16 german shepherd puppies

16 german shepherd puppies - Print Retrievers, for the most part, make great family dogs. They are also smart, so they learn quickly and their strong willingness to please often makes retrievers a great addition to the family. But some retriever puppies are a high-energy ball of fire, one that is difficult to train or even handle in daily life. And sometimes there will be signs of aggressive behavior that are concerning. However, there is a fine line between puppy play behavior and hyper and aggressive behavior. Some owners are reluctant to stop such behavior thinking that it is just puppy behavior and therefore the dog will outgrow it. If you have a retriever puppy that is hyper or aggressive you might wonder what can be done and why they are acting that way. Here is some guidance on this topic. What are normal puppy behaviors? It is normal for very young puppies to nip at your hands and your feet. It is also normal for them to chew on things, jump on you and walk all over you. An 8-week-old puppy nipping at your hand might at first seem cute and sweet. But one bite from those exceedingly sharp puppy teeth and you might decide its not so cute. Those teeth can puncture your skin in a second and draw blood just as quickly. So, while it may be normal for a puppy to nip at your hand or foot, it is not a behavior that you want to ignore. Puppy play is naturally aggressive When puppies playing with their litter mates, the play can be very aggressive. This is natural, as dogs, they are always figuring out their pack and where they fit into the pack. Recognizing puppy play You can recognize when a retriever puppy is playing by the stance they take. They also may run around in circles, growling, or barking in high pitched barks, but when they do this their ears will be up, their tail wagging and they do not look threatening. It is uncommon for puppies under 12 weeks of age to exhibit true aggression. True aggression involves a dog exhibiting prolonged growling with a stiff posture and baring of teeth. Their hackles the hair on their back will be raised and they will be poised in a threatening position with ears back. If you were to approach a dog in this position which I do not recommend they will often move toward you and try to bite or snap at you. This type of aggression is something to be fearful about and is not healthy. Isolate the dog as much as possible and consult a veterinary or other professional for help or advice. What are signs of aggression in puppies All puppies can act aggressively, but if you take steps to address the aggressive behaviors while your dog is a young puppy, you can make a huge difference on how or whether that aggression progresses. These are all forms of aggression and none of them should be tolerated, not as a puppy and certainly not as a dog. There are also dominance behaviors that puppies exhibit that are often mistaken as aggression. They include things like jumping on people, stepping on people, pushing you around, forcing you to pet them and others. While these behaviors can be done aggressively, and should still be corrected immediately, they are not the same as aggression. Definition of puppy Because we often get clients that bring out their dogs that are close to a year old and refer to them as puppies, I want to define what I consider a puppy. A puppy is a dog under six months of age. Most retrievers are a good size by around six months. They will often continue to grow up until about a year and a half, but they have the bulk of their size by the time they are six months. And by six months, you need to have a handle on any aggressive behaviors, or you are going to struggle with eliminating them. Is it normal for a puppy to be very aggressive? It is normal for a puppy to test you with aggressive behaviors. And to be clear, that place should be at the bottom of the pack, under all your family members. I understand that your dog is a part of your family but allowing your dog to be in a position above any or all your family members is just asking for trouble. Treating your dog as a human and attributing your dog with human thoughts and reasoning is not fair to your dog or to your family. Love your dog, but make sure your dog is the lowest member of your pack and you will have a much easier time with obedience and basic good behavior. How to stop puppy growling Growling is often the first step for dog aggression. Or, if you try and take a toy away from your dog. No matter how or when you see the aggression start, it is important to nip it in the bud right away. A sharp NO command sometimes is all that is needed, especially if it is well-timed with the first sign of the growl or nip. Other times you may need to grab your dogs muzzle and squeeze. If these corrections do not seem to be helping, I would immediately crate my dog if it growled at me. Be sure you do not let your dog out of the crate while he is exhibiting a growling behavior. Only let him out if he is behaving appropriately. How to stop puppy nipping or biting A dog that nips or bites you often started as a very young puppy. We teach our puppies at 8-weeks-old that biting and nipping people is not allowed. And at this very young age, they learn it very quickly. Your pup may cry out or squirm, but that is fine. In fact, you need to be quite stern to make an impression. If it continues, you are not being firm or consistent enough. How to stop puppy growling while tugging During play, it is not uncommon for retriever puppies to growl and tug at toys, blankets, even your pant leg. This behavior is usually just playful and natural. However, I would still try to end this behavior as soon as possible. While almost harmless at first, this behavior can escalate quickly as your dog grows bigger and stronger. You can end this behavior first by not participating in it. If you start tugging with a toy with your puppy, you are going to encourage the behavior. The second step is to discourage the behavior with a sharp NO command. It can help if you say GIVE when you take the item. This will start to teach him the GIVE command that will be helpful later if you are a hunter. How to stop puppy baring his teeth A puppy or dog that bares his teeth to you is threatening to bite you. Even if the puppy goes no further than to bare the teeth and growl, you need to end this behavior. This behavior is far more dangerous than the puppy that nips at your hand. The nips may be done in play, since that is how puppies play with one another, but baring of teeth and growling is different. And you must handle it differently. I am not talking about lifting your dog off the floor with the shake, but if your puppy is very young, that may indeed be a great correction. Have you ever witnessed a mama dog correct her puppies? This is not a violent thing, just a natural correction for a puppy. The puppies rarely cry out or whimper when given this correction, they just walk away and understand that the behavior they were exhibiting is not acceptable. If your dog continues to bare his teeth even after this correction, you may have a bigger problem on your hands, and I would proceed carefully. True dog aggression is no joking matter. Dogs with aggression problems can snap at any time and go from baring their teeth to full out attacks. Hyper behavior is different from aggression. A hyper dog has a lot of energy and may not know how to control or channel that energy. Often hyper behavior is a genetic trait. In this sense, it is not something that you can eliminate. But you can take steps to make it more manageable. Exercise more Dogs that are hyper need more exercise than dogs that are more docile in nature. If your dog is hyper and is not getting enough exercise, the hype behavior is going to drive the dog to other behaviors that you may not enjoy such as chewing up your dining room table leg or your favorite pair of shoes. For instance, if your dog is hyper and is jumping up and down all the time, and you not only allow the jumping but pet him or her and give praise while your dog is jumping, then you are unknowingly rewarding the jumping behavior. Give your puppy time to mature Retrievers are often full of energy while they are young, well some a bit longer, but tend to slow down as they mature. But as they mature they do usually slow down and become a bit less energetic. Training Highly energetic dogs can benefit greatly from structured training programs. Programs such as the ones we offer here at Otter Tail Kennels, can teach an energetic dog control and channel their energy into hunting or retrieving which can make home life more manageable. There are even some things you can do at home to get more control of your energetic dog. Practice sitting I know this sounds boring, and for you it is. But for an energetic dog that does not like sitting at all, having them sit for 30 seconds, or a minute or two can be very challenging. They will need many reminders at first, but over time they will learn to settle and sit calmly. You can slowly increase the amount of time. This simple obedience drill will help your dog learn control. Teach your dog the kennel command so that when you say Kennel, they run into their crate and stay there until you release them. This basically sends your dog on a time out and forces them to practice control and settle. Final thoughts on why my puppy is so hyper and aggressive For dogs under 6 months of age, much hyper and aggressive behavior is simply puppy play. You must teach your puppy boundaries and the earlier you teach them the better. Be consistent in your corrections and persistent, and over time you will reap the benefits. You can email me ottertailkennels gmail. I would be happy to discuss your goals for your retriever and tell you about the programs I offer. Until next time happy retrieving. You are bound to want to know when your biting puppy will grow out of this phase and how you can speed that process up. Biting, as you will have discovered is usually accompanied by lots of noise! Why do puppies bite? So why do puppies bite? My puppy is biting hard Puppies do bite hard and it does hurt. But I want to reassure you that even at 8 weeks old, your puppy has learned to moderate his bite in play. Puppies have powerful jaws designed to tear through flesh and crush bones. Those of you who feed your puppy a raw diet will know that even an 8 week old puppy from a medium sized breed can crush bones the size of your little finger. He is deliberately attempting to be gentle. Puppy Biting — Bite inhibition This ability, that your puppy has, to moderate the power of his jaws in play, is called bite inhibition. It is something that his mother started to teach him when he was just a few weeks old. And now it is your turn to take over and complete the training process. Growling and Puppy biting One thing that often worries people who have a new puppy in the family, is the growling that accompanies puppy biting. It sounds horrific. Great snarls and snaps accompany the biting and the puppy can appear quite demonic as he grabs onto your skin, or clothes. Tugging away with all the strength he can muster. Ninety nine times out of a hundred this is completely normal play biting. Is my puppy biting aggressive? You cannot determine whether or not a puppy is biting aggressively by how hard he bites or by the volume of the noise he makes. Play biting puppies bite hard and growl fiercely. Some puppies do occasionally draw blood. But these are not normally savage or crushing bites and the puppy is clearly enjoying himself. Fierce but fun! The play biting puppy will launch himself at the target of his bite. Whether it is your slippers or your fingers, with equal tail-wagging enthusiasm, hanging on grimly and grabbing repeatedly when the item is removed from him. All this, shocking though it may seem, is normal, and is not a sign that your puppy is going to be an aggressive dog! In fact some of the gentlest and most amiable breeds the labrador for example are the worst and fiercest play biters. The puppy that is a cause for concern is the puppy that is frightened. Because although puppies rarely bite through aggression, the nervous puppy may become aggressive as he matures Is my puppy afraid? A scared puppy may bite and scared puppies can grow into scared adult dogs so this is something you need to address quickly. You will know that your puppy is scared because he will try to avoid whatever it is he is scared of. A really frightened puppy will sometimes give off a distinctive musky smell. This hiding, and retreating, and the scared smell are warning signs that you have scared your puppy badly, or purchased a poorly socialised puppy. In this situation you need to get specialist help right away. Your vet should be able to advise you. For the vast majority of puppy owners then, biting is normal puppy behavior. Will my puppy biting stop naturally? To some extent biting is a phase caused by natural puppy playfulness and teething. Some puppies do stop biting with very little input from their family. Which is great. You may feel he should have grown out of it by now. We can physically prevent puppies from biting and we can train puppies not to bite. Both of these are good strategies. Or when children are getting upset, or visitors are winding your puppy up. Prevention usually involves interrupting the biting behavior, then redirecting the puppy into an alternative and more acceptable behavior, such as chewing on a toy. Or, it may involve temporarily separating him from his playmates. Interrupting the puppy biting In mild cases you may simply be able to put a toy in your biting puppy's mouth and get him tugging on that instead of on your fingers. If you are on the floor with the puppy stand up. And if you are standing up, turn and walk away from the puppy. This is where dog gates come in very handy with small puppies. A standard baby gate works fine for most breeds of dog. Managing the puppy You may have to pick up your biting puppy to remove him from the scene if he is biting your children for example, rather than you If he bites your hands and clothes as you try to restrain him, put him on the other side of a barrier or in his crate or puppy playpen for a short while. Although the puppy does learn from them, these are useful management techniques to enable you to control the situation. They help you to keep your puppy calm, and prevent the biting escalating through over excitement. Over-excited puppies Puppy play biting is directly linked to excitement. The more excited your puppy gets, the more and the harder he will bite. And the harder it will be to interrupt and distract him. Rough play excites puppies and noisy play does too. Children tend to squeal when they play and get very physical with puppies. One of the first rules they need to learn when playing with dogs, especially big dogs, is to stand up and stand still when the game gets too much. Limit such play and call a halt to it if your puppy is biting. With medium to large breed dogs, physical rough and tumble play is not a great idea. It can lead to dogs bowling people over or humping them, neither of which is very pleasant. Stopping play when it gets rough is a good management strategy and it is a form of training too. Over time, your puppy learns that biting and rough play loses him his playmates and that people simply leave if he is being mean. When do puppies stop biting? Many puppies have stopped biting completely by six months of age and biting is usually subsiding by the time that the puppy is heading towards five months old. This is if the puppy has been managed appropriately If people have been exciting him, or rewarding him for attention seeking behavior then biting can persist And it can be much more of a problem in bigger stronger puppies than in little ones. Training Puppies Not To Bite The idea of this exercise is to teach a puppy to accept being stroked and handled in any way, without touching us with his teeth. The event marker is a distinctive sound. Even around his mouth, without him making any attempt to bite you. You can also make it easier for him by starting this training when he is calm and not distracted. But for now, keep things simple. It can be a good way of getting the training started so that you have chance to say YES and give the puppy the opportunity to learn what you want him to do. Over the next few sessions, you can work on getting your hand closer and closer to the puppy. Until you are brushing the sides of his face without him making any attempt to mouth or bite at you Progress to touching and holding his collar, stroking his ears, grooming him, examining his paws and so on, all the time rewarding him for the correct behavior. Anytime the mouthing returns, back up to a point where he can succeed and move forward more slowly again Bite Inhibition Training Some experts feel that puppies should be allowed to mouth and even bite gently for a week or two before being prevented from biting altogether. Simply follow the instructions for managing your puppy above when he bites hard. But allow him to mouth you when he bites gently