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Preparing for your French Bulldog puppy Here is the list of things you must have before your puppy comes home: The food that I start my puppies on occasionally changes as I search for the very best products. At this time my highest recommendation is to feed a raw meat diet which consists of muscle meats, bone, organ, vegetables, and supplements to ensure your new family members berst health and longevity. You fill find these in the freezer sections of boutique pet stores. You are welcome to supplement with kibble for those times when the food is not defrosted in time, for travel, and other unforeseeable circumstances. Goat milk kefir or yogurt not cows milk! I wean my puppies onto water by 8 weeks old, however I do recommend to have a quart on hand during the transition period just in case. If not used, it can be frozen for later use or your can drink it yourself. Its very easy to digest and puppies absolutely love it! Instead choose freeze dried raw meat treats. These can be ordered online through chewy. Enzymatic cleaner for tidying up potty accidents. Regular bowls work fine but if you would like to go the extra mile there are special bowls designed specifically for brachycephalic breeds which helps slow down eating and therefore swallowing less gas and creating less gas and less chances for over eating and then throwing up those can be purchased online. Raised bowls are an extra plus! Spending all that time bent over a bowl can be painful on the joints. A raised bowl will keep proper body conformation and promote correct position of joints. Choose durable toys and generally stay away from plushies as these can be easily torn apart and the fluff inside is easy to choke on. Edible chews are okay too, just no bleached rawhide as this is toxic. They make both a vitamin-mineral wafer as well as a joint support wafer. I recommend both. Please use my breeders code for a discount on your order: nuvet. Making food available during specific intervals during the day will make bowel movements more predictable, because they typically poop within 20 minutes after eating. You can start to take away food earlier each evening to have less bowel movements over night. If feeding kibble, I highly recommend taking a moment to boil and mash some carrots. This will help to keep their digestive system settled during the stressful transition between homes. If you choose to add any additional supplements, just follow the packaging instructions. If your puppy eats all of it and seems to still be hungry, mix them another portion. There is no need to measure or count calories at this point. Growing puppies need a lot of energy, just like growing children. I will always and forever recommend only raw unprocessed diets for this breed. If this is the case I highly recommend adding canned food from the same brand. I mix this thoroughly until there are no chunks left and the mixture is uniform otherwise they will pick out the chunks and leave the kibble behind. Try not to mix other cooked meat into your kibble otherwise your puppy will never eat kibble without meat. If you are okay with cooking daily for your puppy, then by all means add cooked meat and vegetables into their kibble. Please do not feed beef or chicken based products. If you elect to feed cooked meat, choose organic turkey only at this young age. I always have clean water available day and night. If your puppy is experiencing separation anxiety and not wanting to eat then you can offer goats milk kefir or yogurt as well as egg yolks. Goats milk kefir and egg yolks are hard for puppies to resist and it will provide both hydration and calories. Your French Bulldog puppy should be kept on the diet they were started on for a few months, as changes from what they are used to can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. I am enthusiastically happy to share any resources and guide you on a diet change to raw meat feeding: French Bulldog Puppy Hygiene Your puppy does not need to be bathed unless visibly dirty. DO NOT allow water to enter the ears! Frenchie ears are erect and open, so its easy to water to get in. In addition to this, ears are dark and warm perfect for bacteria or fungus. Dry the ears thoroughly after each bath and walks in the rain and avoid allowing water near the head in general. For cleaning the ears on a regular basis weekly or more frequently I like to use cotton pads soaked in a specifically formulated cleaning solution called Ph Notix. The Ph Notix does an excellent job of melting the ear wax for an easy wipe away. Though, coconut oil, colloidal silver, and any vet prescribed ear cleaner can be used as well. Clip nails monthly at a minimum. The more frequently nails are clipped, the shorter they will become. Same applies to their tail pocket. Puppies don't typically have tail pockets, but as they matures this feature can develop. The most important step is to very thoroughly dry your puppy whenever they are wet! I check this area with each bath, and completely dry the paws especially in between the toes after each bath and each time they get wet. If you notice redness between the toes, then it is likely yeast. I personally do not brush the teeth of my dogs, and have never had a dental issue. Providing large raw real bones for chewing will naturally clean the teeth and this is something that I give all of my dogs. However if you are keen on doing so, daily brushing will provide additional protection to your dogs teeth. There are special savory flavored tooth pastes just for dogs available to make this task more enjoyable for your puppy. As a preventative measure you can also add a specially formulated probiotic into their water to support dental health called TEEF. I administer these vaccines at home in a single dose containing all five strains of virus. I use the brand name Duramune Max and I special order these to be delivered to be via one-day-air on ice to ensure their viability. This initial dose is given once your Frenchie turns at least 7 weeks old. Please wait a minimum of 3 weeks to give the next booster vaccines. This is very important, I do not recommend the leptospirosis vaccine due to a high rate of adverse reactions. It is not necessary unless your French Bulldog puppy will be in frequent contact with wildlife or livestock and you live in an area where leptsospirosis is rampent. Bordetella can be given at 10 weeks old and rabies can be given once your puppy is a minimum of 3 months old. I also give my adult French Bulldogs a booster of Bordetella kennel cough as well as canine influenza vaccine once each flu season. Deworming Simply due to the nature of puppies, I recommend you submit a fecal sample during your initial vet visit. I deworm the entire litter multiple times before coming home to you. But please understand that puppies are messy creatures. Puppies also put absolutely everything in their mouths including each others paws. So please understand its likely that you may need to continue one last treatment of dewormer when your puppy comes home, even if they are having solid poops. All of my mamma dogs are dewormed before and after having their litters as well to reduce exposure to internal parasites. Additionally I deworm all of my adult dogs twice yearly with a combination of metronidazole and fenbendazole, or drontal plus. Certain parasites like giardia are extremely difficult to eradicate in our cool and wet climate. Giardia will live in the soil and water and can be spread through wild animals coming through your yard as well. Adult dogs with strong immune systems will develop antibodies to giardia and will have no symptoms. Puppies who test positive for giarida may or may not have symptoms. I personally have never had a flea or tick problem with any of my dogs in all my years of breeding and I choose not to treat my pets with pesticides. Pesticides are teratogenic and can cause birth defects as well as neurologic disorders such as seizures. Personally I would only consider one dose of oral NexGuard during the hottest month of Summer when these parasites are most active in my geological area. Each individual dog and household must weight the risks and benefits to use or not to use pesticides based on their personal circumstances and geological area. I understand you might live in an area with a known problem with these external parasites or might be living on a farm where it will be necessary to keep them under control. There are many different kinds of medications that can be used but they treat different things, some are applied topically, some given orally, some work for one month and others up to 8 months, and some medications will also treat internal parasites in addition to external. For puppies under six months old the oral medication NexGaurd can be given for fleas and ticks, as well as off-label for mites. A third kind of treatment is a Seresto collar which is a collar made from a special material that is filled with medication that is slowly released and absorbed by your dog. My brother who lives on a farm finds favor with this method and it can be used as early as 7 weeks of age. Ridgefield, Washington. Minimal exercise needs and a low barking tendency make her perfect for apartment living. The French Bulldog descended from the English Bulldog in the s when it was translocated to France. The breed has flourished as an adored companion ever since. The Frenchie is known for its bat-like ears and short, wrinkled nose. She tends to have a curious and gentle nature and is notorious for being the class clown. She will often have sporadic bouts of energy followed by prolonged periods of resting. The French Bulldog is a generally healthy breed with an average lifespan of years. That is why we have summarized the health concerns we will be discussing with you over the life of your French Bulldog. By knowing about health concerns specific to French Bulldogs, we can tailor a preventive health plan to watch for and hopefully prevent some predictable risks. That does not mean your dog will have these problems; it