Tips, Advice & Care

We feel we can only give tips and advice on what has actually worked for us and kept our dogs in good condition over the last year and a half.

Feeding

We fed Pedigree Chum to large breeds as puppies. The pups seems to thrieve on this and were good eaters and enjoyed it. We didn't add any supplements to it. As the dogs got older we noticed quite a lot of waste and the dogs keeping a little puppy fat at around 14 months, so we have now switched to a diet of half raw meat and half Winalot mixer with added supplement of SA-37 (a multi vitamin) and one tablet a day of glucosamine. The dogs really enjoy their dinner and have toned up beyond belief with the same amount of exercise.

Exercise

As puppies we kept the dogs' exercise down to a minimum really - perhaps a 20 min lead walk a day, sometimes more and sometimes less, or around 0.5 miles a day. We very slowly built this up and now they're around 15 months old they enjoy a 45 min lead walk a day, with one long walk per week. Also we only let the dogs off the lead once they have been well warmed up (i.e. a 45 min lead walk first then let them off). We feel this is very important so as not to damage any joints and muscles; just like any athlete must first warm up.

Socialisation

We have well socialised the dogs from a early age by taking them to shows, the shops and generally anywhere were there's crowds of people. We regularly take them to visit family and on short trips to the local pub (also they love the attention), and in the country side and swimming in lakes when it's warm weather. We feel this is another important side to bringing a dog up correctly.

Toys

Toys are a big part of keeping your dog happy and we recommend Nylabones for American Bulldogs. They're quite costly compared to some cheaper toys but most Nylabones are very tough, resistant and do not shatter. Also a car tire is good hung from a tree or the like. Black Kongs are fun as you can place inside treats and they will learn your dog patience and to think for itself.

Training

We train our dogs for 10 mins each per day, everyday. A dog has a short attention span and gets boared easily, this way it keeps their attention. We have also attended OB classes with our dogs and again recommend this as a good way to socialise your dogs.

Twelve Tips For Your Dogs

1. Don't be in too great a hurry to "get there" with your dogs. You have all the time in the world, and should enjoy them while they are still puppies.

2. When starting in the hobby, only trust advice from people that have been in the breed a long time (as in over five years). Any other advice - take it with a pinch of salt.

3. Purchase only good healthy strains.

4. Don't go to extremes in size - the judges sometimes prefer either, but with a medium dog you cover both bases.

5. Follow the shows. Go to as many as possible and from different registries. Listen to what the judges say and how they spot a winner.

6. Be unscrupulously clean in your kennel.

7. Don't listen to critiques from the forums, friends or indeed yourselves about your dog too much. Instead get a professional opinion from show judges - they're independent and know what to look for in a good dog.

8. If you intend on breeding your female look for a dog that will correct her faults, not just any dog that has titles, etc.

9. Feeding - what you put in is what you get out, so to speak. The better the dog food the better the results.

10. Exercise. The American Bulldogs differ greatly in the exercise they require. For this reason gauge your dog and fit the exercise in around that. Most dogs require at least 20 mins lead walk in the morning and 20 mins lead walk in the evening.

11. Sports and weight-pull. In our opinion it's best to wait until the dog is over twelve months and has been hip scored. If you WP a dog with poor hips as a pup it may aggravate the condition even more. The same goes for agility too. Also most agility clubs will not even take a dog for agility until twelve months old or more. The reason is the dog hasn't developed fully yet.

12. Wood kennels are a no no. They harbour germs, can splinter and Bulldogs go through them like a eight-stone hamster. Steel runs are best with Dog Igloos or plastic kennels.