without much pressure. This is a great way to teach a dog excellent control over his mouth. After a couple of weeks of this, you can progress to the training exercise I outlined in the previous section. Older puppies that bite in play have often learned that this gets them a lot of attention. They have discovered that people squeal and shout and get quite cross. Sometimes these people push and shove the dog around which young dogs quite enjoy when they are playing. For these dogs it is important that you stop all physical play, with all family members If a puppy is biting hard at your hands when you try to interrupt his game. Or an older puppy is getting out of hand biting at clothing, you need to put your puppy on a harness and house-line a short trailing leash. This will enable you to control your puppy, and take him to a calming place, without handling him. You can just pick up the end of the line and lead him away. Older biting puppies are often bright and bored. And the best approach to avoiding future episodes of bad behavior is a structured programme of training and interesting activities. A professional dog trainer using modern positive training methods will be able to help you with these. Summary So now you know some tips on how to stop your puppy from biting. The first few weeks can be tough with a determined biter in the house, but you will get through this and come out the other side. A few months from now, this difficult period will be a distant memory In the meantime, focus on keeping your biting puppy calm, avoiding too much rough play, and redirecting his biting onto appropriate toys and activities. Spend some time on the training exercise set out above. Are Golden Retrievers Aggressive? The Honest Truth Posted on April 5, by Galen Kauffman Share: Golden Retriever owners will most times be highly indignant if you dare to suggest that their Goldens have even an iota of aggression in them. They will be quick to tell you that dog experts will even use this big golden, friendly dog as an example breed when looking to confirm what a calm, amicable dog is. And the puppies? Are golden Retrievers aggressive as puppies? Not at all. Alright, so as a puppy it is only natural that he will nip and bite your hand as he is teething. He has the cutest little growl too. However, not training your puppy and not taking him along to socialization classes can allow this puppy habit to develop into something serious. Is Aggression Common in Golden Retrievers? Are Golden Retrievers aggressive? Only very seldom. Calm and laid back as your Golden Retriever is, there are going to be times when your golden doggo may be aggressive. They are loving, playful, calm, friendly, smiling, amiable dogs. Are male Golden Retrievers aggressive more often than females? Not really. As mentioned, these dogs are rarely aggressive, but it is more likely that the male Golden Retriever will be more aggressive than the female. Aggression in Golden Retrievers nearly always comes from poor breeding, bad dog owners, inadequate training, and lack of socialization. You can also add in abuse, neglect, and cruelty. Golden Retrievers are known as control groups for aggression A control group is a standard to which comparisons are made in a dog aggression experiment. There is a control group and an experimental group. The inclusion of a control group helps the researcher to make conclusions from the study. It is only with a control group that a researcher can determine whether a treatment can have an effect on an experimental group. In the study, golden retrievers were tested and used as a control group. Seventy Golden Retrievers were tested in the temperament test. Levels of escalation in aggressive behavior were scored. A total of .Goldens are not typically aggressive Most Golden Retriever owners are familiar with the good-natured temperaments of their Goldens, and they would consider an aggressive Golden Retriever to be an unheard-of thing. Dogs are like kids and the Golden is just a big loving child wanting to please you. And rightly so. Nobody in their right mind would want an aggressive Golden Retriever around their small children. Nonetheless, even though the chances are almost nil that your Golden has any aggression in him, there are one or two factors that can cause aggression in Golden Retrievers, and with good reason, and we look at some of them below. Fear Fear causes any dog faced with a threat to defend itself by biting. Veterinary behavior specialists tell us that fear-related aggression is just that — it is used as self-defense. It may well be out of sheer desperation that a cornered dog bites when it anticipates a threat. A Golden Retriever that has been regularly smacked learns to generalize — believing that every human hand wants to strike him. He goes into self-protection mode by biting the hand that reaches out to him. Fear is also instilled in a dog such as the Golden Retriever when an owner uses harsh, cruel punishment-based training methods. Harsh behavior increases aggression but also anxiety. Danger Dogs act in unusual ways when they sense danger. Can Golden Retrievers be aggressive in the face of danger? This abuse can take different forms. Goldens who have suffered from emotional and physical abuse can respond to anyone with aggression. He will in all likelihood be scared, agitated, and aggressive. Socializing your Golden Retriever will prepare him for a broad range of situations so that he is able to interact with various animals, people, and situations. It teaches him to react to the world out there in a calm way without fear and aggression. Illness Aggression in a Golden Retriever can have a medical cause. Just like the human child gets whiney, cranky, and aggressive when ill and with a bad headache, our canine friends do as well. Medically-induced aggression in a Golden Retriever can result in warning signs of growling, baring teeth, and general aggression. Brain inflammation occurs in conditions such as rabies and encephalitis. The aggression in this instance is most times a neurological reaction to the effect of the inflammation on the brain. Low thyroid levels affect mood and thyroid therapy can relieve aggression in dogs with hypothyroidism. Dogs are like humans in some ways and if they have woken up feeling under the weather, they may respond by showing signs of aggression. Injury There are many causes of aggression in dogs and injury is a common cause of canine aggression. Your Golden Retriever is nearly always a well-behaved dog, so if he suddenly shows signs of aggression, you just know there is something unusual up with him. If you find him acting out of character and wanting to nip you, get him to the vet as soon as possible for a thorough examination. He could have chewed on something that has caused injury to the teeth or even lodged somewhere, causing injury and pain inside the mouth. Irresponsible Breeding Canine aggression always poses concerns. Aggression in dogs is researched by people wanting to understand breed differences. Research always reveals that the Golden Retriever is a calm, good-natured golden beauty with hardly an aggressive bone inside him. But what about irresponsible breeding? A dog can suffer from all kinds of complications in pregnancy and when ignored because of the costs it can be tragic and heartbreaking. A responsible Golden Retriever breeder is one who knows the breed well and who has health clearances to show that both parents are free of genetic disorders. They follow the AKC breed guidelines for health testing. The test includes hips, elbows, thyroid tests, hearing tests, DNA testing, and heart tests. Also before breeding, dog parents need additional tests for Brucellosis testing and both dogs need to be up to date with all their vaccinations. Their characteristics, their bad attitude, their lack of affection, their lack of concern, and their troublesome lifestyle all cause aggression in Golden Retrievers. Signs of Aggression in Golden Retrievers Golden Retrievers are sometimes like other dogs in showing their aggression and they will growl and bark while simultaneously becoming hyperactive. Their floppy ears are raised, the feathered tail is raised and stiff and their hackles are raised. If your Golden has turned into a bit of a biter, snapper, and growler, there has to be a good reason. So how does one stop aggression in Golden Retrievers? Socializing Ensure that your Golden Retriever puppy stays with his mother until he is 8 weeks of age. Just like young kids have to be disciplined in order for them to display appropriate behavior, your puppy Golden will need to be trained and socialized. Check out with your local vet where the best puppy socialization classes are. Choosing a Good Breeder By the time your Golden Retriever puppy is 8 weeks old, he is ready to go to his new home. The way he has developed so far will be dependent on how the breeder has raised him and his siblings. Puppies kept in an unloving, cold, hostile environment will have aggressive tendencies later on and not be able to function properly in your household. Choose a good breeder very carefully. Are you wanting to buy the cutest, most beautiful, friendliest, balanced, loving, non-aggressive Golden Retriever puppy? My Golden Retriever Puppies has just what you want, after all, they are the trusted source for responsibly-raised Golden Retriever Puppies in Ohio. Know your breeder and find yourself a healthy, lively, happy, amicable Golden who has been raised with love and care and dying to shower you with Golden Retriever kisses. Training Although it is difficult to find one iota of aggression in a Golden Retriever, any kind of aggressive behavior can be avoided with proper training. Apart from early socialization, you can train your dog firmly, fairly, and consistently. You could also allow a reputable professional dog behaviorist or trainer to train your Golden to mix with other people and dogs without showing aggressive tendencies. Positive reinforcement training is great when a tasty treat is given as a reward for the desired behavior. Never confuse your dog, and make sure that everyone in the family uses the same signs and commands that he is familiar with. Exercise If you want to avoid aggression in your Golden Retriever, exercise him. Dog aggression is a concern for any dog owner and even your mild, calm Golden can begin to feel the stirrings of aggression when he is never exercised. The Golden Retriever is a large dog and he is also a sporting breed. Your Golden will need a consistent workout every day for at least 20 minutes at a time. Hitting a ball for him with a tennis racquet can be an excellent running exercise for him. You have to be patient with him and show him kindness, gentleness, and fairness when training him. Conclusion Are Golden Retrievers aggressive? They can be, but only under certain circumstances. It is things such as improper breeding, abuse, and fear from humans that put aggression into any dog. Know your Golden and get him to the vet if you suspect uncharacteristic aggression which could be brought on by pain or illness. You can easily find one by checking out our puppies here! All our puppies are raised by our own group of small, independent breeders who lovingly care for and socialize with each of them daily so they grow up happy. We even take all the extra steps to provide the best healthcare for them. Galen has been connecting quality Golden Retriever breeders with loving families since and is the founder of My Golden Retriever Puppies. He and his wife have four children and love spending time together, traveling lived oversees for 4 years , enjoying the outdoors and connecting Golden families. Be the first to know when we have new puppies! All Rights Reserved. While most people do not think that agressive golden retriever is a problem, it can be depending how the dog was raised. If a dog or puppy is abused from early on and then you adopt this dog, it can have some aggressive dog behavior that needs to be corrected as soon as possible. The kind, friendly, and confident manner of Golden Retrievers have made them so popular that many unscrupulous breeders were attracted towards them. As a result, careless breeding of Golden Retrievers have developed several health and temperament problems. Unprovoked Golden Retriever aggression is one such problem that has developed due to irresponsible breeding. Though aggression is an instinctive nature of Golden Retrievers, they were never unwanted. Golden Retrievers had shown aggression to hunt, to defend themselves from other creatures, to defend resources such as food, a place to sleep, and a mate. Golden Retriever aggression has been classified in several ways — dog aggression, food aggression, aggression towards strangers, and aggression towards family members are some of the common types. Aggressive Golden Retriever Dog : rare but it can happen. It is rare for a Golden Retriever dog to turn out to be aggressive, but it can happen. There are many causes for this type of behavioral issues. In some cases, poor propagation can result in an aggressive Golden Retriever. Dominance issues are one of the most common reasons for aggression. Most often times, Golden Retriever dog aggression issues will simply be acting out of fear. This is acknowledged as defensive aggression. For instance, if your golden was hurt by a big dog or young child when she was youthful, she may react aggressively when uncovered to these triggers later on in life. Dealing with defensive aggression can be scary and irritating at the same time. While you do not want to scare your dog or cause more emotional trauma, you naturally want to decrease the incidences of aggressive behavior. One of the most important things you can do when dealing with defensive aggression is to not disregard the problem. It is important to deal with the issues as soon as possible mainly because aggression can increase over time if not properly addressed. Aggressive behavior can begin with some Golden retriever dogs when they are as youthful as five or six weeks old! This is why it is very important to invest in your golden retriever from a reputable breeder. One good way to stop aggressive behavior is to make sure that your dog or puppy is properly socialized. A critical period for socialization is from the time a dog is 6 weeks old until he or she is 14 weeks old. Following your puppy is weaned and has received her first sequence of shots, you can take her out in public. Some people choose to socialize their dog in public before she has acquired shots. You can minimize the risk of your dog contracting a virus by holding her while out in public. Aggressive behavior in any dog is easy to spot, ears will be laid back, teeth showing and body more in a downward slant as if to attack its prey. In addition, you should be able to recognize the signs of dog aggression to learn how to deal with an aggressive golden retriever dog. This signs can include: Dominate aggression is typically the bully type of aggression, which can lead to food dominance or having problems with dogs or people. Fear aggression typically happens when the dog is so afraid that they go into a fight or flight mode. Typically their tail may be between their legs even when they are showing signs of aggression. Territorial aggression happens when there is typically more than one dog in the home and one is territorial over food or toys. Some dogs become very aggressive when they are possessive of their owners. This means that they may bite or growl if others approach their owner. Many dogs become aggressive with punishment which is the direct cause of humans. This means harsh punishment which is abuse can lead to the dog becoming aggressive to protect itself. Some dogs display aggression when they are in pain, especially a senior dog, therefore it is important not to lift a dog that is in pain. Maternal aggression, if your golden retriever dog just had a liter of puppies, you might not want to begin playing with the puppies straight away because this can cause the motherly instinct to kick in and make her aggressive toward you. It is important to recognize the type of golden retriever aggression that your dog is displaying because sometimes it is just situational, such as pain aggression. Dogs are like people and they deal with pain differently, which means that some dogs want you to comfort them when they are in pain and others want you to leave them alone. It is vital you know the cues your dog is giving you so that you understand if it is situational or if your dog needs obedience training. While golden retrievers are not know for their aggressiveness, any dog in certain situations can become aggressive. Half of all the dogs out there bite someone or another dog at least once in their life. Dog biting is not desired behavior, no matter whether it is aimed at humans or dogs you need to put a stop to it as early as possibly can. By stopping this behavior as early as you can you will be able to prevent the chance of your dog developing anti-social habits. If you can stop your dog from biting as early as you can then you