Benjamin Graziano of Des Moines, Iowa, on How to Successfully Train a Bulldog

Ben Graziano of Des Moines, Iowa, is a huge dog lover with experience training puppy bulldogs. There are few things more beautiful on the planet than the wrinkly face of a bulldog puppy, but they can be a handful. Today, Ben Graziano of Des Moines, Iowa, will provide some helpful training tips as well as share some information on what new bulldog owners can expect throughout the training process.

One of the most important things about training a bulldog is getting them used to other dogs and other humans. Bulldogs are social creatures, but they need to be around other creatures in order to grow their social skills. Ben Graziano of Des Moines notes that the meetings should be set up to be positive. If you have a friend or loved one who is afraid of dogs or know a dog who is hot tempered, socialization can do more harm than good. Keep the interactions friendly and make sure that you show your pups that they are completely safe and loved.

Being the proud parent of a bulldog involves a good amount of grooming. Those wrinkles are not only cute, but they can also be a breeding ground for bacteria when not properly maintained. It’s important to get a puppy bulldog used to having their wrinkles cleaned out. The easiest way to keep bacteria cleared out is to gently wipe the wrinkles with a paper towel or soft tissue. For those struggling to get their energetic pup to sit still during the cleaning process, bulldog puppies can often respond well to receiving a treat after each cleaning session. They will slowly start to realize that the treat is a reward for being still while being cleaned. Ben Graziano of Des Moines, Iowa, notes that bulldog owners can put some peanut butter on a lick mat in order to distract their pup throughout the cleaning process. The important thing is that the grooming gets done.

The biggest challenge for new bulldog owners is keeping their pup from chewing everything in their path. It’s important to show a bulldog puppy what can be chewed and what can’t. A strong, sturdy chew toy is a must purchase. Any time the puppy starts to chew on their toy, the owner should react with praise. When a bulldog puppy latches onto a shoe or anything else that isn’t a toy, be sure to admonish this behavior. No bulldog is going to avoid chewing altogether, so it’s all about showing them what can be chewed and what cannot.

Around six months of age, a bulldog puppy will be ready to learn some common commands. The key is to keep the commands to one word. A lot of new dog owners will try to teach their dogs commands but change the verbiage of said command. For instance, if working on sitting, a dog owner should constantly use the word sit. When they elongate the command to sit down, now or sit right now, it confuses their pup. Every time a pup responds appropriately to a command, be sure to shower them with praise or provide them with one of their favorite treats. Focus on one command per session. Bulldog owners will often prioritize teaching their animal to drop it. The best way to teach drop it is to incentivize dropping an item by offering something more enticing to replace it. After a while, the bulldog will simply drop it upon command.

Ben Graziano of Des Moines, Iowa, would not blame anyone who is reading this article simply to learn how to avoid unwanted bathroom experts inside their home or apartment. When training proper bathroom habits, it’s best to take a bulldog puppy out every hour on the hour. The ideal methodology is to consistently take the puppy to the exact location you want them to use as a restroom. From there, it’s a matter of taking food and drink away about four hours prior to putting them in their crate. Crate training can be difficult at the start, but it’s something that will pay off for a dog owner and their bulldog in the long run.

Being a bulldog owner is one of the most rewarding aspects of life for Ben Graziano of Des Moines. While there may be a few mishaps throughout the training process, remember to always revert to positive reinforcement. The more positivity you can show a puppy when it does the right thing, the more likely the training is likely to resonate with the animal.