just means that she is more at risk than other dogs. We will describe the most common issues seen in French Bulldogs to give you an idea of what may come up in her future. This guide contains general health information important to all canines as well as the most important genetic predispositions for French Bulldogs. At the end of the article, we have also included a description of what you can do at home to keep your Frenchie looking and feeling her best. And unfortunately, your French Bulldog is more likely than other dogs to have problems with her teeth. It starts with tartar build-up on the teeth and progresses to infection of the gums and roots of the teeth. Infections French Bulldogs are susceptible to bacterial and viral infections — the same ones that all dogs can get — such as parvo, rabies, and distemper. Many of these infections are preventable through vaccination , which we will recommend based on the diseases we see in our area, her age, and other factors. Obesity Obesity can be a significant health problem in French Bulldogs. It is a serious disease that may cause or worsen joint problems, metabolic and digestive disorders, back pain and heart disease. Instead, give her a hug, brush her fur or teeth, play a game with her, or perhaps take her for a walk. Everything from fleas and ticks to ear mites can infest her skin and ears. Hookworms, roundworms, heartworms , and whipworms can get into her system in a number of ways: drinking unclean water, walking on contaminated soil, or being bitten by an infected mosquito. Some of these parasites can be transmitted to you or a family member and are a serious concern for everyone. Vida Veterinary Care will also recommend preventive medication as necessary to keep her healthy. Spay or Neuter One of the best things you can do for your French Bulldog is to have her spayed neutered for males. In females, this means we surgically remove the ovaries and usually the uterus, and in males, it means we surgically remove the testicles. Spaying or neutering decreases the likelihood of certain types of cancers and eliminates the possibility of your pet becoming pregnant or fathering unwanted puppies. Performing this surgery also gives us a chance, while your pet is under anesthesia, to identify and address some of the diseases your dog is likely to develop. For example, if your pet needs hip X-rays or a puppy tooth extracted, this would be a good time. This is convenient for you and easy for your friend. Routine blood testing prior to surgery also helps us to identify and take precautions for common problems that increase anesthetic or surgical risk. The disease is caused when the jelly-like cushion between one or more vertebrae slips or ruptures, causing the disc to press on the spinal cord. If your dog is suddenly unable or unwilling to jump up, go up stairs, is reluctant to move around, has a hunched back, cries out, or refuses to eat or go potty, he is likely in severe pain. He may even drag his back feet or be suddenly paralyzed and unable to get up or use his back legs. Call us or an emergency clinic immediately! For less severe cases, rest and medication may resolve the problem. As with so many other diseases, weight control helps to prevent this problem. Spinal Deformities French Bulldogs are more likely than other canines to be born with spinal deformities a condition called hemivertebrae , which may lead to spinal cord damage, instability, or disability. Inflammatory Bowel Disease Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD is an immune system disorder common in French Bulldogs in which the intestinal lining becomes overrun with immune system cells called lymphocytes and plasmacytes. Chronic vomiting or diarrhea is common or it may flare up suddenly and then improve again for a time. Stress, diet change, or intestinal parasites may make it worse. If your friend has diarrhea or digestive upsets that are not explained by the more common reasons, diagnostic tests, which may include intestinal biopsy, will be needed. Lifetime medications and special diets are usually required to keep this bellyache under control. Unfortunately, French Bulldogs can inherit or develop a number of different eye conditions, some of which may cause blindness if not treated right away, and most of which can be extremely painful! We will evaluate his eyes at every examination to look for any signs of concern. Cataracts are a common cause of blindness in older French Bulldogs. Many dogs adjust well to losing their vision and get along just fine. Surgery to remove cataracts and restore sight may also be an option. Distichiasis is a condition caused by extra hairs that grow inside of the eyelid and rub on the surface of the eye. This is one of the most commonly inherited diseases in dogs, and your French Bulldog is more likely than other dogs to develop this painful condition. If untreated, these abnormal hairs can cause corneal ulcers and chronic eye pain. Several treatment options are available, and the prognosis is good once the hairs have been permanently removed. Entropion is a condition where the eyelid rolls inward, causing the eyelashes to rub against the cornea surface of the eyeball. This is an extremely irritating and painful condition that can ultimately lead to blindness. It can happen in any dog breed; however, your French Bulldog is especially at risk for this heritable disorder. Surgical correction is usually successful if performed early. Because your Frenchie has eyeballs that naturally protrude, he is more vulnerable to eye injuries. Scrapes or punctures to the cornea the protective covering on the eyeball are the most common injuries. Not only do they hurt, they can become infected and affect his vision. Call us at right away if he has any problems with his eyes. A damaged cornea is painful and should be treated immediately. Medication and sometimes surgery is required. Allergies In humans, an allergy to pollen, mold, or dust makes people sneeze and their eyes itch. In dogs, rather than sneeze, allergies make their skin itchy. Commonly, the feet, belly, folds of the skin, and ears are most affected. Symptoms typically start between the ages of one and three and can get worse every year. Licking the paws, rubbing the face, and frequent ear infections are the most common signs. The good news is that there are many treatment options available for this condition. Bleeding Disorders There are several types of inherited bleeding disorders that occur in dogs. They range in severity from very mild to very severe. Many times a pet seems normal until a serious injury occurs or surgery is performed, and then severe bleeding can result. You might notice that he runs along and suddenly picks up a back leg and skips or hops for a few strides. If the problem is mild and involves only one leg, your friend may not require much treatment beyond arthritis medication. When symptoms are severe, surgery may be needed to realign the kneecap to keep it from popping out of place. Hip and Elbow Dysplasia Both hips and elbows are at risk for dysplasia, an inherited disease that causes the joints to develop improperly and results in arthritis. You may notice that he begins to show lameness in his legs or has difficulty getting up from lying down. We can treat the arthritis—the sooner the better—to minimize discomfort and pain. Surgery is sometimes a good option in severe and life-limiting cases. Keep in mind that overweight dogs may develop arthritis years earlier than those of normal weight, causing undue pain and suffering! Respiratory Distress Syndrome This disease, also known as brachycephalic syndrome, affects dogs with a short nose, like your French Bulldog. As a consequence, the soft palate the soft part at the back of the roof of the mouth , is too long and hangs down into the airway. The nostrils are often too small, and sometimes the trachea, or windpipe, is narrow and undersized. All of these things lead to a narrow and obstructed airway. Many of these dogs can barely breathe! Watch for exercise intolerance, loud breathing, coughing, bluish gums, or fainting. With his short nose, he is also more likely to develop other problems, such as flatulence from excessive air intake, pneumonia from aspirating food, or heat stroke. In severe cases, surgical correction may be recommended. Bladder or Kidney Stones There are a few different types of stones that can form in the kidney or in the bladder, and French Bulldogs are more likely to develop them than other breeds. Call us immediately! It affects French Bulldogs more frequently than other breeds. If your dog has this disease, he will become increasingly weak and disabled in the hind legs and will eventually suffer from paralysis in his hindquarters, along with incontinence. Rehabilitation, exercise, acupuncture , and dietary supplements can be helpful, but there is no cure. A genetic test is available to determine whether your dog is at risk for this heritable disease. Mange Demodex is a microscopic mite that lives in the hair follicles of dogs. All dogs have them. In mild cases, pet owners may notice a few dry, irritated, hairless lesions. These often occur on the face or feet and may or may not be itchy. Secondary skin infections may occur. Prompt veterinary care is important to keep the disease from getting out of hand. Many pets seem to outgrow the problem, while others require lifelong management. Skin Infections Your French Bulldog is prone to a form of skin infection called lip-fold pyoderma, which occurs because the folds of skin along the lower jaw are usually moist. Bacteria and yeast can readily gain a foothold and cause a reddened, smelly area that is uncomfortable for your dog. We will examine him for this problem, but let us know if you see signs. When symptoms are severe, the excess skin folds can be surgically removed. Taking Care of Your French Bulldog at Home Much of what you can do to keep your dog happy and healthy is common sense, just like it is for people. Be sure to adhere to the schedule of examinations and vaccinations that we recommend for her. Another