will be able to have a nice friendly dog which will not be a risk to other dogs or other people. When stopping dog biting too many people don't stop to think about the actual reasons for it happening, actually Golden Retriever aggression and biting are two very natural things when they are in danger or feel threatened. Your dog might bite because he is scared or for a variety of other reasons. If your dog is stressed for example then he might bite, just think about what you do when you're in a foul mood. Some people may become aggressive when they are in a bad mood, and dogs are exactly the same. There are different ways that humans can relieve this pressure, however dogs don't have as many options. In order to stamp out Golden Retriever aggression and biting you need to show your dog that any such behavior is completely unacceptable to you. There are a number of different things that can cause dog biting and aggression, including fear, when they are with young, or when they feel threatened. If you are aware what causes dog aggression and biting then you may be able to avoid all of these things. The next important step that you want to look at is training your dog, you will be able to train your dog so that he doesn't show any aggression. It's possible to do this training yourself or with the help of a professional. If you train your dog properly then he will be able to know that it is wrong to bite. There are also a number of other options that you have when you want to find ways to stop your dog biting. If you notice that your dog is biting from a young age then you stand a better chance of getting the problem sorted out easily. You need to socialize your puppy with other people and dogs to make him feel comfortable around strangers. Try to get your dog used to other people touching and petting him, you can do this by allowing your dog to sniff each new person before they are allowed to pet him. Your dog will enjoy this as it is like a handshake! Make sure that you do not tease your Golden Retriever dog, teasing your dog might get some good reactions but it's not good for your puppy. Teasing games will only aggravate the puppy and make him annoyed. So if you have a puppy that is biting then now is the right time to start training him not to bite. A puppy's bites may not hurt at this stage, however they will do very soon! Make sure that you socialize your dog and get him completely used to strangers before he reaches adulthood. If you do all of these things then you should be able to stop your dog being one of the ones that bites other people! Nobody wants a Agressive Golden Retriever that bites, fortunately you don't have to put up with it any longer! You will learn how to deal with it. This means that you should never discipline your young puppy harshly, especially if she is between 8 to 10 weeks old. When you discipline your dog, do not hit her with your hand or another object, yell at her, or use other harsh discipline methods. This can actually backfire and cause more aggression, especially if your dog is defensive aggressive. In Golden Retrievers, the majority of the cases of dog aggression and food aggression have genetic components. According to one such study, breeding for calmness in Golden Retrievers have messed the fundamental brain chemistry of the dog resulting in unwanted aggression. Selective breeding against the nature of the dog has fastened the process. However, if a Golden Retriever has developed a dog aggression or food aggression we can at least control it through proper socialization and obedience training. Living conditions, excessive punishment, being attacked or frightened by an aggressive dog also influence aggression in Golden Retrievers. While genetics may play a role in raising aggressive behavior, environment can play a huge role. If your dog is abused or neglected, she will have a very good chance of starting to be aggressive. A dog that has poor living conditions, very harsh masters and no social expertise is very most likely to develop behavior issues. If your dog shows aggressive behavior immediately after one year of age, you will need to address the problem quickly. You may need to enlist the help of a trained professional to do this. Recall that it is important to not reward your dog for aggressive behavior. If you deal with your dog or pet your dog immediately immediately after aggressive behavior, you are in essence rewarding that behavior. If your dog becomes aggressive since it is fearful, you will need to take some time to work on social competencies and socialization. You should also seek the advice of a trained professional who has practical experience dealing with defensive aggressive behaviors. Aggression can be controlled. Nonetheless, it is very important to take the steps necessary to solve the problem as an alternative of ignoring behaviors and hoping that they will go away on their own. Here are some tips for Controling Agressive Golden Retrievers Aggressive Behavior : Firstly you need to work out why your dog is biting. Once you know the reasons then you will be able to isolate these and work on correcting them. We're going to take a look at a few tips which might be enough to make your life slightly easier. Social Life While your Golden Retriever puppy is young you should make sure that he socializes with as many other dogs as possible. This will help him to understand that the other dogs and people are not a threat, and in actual fact they can all get on like a house on fire! When your Golden Retriever puppy is young it might look cute when your puppy bites, however it's certainly not cute when your puppy gets older! Consistent In order for your Golden Retriever dog to learn anything you need to be consistent. Whenever your dog bites anybody, anything or any other dog then you need to show him that it's just not acceptable. Once he starts to learn that biting is not acceptable then he will slowly learn not to do it. Don't get too annoyed Dogs thrive on contact with other people and so you cannot just ignore him when he does something wrong. If your dog is agressive then tell him off, then for a few minutes do nothing, however after that stroke him and pet him. You need to show your Golden Retriever dog that you still love him, otherwise he will only get annoyed, just make sure you keep your hands a long way away from his mouth! Don't hit your dog When you are telling your dog off some people may tell you to strike your dog. However this is never a good idea. It isn't sensible to strike your dog because he is being disobedient, or aggressive. Just give him a warning. Physical punishment is a surefire way to lose your puppies trust forever. Trust is vital for any future relationship you have with your dog to be a success. Don't play too roughly If your Golden Retriever is aggressive then you shouldn't play roughly as this might encourage him to bite you. By playing roughing you are actually showing him that this behavior is ok. You need to show that it is not acceptable for your dog to do anything you don't like. By playing rough he will think that it's ok to play rough with you too. Some dogs are harder to stop biting or being agressive than others which may cause you a lot of frustration. However there are plenty of other methods to help you find ways how to get dog to stop biting. Water spray You could get one of those spray water bottles used to mist plants and put some water in it. Whenever your dog does anything you don't like then you can say no, and spray him with water. This should startle your dog, and as he doesn't like it he should associate it with being bad. Praise Another option is to reinforce everything good that he does. Whenever he does anything right then give him lots of praise. Positive reinforcement is thought to be much more effective than negative punishment. All dogs love treats and praise, so if you only give it to them when they deserve it then they will soon get the idea. Though Golden Retrievers are equally amiable with both strangers and those familiar to them, they sometime show aggression towards both of them. The reasons may vary for a Golden Retriever aggression towards strangers and towards family members. One reason why a Golden Retriever shows aggression towards strangers is that they might never have the chance to get used to them. Again proper socialization and lot of outings can solve the problem. Socializing Golden Retriever means that you start exposing them to a wide variety of new experiences, new people, and new animals from a young age. Aggression towards family members can be commonly because of two reasons— either your Golden Retriever is trying to defend himself from a perceived threat, which he sees in any of the family member or he is not comfortable with the treatment he is getting from you or other members of the family. Golden Retrievers have an overly-possessive behavior and when you try to take away his belongings or you approach it when it is eating, they develop aggression against you. This resource guarding nature of Golden Retrievers which gives rise to aggression actually boils down to the issue of dominance. Your Golden Retriever has a tendency to rank each member of the family, and has his own perception of where he ranks in that environment as well. And a higher-ranked Golden Retriever acts aggressively in defense of resources. The best way to treat Golden Retriever aggression is consistent and frequent obedience work with lot of socialization. In fact, the earlier you start the socialization process the lesser are the chances of aggression. Golden Retrievers also show aggression if they are not handled and groomed properly. Picking up his paws and touching them with the clipper and taking them into the bath definitely helps in reducing the chances of aggression. Conclusion about how to deal with an agressive golden retriever dog Agressive Golden Retriever can quickly become a serious problem which is often blamed entirely on the dog. However your dog doesn't know any better, and so it is actually your responsibility as the owner to get the problem sorted. It can be very frustrating when dogs bite, however it is possible to stop your dog biting and being agressive today. So, Keep in mind that golden retriever dogs are smart, therefore, if you recently adopted a full grown dog and it is showing signs of aggression, you should immediately get your golden retriever dog in an obedience training course. Read the full disclosure here. Tasty finger! Your golden retriever puppy is as friendly as can be — great with kids, respectful of other dogs, and not overly attentive to your cat. Yes, golden retrievers are known for their good-natured demeanor, but they are still dogs — not so very far removed from their wild cousins, and they can be unpredictable when faced with stressful, disturbing, or frightening situations. One of our jobs as responsible dog owners, of course, is to keep our dogs safe, but we may not always be able to protect them, and we may not always be able to prevent them from biting through fear or when in pain. What is Bite Inhibition? Puppies begin learning this from their mother and siblings as soon as they start to tumble around with each other in play. If they bite too hard, they are scolded by their mother or alerted with a yelp from their siblings. Eventually, they learn how hard is too hard, and they use their teeth more gently in play. Human Sensitive or Advanced Bite Inhibition By the time your puppy moves into your home, they will have been using their bite inhibition skills for weeks. Your puppy needs to learn that human beings are fragile and should be treated with care. There are many professional trainers who recommend that you simply train your puppy not to bite. This seems like a practical course of action, and it does work — in the short term. Teaching a puppy not to bite will give you quick results, but it may mean they never learn how much force is safe to use on people when they are forced to bite in an emergency. So if they do eventually bite, they will know to hold back the pressure safely and will not cause anywhere near as much pain or damage as they otherwise might. Why is Bite Inhibition Important? Believe it or not, even the most gentle dog that has been trained from a young age never to bite, can react to certain triggers. Those triggers are fear and pain. Consider these situations: Your dog has been suffering from chronic ear infections and hates to have his ears handled. The neighbor stops by with her toddler, who immediately runs to your dog and fondles his sensitive ears roughly. What will he do? You and your dog are walking down the road like you do every morning when out of nowhere comes a huge dog who attacks your dog without thinking twice. You manage to pull your dog away, but in the process, your frightened dog bites your arm. Your sweet golden retriever has gotten themself tangled in some barbed wire while hiking. As you loosen the wire from her skin and fur, she snaps at you, biting your hand. You may never experience any of these situations. By teaching bite inhibition while your puppy is young, you will be far safer and ready for any of these situations should they occur. Teaching Advanced Bite Inhibition Following is a general guide to the bite inhibition skills your puppy learns and when, as well as where you should aim for their skills to be at certain ages. She will start the puppies off by teaching them how rough is too rough during nursing and play. These lessons begin when the puppies start nursing day 1 and continue until the day you pick your puppy up from the breeder. This works for some puppies, but for others, it just seems to arouse the pup and make matters worse. You will have to experiment to find out what works for you and your pup. You should withdraw all of your attention from your puppy for very hard bites. Do not over-correct your puppy so they become afraid of biting. After your puppy has calmed down, use a chew toy as a reward and let them chew it in your lap or lying by your side. This teaches you puppy that there are other ways to keep their mouths and teeth busy. By four or five months, all force behind play bites should be eliminated. Kids tend to play rough with puppies, and puppies will get rough right back. Your puppy needs to know that every human being is sensitive to their bites, not just you. It is a process that sometimes lasts months, depending on your puppy. Be prepared for this, and remember that long-term results in your adult dog are more important than curtailing puppy bites as painful as they may be. Supervise your puppy around children — If you have young children at home, you will have to think carefully about how you will protect them and your puppy. Little puppy teeth can cause a lot of pain, especially when your pup is still learning to control those urges. Young children can also cause a lot of pain to small puppies. Always supervise very carefully when your pup and children are together. A tired puppy is a happy puppy — It will be much easier to teach bite inhibition if your puppy is not bouncing off the walls. Make sure they get enough exercise every day. Not only will this help with training, but it will also help prevent all kinds of other destructive behavior. Conclusion Teaching bite inhibition to your golden retriever puppy is a gift you give to your pup that will last forever. In reality, more than 4. Although only a tiny percentage have to seek medical attention, the experience can be unnerving for the person being bit and the dog owner. But to help your pup, you should understand why puppies and older dogs bite and what type of training will inhibit their inclination to bite. So, why do Golden puppies bite so much? Like human babies, puppies also teethe. Teething starts around three weeks when their first milk teeth come in. Once this process begins, your puppy will want to bite and chew on almost everything, including you! Biting helps relieve the pain in their gums and soothes some of the irritation as new teeth come in. Retrievers were originally bred to pick up and retrieve prey, which means using their mouths as a tool is part of their genetics. In the 19th century , hunters would use this breed to help them hunt waterfowl and other game. Once they shot down a bird, the dog would find it, pick it up in its mouth, and bring it back. Another factor is those foundational canine instincts. Guarding people, digging holes, turning around before lying down, and biting — these behaviors are part of the canine DNA. These early versions of domesticated dogs developed strong social instincts, which is why dogs today can become nervous when separated from their packs. When they feel alone and anxious, they might bark, howl, or start chewing or biting on anything they can find until you come home. Goldens, in particular, seek the approval of their owners. Training your puppy not to bite unwanted things and be gentle when using their mouth is known as bite inhibition. Most Golden Retriever puppies outgrow their biting habits. Usually, when teething is over and all their adult teeth