Basic
Bully Care

Wrinkles-facial wrinkles need to be cleaned 2-3 times weekly.  We use
baby wipes for this.  Clean out all folds and dry well.  This will prevent
infections from starting in the wrinkles.  BABY WIPES NOT
DISINFECTING WIPES!!!

Nails- learn how to clip toenails or pay someone to do it.  Twice a
month, these breeds need their nails trimmed.  They will rarely wear
them down on their own.  Long nails can cause trouble with walking and
can cause pain in the feet.  Try very hard not to make your dog bleed.  If
you do, he may fight you every time you try to trim his nails.  I was a
professional groomer for many years.  The biggest problem I had with
dogs is nail clipping, if you make them hurt, they may fight it for the rest
of their lives. I had little teeny dogs, no more than 2-3 pounds willing to
rip their legs out of the socket rather than have me trim a nail. I have
had big dogs try to murder me instead of allowing me to clip nails.  The
biggest problem I had with owners is the complaint I never cut the nails
short enough.  Heres the trouble with that... if you don't keep the nails
short all the time, the quick will grow quickly as well.  The quick is the
nail bed, its the living part of the nail.  When a dog's nails are neglected,
even for a short time, this part rapidly grows out as well.  You must then
shave slivers off until you get to the point the nail end looks moist,
anything after than, you will hit blood.  You must continue to do this on a
regular schedule (like once every 3 days) to shorten that quick back to
where it was.  The short nails you see, those which dont click on the
floor, are the nails which are looked after diligently.  It was apparent to
me that very few people understood this.  If a dog's nails are long, you
cannot just hack them back to where you think they should be.  Some
dogs have been hurt so badly that they must be sedated to allow nail
clipping.  Do all you can to prevent your dog from getting hurt while nail
clipping.  It is important to note that everyone makes mistakes and your
dog will not bleed to death.  Just use caution.  Right away when he
comes home, play with this feet, gently.  Spread his toes etc.  Most dogs
object to any handling of the foot and must be taught that it is OK to
allow a person to do this.

Ears- Clean twice monthly.

Under tail area-Many Bulldogs have straight tails and this is not a
problem with them.  For those with curly tails, you may need to assist in
hygiene in this area.  If the tail cannot be raised, or its tightly coiled,  
feces can build up under it and cause infections.  If you have a dog who
has this problem, use baby wipes and make sure you throughly dry the
area.  You may need to do this every time the dog has a bowel
movement.  The other alternative is to dock or crop part of the tail off to
prevent the feces from coming into contact with it.  Its is vital that the
skin under the tail be clean and dry.  Gold Bond medicated powder can
be very helpful on wet, irritated skin. Infections are due to negligence on
your part, keep it clean!

Bathing-Chose a very mild, good shampoo.  Canine NOT Human!!  
Don't buy cheap here, the cheap ones are very harsh and will strip the
dogs skin of any moisture, this can cause serious skin conditions.  Bathe
only when truly dirty.  Be certain you rinse all soap out of coat.  Over
bathing or using a bad shampoo will cause dry skin.  Dry skin is itchy
and your dog will scratch himself into a skin infection if you are not
careful. NEVER use flea shampoo as your regular shampoo!!  Flea
shampoo will not prevent fleas, it will only kill what is on your pup. It is
very harsh and very drying to a dog's coat when used in place of regular,
gentle shampoo!  Use extreme caution using a flea shampoo if your dog
is on any flea preventative!  Consult a vet before doing it.  

Collars-rolled leather are best.  If your dog has a lot of neck wrinkles,
other collars can irritate the skin.  The rolled leather slip and slide
around a lot better.  Many people prefer harnesses for the Bull breeds.  

Chew toys-Choose digestible chew toys for both breeds.  English can
decimate a chew toy in a short time and if your dog ingests a piece of
raw hide or vinyl, it can block his intestines, causing death. Hooves, ears,
paddy whacks, beef pizzles, Greenies  are just a few good ones.  Ask
someone to help you if you are confused.  Tell them you want digestible
chews for your pooch. Most of these guys dearly love stuffed animals.  
Buy those for dogs, no button eyes, and replace if your dog beats the
stuffing out of it.  

Tug of war-No, don't play.  If you lose and you have a dog that has a
tendency towards dominancy, he will take his win to heart.  

Exercise-.  A good brisk walk for about 10 minutes 4-7 times per week
is good for his heart and muscles.  French will generally tolerate and
need more exercise than English.

Dog Food-  These are only SOME Of the good ones
Nutro
Iams
Science Diet          Purina O N E
Purina Pro Plan     Bil Jac
Diamond                Casco
Precise                  Sensible Choice
Flint River             Royal Canin
Pro Pac                Triumph
                           Natural Balance
Authority               Eagle
Maximum (Wal Mart brand NOT!  Ol Roy)

Think on it like this.  Let's take you for example.  Should you eat
Doritoes, doughnuts and cheesy poofs all day every day or would  you be
better if you ate veggies, fruit and lean meats?  Same goes for your dogs.
He needs what he needs to be healthy. Dog food is not dog food.  There
is some real garbage out there and feeding it to your dog won't do him a
bit of good. Bad diet is the reason for many ailments in canines just as in
people.

If you are going to feed popular brands, we think these are the least
detrimental:
Beneful
Puppy Chow
Pedigree puppy

Most brands of dog food will say something about AAFCO.  Does not
matter, AAFCO is only interested in the bare minimum it takes to feed a
dog.  If you have a dog that has faster metabolism or a breed such as
Bulldog which is prone to skin trouble then the bare minimum standard
is no good!

For a list of healthtful diet additions, including Omega Fatty Acids for
skin, CLICK HERE

We feed Premium Edge to our adults. It is a premium dog food with no
grain in it. We feed our babies IAMS  dry puppy.  This is what you will
get on the crate if we are shipping to you.  Chose a brand you want, mix
what we give you half and half until ours is gone.