very important step in caring for your pet is signing up for pet health insurance. There will certainly be medical tests and procedures she will need throughout her life and pet health insurance will help you cover those costs. Routine Care, Diet, and Exercise Build her routine care into your schedule to help your Frenchie live longer, stay healthier, and be happier during her lifetime. We cannot overemphasize the importance of a proper diet and exercise routine. Supervise your pet as you would a toddler. Keep doors closed, pick up after yourself, and block off rooms as necessary. She has low grooming needs. Brush her coat as needed, at least weekly. Clean her ears weekly, even as a puppy. Check her facial wrinkles and eyes often. Her droopy skin and eyes can collect debris. She is well suited for apartment living; she will need a daily walk and regular inside play. She can be sensitive to warm temperatures; avoid any prolonged exposure and be very alert to the signs of heat stress. Feed a high-quality diet appropriate for her age. What to Watch For Any abnormal symptom could be a sign of serious disease, or it could just be a minor or temporary problem. The important thing is to be able to tell when to seek veterinary help, and how urgently. Many diseases cause dogs to have a characteristic combination of symptoms, which together can be a clear signal that your French Bulldog needs help. A balanced diet, regular exercise, proper grooming, and regular vet check-ups will keep them healthy and happy. French Bulldog care is a delightful experience that brings so much happiness! In this article, we have collected all the most important tips covering the ultimate Frenchie care! Are Frenchies easy to take care of? French Bulldogs, also known as Frenchies, are a popular breed of dogs known for their charming personalities and adorable wrinkled faces. When it comes to taking care of them, Frenchies are relatively low-maintenance dogs. They have a short, smooth coat that requires minimal grooming, and they are not known to be heavy-shedder. They also have a low exercise requirement, making them suitable for apartment living. However, Frenchies are prone to breathing difficulties due to their short snouts, so they may require special attention during hot weather or heavy physical activity. Additionally, they are prone to certain health issues such as skin allergies, hip dysplasia, and eye problems, so regular veterinary check-ups are important. A responsible dog breeder filters these very strictly so that the chances of occurrence can be kept to a minimum. Responsible breeders also help to identify and treat illnesses. Overall, Frenchies can be a great addition to any household with the right amount of care and attention. Frenchies are sensitive to heat French Bulldogs are a brachycephalic breed, meaning they have short snouts, which can make it difficult for them to regulate their body temperature , especially in hot weather. Limit exercise Avoid strenuous exercise during hot weather and opt for early morning or late evening walks instead. Use cooling products Invest in cooling products, such as cooling mats, cooling vests, or fans, to keep your Frenchie comfortable. Avoid overheating Be mindful of signs of overheating, such as heavy panting, red gums, and a lack of energy, and take steps to cool your Frenchie down immediately if you notice these signs. By taking these steps, you can help protect your Frenchie from the dangers of heat and keep them healthy and comfortable during hot weather. Keep your Frenchie fit Keeping a French Bulldog fit and healthy requires a combination of proper diet, exercise, and preventive health care. Here are some tips to help keep your Frenchie in shape: Provide a balanced diet Feed your Frenchie a high-quality, well-balanced diet appropriate for their age, size, and activity level. Avoid overfeeding, as Frenchies are prone to weight gain. Regular exercise Frenchies are a low-energy breed, but they still need regular exercise to maintain their health. Offer daily walks, playtime, and other forms of physical activity to keep them fit. Offer healthy treats in moderation and avoid giving in to those puppy-dog eyes at the dinner table. Provide mental stimulation Frenchies also need mental stimulation to keep them fit. Offer interactive toys, puzzle feeders, and other forms of mental stimulation to keep them mentally and physically fit. First name Email 3. Here are some tips for grooming your Frenchie: Brush regularly Frenchies have a short, smooth coat that requires minimal grooming, but regular brushing can help remove loose hair and prevent shedding. Trim nails Regular nail trims are important to avoid painful cracks or splits. Watch out for common Frenchie health issues French Bulldogs, like all breeds, are prone to certain health issues. A responsible dog breeder will always screen the parent dogs before including them in their breeding program. By doing so, they can largely reduce the chance of passing over genetic diseases that may affect the French Bulldog lifespan. Here are some of the most common health problems seen in Frenchies: Breathing difficulties Frenchies are a brachycephalic breed, which means they have a short snout, and this can lead to breathing difficulties, especially in hot weather or during physical exertion. Loud breathing, snoring, and grunting are completely normal in French bulldogs. You should take your dog to a doctor if it is visibly bothering him. Skin allergies Frenchies are prone to skin allergies, which can cause itching, rashes, and other skin problems. Eye problems Frenchies can develop various eye problems, including cherry eye, dry eye, and cataracts. Hip dysplasia Hip dysplasia is a common genetic problem in many breeds, including Frenchies. It is a congenital abnormality that can cause arthritis and other joint problems. Hip dysplasia is always filtered by responsible breeders, and our puppies get tested too. Intervertebral disk disease Frenchies are also prone to Intervertebral Disk Disease IVDD , which is a condition that affects the disks in the spine and can cause back pain and paralysis. It can be prevented by not letting them jump from high places or climb stairs too much. Gastrointestinal issues Frenchies can also suffer from a variety of gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation, bloat, and megaesophagus. Provide the right diet The right diet for a French Bulldog will depend on its age, size, and activity level, as well as any individual health concerns. Here are some general guidelines to help you choose the right diet for your Frenchie: A high-quality, balanced diet Feed your Frenchie a high-quality, balanced diet that is appropriate for their age, size, and activity level. Consider small, frequent meals Frenchies can also suffer from a variety of gastrointestinal problems, such as bloat and reflux, so consider feeding smaller, more frequent meals to help minimize any digestive issues. Avoid table scraps Table scraps can be high in fat and calories, and can also lead to digestive problems and food intolerance. Instead, stick to a balanced, nutritionally complete diet for your Frenchie. By following these guidelines and working with your veterinarian, you can help ensure that your French Bulldog is getting the proper nutrition to maintain optimal health and well-being. Prevent any ear problems French Bulldogs are prone to ear problems due to their floppy ears, which can trap moisture and bacteria. Be sure to dry their ears thoroughly after each bath or swim to prevent moisture from accumulating. Avoid exposing their ears to water Try to avoid exposing their ears to water, especially during baths and swims. Consider using ear protection, such as ear muffs or earplugs, to keep their ears dry. Ultimate Guide. If yes, you need to be very careful right from the moment you bring it in your home. French bulldog puppies are quite adorable and loving. They need to be handled with a lot of care so that they grow up to be obedient and highly socializing animals. They prove to be loyal companions of their owners and can win their heart with their playful antics and idiosyncrasies. Training It is best when the training starts as soon as the puppy is brought at home. It is important to note that when a puppy is brought home, it is exposed to a cleaner indoor environment and it takes a little while for him to get acclimatized to this new environment. The owners must begin with helping the puppy get well settled in the area that has been prepared for him to laze around and play with his toys. Later, they can take the puppy outside, preferably in the yard or just close to the house. The training sessions must be friendly. Kibble is the best option as your puppy will love to chew on the same. It will also help in removing the tartar building up on the teeth of the puppy. As far as dry or wet food choices are concerned, both are good for your puppy. If your puppy suffers from meat allergy, you can give him fish, an excellent Omega3 source. Grains must not be fed to them as many French Bulldogs are allergic to gluten. Grooming French bulldog puppies have soft and short coat. They do not require a lot of grooming. Also, they must not be given a bath on a regular basis as this can strip their coat of necessary oils. They must be cleaned or washed only when it is needed. Use dog shampoo to wash its coat whenever you take him for his bath. Use good quality conditioner to keep his hair smooth, shiny and silky. Keep his nails trimmed and teeth clean. Following grooming products can make your grooming task easy:. French Bulldog Care How to take care of newborn french bulldog puppies? Most, if not all, owners will let their litter grow for about 9 weeks before finding them their forever home. These initial weeks are very crucial as the newborn puppies initially cannot see, hear, regulate their body temperature, defecate nor urinate on their own. Although the mother keeps her babies warm, you should always check to make sure that she does not accidentally suffocate the puppies. Other artificial sources of heat like heat lamps, heating pads, or a space heater may be used but be very careful because the puppies can easily dehydrate and die when overheated. Make sure that the temperature of the whelping box is at a range of 86 to 90 degrees. It is important to check their weight every day and make sure that they are gaining weight daily. If not, you should take a closer look at them to make sure they nurse adequately from their mom or provide them with a supplement like goats milk or prepared formula milk for puppies. Stimulation For Bowel Movement The mothers need to stimulate the puppies for them to urinate and defecate. Some mothers will do this regularly but others may not want to so it is up to you to do it. Use damp cotton balls with warm water or a small dab of petroleum jelly on your finger. Gently wipe this over their genitals until they urinate and defecate, then clean them up. Make sure that the puppies and their whelping box are clean to avoid infection. About Us The exclusive destination for all your luxury accessory needs. Inspired by French Bulldogs, made for all pups.