have come in — at around six and seven months old — you can expect the puppy-biting phase to end. However, not every pup will stop on its own. Some will need training to break the habit. Of bites reported from to , Golden Retriever bites account for one bite every two years. If your Golden Retriever is biting, it might have underlying issues that require addressing. But seeing your older Golden bite can be alarming. Even the calmest dogs might bite if provoked. The better you understand where your dog is coming from, the easier it is to implement a solution. For instance, say an intruder breaks into your home. As a reaction, your dog might bark or growl. And, if they feel threatened enough, they might try to bite the intruder. This is an example of territorial aggression. Fear: if a dog feels cornered or trapped or is startled, their first instinct might be to bite. Maternal or protective: when your pet feels that someone in their pack is at risk, they might act aggressively to the perceived threat. Predatory: this is when a dog reacts to fast-moving things and starts aggressively chasing. Playful Playful biting is a lot like Golden Retriever puppy biting. This type of biting occurs when the dog never outgrows the puppy-play biting stage. If playfulness is behind the problem, teaching bite inhibition now by reinforcing positive behavior can go a long way in helping your dog drop their bad habits. For example, if a rambunctious puppy continually nips at an adult Golden Retriever, the older dog might snap at the younger puppy. This can happen when a dog is in pain because of a health issue. Golden Retrievers are genetically predisposed to several conditions that can cause pain and discomfort, including the following: Hip and elbow dysplasia Cancer Eye conditions, such as entropion Getting your Golden Retriever puppy from a reputable breeder can help to reduce the chances that your dog will develop these and other health conditions. The Golden Retriever breed has one of the highest cancer rates. And older dogs, in general, are more susceptible to disease. If you notice your dog starting to bite and growl for no apparent reason, it also might be worth talking to your vet to rule out health problems. But as every dog has a unique personality, you might need to work through different methods before successfully teaching bite inhibition. Here are three methods you can use to teach your Golden Retriever puppy not to bite. Method 1: Socialization Puppies who are properly socialized learn bite inhibition while nursing and playing. Both of these social feedback mechanisms help to teach a puppy to bite softly or not at all. Bringing your puppy to meet other playful pups or taking them to the dog park when they are ready can help them learn not to bite. A reputable breeder will also spend time socializing your Golden Retriever puppy with both other dogs and people. These interactions can help your puppy learn how to be gentle before you even bring them home. The key to this training technique is redirecting their focus before your dog can react. Method 3: Deterrence The name of the game here is to deter your puppy from having a satisfying experience when they start biting. There are a couple of ways deterrence training can work when teaching your Golden Retriever to stop biting. Golden Retriever puppies want to please their owners. Another option is to use a safe deterrence spray for puppies. For example, if your puppy has a habit of biting your furniture, you can apply an anti-chew spray like a bitter apple or bitter cherry. Eventually, your dog will start associating that fun thing to chew on with an awful taste and lose interest. Know that positive reinforcement is your best friend, no matter what training you use to teach your Golden Retriever to give up on biting. Successfully training your Golden Retriever comes down to understanding why the biting occurs. You can contact expert dog trainers who have experience with biting. Some trainers specialize in addressing underlying issues, such as aggression. Otherwise, your dog might never grow out of their habits. Instead, use socialization and puppy training tools to help your little Golden Retriever learn how to respond to different environments, triggers, and people. With social and lifestyle training, puppies are exposed to various situations, so they learn how to behave around other people, at the park, vet, and home. Ultimately, education during puppyhood is the foundation of a happy and healthy adulthood. At Snowy Pines, we teach our White Lab and English Cream Golden Retriever puppies the skills they need to be happy, tail-wagging dogs, including bite inhibition. Check out our Wagology curriculum and lifestyle modules today! Share on.

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16 german shepherd puppies - Keep reading to learn more about caring for a French Bulldog puppy. About French Bulldogs French Bulldogs are a popular breed of dog, known for their adorable appearance and endearing personalities. They are small, compact dogs with a muscular body, short legs, and large, bat-like ears. When you bring a French Bulldog puppy home, it is important to understand their needs and the challenges of potty training them. Understanding the basic potty needs of your pup will help set the foundation for successful potty training. When it comes to potty needs, French Bulldog puppies will typically need to be taken outside every hours throughout the day. Factors like age, environment, and diet can influence this number, so you may need to adjust accordingly. Positive reinforcement is key when it comes to potty training. Clean up messes immediately and be patient as your pup learns. With a little bit of patience and consistency, you and your pup will get the hang of potty training in no time. This guide will provide you with the knowledge you need to ensure your pup is properly taken care of. Creating a routine and teaching positive reinforcement can go a long way in helping your pup learn when and where to pee. Taking frequent breaks and cleaning up immediately when your pup has an accident are essential for potty training success. Remember to be patient and avoid punishing your pup if they make a mistake. French Bulldog puppies typically need to be taken outside to pee every hours throughout the day. Depending on their age, environment, diet, and activity level, puppies may need to go more or less often. To establish good potty habits, start by taking your puppy out at the same times every day. Be sure to reward your puppy each time they go in the right place. This positive reinforcement will help them understand the desired behavior. If your puppy has an accident, clean up immediately and try to remain calm. Punishing your puppy will only confuse them and make it more difficult to learn the desired behavior. Be patient and provide consistent guidance. With a little patience and dedication, your puppy will soon be potty trained! As a Frenchie owner, you must be aware of the environmental and physiological factors that can affect how often your pup needs to go. Some of these factors include how much water they drink, how active they are, and how much they eat. Temperatures and hormonal changes can also cause a pup to pee more often. To ensure your pup is potty trained properly, set up consistent bathroom routines and give them plenty of breaks. Offer them rewards for peeing on command and be patient with any mistakes. Clean up immediately and patiently guide your pup down the right path. French Bulldog puppies need to go outside to pee every hours. To make things easier, establish a consistent routine and take your puppy outside regularly. You can also reward good peeing behavior with treats and positive reinforcement. With patience and practice, your puppy will eventually learn to pee in the right spot every time. Establishing a routine is key to successful potty training. Take your puppy outside at regular intervals and make sure to take frequent breaks throughout the day. Give your puppy lots of positive reinforcement when it does its business outside, and be sure to clean up any messes immediately. Be consistent and eventually your pup will learn where it should be doing its business. Establish Routines Starting a consistent routine with your French Bulldog puppy is an important step in house training. Make sure to take them out for designated potty breaks at the same time each day, such as when you first wake up, after meals, and before bed. It is also a good idea to take them out for a few quick potty breaks throughout the day if they seem to need it. Consistency is key here; if you stick to a regular schedule, your puppy will pick up on that and be more likely to go to the bathroom in the right places. In addition to providing designated potty breaks, you should also give your puppy frequent opportunities to go to the bathroom throughout the day. Young puppies have small bladders and can only hold their pee for a short period of time. By providing frequent potty breaks, you can help ensure that your puppy is never stuck with an accident on their hands. Taking your pup outside every few hours can help them to learn that the outside world is a good place for them to do their business. When your pup does go outside, make sure that you give them plenty of praise and rewards for doing their business in the right place. When house training your French Bulldog puppy, it can be difficult to decide how often you should take them outside. The best thing to do is to look out for signs that your pup needs to go. This could be anything from sniffing around the house, or even circling in one spot. If you notice any of these signs, take your pup outside as soon as possible. Clean up the mess immediately and be patient with your pup. With the right training and regular breaks, your French Bulldog puppy will soon learn how to pee in the right place. Use Positive Reinforcement When it comes to potty-training, positive reinforcement is your best friend. Reward your puppy when they go in the appropriate area with a treat or verbal praise. If your pup does make a mistake, remain calm, clean it up quickly and carry on. You should also be consistent in your training. Try to stick to the same routine and make sure you take regular potty breaks throughout the day. Offer treats — either edible or verbal — whenever they do the right thing. Over time, your puppy should start to understand that pottying in the correct area is the behavior you want from them. It might take some time and patience, but with consistent positive reinforcement, your puppy will soon be potty trained. Make sure you stay positive and encouraging and eventually, your pup will figure out where to go to the bathroom. If the accident is on carpet, use a carpet cleaner to neutralize the area. Make sure you get to the mess before your pup has a chance to sniff it and reinforce the behavior. Focus on training and reward them for good behavior. Be patient when it comes to potty training your French Bulldog puppy. It takes time for them to learn. Positive reinforcement is the best way to train your pup. Take them out frequently and reward them with treats and praise each time for a job well done. This will help reinforce good habits and help them learn faster. Not only is it important to reduce the smell, but it will also help your puppy to understand where they should and should not go to the bathroom. Start by picking up any solids with something disposable like a paper towel. You should then use a cleaner specifically designed to get rid of pet odors and stains. This will help remove the smell and discourage your puppy from returning to the same spot to pee. This will only make them anxious and confused. Be patient and use positive reinforcement techniques to help your puppy learn the proper bathroom etiquette. Praise them when they go in the right spot and give them treats as a reward. Use positive reinforcement to encourage the right behaviors. Clean up the mess immediately, and focus on preventing another accident. Training a French Bulldog puppy to pee on command can take patience and consistency. Establish a routine and take frequent breaks outside so that your puppy can become familiar with the process. To encourage your pup to pee, offer them lots of positive reinforcement, like treats or verbal praise. All puppies and dogs are different, so the amount of time it takes for them to learn can vary. Be Patient Training a puppy can be an overwhelming and challenging task. As a Frenchie owner, you need to be patient and understand that accidents will happen along the way. If you take the time to establish routines and take frequent breaks, reward, and encourage your puppy, potty training will become easier. When your puppy does have an accident, gently reprimand them and then continue on with the potty training. Clean up the mess immediately and carry on with the training. If you are patient and consistent with your training, your puppy will get the hang of it eventually. Post Views: .For successful potty training of your dog, there are other things to be aware of. Using a Crate for French Bulldog Potty Training At night or when you are at work, there are times when you cannot give your undivided attention to your Frenchie. This is where crate training comes in handy. Using a crate can be a saving grace in many aspects and especially when you are trying to potty train your dog but make sure you follow the steps for proper crate training before simply forcing your dog to be in a crate. The crate should only be big enough for your dog to stand, turn around, and stretch out. If the crate is too large, it is advisable to reduce the size of the crate. Most metal crates like this one include a divider to adjust the space your dog has in the crate. Customer support team based in Indiana Check Price on Amazon We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. The limited space in the crate is meant to discourage your dog from using the bathroom in there. Dogs are hygienic by nature and do not like to soil their own nest; therefore, they will hold it for as long as possible. Holding their bladder for too long can also result in issues such as bladder infections, just like it does for humans. So, do not force your dog to stay in a crate without the chance to use the bathroom for longer than you should using the potty schedule above for proper timing. Night-time Bathroom Trips French Bulldog potty training can be the most tiresome at night when you want to sleep until morning. But following these steps will get you back to normal sleep as soon as possible. During the first nights at your home, your new Frenchie should absolutely not be expected to hold their bladder all night. When your new dog initially comes home with you, make night-time bathroom breaks easier by having your dog sleep in a room with you, or you can relocate to sleep near it to make sure you can keep an eye on when it needs to be taken out. Read more on bedtime tips and tricks. Set an alarm in the middle of the night to check on your dog. It may be a good idea to do this for several nights to see how long your dog can sleep before needing a bathroom break. Getting a solid idea of this will help you get back to a normal sleep schedule and ensure that your dog is taken out at appropriate times during the night to avoid using the bathroom inside. Accidents Happen During your French Bulldog potty training, accidents are bound to happen. If you see that your Frenchie is about to do his business indoors, immediately pick it up or lure it outside. Even if your dog starts to go inside but finishes outside, reward it. If you are too late and your dog has an accident inside, clean the area with hot water and neutralize the smell with, for example, vinegar or a pet stain and odor eliminator. This removes residual odors and prevents the puppy from using the bathroom in that location again. Starch They Are Inactive or Obese Frenchies who have extra weight are much more prone to chronic farts, as silly as it sounds. So keep your Frenchie at a healthy weight with constant exercise. Even daily walks will help you with this. When Frenchies roll in their poop, it can be their canine instincts, or they just like doing it. Not surprising since dogs like gross stuff and Frenchies are no exception. If you want to understand this odd behavior more, here are some explanations that may help you. By hiding their scent with poop, their prey cannot detect them and run away. Although your Frenchie does not need to hunt , this instinct is still passed down today. To mark their territory, they may rub their scent on it to override the smell. This can be a warning or a signal that your Frenchie was there. By letting the pack smell them, the others will know where the returning dog was. Your Frenchie considers you as part of their pack. And because of this, they may want to let you know where they went. If your Frenchie has a hard time pooping, there are a couple of ways you can help them. You can try out the tips below. But if your Frenchie does not improve the next day, you