The American Bulldog is so popular in the U.S. that it can be considered an American symbol. Bulldogs are animals; therefore, they do not have the ability to differentiate the good from the bad. So, what is the process on how to train an American Bulldog?
Training can be an enjoyable experience, but you have to do it properly for it to be successful. The secret is to start training your dog at a very early age. Early age training helps a puppy develop a character and habits suitable for a family pet.
American Bulldogs can be stubborn. This guide will help you understand your bulldog better as you train it. The methods outlined have been put to test and they worked.
1. Bulldog Socialization Training
This is a very important exercise that you need to do with your puppy. When your American bulldog is a few months old, start the process. Show your puppy the world it will be residing in and bring positive interactions with other animals, people, and other things around it.
When you visit your friends, take your puppy with you or take a ride around town with it. Pretend to brush your dogs fur or clip your dog’s fingernails as a way of socializing with it.
Each time you introduce new things to your American bulldog, attach a treat to them. This will make every new association positive. Your bulldog will never fear anything new.
2. Bulldog Potty Training
Certainly this should be the second most important task your puppy should learn. Since it is a family pet, hygiene in the living space is a vital issue. This training requires patience and consistency for your bulldog to get it. It is advisable to train puppies because they are smart and learn things with ease.
First of all, you need to create a habit for your dog to follow. An American bulldog puppy can hold in urine for one hour for every month. For instance, you have a four-month old bulldog, you have to take him to the potty after every three to four hours.
If you cannot watch your puppy throughout, train him to use the potty around his sleeping area.
There are key events you need to take notice of so that you can take your bulldog to the potty. They include;
- After every meal
- Just after waking up
- After playing
Remember to give room for mistakes. Your American bulldog puppy can forget the schedule and make a mistake. Many people consider this unacceptable, but do not punish your dog for this. Use an enzymatic cleaner and move on.
Also, when you take your bulldog outside, be patient and wait till it finishes its business before going back inside.
3. Moderating a Bulldog’s Biting
Still on how to train an American Bulldog, consider moderating its biting activity. American bulldogs, especially puppies are curious and they like to use their mouth to explore things. You need your house environment to be safe for your family.
Bulldogs can bite your shoes, couch, hands, table legs and even walls. This is really destructive.
Teach your dog to bite gently without biting you and make sure they only chew their toys.
Crate training (explained later) can help in preventing home destruction. When the dog is in the crate, it is enclosed with its toys so it will learn to only bite the toys.
4. Crate Training
The crate is a restricted area in your house for your American Bulldog. It helps with house training, making your dog feel secure and keeping anxiety related issues at bay. This should be done at an early age for your dog to get used to it.
So, what can you do to achieve crate training under how to train an American bulldog? First, make the crate cozy and habitable. You can feed your bulldog as well.
The purpose of crate training is for your American Bulldog to behave when left alone. This should not be an excuse to leave your dog alone for long periods of time. That is just cruel. If you have to be away for a long time, try to make some arrangements that will suit your bulldog.
5. Positive Bulldog Training
This training is important as part of how to train an American bulldog.
Positive bulldog training is where your bulldog is rewarded for doing something right and ignored for doing wrong things.
American Bulldogs are not human thus you will have to teach them things that you would like from them. You cannot expect them to figure out things by themselves.
You can use marker words that your American bulldog understands. For instance, the most common marker word for doing something good is ‘Good Boy’. Make sure a treat comes after the marker words. You will need to do this twice to thrice daily for your dog to grasp it.
6. Authority Training
American bulldogs are pack animals just like that you will need to establish a position for them in the pack. Your bulldog is very precious and you would like to spoil him, but you are the leader of the pack and the one in control.
The dog will follow your commands because it wishes to please you, the leader. Furthermore, American bulldogs are naturally powerful and you would like to make sure you are in control of such a beast.
How do you do this training? You can start by teaching your bulldog to respond to basic obedience commands. For example; sit, stand, down, come, stay, and more.
Advanced obedience commands are used for the more advanced tricks and commands. For example,’ Leave it’ which is used to criticize your dog for taking something it was not supposed to.
7. Lead-pulling Training
American bulldogs are very powerful that is why they tend to pull the lead. This behavior is really annoying to the owner. You always wish for a peaceful walk where your dog listens to your commands.
One way to control this behavior is by immediately stopping when the lead-pulling begins. Then make your dog sit for a while before you can go back to walking. This is a quite effective method on how to train an American bulldog.
You will have to be patient with your bulldog before it learns from its mistake. American bulldogs learn through repeated actions. With time they will learn that lead pulling is wrong and annoying to their owner.
8. Health Training
This is key for the well-being of your precious American bulldog. Regular exercises and fun activities can help in this matter. If you do not exercise your dogs, they will develop health complications like breathing difficulties. In other circumstances they become overweight and often bored. Eventually, your bulldog will start expressing his frustration on something else like chewing your pillows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know the time to start training my young American bulldog?
It is always the best option to train your bulldog while it is young. You can start the training anytime your puppy is old enough to understand things. More so, young American bulldogs are fast learners.
How do I make my American bulldog obey my children?
Children need to spend more time together with the dog. With time your bulldog will learn to listen to your children.
How can I train my bulldog for fighting?
This is prohibited by the law and if caught, you could spend some time in jail.
My bulldog is experiencing her first heat, but I cannot get any dog diaper to fit. What should I do?
You can take a child’s diaper and cut a hole for the tail. Then you can put duct tape around the hole you cut to prevent it from falling.
How much exercise does my American Bulldog need?
Exercise hours depend on the age of your bulldog. Younger bulldogs do more exercises compared to the old ones. So, consider your dog’s age before taking them out for an exercise.
What are some of the games to play with my American Bulldog?
The activities will need to be short approximately fifteen minutes’ maximum. Some of the fun activities include; tug-of-war, hide-and-seek, find the toy, never-ending fetch, and toy on a string. Your bulldog will appreciate whatever little time you spend with it.
Conclusion
The above information can help you raise a well-behaved bulldog for the family. However, you should not stop here and seek more information on how to train an American bulldog. Once you understand the basics, training an American bulldog should be easy and fun.
Also, note that the training is good for the dog’s safety and overall well-being. Enjoy your American bulldog’s company as you make it a proper companion dog.