Bite Inhibition Young puppies also need to stay with their mom and siblings to learn proper bite inhibition. If they bite their mom or sibling too hard, they will act in a way that communicates to the puppy that the bite was too hard and not acceptable. Mom might get up and walk away or gently correct the pup with a subtle growl. Their littermate will usually let out a high pitch yelp with stops the play and tells the bitey puppy that their chomp was too much. Without waiting until at least eight weeks to bring home your puppy, they are more likely to be very bitey and not know how to soften their bites. You give your puppy and yourself the best chance at a happy, healthy life together by waiting until they are at least eight weeks old. Bringing home a Golden Retriever puppy soon? Check out the Golden Retriever Puppy Handbook! The absolute best thing you can do is to talk to the breeder and return the puppy until they are a bit older. Then, when your puppy is at least eight weeks old, you can pick them up again from the breeder and start your life together. Find a Surrogate Canine Family If getting your Golden Retriever puppy back to their mother and littermates is impossible, the next best thing is to at least let them spend those last couple critical weeks with other dogs and puppies. Puppies need to be learning lessons from other dogs at this age, ideally their own mother and siblings, but unrelated dogs and puppies can help. Do you know someone else with a puppy? Do you know someone who has a dog who is good with puppies? Maybe there is a friend of a friend who is fostering a litter of puppies? Ask around and see if friends and family might have some puppies and dogs that you can get your puppy around. Social media can be really helpful for networking with other dog lovers who could help you out with the situation you are in. They can help you understand what to feed them and come up with an appropriate feeding schedule. Your vet might also have some tips to ensure your puppy stays healthy and to prevent behavior issues from developing. Here is what is typical for a puppy of this age: Sleep If you were to spend a day with a litter of six-week-old Golden Retriever puppies, you might be surprised by just how much they sleep. At this stage, puppies are undergoing a lot of physical and mental growth so they need plenty of rest to make sure that they develop properly. Pottying You might also be surprised by just how much a six-week-old puppy poops and pees. A good breeder will be working diligently on potty training a litter of six-week-old puppies so that they start to learn good potty habits before they go home to their forever families. Puppies this age love romping around, playing chase, tug and wrestling with their siblings. They also can start to show off their retrieval instincts with little games of fetch. Some puppies might still nurse from their mom, but by six weeks, they are able to be on solid food exclusively. Breeders usually feed many small meals throughout the day, so a six-week-old puppy might be eating between four and six meals a day. Responsible breeders will also be very mindful that six-week-old puppies are in the prime window for puppy socialization. Early socialization is very important in preventing potential behavior issues from arising as the puppy matures, and it helps bring out the absolute best in the puppy. Many breeders will even start some basic training with young puppies, such as sitting for their meals and acclimating them to spending time in a crate. In short, you can expect six-week-old Goldens to be eating, pooping, playing, napping machines with brains that are little sponges ready to learn and explore over the next couple of weeks before they go home to their new families. Puppy Patience When it comes to adding a puppy to your family, patience truly is a virtue. Resist the temptation of a cute six-week-old puppy and give them just a couple more weeks to be ready to come home. A little extra waiting will go a long way to setting you and your puppy up for a long, happy, healthy life together. Have any questions about 6-week-old Golden Retriever puppies? Let us know down in the comments! Read the rest of our Golden Retriever puppy series here:. Your new furry friend has a lot of growing to do, and you probably have a lot of questions. Your Golden Retriever puppy will go through a number of developmental stages throughout their first twelve weeks. Male Golden Retrievers generally weigh between 65 and 75 pounds and stand from 23 to 24 inches tall. Females are generally smaller weighing between 55 to 65 pounds, and will grow to stand .At 4 months, your Golden Retriever puppy will reach about half their adult height. When it comes to mental development, it can take even longer than that before the Golden Retriever is fully mature. However, every puppy is a unique individual, and these are merely milestone guidelines. Disparities exist between the working and show Goldens, as well as between males and females. Golden Retriever puppy growth can also be quite sporadic. As an overall average, many Golden Retriever puppies will weigh just approximately 1. Golden Retrievers are classified as a gundog breed, and these dogs are often divided into those bred for show and those meant for work. However, the body of the show Golden is typically larger, taller, heavy-boned, and fuller in the chest. Small Parents Like people, puppies inherit physical traits from their parents. And even puppies from the same litter can vary in size. Neither of these scenarios is healthy for a puppy. Larger breeds like the Golden Retriever are more at risk for growth disorders than small breed dogs. This article will give you a lot more information on how much to feed, what to feed, and how often to feed a Golden Retriever puppy. Illness and Puppy Growth If a puppy has been seriously ill for a prolonged period, it may affect their ability to grow normally. However, once the puppy is free of worms, they should continue to grow at a normal rate. The best way to determine if your puppy is too thin or too fat is by how he looks and feels. When looking at your puppy from above, he should have a noticeable waistline. Another way to tell is by putting your hands on either side of his ribcage. You should be able to feel his ribs using a gentle pressure. But if his ribs are visible, he could be underweight. Obesity is a huge problem for many dog breeds. Although there are ways to make your puppy grow bigger, this is not something you should attempt. It could also mean you end up with a fat puppy. One of the best ways to ensure your puppy has a long, healthy life is to ensure he stays at an optimal weight. Hip and elbow dysplasia and other musculoskeletal disorders are associated with excess weight in larger breeds. Having your dog neutered at a young age can also cause them to grow taller. The problem is, this can also cause abnormalities in joint formation. Neutering also makes Golden Retrievers more at risk for certain types of cancers. Typically it will take approximately 18 months for your Golden Retriever to become an adult dog. Even though they can reach their full height at anywhere from 9 to 12 months, it will usually take them longer to fill out to their full weight. Remember that there are wide variations in size within the Golden Retriever breed. If this is the case, you should contact your veterinarian to seek advice. Beginning the puppy development stages before birth Puppy development stages week by week Amazingly, in a way the puppy development stages begin before your dog is even born. Your puppy spends approximately 9 weeks developing inside his Mom. The mother dog has a womb or uterus, that has two long tubes, and the puppies grow in a row along each tube rather like peas in a pod. The puppies are joined to their mother by a placenta which provides all the nourishment they need for those few weeks. To begin with, the puppies have plenty of room to move but they grow fast and as the time for birth draws near they are packed in quite tightly. The one week old puppy Your puppy is born fully furred but with his eyes and ears closed so he cannot hear or see. His front feet are strong and he can pull himself towards his mother with them. He can cry if he is uncomfortable and his mother will respond to his cries by moving him towards her and licking him. Your puppy spends most of his time sleeping or suckling. He cannot regulate his own body temperature and needs his mother for heat, or an artificial heat source. In the first week to ten days of his life your puppy grows rapidly and will double his birth weight. His forelegs are getting much stronger. She licks the puppies bottoms to stimulate a bowel or bladder movement and eats the result. There is no cleaning up for the breeder to do yet. The breeder will begin to handle the puppies more though, and get them used to human contact. She will worm the puppies for the first time at the end of this week. Puppies