should visit your vet. Never give your Frenchie an enema or laxative. You should only do so if your vet recommends you to. So you can add more fiber into their food to make them poop! You can feed them pumpkin, pears, apples, or any food rich in fiber. Add this to their meals, and see if there are any improvements. Make sure not to feed them too many fruits, though. While they may help, fruits are high in sugar. Make Them Drink More Water Sometimes, the solution may be as simple as increasing their water intake. Dehydration can make your Frenchie constipated. This is because their body will suck the moisture from their feces. And that makes it difficult for your Frenchie to poop. Try Giving Them Milk Milk is a great laxative for humans as well as dogs. But remember, some dogs are allergic or intolerant to milk. So you should only do this if you are sure that your Frenchie does not suffer from these. Their bowel movement will also see the benefits of exercise. Even a quick stroll with your Frenchie will help stimulate the movement of their poop. This will also help your Frenchie know what to expect since they like routines! Frenchies are notorious for being a stubborn breed , which is why it is challenging to train them. But they are also an intelligent breed, which makes it easy for them to understand your commands. When their stubbornness kicks in though, they may not want to listen to you. So you have to keep these in mind. Do not worry though, you just have to be consistent with training and do a lot of repetition. Make potty training fun too, as Frenchies learn best with this. Reward them for their good behaviors, but do not punish them when they make mistakes. Making your Frenchie fear you will do more harm than good, especially when potty training. Fear and anxiety can increase the likelihood of them making accidents. It is generally thought that female Frenchies are easier to train than males. The difference is in their personality and temperament. Male Frenchies are independent, mischievous, and energetic. They tend to have an alpha-dog mentality and may try to assert their dominance over you. This is a problem when potty training them. They will try to fight for that alpha spot, even with you. So male Frenchies may need more patience when you train them. Female Frenchies are docile, shy, and calm. This is why many consider them as easier to train. But you must take these with a grain of salt as these are only general observations. Frenchies have varying personalities within the same sex, so use these as a guide. You can start potty training your Frenchie as young as 8 weeks of age. Starting this early will be easier and may give you better results. Training an older Frenchie can be harder since they are set in their ways already. Other than that, you need to consider that it will take a lot of time for them to be completely potty trained. So the earlier you do this, the earlier they can complete this. It may take you 8 to 10 months to fully potty train your Frenchie. But this depends on how consistent you are in training them. Some Frenchies may take longer than this, while others will learn earlier. Some claim that it will take about 1 to 4 months to potty train a Frenchie pup. While others say that it will take up to 8 to 10 months. There is no cut and dry answer to this, so be consistent and patient as your Frenchie learns. Make sure you have a potty pad, treats for rewards, and a dog leash. Now, prepare yourself and gather all your patience. This can be a frustrating journey but you will get there. Below are some steps you can follow to successfully potty train your Frenchie. Step 1: Set a Schedule You need to be consistent in your timing so that your Frenchie learns when they should do their business. Take them out first thing in the morning, after their lunch, and after dinner. It is also a good idea to take them out after playing or drinking water. That way, you give them more opportunities to poop or pee. Step 2: Know Their Body Language Eventually, you will be able to tell if your Frenchie needs to potty with some signs. This can be pacing around, whining, barking , and staring at you in the eye. Knowing these will be helpful so you know when to take them out outside of their schedule. This will help them avoid accidents as well. This can be your garden or a designated potty place for them in your home. Even if they have outdoor access, it is best to train them with potty pads as well. During the nighttime, they cannot go out by themselves. So a potty pad will come in handy when they want to relieve themselves while you are asleep. Step 4: Use a Command Word The moment they start to relieve themselves, say a command. Make sure that it is simple enough for your Frenchie to understand. Saying a command when they go potty will help them associate it with the action. So do not forget to do this, soon, they will understand the meaning. This will help them to associate the command and action with something good. And this makes them more likely to repeat this good deed in the future. Now, repeat all the steps until they learn. Remember, be consistent with the timing, command, and treats. This time though, you may also need a crate to train them. Keep in mind that Frenchie pups do not have full control over their bladders. This happens when they are at least 4 months of age. So expect some accidents here and there. So here is how you should potty train your Frenchie pup: Step 1: Follow a Potty Schedule Whatever their age, your Frenchie needs to go at the same time each day. This should be first thing in the morning, after dinner, and some potty breaks throughout the day. Since Frenchie pups need to pee more, take them to their potty area after they play and drink water too. Step 2: Keep Them in a Crate This is important if your pup still does not have complete control over its bladder. Other than a crate, you can also block off a section in your home and keep them there. Puppies need constant supervision, or they will pee all over your home. By keeping them in one area, you will limit their accidents. Like in the previous section, this includes pacing, circling, barking, and staring. Keep in mind to make them go potty in the same area all the time. In time, they will learn that this is the only area you allow them to relieve themselves. That way they will associate the words with pooping or peeing. This positive association with the training will set you up for success. They will be more inclined to do the good deed again, which can speed up the training process. It can be harder to train them since they are set in their ways. But it can also be easier since they have complete control over their bladder. They are still trainable, though. You can potty train your older Frenchie with these steps below. Place them here when you cannot supervise them or between potty breaks. Step 2: Set Up a Potty Space Your Frenchie must go potty in the same area every time, whether it is indoors or outdoors. Use a potty pad and place it in an area where you allow them to do their business. You should act like nothing is happening so that you do not distract them. Wait for about five minutes and check if they try to relieve themselves. If they do, give them a treat as a reward. Otherwise, take them back to their confinement area. After 10 to 15 minutes, take them to their potty area again. Keep doing this until they potty. Step 4: Give Them Supervised Playtime Once your Frenchie finishes, make them play indoors while you watch for about 15 minutes. After this, you can take them back to their confined space. This is a crucial step. It prevents them from associating potty time with getting confined afterward. They may not like this and your Frenchie may think you are punishing them. Keep repeating steps 1 to 4 throughout the day and be strict in following this routine. The more you do this, the faster they learn. And always remember, give them praise and treats! So keep track of when they are most likely to go potty. This will also help to prevent any accidents since you can expect them when they need to go do their business. How to Potty Train a French Bulldog in the Winter If your Frenchie likes to go outside to potty, this can be tricky during the winter season. But making them go potty outside is still possible. Below is how you can do this. Step 1: Create a Snow-Free Potty Area A balcony or porch will do but if you do not have one, you can still create a space for them. You can shovel a spot where your Frenchie can go potty. This will be the spot where you allow them to do their business. Make sure you are protecting their paws with socks and keep them warm with a coat. Although they are sensitive to the cold, they enjoy frolicking around in the snow too. By playing with them in the snow, you are teaching them that this white stuff is not something to be afraid of. Step 3: Watch Out for the Signs The more you spend time with them, the better you will understand their body language. Whenever you Frenchie paces, whines, barks, or stares at you, they may need to go potty. They may hesitate to do this in the cold, but keep on encouraging them to go out. If they will not budge, it may be too cold for them. With this, you can make them potty indoors instead. Step 5: Give Them Moral Support Frenchies are sensitive to the cold and going out in the winter can make them uncomfortable. Stay with them while they go potty so that they feel more at ease. This will make them feel that it is safe to go potty during the winter as well. This way, they will learn that those words mean that they should relieve themselves. Step 7: Give Them Treats When they are successful in pooping or peeing in the right place, give them a treat as a reward. This will make the experience even more positive for them. With this, you may speed up the training process. Pin1 1 Shares Owning a French Bulldog certainly comes with its challenges, particularly during the puppy stages. You can expect to be cleaning pee and poop up and having a constant eye on what they are up to. But the same can also apply with adult Frenchies who might keep peeing in the house, or even urinating far too much than would be considered normal. Why does my French Bulldog keep peeing in the house? Some French Bulldogs will continue to pee in the house up to 8 months old. Adult Frenchies who are still peeing everywhere could do so due to stress, routine changes, an underlying health issue or have frequent urination due to medication they are on. In this guide I am going to explain why French Bulldogs continue to pee in your home, even after puppyhood. It also contains details on how long you can expect a Frenchie to hold their bladder, and what to expect with puppies in the potty-training phase. My French Bulldog is peeing everywhere It personally took us 8 months before Claude would stop peeing everywhere. This included peeing in his crate, on our carpets, and even on our bed even after we thought he was completely house-trained. He can hold his bladder for hours and will go through the night with no problems. You can read my guide to house training your puppy on the link below. Handy Hint: Want to know how to stop your puppy peeing in your house? The first steps will be to potty train him. You can read my step by step guide to potty training. The bottom line is; puppies do pee more than adult dogs so expect to have a lot of accidents everywhere in your house during the younger months. My adult French Bulldog is peeing in the house However, some French Bulldogs will continue to pee in the house as adults. There will also be some cases where it starts suddenly, completely out of nowhere, taking you by surprise. Handy Hint: If you suspect your Frenchie is marking his territory in your house, then please read this guide to French Bulldog territorial marking instead. Vets say that there are some common issues why dogs start peeing suddenly including: Reasons you might be able to control 1. That can be for reasons as diverse as a child moving out, a separation in a marriage, or a death in the family. I know of one Frenchie owner whose dog started peeing everywhere when her older dog passed away. Whilst Frenchies are better in pairs , when once dies, it can cause a lot of problems for the surviving dog. Frenchies are better in pairs, but if one dies the other one can start peeing in the house and urinating more frequently. Frenchies are social animals who want to be part of the pack so when something changes in that pack, behavioural problems can start. Changes in the home environment or routine Even the simplest of changes in a home environment can lead to a change in the frequency and place that your Frenchie urinates. The most common reason is a house move. All this uncertainty and fear can result in peeing indoors. But it can also happen when you redecorate. One Frenchie owner I spoke to had a problem with her dog peeing in the kitchen after a refurbishment. French Bulldogs, like any dogs, are creatures of habit. A change to their routine can also mean they start to change their toilet habits. Over time this should stop, but the French Bulldog will need time to adapt and be made comfortable in the new surroundings. Excessive peeing due to stress, excitement and submission Many dogs will pee a little bit when they are excited. This little bit of leakage is nothing to be overly concerned about, and in most cases will subside as the puppy reaches adulthood. However, some older Frenchies will also have this. Dogs will submissively urinate to show you that they are not a threat. If you feed your dog canned food, then he will be taking on more water than normal. And what goes in, must come out, meaning your Frenchie could be getting caught short indoors and having to relieve his bladder quickly. Other dog foods can have high salt content. A dog who consumes more salt than they should will by default, drink more… and the more he drinks, the more he might pee inside the house. Taking on too much water It could be as simple as your French Bulldog is drinking too much water. The rule of thumb for Frenchies is that they should drink one ounce of water for every pound of body weight daily. The average male French Bulldog weighs 28 pounds so many Frenchies can drink up to 28 ounces of water a day. French Bulldog puppies will pee everywhere, and more so after they have been drinking a lot of water. Of course, there are other factors at play which will determine how much they drink including the climate for example in hot weather , whether they eat dry food, salty food, exercise levels, and health. Handy Hint: If your Frenchie is drinking too much water it could mean they are no longer able to hold their bladder for longer than the typical 8 to hour limit. Peeing due to separation anxiety Frenchies need a lot of attention and cannot be left alone for long periods of time. If they are left home alone, separation anxiety can result in frequent urination inside of your home. Research has been done to find out how frequently dogs will urinate when owners are absent and the types and frequency of reactions to thunderstorms, fireworks, and other noises. I also shot a video explaining more on Frenchie separation anxiety and a supporting web guide explaining what you can do to help with it. Low oestrogen levels Older French Bulldogs may not be able to hold their pee if they have low oestrogen levels. This results in hormone incontinence where indoor peeing becomes more problematic. It is particular common with dogs who have been spayed and neutered as their low oestrogen levels lead to a loss of muscle tone in the bladder areas. Age related diseases Kidney disease and cognitive dysfunction syndrome can affect older French Bulldogs causing them to either lose control of their bladders, urinating more than usual, and becoming incontinent. Other health problems I found a large list of other potential health problems that can make a French Bulldog urinate more frequently including: Adrenal and thyroid dysfunction. Hi Becca, Congrats on the new pup! Some can take up to months to be completely trained for going outside. We know, not the greatest! Thank you February 4, Frankie Hi there, thanks for your comment! Unfortunately, when it comes to potty training, it is all about patience, positive reinforcement, and repetitive habits. Keep persisting. REPLY February 15, Anthony My frenchie uses the restroom when I take him out but he has the small tiny accidents in the house when he gets scared or excited. For example, if we play or right before I pick him up he gets scared when I pick him up. He does his business outside no problem. Goes to the door and hits the bell with his nose. But the last 2 evenings he does his zoomie around the house and we are finding pee. Even though he knows to go outside. It is just happening once in the evening. Any reason why he might be doing this all of a sudden? March 4, Frankie Hey Cristina, Thanks for checking out the website! There are a number of reasons that could trigger a behavior like this, anxiety or stress is one, for example. Sometimes if you are separated