Finding the Perfect Bulldog Puppy

Thinking about adding a new bulldog puppy to your family? Well, there’s a few things you need to know to make sure you find the perfect puppy for your home.

If you want a good puppy, start with a good breeder. When you find a potential breeder, ask if you can visit the puppy’s parents in their home. Check to see what type of conditions the dogs are kept in. Do they live outdoors or indoors? Do they live with children? Cats? Other dogs? Are their surroundings clean? Do the dogs appear clean and healthy?

Examine the dogs themselves. Are they friendly? Do they have obedience training? Do they have any advanced training? Are they registered? Have they been checked for any hereditary conditions like a soft palate? You can tell a lot about how a puppy will act and develop by seeing the parents.

Now you get to play with the puppies! Bring a squeaky toy along with you as it will help you discover puppy personalities. Here are the basic five puppy personalities you’re likely to meet up with in your search:

1. Dominant. An okay choice if you’re a cop and want to train the puppy to be your new partner, but definitely NOT a good puppy for families , or almost anyone else. This personality type is prone to aggression as adults.

2. Independent. A confident dog that will need a firm master, solid obedience training, and a personality type that is definitely not a good choice for a family with small children.

3. Docile. A good calm personality and an obedient dog. Easy to train and good for families because they won’t push kids around or attempt to claim dominance. The ideal puppy for most situations.

4. Needy. Almost identical to the docile bulldog puppy above but with an increased need for affection. Another great choice for families, this loving puppy is going to adore being with kids that dote on it, and will appreciate a family that can spend lots of time with it. Another great choice for almost any situation.

5. Nervous. An anxious and potentially tempermental dog that can be very unpredictable when stressed, especially around small children. May bite out of fear. Best left to a single person that can help the dog gain confidence in themselves.

So how do you know which of the five personality types your dog is? Well, it’s not as hard as you might think to find out. Just do this five step personality test for any bulldog puppy you are considering bringing home, and you’ll be able to get a good idea of the type of dog your puppy is going to grow up to be.

The Social Test.

Put the puppy on the floor, move away from it, and then squeeze the squeaky toy. Dominant puppies will jump at the toy and chew on your hands. Independent puppies will come immediately with their tails held high. Docile puppies will come with a wagging tail. Needy puppies will come with a low tail. Nervous puppies may run the other way at the sound and will not move in your direction at all.

The Follow Test.

Walk around the puppy first, and then walk away without calling it. Dominant puppies will follow you chewing at your feet. Independent dogs will follow you with tails held high. Docile dogs will follow you with tails held low. Needy dogs will follow you hesitatingly with low tails. Nervous dogs will not follow you.

The Dominance Test.

Roll the puppy onto its back and hold it there with a hand on its chest. The dominant puppy will resist, struggle, chew and growl. The independent puppy will struggle and resist, but not chew or growl. The docile puppy will resist at first, then calm down and lick your hands. The needy puppy doesn’t resist at all and licks your hands. The nervous puppy will behave erratically by resisting then calming down, then growling and struggling again, possibly biting out of fear.

The Contact Test.

Pet the puppy from its nose, over his head, down its neck and all the way back to its tail. Continue to pet from the nose to tail until you get one of the following results. The dominant puppy will jump up, scratch, growl and try to chew on you. The independent puppy will jump up and scratch. The docile puppy will turn around and lick at your hand. The needy puppy will roll onto its back and lick your hands. The nervous puppy will move away.

The Elevation Test.

Lift the puppy off the floor with both hands around its chest. The dominant puppy will struggle violently, growl and try to chew on you. The independent puppy will struggle violently. The docile puppy will struggle at first, then calm down and lick your hands. The needy puppy will not struggle and will lick your hands. The nervous puppy will behave erratically by struggling, shivering, acting calm, and then abruptly struggling again, growling or trying to bite, then abruptly trying to lick your hands, and then start struggling again.

When you find a puppy that will match your personality and needs then introduce the puppy to the rest of your family. This includes any other pets you might have in the home. The best way to do this is on the breeder’s front lawn. Make sure that you leash any dog you are bringing with you and keep them leashed at all times! See how the puppy reacts to them and vice versa. Making these introductions before you bring the puppy home will save you a lot of heartache later if you found that there were problems and you had to return the puppy.

Before you bring your puppy home, make sure that you puppy proof your home and get yourself a good crate to help with potty training as well as giving your puppy a place to call its own. When you’re out getting the crate you should also get some good chew toys, because all puppies need to chew.

Within the first two weeks after you bring your new puppy home it’s important to take it in for its first veterinary exam and make sure that the vet is thorough. Most breeders will offer a health guarantee but if you don’t find any problems early on it makes it much more difficult to confront them with it. While you’re there set up a schedule for your puppy’s vaccinations. Some vets will offer a discount if you join a new puppy club or other vaccination program so don’t be afraid to ask about it.

As soon as your puppy receives their first rabies vaccine then you should get them enrolled in puppy obedience classes. Be consistent and take them to every class, it’s an important part of socializing your puppy as well as making them a better companion.

Congratulations, you’re now on your way to a happy life with your new Bulldog Puppy!