begin to get their personalities. Your puppy can stand and sit up by the end of the week. Tails can be wagged, ears will be completely open and puppies start play growling and interacting with their littermates. Your puppy can regulate his body temperature more effectively and will start to cut his first teeth in preparation for weaning. The front teeth, canines and incisors are cut first. Toward the end of the week he may have his first tiny taste of puppy food. They also start to move away from the sleeping area to empty their bowels and bladder. They may try to climb out of the whelping box. If she lives indoors, she may rejoin the family for more of each day. Your puppy will cut his back teeth and the breeder will get weaning underway this week and by the end of it, your puppy will be getting quite a bit of his nourishment from puppy food. She will also worm the puppies a second time. If the mother is allowed near the puppies after she has been fed, she may regurgitate her dinner for them. This is completely natural and normal. He is a proper little dog. Rolling around with his brothers and sisters and playing with toys. Teething toys, puppy Kongs, balls and rope toys are big favorites with puppies. He can bark too and some puppies can be quite noisy at this age! He chases after his mother whenever she appears and suckles hungrily, but she is starting to get fed up with it, and may be reluctant to feed her brood for very long. His mother is teaching him not to bite too hard. If he lives in outdoor kennels he should spend part of each day indoors with the family. By the end of the sixth week, most are fully weaned, and eating five or six little meals of puppy food each day. Socialization must begin in earnest. He is now two months old and ready for his new life. It is the time during which they become fearful of anything unfamiliar and need to be thoroughly socialized. This is also the time during which most puppies get to grips with house-training, learning to wait before eliminating and start sleeping through the night without a potty break. It is a busy time for new puppy owners. Your puppy will have his vaccinations during this month. Biting can be a big problem during this stage and you need to be patient and consistent in order to teach the puppy not to hurt people when he plays. Provided you use force free methods, this is a great time to get puppy training under way, and especially to teach a puppy recall, and to get your puppy used to working with food. So, for a 2. You can do the same calculation for medium pups at sixteen weeks and large breed pups at 20 weeks — just divide his weight by his age in weeks before you multiply by .Medium to large pups will reach about half their adult height by the end of the month. If the weather is warm you can get your puppy swimming now. He should be able to come when he is called, in and around your home, provided there are not too many distractions. It all depends on what you have taught him. He may still be chewing a lot and biting too. Use frozen Kongs to help him and give your furniture and fingers a break. Puppies can go for short walks now. By the end of this month your puppy could have a twenty minute walk each day. He may also enjoy fetching a ball and playing with other dogs, but take care to stop before he gets very tired. Less dependence This is the month during which some puppies start to become less dependent on their humans for security. Keep your puppy close to you outdoors by changing direction frequently so that you puppy has to keep coming to find you. And engaging him in games. The foundations of a great recall are often build or spoilt during this month. If your puppy knows how to sit or lie down at home, start some simple proofing exercises with him in public places. A healthy puppy can usually manage on two meals a day from around six months. During this month a Retriever, Spaniel or GSD puppy will reach around two thirds of his adult weight. A Great Dane and other large breeds will have reached about half their final weight and little dogs will have almost completed their growth. Some female dogs will come on heat for the first time during this month, or the next, so keep an eye open now for swelling of her vulva and any discharge. Your dog will become increasingly confident over the next few months so practice, practice and practice that recall! Make it a habit he cannot break. And be generous with your rewards. Small breed pups may now be more or less mature. Your puppy will enjoy half hour off lead walks now, and should be able to walk on a loose lead for short periods with plenty of encouragement and rewards. Keep practicing that recall! These help to slow his growth further and to build his confidence. Make sure you practice good outdoor management on walks to maintain the good recall you have built and work hard on thoroughly proofing all his obedience skills. Read up on neutering before you take this important step, for dogs of either sex. Once your dog is a year old he can participate in more strenuous activities and sports. Now is the time to think about the kinds of activities you would like to do with him — go jogging together for example — and if necessary, to start to get him fit. Puppy development stages — Summary There is huge variation in the way in which dogs develop and mature. The puppy development stages and ages outlined above are a rough guide. We hope you enjoyed them and found the information interesting. When it comes to training, you get out what you put in. Your progress depends as much if not more on you rather than your puppy. If you train your puppy five times a day, six days a week he will learn many, many times faster than a puppy that is trained once a day at the weekend. Enjoy watching your puppy grow and develop. And have fun! Share 0 Shares A six-week-old golden retriever puppy is a wonder to behold. Golden Retrievers are so cute around this age, and of course, people will impatiently want to take one home at only 6 weeks old. The extra time is quite necessary because it gives them enough time with their mother and siblings, and allows for additional development. But you have to resist that urge. Waiting for the extra two weeks allows the puppy to have enough time with its family to foster healthy development. Another important reason to not remove golden retriever puppies too soon is that it affects their health. Pups who are prematurely rehomed often have weakened immune systems and a lack of appetite. Being with their litter allows them to develop confidence and learn about how they should act with each new thing they encounter in their world. Puppies need to play. It helps them to learn to get used to touching and being picked up or moved around. Bite Inhibition One of the things that golden retriever puppies learn from their moms is proper bite inhibition. However, their teeth are really sharp. When they bite their mom or their siblings and they react to the bite, the puppy learns that biting hurts. The mom might either walk away from the pup or growl at them and put the fear of God in them. A littermate will usually let out a startling yelp, which is enough to put a stop to whatever sort of play had been previously happening and let the puppy know that they bit too hard. These things just happen sometimes. The best thing you can do is to call up the breeder and return the puppy to its mother for the next two weeks. It may seem like an extra expense, but you would have paid to buy the puppy food and such, anyway. And it really is worth it just to make sure the puppy develops properly. When the puppy is 8 weeks old, you can go pick up your pup from the breeder and take it home. Ask your friends and family about finding a surrogate canine family for your puppy. Most responsible dog owners will understand the situation and be willing to help if they can. Your vet can give you important information, like what to feed your puppy and when to feed them. Of course, you may be advised about other ways you can keep your puppy healthy and avoid behavioral issues. Puppies grow a lot during this time both mentally and physically , so they need loads of sleep to ensure they properly develop. Pottying Just as with sleep, puppies poop and pee a surprising amount. Some of the games that six-week-old puppies play are chase, wrestling, and tug, as well as running around, and something similar to tag. When playing with your six-week-old puppy, watch out for their super-sharp teeth. Teeth Six-week-old golden retriever puppies are very mouthy. They use their mouths to explore their world, so just about everything winds up in their mouths at some point. You can expect your six-week-old golden to have developed a full set of razor-sharp puppy teeth. Eating Puppies need their teeth because, by six weeks old, puppies are typically fully weaned. This is typically just habit and bonding because the puppy no longer needs the milk at this point. Most breeders start feeding six-week-old puppies several times throughout the day. You can expect your golden puppy to average between 4 and 6 meals every day. Personality A six-week-old golden retriever puppy starts displaying its personality. This is quite important when it comes to choosing which puppies are suited to be service dogs, and which ones would be better suited as house pets. Breeders typically start running pre-tests with puppies this age to see which of the puppies are cut out to be service dogs. Most breeders recognize this as the ideal time to start socializing puppies. This makes puppies more adaptable. Socialization is an important part of puppy development because it can prevent behavioral issues from developing as the puppy grows. It can also help your puppy be the best version of itself. If your puppy starts showing a little fear or trepidation when it encounters new places or things, you need to remember that this is perfectly normal. Sometimes humans are afraid of new things, too, right? Six-week-old Golden Retrievers should be experiencing positive interactions with humans. This means that you should