from your pup more than usual or they are getting less stimulation than they need they could do this to act out. All the best! She was pretty good about learning the pee pad at 8 weeks and then we went backwards. She went into eating her pee pads and newspapers. That set us back quite a bit. Any tips? She also likes to eat her poop. We clean up when we see her pooping or as soon as we find it. Crate training has been considered but she pees in her crate, on blankets and had a rough experience with her crate coming home. March 4, Frankie Hey Emilia, Thanks for sharing your challenges. They can be quite stubborn. You may feel like they are never going to get there, then all of sudden it will click. Just be patient, provide positive reinforcement, stay consistent with commands, and they will get there. If possible, staying at home with them for a week or two could accelerate things so you can set boundaries and create positive habits. When do I take the pads away from his crate. Thank you for March 4, Frankie Hey Chelle! There is no perfect timing for this. Good luck! I take her out all day and before bed and maybe she pees 2 times. What do I do? She is ruining every rug in the house! I scold her when I catch her and praise with a treat outside. She just stares at me like what? We love her … March 4, Frankie Hey Mindy! That sounds frustrating… It may be worthwhile getting an expert trainer to help you out or chatting with your vet. The only your pup gets the harder it will be to train them. With that being said, they can still learn habits at 2 years old. Try to avoid the negative scolding, and instead pick her up and place her where she should pee as she is doing it. Positive reinforcement when she does the right thing is always good. You could also try out an indoor grass mat or pee mat to bridge the training gap. In the end, patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement will get you there! REPLY March 15, Ksenya Our puppy female is 8 months old and most of the time she can hold for about 4 hours during the day and 8 hours at night. But with me, last month she jumped on the couch and peed on the blanket while looking at me, which was 30 minutes after she went outside. And yesterday I was lying on the couch, she jumped up and peed on the couch right beside my leg while looking at me, which was an hour after we walked. March 15, Frankie Oh no! That sounds like a real challenge… It does sound like she is acting out for some reason. At one point when Frankie was fully trained, about the same age, she would stare straight at us and pee on the bathroom mat after we got home from work. She knew it was wrong, but it was like she was acting out. We found that a timeout immediately at the time of the misbehavior worked well. He has been peeing and pooing on pads as and when he wants. I live in an apartment in a high rise so i time his pee and poo breaks to every 4 hours. He pees fine but pooing is so irregular and he has accidents on his bed. When he is outside, he gets distracted so easily a little wind or leaf blowing in the distance gets his attention. When he pees, I use the potty command and praise him tremendously with toilet break only special treats. I really need some advice on whether im doing something wrong or whether this is normal. I kind of feel like he resents me taking him out for toilet break however really enjoys it when we go outside for walking purposes and he gets to do what he wants. HELP please I really want him to learn how to go outside and need some sound realistic advice. April 2, Will Blunt Hey Nura, Have you considered using a grass mat can be fake grass inside as a transition? Unfortunately, potty training is not a perfect science, and it requires lots of persistence. The only thing you could add in is to use a mat which is easier for clean up and use this area to move him whenever he has an accident. I thought her to ring the bell but she only does it when we are at the door and I gave her treats every time she went potty outside. Please help! Have you considered getting a grass pad inside to begin transitioning them? Some Frenchies can take up to 8 months to be completely trained for going outside. My puppy has just turned 9 months. She is amazing throughout the day until it comes to potty training at night. She is still pooing on the pad or floor and not going dry all through. We have tried everything and not sure what else we can do. Each dog is different. Yes, 9 months is on the longer side, and if it concerns you perhaps you could run your tactics by a vet to see if there are any improvements you could make? There is every chance your pup is feeling the pressure and some of this could be related to psychological anxiety issues , not necessarily a physical inability. April 19, Taisia Hi, I am preparing to welcome a 9 week old frenchie into my family at the end of this month. Is that too young to start potty training? I confined him with 2 pee trays for a week to get used to it but then when i placed the pee tray in a big area, he still peed and pooped on the floor instead of going to the pee tray — even though the pee tray had pee pads absorbed with his pee. Please help me. Some Frenchies can take up to months to be fully potty trained. The most important thing is to maintain consistency, reward the right behavior, and be persistent. How often should we usher him out during the day and at night? We are at the beginning of this process. You also want to avoid creating a habit of needing to go too much. Start fairly small with hourly visits, and then slowly build on this and extending the time out. May 26, Shannon O'Brien Hey, I have a 10 month old Frenchie and he is great at everyone except the most frustrating, toilet training! I seem to struggle a lot with him going outside to the bathroom. I have some amazing days where he will go when I go on schedule to the toilet or when he needs to go outside he will bark at the door. But other days he is horrible! He will do many accidents inside. I also struggle with him through out the night I take him to the bathroom before bed and as soon as we wake up. But he always seems to have accidents inside! This is becoming very frustrating and please if you have any tips that you could give me to break his habit of doing it inside it was be appreciated. LinkedIn House training French Bulldogs are mandatory in ensuring that their behavior is well and good especially if you have plans to bring it to travel with you. Just imagine the mess you need to deal with if your pet relieves itself everywhere. Good thing that French Bullies are highly trainable especially if you are going to start them young. The secret is to be consistent in the training you are going to provide and knowing their habits so you can accordingly plan the right schedule. A handy knowledge in potty training your French Bully is knowing when it needs to go. An adult French Bulldog can hold its pee for an average of 8 to 10 hours while a French Bully puppy of about weeks old can do it for only about 4 hours. This is even less for French Bullies who are younger than 12 weeks which are known to have the ability to hold their pee for only about hours. Given this information, you should already have an idea of when you should bring your Bully to pee. French Bulldog owners usually start the schedule upon waking up. Then they schedule bringing their doggos to relieve themselves every after meals and after their Bullies were observed to be drinking from their container. They also make sure to bring their dog before they go to sleep. Amid the average hours they can hold their pee, it is not wise to push French Bullies to the limit because like in humans, they can develop a bladder infection. Because of this, an appropriate schedule should be established as early as possible and furparents should keep an eye on the telltale signs when their French Bully needs to go. Accidents do happen especially at nighttime. If you are newly training your French Bully then it is important to extend the training on a hour period because you cannot expect your Bully to just hold in its pee or potty overnight. Schedule bathroom breaks as necessary and if you cannot anymore bring it outside to do its business, might as well find a designated area in your house where it could do its thing. Just lead it back to the right track until the routine is formed. After all, when you have successfully house trained your Bully, the reward would be fulfilling. And to add to the problem of having a dog in the house, your French bulldog keeps peeing much more than usual. This can be a very disturbing problem for you. There could be many reasons behind this problem but finding out the right reason can be a challenge. In this blog, we will look at possible reasons of French bulldog peeing so much and also what you can do about it. Dogs are experts at relieving themselves in their vicinity, whether indoors or out. Some of the possible causes for a dog peeing frequently include: Aging Is your dog urinating a lot? Is your pet still young or is she reaching her golden years? On average, healthy dogs need to urinate about once every five to six hours. While puppies are still young, they tend to urinate quite often. However, this tends to get better once a puppy grows up and learns to properly house-train themselves. When there are other health issues involved with urination and age, your vet will be in the best position to advise you on how to help your pet remain healthy throughout the aging process. Territory marking Dogs do different things when they pee. Urinary Incontinence Urinary incontinence is very common in French bulldogs. In these problems, dogs suffer from usual dribbling to a large amount of urine. However, are ways to prevent the issue from becoming a problem. Also, try to limit long periods without getting up for walks. This can help maintain bladder pressure and prevent leaks. If you notice your dog dribbling urine or has small leaks, be sure not to punish them for this behavior as it might just be a natural process for them. Urinary Tract Infection Urinary Tract Infections in dogs are an easily treatable and very common problem. UTI affects older female dogs at greater rates than male dogs of any age group. When urine travels through the distressed urinary tract, it becomes colored and cloudy while increasing in volume. In addition to disorientation stemming from uremia, other symptoms that pet parents likely notice include hazy or blood-tinged urine. As with many serious medical conditions, the episode of hazy urine or blood-stained urine is not the only nor most alarming symptom a pet owner will notice regarding UTI symptoms. Increased Thirst If a Frenchie spends more time outside in the warmer months of the year, he may need more water. This has a knock-on effect in that if your pet goes outside then comes back indoors — they will still require drinking water so they can continue panting again and help regulate their body temperature. French bulldog Portable Water bottle Diabetes There are many signs of diabetes in dogs that are similar to those in humans. Dogs with diabetes cannot quickly turn sugar into energy, so their bodies start using fat as an alternative energy source. This results in increased thirst, increased urination, excessive hunger, and weight loss. As the disease progresses, however, it becomes harder for dogs to lose weight and they may even develop infections from all the lingering extra sugar in their bodies. Many owners are concerned when their dog starts to pee more than normal. Others wonder if their dog is sick. Dog Training Clicker Puppy training pads You can use potty training pads to train your puppy. Leash training of french bulldog You need a leash to take your puppy to the peeing area because in the start your puppy will run here and there sniff different areas and objects so a dog leash can help you to take your puppy to the right place. Puppy crate A puppy crate is one of the best tools to train your puppy. Puppy crate come in different sizes keep in mind that buy a crate of such size in which your puppy can stand and move easily. Always do crate training in small steps. Place a soft blanket or towel in the crate. Bring your dog to the crate box and talk to him in a happy tone. Ensure that the crate door is securely fixed, so it will not hit and scare the dog. Give him small treats or put his favorite toys in the crate until your dog walks into the crate. Start feeding your French bulldog puppy in the crate once your dog feels comfortable in the crate you can close the door. Keep your puppy in the crate for a short time at the start then gradually increase the length of time. Once your puppy stays in the crate for 30 minutes without you, you can begin leaving him in the crate for a longer period. If your puppy whines or cries in the crate then it means he wants to get out peeing. You can take your puppy out and take it to the peeing spot or you can use puppy pads in the crate when you are not around. Training Methods for Frenchie Puppy Paper training Paper training is a highly effective and popular way to train French bulldog puppies. If paper training is done correctly, it teaches the puppy to eliminate smaller areas of paper until you can take him to the right spot. Simply hang a bell on the door they used to go outside for toilet time. Ring the bell every time you open the door to take them out. Clicker Training Clicker training or mark and reward training is a form of dog training. A clicker machine is simply a noisemaker. This technique is based on the science of animals which says that the behaviors which are rewarded are more likely to be repeated in the future. The value of clicker reward is that it tells your French bulldog which behavior you are rewarding. So rather your dog guesses which moment you like the clicker will tell him they have done the correct thing or not. Here are some of the things that you should not do during the potty training process. If you are going on a long tour leave your puppy with a trained pet sitter. French bulldog puppy potty training is a slow and steady process do not try too many things at one time. Your puppy will not learn anything if he is confused about too many options. Never physically punish your French bulldog puppy. Your puppy will also show aggressiveness if you punish them physically. How hard is it to potty train a French bulldog puppy? French bulldog puppies are not the hardest to train they are not the easiest to train either. How long can a French bulldog hold its pee? By training your dog you will be able to learn what normal pee for your dog is and what is excessive. A young healthy adult French bulldog can hold its pee for hours. A young French bulldog puppy can hold its pee for hours. If your dog pee more often than that then it should be because of any medical issue either your dog is suffering from any kidney infection, liver disease or they are diabetic. If you found any of these signs you need to pay a visit to your vet. How long does it take to potty train a French bulldog? French bulldogs are not the fastest learner, they are not the slowest either. Some French bulldog puppies take up to 8 months to potty train. This can be frustrating for you but you have to keep your calm and stay persistent through the whole process. How often do French bulldog poop? When you bring a French bulldog home it may come into your mind that how many times it will you do then. If you have a French bulldog puppy, he will pass frequent stools sometimes five a day, it depends on the diet of your puppy. If a puppy eats a lot it will have more stools. How do I get my French bulldog to poop outside? If you can understand the psychology of your dog then it will be far easier to take your French bulldog to poop outside. Your dog can learn to hold their stool for a long time so they can spend some more outdoor time with you. If you bring your dog inside early then in this case they will end up passing the stool inside your house which is a bad habit. At some point when you are not home on potty times then it must be a good idea to put your French bulldog in a confined area, keep sure that area should be large enough so they can move in easily. You can also put your dog in a crate and also in a blocked area where you want them to poop. The French bulldog is a clean breed they will not spoil the area where they spend their night. If your French bulldog passes a load inside your house then you must clean that area take that poop in a bag and take it to the outside yard area where you want them to go next. Your dog nose will get used to the smell in that particular area and your dog will have the instinct to go to the bathroom at that place in the yard. What age should a French bulldog be potty trained? French bull bugs should be potty trained at any time in their life; it depends on you at what age you take your dog inside your home and started potty training. For instance, if you have a French bulldog puppy you can start his potty training at the age between weeks. If you start training at the early stages of their life then there are more chances of accidents happening because they have a smaller bladder at that time. To start potty training at a proper age and with proper tools and be patient during the procedure. If you have brought an adult French bull at your home start training from day one because for a senior dog there is no age limit to be potty trained. The good news is that senior dogs are easier to potty train than puppies especially if you use a crate. Conclusion Your French bulldog will bring you years of joy and friendship to everyone in your home. Of course, you need to pass the initial potty training period, and these tips and equipment will help you to speed up the process! Frenchies are highly intelligent and they enjoy being clean. This means that they are less likely to get into an accident by just training them like other breeds. If you and your Frenchie have a strong level of respect and confidence, this can go a long way, and the process will be faster and easier than you could imagine. French bulldog potty training can be achieved by promoting good behavior, setting procedures and rewards that can reduce the number of accidents that will occur on your brand new rug. Just be patient with your French bulldog and in no time at all, you will know how to potty train him and get the results you want. Do you have to clean French bulldogs wrinkles? Disclaimer : FrenchieBuddy.

