How to Care for Your Bulldog

If you're considering a new pet,you might want to consider the bulldog. Bulldogs do well with small living spaces and tend to stay put when they are indoors. They're especially good for apartment dwellers because they usually do not need a yard. However, Bulldogs still need some exercise, as they need to use up the energy that they store while they are indoors. Most bulldogs will stay healthy with Just a few minutes of jogging or walking. They won't want to do much more than that because they're fairly lazy. For this reason, it is important to regulate food intake. The Bulldog has to maintain a fairly strict diet and it is important not to overfeed it. This ensures that the Bulldog will keep its stocky stature and continue to be healthy. Overfeeding may lead to obesity because of its lack of desire to exercise, which is highly common to this breed.

Maintenance and grooming for the bulldog is also fairly easy. Because its fur is very short and smooth, all it needs is daily brushing with a bristle brush. Its short hair allows air to reach its skin and this is why it usually does not need regular bathing. It is recommended, however, that Bulldogs are wiped with a damp cloth regularly as it can accumulate odor-emitting dirt between the folds of its skin. Bad breath is also not a very common problem. While some dogs have mouths that need to be brushed very often, Bulldogs do not have a tendency to have bad breath. It is nothing that intermittent brushing and dog chews cannot fix. This, however, usually differs depending on the type of food that the dog takes.

When it comes to keeping the Bulldog comfortable, it is important that it is kept in the right temperature. It does not adapt quickly to changes in temperature. While it finds difficulty in keeping warm in cold weather, it also finds it hard to adjust to the heat when it gets too warm. Cases of heat stroke are common with this breed and it is not the type of dog that one can leave in the car or out in the yard under the heat of the sun. Times of warm weather are usually when the Bulldog is laziest. It usually lies on the floor with minimal movement. Because of this, it sometimes gets heat rashes on its belly. For this reason, it is recommended that it is given a cold surface to lie on. When it gets pretty warm, it is important to remember that this breed needs to be powdered in order to cope with the temperature. Powdering needs to be done especially within its skin folds and tail.

Although Bulldogs have some health issues, it is nothing that will be detrimental to being a good house pet. One of the more common health issues of this breed pertains to its respiratory system. This breed has some breathing problems because of the size of its windpipes so it is important to give it good ventilation.

About the Author

Lynn Huber has owned and trained bulldogs for a number of years. For more information on the care and training of bulldogs, visit her website: http://www.bulldogownersguide.com/mini-site/index.html