French Bulldogs are popular for several reasons. They are quite clean, smart and loyal to their owners per time. This is added to the fact that they are not too high to maintain for people who live rather active lives and as such do not need much space, this thus makes them ideal for apartment dwellers.
But just as it is with any other dog, you will have to train your puppy and this is one of the most difficult aspects of the whole training process mainly because it can be quite frustrating. You should be aware of the fact that French bulldogs can be quite stubborn. They however hardly forget what they learn, but the challenge lies in getting them to learn. Here we have come up with a few tips to help you house-train your French bulldogs.
- Fashion out a fixed schedule
Chances are that you are quite busy and thus operate a tight schedule. This does not mean that we should not be able to come up with a schedule in the midst of it all. You can begin by taking your dog out at certain defined times of the day. You can do this by taking them out early in the morning after they must have eaten and drank, you can also take them out just before you go to bed each day. It is also an idea you feed them at the same time each day to help them create habits such as learning how to relieve themselves.
- Pee Pads
No matter how awesome your puppy or you may be, there is always bound to be one or two accidents during the period of training. This should not get you upset at all especially if you use things like puppy pee pads. Such pads should give your puppy a place to urinate if they have to do it at a time, not within their fixed times. What the pee pad does is to catch the urine so that it does not soil your floor or carpet. This makes it quite simple to clean it up while helping to prevent the odor from spreading in your home. One unique feature of French bulldogs is that they urinate a lot hence the need to get yourself washable pads so that you do not make visiting the store a regular occurrence.
- Teach them relevant commands
As stated earlier, French bulldogs are quite smart and this means that they easily learn commands and instructions. Be mindful of the fact that they are quite stubborn and as such may take time to get them to pay attention. The secret to teaching them the relevant commands is by starting early. For instance, teach them to go potty and reward of praising them whenever they are done. The main idea behind this is to help them understand what the command is for so that when you repeat the same later, they will understand it.
- They deserve comfort
If you want the training of your French bulldog to go fine, you will need to use a crate. This type of dog just like most other breeds loves to be in a comfortable space where they can retreat to. You can start by choosing a crate that is big enough to contain your dog and still contain them when they grow up. Also, ensure that you place very comfortable French bulldog beds in the crates to maximize their comfort. At the start of this crate experience, your puppy may cry and whine, you mustn’t get all emotional and let them out. Ensure that you give them some time to learn and adapt. One unique benefit of doing this is that your dog will instinctively avoid peeing on the floor where it sleeps.
- Reward them
It is important that you positively reinforce your puppy as frequently as possible. Bulldogs are generally people pleasers and this means they like to be rewarded with verbal praise, toys and food treats. You can begin this positive reward system from the period you begin training them to use the potty. Ensure that you use a positive command tone for them. If your puppy poops in a particular area of the house, ensure you clean it up immediately so that it does not begin to see that spot as its bathroom. For each time it complies with a command, ensure that your reward it immediately.
In conclusion, house-training your French bulldog is one activity that requires a lot of patience and dedication. For instance, you will need to limit the training sessions to be brief per time. One thing about this breed of dog is that they do not have a long attention span or even patience. This means that longer sessions are bound to be rather frustrating to them. Repeat the sessions with them at least three times daily for greater effect.
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