be inviting other people around your puppies to get them used to people. However, if your puppy has been fully vaccinated, then it should be allowed outside and should be gradually introduced to other animals. Six weeks is a good time to start training puppies , as well. And their intelligent little brains will be eager to learn anything you teach them, so you should definitely start teaching them as much as you can before you send them to live with their new family in a couple of weeks. Growth Up until this point, your puppy has likely experienced a lot of growth. But how much does a six-week-old Golden Retriever puppy grow? From the sixth week on, you can expect your puppy to gain 5 ounces per week. But which type of food should you feed your puppy? When you start feeding your puppy solid dry kibble, you need to moisten it to soften it a bit. You can do this with either water or broth. Personally, I put the water or broth in with the kibble for about minutes, or long enough for it to soak up the liquid. Give your puppy small meals around 4- 6 times a day so that it gets all of the nutrients and energy it needs. In some places, certain vaccinations are required, like rabies vaccinations. Patience with Your Puppy Patience is key when it comes to bringing home a new puppy. Even if you want to immediately bring home a six-week-old ball of adorable fluff, you need to resist that urge so that the puppy can receive all the experiences it needs to develop properly. This will give you fewer chances that the puppy will develop behavioral disorders later down the road. Check out our other posts about the development of Golden Retriever puppies:. Brown 7 lb 1. The size gap between our smallest and largest puppy keeps getting bigger as Patriot is well over a pound heavier than Trooper. Archer was very curious since day 1, but even though he and Raven were best pals she still was protective of her puppies. Since the beginning we allowed supervised interaction and Archer loved the little guys and just wanted to play…albeit sometimes a little too rough… Archer vs Six week old Golden Retriever puppy Day 37 — Kids and Puppies We continued to socialize our Golden pups with people young and old. Some of our favorite puppy raiser friends stopped by and brought over their grandchildren to play with the pups. At this age the puppies like running around and act like hams. Long gone are the days of the docile, sleepy puppies. Welcome to the wonderful world of running wild Golden pups! Day 40 — Our Little Golden Explorers! As time moved on these guys became more and more mobile and less easy to contain in small environments. A few weeks earlier they started climbing out of the short wall in the whelping box. As the below picture illustrates this little one enjoyed climbing onto this shelf making it his own doggy bed. Our little Golden puppy in hiding. In case you missed our other posts about our litter of Golden Retriever pups take a look back at past weeks: Week 1 — Six Golden Retriever puppies are born! Week 3 — First bark! Week 7 — The great puppy escape artists! Week 8 — Our golden puppies head to their new homes. Okay, guys and gals. Almost every time I return to the whelping box it looks like a poop war broke out. It sounds funny now, but the sight and stink are not fun. What about you guys? Have any of you ever raised a litter of puppies? If so, tell us your story in the comment section below. This is the first book we bought before bringing home our first puppy, Linus. Helps ease anxiety in their new home. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist. Colby Colby Morita has been raising and training guide and service dog puppies for over 13 years. Colby has been writing to the PuppyInTraining.

Things to do with your English Bulldog Tennessee is a great place to live with an English bulldog. With its beautiful scenery, endless activities, and friendly people, Tennessee is the perfect place to create lasting memories with your furry friend. The park is home to a variety of landscapes, including mountains, forests, and rivers. Your English bulldog will love exploring the park and meeting new friends. Your English bulldog will love spending time outdoors and making new friends. Your English bulldog will love exploring the woods and getting some exercise. Go for a Walk Nashville has a number of walking trails that are perfect for a leisurely stroll with your dog. Your English bulldog will love exploring the city and meeting new friends. Go to a Festival Tennessee has a number of festivals throughout the year that are perfect for dogs. Your English bulldog will love the excitement of the festival and meeting new people. Tennessee is a great place to live with an English bulldog. How do you breed for a healthier English Bulldog? Like all things in life, breeding for health is simply a matter of priority. We are blind to many of the breed priorities that distract other breeders from improving the health of the English Bulldog. We focus on health and personality and very little else. We are not interested in winning a blue ribbon in the show ring. Rather, we test for things like elongated soft palates, narrow tracheas, stenotic nares, luxation in the patellar tendons, heart defects, cherry eye, optic cilia, entropion, ect. We focus and prioritize creating healthy bloodlines, therefore our bulldogs are typically much healthier than the breed as a whole. After breeding for health, what other priorities are you focused on? Our true desire is to create the perfect family bulldog. We also believe a bulldog bred for the correct personality is essential to the family unit as well. A Bruiser Bulldog is bred for intelligence and playfulness. We want our bulldogs to be full of personality and some quirk. We believe a full personality along with a little stubbornness is the true North star of the bulldog breed and is what makes the unique among other breeds. We look for these personality traits in our adult bulldogs and continue to create bloodlines that reflect these qualities. What are the steps of your adoption process if I am located in Tennessee? Check out our available English Bulldog Puppies page. At times, we have available puppies but almost always have a waiting list as well. A quick look at our available puppies is the starting point to begin the process. Send us an email or give us call .If approved to adopt one of our puppies you are welcome to place a deposit to hold until your puppy is ready to go home. Greetings from the Wysongs! Northern Indiana based, Bruiser Bulldogs offers purebred English Bulldog Puppies for sale to loving adopters seeking to find a higher quality English Bulldog. As English Bulldog breeders , Mitch and Erica Wysong have dedicated themselves to a lifelong journey of changing the culture and societal pressures of poor breeding practices within the English Bulldog Community. Mitch and Erica believe in producing a healthy English Bulldog puppy first and foremost. Through years of research and development, Bruiser Bulldogs is leading a new movement away from the overdone, wrinkled bulldog that has been long plagued by health problems. By embracing a healthier, more athletic look they are able to ensure that each and every English Bulldog Puppy for sale by Bruiser Bulldogs is supported by a platform of health tested, clean genetics. Upon adoption, each family that takes on the responsibility of a Bruiser Bulldog enters into an active and vibrant communal family of bulldog owners. Mitch and Erica believe it is their responsibility to provide emotional and mental support for the lifetime of each and every English Bulldog puppy they produce. To ensure the success of every adoption, Bruiser Bulldogs will always be committed to helping Bruiser Bulldog adopters care for their English Bulldogs to the best of their ability. I am familiar with common and uncommon health problems they may face so when my boyfriend and I decided we were ready to adopt our own english puppy finding a reputable breeder that prioritizes health was most important to us. Erica and Mitch of Bruiser Bulldogs are just that. They are experienced, ethical and quality breeders. I was referred to them by my friend that I trust after I saw their gorgeous healthy puppy. Our Puppy Primrose is the light of our lives! Bruisers was there to assist us every step of the way. We would highly recommend Bruisers Bulldogs to anyone looking for their own happy, healthy pup! Leah H. We were lucky to have come across Bruiser Bulldogs and even more so the fact that they were near our family and hometown made it even better. We have had Clementine Callie for four months now, and she is a wonderful dog. Her personality is amazing, and I think part of it is breeding and the other part is Erika and her family lovingly raising the puppies in their home with plenty of attention and snuggles. I also was impressed that, rather than send the puppies out right at 8 weeks, Erika kept ours for a few extra weeks because she was tiny and not read to leave her mom yet. It's that care that differentiates Bruisers from other breeders. Emily R. Erica was easy to work with thru the entire process from application to adopting and now beyond as we host our new family member, Chief. Her on-call support and willingness to provide open, honest advice to all of our questions and concerns continues to be appreciated. We would highly recommend Bruiser Bulldogs to anyone looking for an English Bulldog to join their family. Elizabeth W. Lady L. They are experienced, responsive and knowledgeable about all things bulldog related. They went above and beyond for us and are truly dedicated to all of their pups! We love our little girl so much and would recommend Bruiser to anyone looking for a healthy beautiful bully. Jonathan E. Erica and Mitch are trustworthy, excellent communicators, fair, passionate, and produce the best bulldogs. We were at the top of the waiting list for months and Erica reached out every litter to see if we were finally ready for a bulldog. When we were, she was very easy to work with. Her knowledge on bulldogs