so.  They always need to go out when they wake up, after they are playing hard and of course after they eat.  When he wakes in the morning if he can't make it outside quick enough I would pick him up and carry him out to the grass.  Set him up for success, not failure.

Does he sleep though the night?  If not then set your alarm to wake him up around 2am and take him out to potty (no playing) right back in to go to bed.  I use something like "go to bed" and sometimes "nightnight" for my dogs. 

If you aren't crate training I highly recommend you do. 

Congrats on your puppy!  He's very cute!

We put our baby in Puppy School at 12 weeks, and it has been SO GOOD!  We went to Petsmart just because that is what is available in our area that had a good reputation.

She learned "Leave It" in the 2nd week and that is a God Send!  Everything is treat based, which is very important for Bulldogs, they do not take to punishment at all, no scolding, nothin!  BUT Food talks volumes to them.  She learned right away that hands and noses where not for biting.  Between 'Leave It' and just simply ignoring them when they get wound up and start nipping.

She is 18 weeks now and graduated at the top of her Puppy Class, doing even better than a Shepard, who is very smart and WANTS to be obiedient!  We start next week with the second series of classes,

For the potty training we did not do the pads, we were just taking her out constantly, and making a huge deal when she went outside,  She has accidents now and then but it is when we have been negligent on watching her cues that she needs to get out.

Happy Puppy Days!

"Leave it" is a fabulous command.  I had an example of the power of that command and the over-use of "no" this morning.

Vern gnabbed a sponge from the laundry room and was chewing on it in my bedroom.  I told him "no" and he looked at me then started to mouth it again.  I told him "leave it" and he dropped it and walked away.

I use leave it all the time - even in class when another dog is acting out and has his attention, I'll whisper "leave it" and he'll ignore it.

Another good tip - when giving a command (besides being consistent and clear) - the command needs to be given with a proper tone, but it doesn't have to be said loudly.  Dogs have great ears and they're always listening.  I often give Vern praise and corrections in a quiet voice - I think it helps keep him tuned into me without me having to be loud.

Regarding biting - just stay consistent and keep the neosporin on your night stand, lol!  The puppy days go by way too quickly enjoy it - even the not-so-fun moments!

My puppy is now 4 months old and the biting of my toes has ALMOST stopped. My motto is "a tired puppy is a good puppy" so any type of walking and playing will help to tire him out and he will be less likely to get into mischief.

I take all my puppies to puppy kindergarten and Kix and I just finished that class. Kix loved the classes and it was great for socialization. But, you should wait until your puppy is fully vaccinated.

That's how I found BDW, in desperation five years ago.

I agree with all the suggestions. A class is a must!

The thing that worked for me was time out.....never in the crate. I said no bite and took her to the laundry room. I left her there for a few short minutes and didn't say anything when I let her out.

Kofi was crate trained. She was always in her crate when I wasn't in the room. When she came out it was immediate outside, and high praise when she went potty.

There was also a method of puting the thumb in the corner of the mouth that many found effective for the biting issues. I don't remember exactly how it was done. Perhaps another member will.

Give that sweet baby a smooch from Kofi and me!