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16 german shepherd puppies - Share Tweet As a new dog owner, you certainly want to turn your home into a pet-friendly space to make your dog safe and comfy. Are stairs bad for French bulldogs might be one of the most common questions you would like to reveal. Are stairs bad for French bulldogs? If you live in a home full of stairs, your Frenchie might find it difficult to climb them multiple times a day. Frenchie puppies are on a higher tendency to develop injuries, so the best way to prevent them from falling is to restrict them to use stairs. Our suggestion is to install a sort of gate that will make your dog unable to reach them. As your puppy grows and becomes more skillful, you can gradually teach him to safely use the stairs. Unfortunately, some pooches will never be able to climb the stairs without showing certain difficulties. French bulldogs with hip dysplasia and other skeletal deformities will always need mechanical support to perform daily activities. When are stairs bad for French bulldogs? The best safety tips Improve visibility and supervise your dog If you live with a senior French bulldog , then you should light up the stairs with a night lamp to make them safer for usage. Senior pooches often deal with mobility issues due to the loss of cartilage in joints. A dog who deals with pains during using stairs will whine, pace, and show strange signs of body language. Put non-slipping covering By adding a non-slipping surface such as carpets and other types of flooring covers onto the wooden stairs will prevent your dog from falling. Pay special attention during winter Dog owners often forget about keeping their dogs safe in the winter. Even though our pets have claws, they need extra support to improve traction on icy surfaces. Therefore, besides using a pet-friendly ice melt on your outdoor stairs, we recommend you buying high-quality French bulldog boots with a non-slipping surface. Install a dog ramp If your Frenchies shows mobility issues, then you should start considering to install a dog ramp. They are especially suitable for senior dogs who need support. If your pet shows any sign of discomfort and feels frightened, we suggest you leaving snacks on the ramp to encourage him. What type of dog ramp to choose for my Frenchie? A dog ramp should also be high enough to reach stairs properly, otherwise, there may be a possibility of getting an injury. Whatever ramp you choose, just make sure you teach your dog how to use it. You might need to invest some time and energy to make him relaxed and confident which is the most important thing to keep in mind. Post navigation. When choosing to add a dog to your family, you must consider the breed's common traits, common health issues, your lifestyle, and your home. While French Bulldogs are trendy, they also have many special needs and are not right for every family. One consideration should be the number of stairs in your home or leading to your home, that your potential French Bulldog would have to climb. Though this beloved breed is notorious for having serious health issues, they are generally small and not heavy. Could you carry your Frenchie up and the down the stairs multiple times a day? Or were you hoping they would be able to navigate the stairs themselves? So, can French bulldogs climb stairs? Yes, they can. Most of them can easily go upstairs, but struggle to go downstairs. Younger French bulldogs generally have an easier time climbing stairs than senior Frenchies. Unfortunately, French bulldogs are prone to several health issues that stairs may inflict or worsen. What makes stairs difficult for French Bulldogs? According to Dr. Some of the health issues they are predisposed to impact their ability to go up and down the stairs. If their joints are impacted, their physical ability to go up and down the stairs is limited. These conditions can make their joints painful, and navigating the stairs can worsen them: According to VCA Hospitals , Patellar luxation occurs when a dog's knee cap dislocates. If your Frenchie has experienced any knee issues, using the stairs can cause the issue to reoccur, or just be painful to perform. Surgical intervention may be required for this condition. As such, if your Frenchie has knee problems, it is recommended that he be carried up and down the stairs to prevent future injuries. According to French Bulldog Owner , Hip dysplasia occurs when a Frenchie's hip joint and thigh displace. Although this is most often seen in large breed dogs, Frenchies have been known to suffer from it. The ability to use their hips is crucial to being able to navigate the stairs. According to CannaPet , Hemivertebrae causes a Frenchie's spine to be misaligned as a result of fused or abnormally shaped vertebrae. If his back hurts, a Frenchie will struggle with the stairs. This condition usually does not impact the French Bulldog's ability to live their best life; it often goes untreated. However, some dogs require surgical intervention. According to FrenchieWiki , Intervertebral Disc Disease is a painful condition caused by the spinal discs between the spinal vertebrae bulging or herniating into spinal cord space. This condition can be caused by forceful jumping and landing; making the stairs a possible trigger for the condition. Frenchies who are already afflicted should not navigate the stairs. Degenerative Myelopathy is luckily rarely seen in French Bulldogs. However, it is a serious condition and Frenchies have been diagnosed with it. It is a progressive disease that impacts the spinal cord and causes the loss of coordination in the hind legs, difficulty standing, and buckling legs. This disease can act quickly; most patients become paralyzed within six months to one year of diagnosis. These patients should not navigate stairs. If their vision is affected, they will have trouble seeing where to put their paws, and they may fall down the stairs as they try to climb them: Distichiasis occurs when a Frenchie's eyelashes grow in an abnormal direction or location. Distichiasis causes patients to blink and squint; the inability to keep eyes open can lead to falling down the stairs. Left untreated, this condition leads to blindness. Dogs with any vision difficulties should be carried up and down the stairs, as their vision loss can cause them to fall and be injured. This condition is hereditary. Cataracts are clouds on the eye's lens. This is most often seen in senior Frenchies, but dogs of any age may develop them. The main result of cataracts is vision impairment, especially in dim areas. Your Frenchie will most likely ask you for assistance to get up and down the stairs if they are afflicted with this condition. The good news is that cataract surgery has a ninety percent success rate. What factors impact are French Bulldogs being able to climb stairs? There are several factors that impact their ability to climb stairs, such as: 1. Health You may think that the biggest factor would be age; after all, stairs are no friend to senior dogs suffering from arthritis. In fact, age is the second biggest factor. The first is the French Bulldog's health. A French Bulldog of any age will struggle with stairs if they have serious medical conditions that impact their joints, back, and vision. These three physical abilities are needed to successfully navigate the stairs. Joint and vision health problems that French Bulldogs are prone to include: Intervertebral Disc Disease, hip dysplasia, Hemivertebrae, Degenerative Myelopathy, Patellar luxation, Distichiasis, and Cataracts. Age Senior French Bulldogs are most likely to suffer from the joint issues common to the breed, and they are most likely to have arthritis, which makes the mobility needed to navigate stairs difficult. Life Experience A French Bulldog's life experience will color how they view the stairs. A Frenchie who was abused may have been thrown down the stairs; a Frenchie rescued from a puppy mill may never have experienced stairs, or perhaps he may have fallen down the stairs like a puppy. Any negative experience Frenchie associates with the stairs will cause him to be frightened of them. With patience and positive reinforcement training, your rescue Frenchie will be climbing the stairs in no time if their health permits. A rescued adult French Bulldog had a totally different life before they became a part of your family. Keep that in mind and have patience with them as they adjust to their new status of royalty. How can you train your French Bulldog to climb stairs safely? As you follow their instructions to train your French Bulldog, keep the following in mind: These little bat-eared angels are prone to tracheal collapse and heat stroke, so be sure to use caution when using a collar to apply pressure as demonstrated in the video and be sure to train your French Bulldog inside your home when the weather is hot. If your French Bulldog is very frightened of the stairs, you will need patience. Choose a time to begin training when you are calm to avoid becoming frustrated, which may frighten him further. Always choose a small flight of stairs to begin training on; the higher the staircase, the greater the chance of injury. Keep the sessions short and sweet; once your Frenchie has successfully climbed the stairs without your intervention a few times, end the session on a positive note with lots of attention and a few treats. Practice a few times a week until your Frenchie totally understands the drill. How can you make your stairs safe for your French Bulldog? A significant part of your French Bulldog's ability to climb stairs will be their confidence. There are a few things you can do to help the stairs be less threatening, such as: If your stairs are not carpeted, your French Bulldog may not like going up and down them because they do not feel comfortable with the slippery surface they must climb. Purchase stair treads and or treaded socks to give them some traction. Sit on the bottom step of the stair case in your home and invite your French Bulldog to sit with you there to be petted. Encourage any guests visiting your home to do the same. This will help him associate the stairs with something positive that he loves; attention. Leave your Frenchie's favorite toy or snack on the third or fourth step from the bottom. He will be motivated to practice using the stairs to get to this prize. Summary While your puppy may initially have no problems climbing up and down the stairs, as they grow older, they may develop health issues that seriously impede, or totally prevent, their ability to navigate stairs independently. If you live in a house with lots of stairs, or many flights of stairs leading to your home without an elevator and will not be able to carry your French Bulldog up and downstairs, this may not be the best breed for you. If you still want a Frenchie, perhaps consider moving to a one-level home, or relocating to a ground-level apartment. Shannon Cutts As a freelance pet writer and blogger, Shannon is passionate about crafting knowledge-based, science-supported articles that foster healthy bonds of love and respect between people and animals. But her first and very most important job is as a dog auntie and cockatiel, tortoise, and box turtle mama. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to this site. Overweight Less mobile To know whether your dog could struggle, you need to understand what makes the stairs difficult for some animals, and what common problems affect mobility in French Bulldogs in particular. There are a few reasons why stairs can be an intimidating obstacle for any dog. Going Downstairs Is Harder Than Going Upstairs You might notice a difference between your Frenchie trying to go down the stairs as opposed to climbing up them. Although you might think of climbing as harder, most dogs actually find it much more difficult to go down the stairs. On the way down though, they practically have to fall forwards and catch themselves with every step. For Frenchies, this is even more tricky, because of their tiny little legs! It Can Be Scary Instinctively, dogs sometimes view a staircase as if it were a cliff. If anxiety is the problem, you can help your dog to overcome it by giving them a bit of guidance and taking things slowly one step at a time! Start with a smaller set of steps and show your dog it is safe by going down yourself first. Then, you need to reassure your Frenchie, but let them have a go at their own pace. When they do make it, give them lots of praise and affection for being so brave. They May Have Had Bad Experiences Unfortunately, some dogs will have made mistakes on the stairs or had an unfortunate fall of some kind in the past. This can really add to their anxieties, and will certainly make it more intimidating to try again. It Takes a Lot of Effort One of the biggest reasons why French Bulldogs struggle, in particular, is that they are pretty small dogs, and they are not often very agile. It takes a lot of energy and flexibility to climb a bunch of stairs, which is pretty off-putting. How often do you choose the elevator when you have the chance? Of course, any mobility problems can make the whole ordeal significantly harder, if not impossible for some Frenchies. Health issues are, unfortunately, very common among French Bulldogs and some of them can really affect how easily they might be able to climb up or down a set of stairs. Hip Dysplasia Hip Dysplasia is a pretty common issue for Frenchies, and it can be very painful. This leads to arthritis, pain, and a lack of mobility in their legs. It basically occurs when there are malformations of the structure inside the leg which means that the patella a bone inside the knee joint pops in and out of place. Luxating patellas can wear down the ligaments over time and it often leads to a bow-legged stance, making it difficult for a Frenchie to perform complex movements like climbing the stairs. It causes the discs in the spine to slowly harden and reduces the amount of natural cushioning that they should have. It can cause a lot of pain and reduces flexibility and mobility. It causes pain and lessens mobility, and it is often worsened by strenuous exercise or additional stress like climbing stairs! If your Frenchie seems to be struggling with their mobility, then you should consult with a vet as soon as possible. There may be medications, physical therapies, or surgeries that could help them to get moving more easily again. Of course, you could do the heavy lifting yourself and carry your Frenchie up and down the stairs, but that can be a bit dangerous! So, can French Bulldogs go up and down stairs? Mostly yes, Frenchies are generally able to handle a staircase while they are still young and fit. It does take a lot of effort, though, and they can be hesitant to use them for all kinds of reasons. Smaller Frenchies, senior dogs, or those with mobility issues may not be able to tackle stairs at all. However, despite their popularity, they are prone to a wide range of health issues. Many of these issues can be triggered or made worse by jumping from higher surfaces too. As a result, more and more French Bulldog owners are introducing their pups to dog ramps in order to provide them with an impact-free way of getting on and off furniture. Why is it bad for French Bulldogs to jump on and off furniture? In addition to being a brachycephalic short-nosed breed, French Bulldogs are also a chondrodystrophic breed. These are dogs with short legs in comparison to the size or length of their bodies, which makes them have a higher risk of developing back and limb issues. As well, although French Bulldogs tend to have muscular bodies, they only reach heights of inches at