is outstanding. We had many questions on the process and she always knew what was best for the puppy. We've had Penny formerly Blair for two months and she is very healthy, energetic, playful, and sweet. She is great with other people and dogs. We are so happy with our pup. When we are ready for bulldog 2, we will only consider Bruiser Bulldogs. Mitch C. Bowser was born April and is an integral part of our family. When we were first exploring English Bulldog breeders our biggest concern was the overall health of the dogs. We decided to work with Erica at Bruiser Bulldogs because we liked their focus on improving the breeds breathing abilities and the fact that the puppies are raised within her family environment before coming home with their new owners. Bowser also breaths clearly and our vet was impressed with his overall health from the moment we brought him home. All that said we know English Bulldogs have a predisposition to many health issues and that his current health can not predict the future. With that In mind its important to start with a breeder that open to answer any of your questions as Erica has ours, and that strongly believes in improving the breeds overall health profile. Adam B. My sister ended up finding Bruiser Bulldogs and we knew right away that they were the breeder for us. In September we ended up driving 9 hours to pick up two Bruiser bulldog puppies- one for my husband and I and one for my mom. Jackson and Penelope have been nothing but a joy. They are both very athletic and healthy. They are also HUGE snugglers and always want to be with you. It is an absolute pleasure having these two bullies in our lives! Erica is very knowledgeable about the breed. She is very hands on throughout the process and is just overall a kind and honest person to work with. With all that being said I cannot recommend Bruiser Bulldogs enough! Collyn C. One of the reasons we chose Bruiser Bulldogs was due to the claims about breeding for health. During our first visit at our vet's office, he told us that our pup was one of the healthiest English bulldogs he had ever seen. He is healthy, happy and social. Would recommend to anyone. Christina S. We seen our dog on their website and sent them an Email. Mitch called us and personally walked us through the process and made sure we had the right dog for our family. We couldn't be happier when we picked up our dog Ramsey, Erica made sure we had everything we needed and then some. They are truly amazing people who breed truly amazing dogs! Jim T. We are bulldog breeders that focus on quality english bulldogs. Our bulldogs conform to the AKC Standard and are built like bullies should be. Not all bullies are created equal. If you want a short, stocky , wrinkly bully with a loving attitude, give us a call. You haven't played me in Poker, yet!!! Our puppies are showered with attention and care 24 hours a day. We are ethical breeders of some of the finest bulldogs in the world and are proud of the dogs we own and puppies we produce. We are a vet recommended breeder and will provide reference if you wish just ask. Each puppy passes a thorough health exam before leaving us. We strive to produce healthy puppies and are on a never ending mission to improve our blood lines and the breed as a whole. We literally have some of the best English Bulldogs in the world! All of our puppies are raised by us personally, in our home. Our duty, first and foremost, is to produce healthy, happy, physically sound bulldogs that make great family companions. We strive to produce excellent quality, healthy, wrinkly, correct body type bulldogs with loving charming attitudes and wonderful temperaments. We only breed champion lined adults and own beautiful studs of the highest quality, which are available for stud service to approved females. Understanding that most pet owners have no intentions of showing English Bulldogs, we still want to provide our clients with puppies of impeccable quality. We have put countless hours of into the study and research of the breed to produce the top quality dogs that you see on this site. We have dedicated our lives to improving our line, breeding high quality bulldogs, and producing amazing puppies that have brought and will continue to bring many years of happiness to their families. We hear all the time "we only want a pet, not a show dog". That may be true but you still want a bulldog that looks like a bulldog. So ,please don't make the mistake of buying a cheap bulldog from a backyard breeder or puppy mill. You will be brokenhearted and feel swindled. Bulldogs of this quality are not easily produced and the price reflects the quality of our puppies, so if you're going to spend your money, spend it wisely on a champion pedigreed puppy that will exceed your expectations. When it comes to quality bulldogs, the saying "you get what you pay for" rings true.

Download our guide! We offer standard and fluffy Award- winning Award-winning bloodline, guaranteed health Every TomKings parent dog has passed a rigorous selection and examination process before we started our elite breeding program to build the healthiest and most Frenchie-authentic gene pool for our TomKings Frenchies. All of our adult dogs and puppies get the highest quality food and supplements to ensure immaculate health, and they are checked by our vet on a weekly basis. Our purebred French bulldogs come with a TomKings Health Guarantee, that is valid against all genetic illnesses. Instead, we treat all of our Frenchies as family members , let them roam freely in our vast green garden and rest with us in our house. Our Frenchie puppies can play as much as they want and we raise them by teaching all the good manners among dogs and people, including children. Maternal love 12 weeks of maternal love and professional care Spending 3 whole months after birth with their caring mother and siblings ensures that TomKings puppies develop a healthy dog-personality and a well-balanced nature. Before joining their new families in the USA and elsewhere, our Frenchies get all the puppy vaccinations, are dewormed and treated against parasites. They travel in a temperature-controlled and pressurized room not stacked on top of suitcases , and they are watched all along the flight. During layovers, the puppies are taken off the plane and placed in a pet hotel, where they are given fresh food, water and lots of pampering. They are sweeter than any airport scenes in romantic movies. Feel free to reach out to us any time with your questions or to share your joy: we answer you immediately 16 hours a day. Life Span Did You Know? While the name of this breed is the French Bulldog, their origins cannot be credited to only France. One of the facts about French Bulldogs is that the idea and reason for the creation of the breed originated in England. This adorable dog breed, which has always been meant to be a companion, started as a miniature version of the English Bulldog. This mini-version accompanied lace workers across the English Channel and into France during the Industrial Revolution. Once the dog breed became prominent in France, the subsequent successful crossbreeding of the English Bulldog, Pug, and Terrier led to the creation of the modern-day Frenchie. The French Bulldog we know today originally came to the United States with groups of wealthy Americans who came across them and fell in love while touring Europe in the late s. The French Bulldog was recognized by the American Kennel Club in and is a member of the non-sporting group. The French Bulldog is an easygoing, affectionate, and playful dog that loves their family and gets along well with children. They also love to make new friends, which means they get along well with other dogs, animals, and people. Intelligent and affectionate, this small dog breed certainly wins over hearts and earns its status as a popular companion dog. Frenchies are not known to bark much, unless you train them into it, but they are naturally alert and make excellent watchdogs. As long as they are well-socialized and trained, they tend to have an open and friendly nature. The Frenchie is a highly adaptable dog that pretty much adapts to any living situation that includes plenty of love and attention. Being a short-snouted, snub-nosed dog breed, they do not tolerate heat very well and are also sensitive to cold. This tends to make them one of the dog breeds that hate winter and you will want to make sure to bundle them up to stay warm while out on cold winter walks. Because Frenchies bond closely with their families and thrive on attention from them, they do not tolerate long periods of time alone. They can also be prone to developing separation anxiety if they are poorly socialized or you do not work with them on this when they are young. Potential health concerns to be aware of in French Bulldogs can include cataracts, cherry eye, and entropion. Good breeding practices make a big difference in the health of puppies. Reputable breeders will screen their dogs to avoid passing preventable issues to puppies. Make sure you ask about the health and genetic history of both parents. You can also ask about any health tests or clearances. Heart and joint certifications are recommended for this breed. Playful and happy, the French Bulldog is a great fit for a novice dog owner. They are sweet-tempered, eager to please, and eager to train. Occasionally, Frenchies can be stubborn and they do tend to have big personalities. Although this can sometimes be a challenge for first-time dog owners, it can usually be overcome with consistent and patient training. Puppy training classes are always an option and offer plenty of benefits aside from training. Standard coat colors for Frenchies are Brindle, Cream, Fawn, and combinations of these. They have a short coat that will shed a little year-round. Nail trims once or twice a month keep nails from growing too long and causing issues. Weekly ear checks, along with careful cleanings as needed, can help prevent ear infections. As a small dog breed, the Frenchie is more prone to developing gum