the shoulder - making them shorter than nearly all couches and beds. Therefore, the impact from jumping off furniture can put a great deal of stress on their backs and joints and even aggravate spinal and joint conditions. If your French Bulldog likes spending time on your couch or bed, indoor dog ramps can give your pup an easier and safer way of enjoying his or her favorite hangout spots. This French Bulldog's owners chose to introduce their pup to a ramp in order to protect his joints. They shared: "We knew jumping on and off the couch would be really bad for their back and joints. It probably took a minute for him to start using it and now he has one for our bed as well. Thank you so much for making the ramps. I wish we could have them when we had our dachshunds many years ago. Like humans, dogs have intervertebral discs between each pair of vertebrae on their spine. These discs function as cushions and shock absorbers for the neck and back. IVDD occurs when the outer layers of these discs begin to harden prematurely. This makes it easier for a disc to bulge or burst after experiencing a harder impact or injury from a simple everyday activity, such jumping off furniture or wrestling. Following an emergency surgery to treat a herniated disc, Winston the Frenchie had to remain on crate rest for a minimum of 3 weeks. His paw-rents had to use a sling to support his body so that he could eat his meals. However, dog ramps can provide French Bulldogs with an impact-free means of accessing couches, beds, and other pieces of furniture. Karl the Frenchie thejaxkarlandkevinshow experienced a ruptured disc in his neck in early due to IVDD. After undergoing cervical spine surgery to correct the disc, Karl has made an incredible recovery. However, he now strictly uses his DoggoRamps to access the couch and bed. This helps him reduce the amount of stress he places on his back on a daily basis and can help decrease the chances of another disc flaring up. In , the 4-year-old Frenchie was not only diagnosed with IVDD but underwent two spinal surgeries due to the condition. It all started near the end of April when Winston showed a sudden change in behavior and no longer had interest in his favorite routines. He quickly started displaying signs of discomfort and experienced trouble holding himself up with his front legs. An MRI confirmed that Winston had a herniated disc in his cervical spine. He was immediately admitted for an emergency back surgery and had a very successful recovery. Winston the day after his first surgery. In order to operate on his cervical spine, his veterinary team had to make an incision along the upper part of his chest. Unfortunately, just a handful of months later, he experienced another disc extrusion - this time in his lumbar spine, where he lost function in his back legs. After undergoing yet another spinal surgery, weeks of rest, and physical rehabilitation, Winston is in the process of making another amazing recovery. He has regained control of his hind legs and is back to enjoying his daily walks outdoors. On top of taking a handful of additional precautions to reduce the chances of future episodes, such as prioritizing gentle play and avoiding stairs, Winston uses his DoggoRamps Couch Ramp to easily and safely enjoy his favorite hangout spots. Dogs with patellar luxation can usually be seen limping, skipping, or kicking while walking in order to snap their kneecaps back into place. Patellar luxation has varying levels of severity and even in its mildest form, it can cause dogs some discomfort and pain. The impact experienced from jumping off furniture can further exacerbate the condition as well. Introducing dogs with Patellar Luxation to ramps can help them reduce how much strain they put on their knees and help them enjoy a higher quality of life. While Hip Dysplasia is usually associated with large breeds, such as German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers, Frenchies are prone to the condition as well. Rather than sliding smoothly, the ball and socket that make up the hip joint rub and grind causing the joint to deteriorate over time. The condition can cause dogs to experience discomfort, pain, decreased mobility, and lameness in their hind legs. Non-genetic factors can lead to the development of Hip Dysplasia too, such as excessive growth, certain types of exercise, injury, and improper nutrition. As an impact-free alternative to jumping on and off furniture, using dog ramps can help French Bulldogs decrease the amount of stress they put on their hip joints over time and allow Frenchies to easily and comfortably enjoy their home environments. After Hank got the hang of using his DoggoRamps Couch Ramp , thewindycityfrenchie's paw-rent wrote: "the ramp helps his joints and alleviates so much pain that he was getting from jumping. If you find yourself choosing between a dog ramp or pet stairs for your French Bulldog, a dog ramp will always be the better choice. This is less than ideal for breeds prone to back and joint issues as these impacts still put additional strain on their joints and spine. A dog ramp is the only solution that is entirely impact-free. Rocko's paw-rents introduced him to a ramp after the pup decided he had the potential to become the "Olympic champion of jumping off [their] high standing bed". They initially tried to get Rocko to use plastic steps, but he refused. When providing their feedback about the DoggoRamps Small Bed Ramp , his owners emphasized: "This ramp was a complete God send for keeping my pup healthy and safe. Bred as companion dogs, Frenchies love attention, cuddling, napping, and spending time with their owners. Dog ramps can provide them with the opportunity to easily and safely enjoy some of their favourite activities, such as snuggling up with their human on the couch or bed. As free-spirited dogs with outgoing personalities, many French Bulldogs are also known for getting bursts of energy where they often end up running and goofing around. Even though French Bulldogs are rather short, they have a muscular build and can weigh up to 30lbs. DoggoRamps allow French Bulldogs remain comfortable and safe while use a dog ramp. Low-Incline Design and Extra Wide Platforms All of our full ramps have a low-incline design and provide dogs with a more gradual slope to navigate when walking up and down. Reversible and Removable Safety Rails on Taller Dog Ramps DoggoRamps Bed Ramps feature a wide range of adjustable height settings so that they can work with virtually any bed - including tall beds. As a result, both bed ramps come with reversible and removable safety railings. These railings help block any jumping shortcuts off the ramp and guide dogs up and down the full length of the ramp. This extra feature is particularly important for shorter dogs using bed ramps, such as French Bulldogs, as the impact from jumping a distance times their height can put unnecessary strain on their bodies. They shared: "We've previously bought pet stairs for our French Bulldog puppy, Mochi, but felt that the stairs were not durable and stable. His paws would sink into the foam because of his weight. We decided to switch to a bed ramp instead because it is more secure especially with the safety rails and the soft, rubbery anti-slip surface. Also, it is adjustable to the height of our bed and the low incline design allows him to walk safely up to our bed as opposed to before when he would run up the stairs. To learn more about choosing a DoggoRamp for your French Bulldog, check out:. Reduced appetite and activity level Loss of bladder or bowel control Paralysis Treatment of IVDD in Frenchie dogs When you get to the vet, they will conduct a series of examinations. These will include x-rays, a neurological exam, CT scan or MRI in order to locate the source of the spinal injury. If the diagnosis reveals mild to average injuries, treatment may include the administration of anti-inflammatory medications. This is to reduce swelling and pain; your Frenchie will also have to be in confined rest for 4 to 6 weeks or more. If the diagnosis reveals a more severe case, you Frenchie may have to undergo surgery to open up the space around the spinal cord. Surgery has a higher chance of being successful if it is done within 24 hours of diagnosis and if the dog has not lost the ability to walk. In order to strengthen the muscles after surgery, post-surgical physical rehabilitation is often recommended. If surgery is not successful, a dog wheelchair may be recommended. This can help the dog to have a healthy and active life despite the disease. The fact that they are genetically prone to the disease does not mean they will fall ill. This eliminates extra stress on the neck and back. The ideal body shape for your Frenchie is one where the waist is visible and the ribs can be easily felt. Use a harness instead of a collar: You should only use a harness when walking your French bulldog. The Health Harness is vet approved and made especially for French Bulldogs' emotional and physical needs. Healthy diet: You should feed your Frenchie a high-quality diet that consists of animal protein. Animal protein is the first ingredient to promote lean muscle growth. You can find animal protein in raw meaty bones and raw meat. Kibble supply is artificial calcium supplements and not recommended. Avoid use of stairs and jumping: It is pretty hard to stop a dog from jumping as they like to be active. But you can create a controlled environment where jumping on and off the furniture should be prohibited. You could introduce a ramp or doggie stairs and train your French bulldog to only use that specifically. IVDD is a very serious issue. We Have the Information You Need to provide your Frenchie a long and healthy life When it comes to all round care of your Frenchie, we have all the information you need. Signing up to our Frenchie Blog will grant you a front row seat to all you need to know in order to take the best possible care of your furry friend. Leave a comment. Pin 0 Shares We have a nightly routine with our Frenchie. At around 8pm every night we let him come upstairs with us so he can watch TV on the bed with my wife and me. But, how easy does he find it climbing stairs, both up and down? Can French Bulldogs climb stairs? Yes, French Bulldogs can go up and down stairs, however some smaller Frenchies might find it a struggle, and there is a slight risk that it could lead to hip dysplasia or patellar luxation in older dogs. Going downstairs is trickier for them based on our personal experience. In my guide below you can find out whether stairs are bad for French Bulldogs, watch a video of our Frenchie using the stairs, and get some training tips. Can French bulldogs go up and down stairs by themselves? With Claude, our own Frenchie, he has never had any problems climbing stairs and was doing it himself from the age of around 5 months. In fact, you can see a video of him going up and down the stairs in our house that I shot on my iPhone below in more recent times. You will notice that our Frenchie has no problems climbing stairs at all. He has to climb stairs on a daily basis, because we live in a split-level home on a hill, and the only way to get into our kitchen after a walk is to climb some stairs up to the first floor of our home. Notice how he exhibits some swaying and shifting of weight on his hind legs and bottom a lot of the time I will carry him back down. However, our own personal experiences should not be viewed as a general answer, as not all Frenchies are the same. She was scared about climbing the stairs in our house and she had to be carried up and down. Are stairs bad for French Bulldogs? What could the risks be for a Frenchie climbing stairs? Are they bad for their health? In my personal opinion, as your Frenchie gets older, he might become prone to health problems concerning his spine, hips, and kneecaps. These health issues could become exacerbated by stair climbing. Your Frenchie could also tip and fall when coming down the steps. One of our Frenchie friends tried to start climbing the stairs at just 14 weeks. The French Bulldog breed is notorious for having extensive health problems you can read them all here , and stair climbing could end up making the following issues worse: Hip dysplasia: this is a canine genetic condition which commonly occurs in older Frenchies. It happens when a displacement occurs between the hip joint and thigh and will lead to walking difficulties and pain. Patellar luxation: this is the medical name for a kneecap dislocation and is another common health issues in French Bulldogs. It can occur due to knee trauma, as degenerative arthritis, or due to a genetic malformation. It is an age-related condition in most cases, but can still occur in younger dogs, in particular the French Bulldog breed. My advice to any French Bulldog owner, or someone considering buying a puppy for a home where you have lots of flights of stairs is to think very carefully. For example, if you live in a high-rise block of flats and apartments where your Frenchie will need to climb up and down numerous stairs on a daily basis, this might not be the right dog for you. But we are going to keep an eye on him as he gets older and will be checking for any warning signals of the health issues I highlighted above. Coming down stairs is harder for a French Bulldog As you saw in my video, Claude found it far easier to climb up our stairs than coming back down. With those short legs, muscular shoulders and chests, a Frenchie will be a little unbalanced when coming down stairs at an angle — it could lead to them falling. Handy hint: When Claude is going down stairs without being carried, I will always place my palm over the back half of his body just as precautionary measure in case he topples forward. Having spoken to other Frenchie owners they have said the same; going up is easier than going down. Based on that, I would take it easy, and recommend that you carry your French Bulldogs down the stairs if they are on a steep incline. What can you expect? We actually have to carry her down the staircase in the house. I have no idea why? Compare that to our other Frenchie puppy we had first, and he had no problems going up at down them t 8 weeks old. Our Frenchie was happy to go upstairs with no problem, but we have steep stairs so was very reluctant to go back down again. I would recommend having one person in front, and one person behind your Frenchie if possible. When Claude was 10 weeks old he was too young to start stairs climbing. I would recommend waiting until they are around 5 months. For dogs who are really anxious, it might be small steps with just a few each day until he gets braver. Clear the steps of any obstacles Your Frenchie could fall, so make it as easy as possible for him by making sure there is nothing on the steps that he could trip over. A fall or stumble could create a mental block with the dog, making it even harder to get them to navigate stairs in the future. Use treats as a reward Place some tasty doggy snacks on every other step. That gives your dog a reward for climbing the stairs and makes them work a little bit harder to get the next treat. Use positive reinforcement Positive reinforcement is a great way to train your Frenchie to use the stairs and revolves around using nothing but praise and encouragement. By rewarding your Frenchie with praise when he tries to climb the stairs it can lead to long-lasting results. What other owners say about step training Here are some more comments from other people who successfully trained their Frenchies to use the stairs in their house. We gave him one each time he got closer to the stairs. Then really encouraged him with lots of positive reinforcement when he would get close to doing it, and after that he just went for it. He was initially terrified, but I spoke to him and an encouraging tone of voice and praised him with every step. I tried to make it sound like I was having so much fun doing it myself. Now I have to tell him to slow down because he takes them so fast! It was the coming back down the stairs which presented a problem. He would stay at the top of the stairs whining until I picked him up and carried him down. This lasted for about 6 months, until I got him trained using treats and some positive reinforcement. Conclusion As you can see from my video and comments from Frenchie owners on Facebook, no one dog is the same. You might be lucky and have a French Bulldog who loves to climb stairs with no issues, you might have one who can only go up and not come down, or you might get one who point blank refuses. Each Frenchie will have his or her own character. This has to be due to the weight distribution in their body, and you can see that in the video I placed higher up the page. With the health concerns I outlined, these are things that you should think about as your Frenchie gets older and have regular health checks with the vet. The general consensus seems to be that if you do have a problem encouraging them, most of the time it will be with the coming down the stairs rather than going up.