disease. Daily dental care plus cleanings at the vet as needed can help prevent this and other painful dental diseases later in life. You will also need to take care of the wrinkles. Frenchies have hereditary face wrinkles and it is important to keep them clean and dry to prevent skin irritation or possible infection. The French Bulldog is an easygoing companion breed. They can be one of the laziest dog breeds that are couch potatoes. Frenchies will often be energetic when they play and will try to match their activity to yours. So, if you live a more active lifestyle, you need to be careful that your French Bulldog is not overexerting themselves trying to keep up with you. As a Brachycephalic or snub-nosed dog, they cannot cool themselves as easily and are extra sensitive to heat. They can also get winded easily, so be aware of this when playing with your dog or puppy and watch for signs of overexertion. There are safe ways to exercise flat-faced dogs and you can work with your vet on specifics for your Frenchie if needed. French Bulldogs usually stand inches tall and weigh pounds. Frenchies generally live for years on average. With this dog breed being so popular, there are plenty of celebrities who have chosen the French Bulldog as their companion, which also means there are plenty of famous Frenchies out there. Also, French Bulldogs cannot swim, at least without a life vest. They can be taught to swim while wearing one, but they should never be left unattended around bodies of water or swimming pools and require constant supervision while in the water. Featured French Bulldog Article. We produce all of the brindles in black, blue, chocolate, lilac , fawns and sables in golden, red, blue, chocolate, lilac , creams, pure coats and tan points in black, blue, chocolate, lilac , and pieds in ALL of these beautiful colors! Call Us Are you ready to own the most popular dog breed in the U. We appreciate you visiting our site, whether you have been here many times in the past, or if this is the first time you have paid us a visit. We hope that the time you spend with us will be enjoyable, and that you will feel it is worth your time and effort. Of course, we invite you to come back as often as time permits, as we have provided a lot of information regarding the French Bulldog, and we doubt if you will cover everything in one visit. Under Owner Information, you will find a lot of information to help you determine if the French Bulldog is the breed for you. There are also FAQs for New Owners, if you have made the decision to adopt one of these wonderful dogs. Under Owner Info, you will also find several products that we use and highly endorse. We then have the unpleasant talk about scammers, who are rampant in the puppy arena, especially regarding French Bulldog puppies. If you see a deal that sounds too good to be true, there is a .It breaks our hearts every time we are contacted by someone who has been scammed, or nearly scammed. Please be careful. Lastly, under Owner Info, you will find information regarding our contract and our guarantee, which we believe is one of the best available, and it is the least we will do in the unlikely event that there is a problem with one of our dogs. Under Our Frenchies, you will find information regarding our breeding males, our females which have puppies on the ground, and retirees that are ready for their forever homes. We are very proud of the breeding male and females we have assembled. You can click on Former Puppies and scroll down to see a few examples of all of the various colors that Frenchies come in that we have produced in the past. We know that the different colors can be a bit confusing, so we have tried to make it as straight forward as possible. The only problem is that there are so many gorgeous colors that they come in, a decision regarding color preferences can be difficult .Also, under Our Frenchies, you can click on New Puppies to see all of our currently available puppies, along with a list of the litters that are born, but not yet introduced. We have placed multiple puppies in every state of the union except Hawaii, as they have a very long quarantine period. We have been using very responsible puppy nannies for years to deliver puppies to major airports all over the country, for very reasonable rates. We would love to work with you to place the perfect little Frenchie in your home. Some of our puppies, especially very specific requests, are placed with clients on our waiting list, but many are available to potential clients that are looking for puppies right away. If you are looking for a high-quality Frenchie puppy, please contact us and we will send information which will help you determine if we might be the breeder for you. We will do our best to help you adopt the Frenchie of your dreams. We do not post earlier videos. All of the puppies shown in the videos will have had their vet checks and will be available for adoption with the exception of a few that we may belatedly decide to hold back. Generally, those that we will be holding back will not be included in the videos. As a reminder to each of our Waiting List clients who have passed on prior puppies due to poor timing, when you are ready for your puppy, please let us know so we do not bypass your name when we are placing new litters. Meeting the puppy Nanny was easy and smooth at the airport! Hank was love at first sight. Happy Holidays! Just thought I would write to give you an update on our Dieter. Thank you again for doing what you do, and raising such amazing dogs! Dieter is loved by all who meet him, and he has met several people on his adventures this year. He is such a mischievous, but entertaining boy. He is the sweetest, craziest, cutest, cuddliest, puppy! Hi everyone! Just wanted to give you guys an update on Hank Mowgli. He is the center of every minute in my girls day. There were tears of joy and excitement — it was wonderful! Night went well — I had my hand in her kennel so she could sleep — she would make sure it was there and then fall back to […] Danielle, Rich and Rowan Hi BlueHaven!! Hope all is well! Rich and I would like to thank you for the care and love you put into your breeding program. Rowan is a healthy and fun-loving Frenchie! We hope all is well in your neck of the woods. All is well here. Originally, when we listed our preferred colors, we did not select brindle, but as you can see, once we saw GiGi, […] Catherine, Nick, Kolbie, Natty, and Dieter Dieter had an awesome first night. Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! Just wanted to send an update on Pearl formerly Sinah. At nearly 4 months old now; Pearl is doing very, very well. She had her 3rd series of shots and vet check last week and is perfectly healthy. I am constantly stopped on the street and asked about where I got mochi and Zima. They are perfect and deb has been super helpful each step of the way with the process and answered any question I had. Margret C. My 14 yr old English Bulldog, Elliemae, passed away October 14, .I was waiting until the summer of before getting another puppy. At the end of October, I came across Deb's web page. I called her only to get to know her and her breeding program. I told her about the loss of Elliemae and also my mother that past April. She said she had a French Bulldog puppy she thought I would be interested in. I explained that I would be holding off purchasing a puppy until the summer. She sent the picture of this white French bulldog puppy with the "Kiss of God" on the top of her head. Just like Elliemae. It was as if Elliemae and my mother were telling me this puppy is for you. I picked up Dolly the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Dolly has been a joy. She is a wonderful puppy who fills my days with joy. Deb has been wonderful as well. I am afraid I at times I talked her ear off. She is dedicated to breeding the finest French Bulldogs and knows what puppy needs to go with who. She is more than a breeder she is a friend. Thank you, Deb, for matching me up with this gift from my mother. You knew what I needed. Dollylee is an amazing puppy. She slept all through the night from the first night I brought her home. Dollylee seems to know why you sent her to me. Thank You, Deb!! Ron For several years I searched for a reputable French bulldog breeder and finally found Bijou French bulldogs. I knew the minute I finished reading through the website that I would one day purchase a puppy from Deb. We previously had a Frenchie with neurological and other health issues so we learned the hard way how important it is to choose a reputable and knowledgeable breeder. I continued looking at her website from time to time. Then one day Deb posted a breeding that sounded perfect. I got in touch with her and explained the importance to me of finding a breeder that took pride in their breeding program. She answered all of my questions and I was sold. So the deposit was paid and our precious Augie came into our lives. If you are seriously looking for a French bulldog, I strongly encourage you to get in touch with Deb. She will be available to answer your questions and will address any concerns. She has always shown concern and has amazing knowledge and insight about the breed. I know she will always be available for me with any questions I have, big or small. Thank You Deb! Deb understood and remained in contact with us answering questions and offering advice, and when she had the puppy we immediately knew was meant to be ours she continued to update us on progress until Blanche was ready to come home. Deb is very knowledgeable about the breed and her attention to details regarding their health really impressed us. Deb made the entire process seamless, and Blanche is the most perfect little lady. When the time comes to add to our own family we will definitely be calling Deb! I found Deb and from day one, she was always there to answer any questions. She was just a pleasure and always helpful! We purchased and picked up LUlu, our new wonderful addition to our family. She is so smart and has an absolutely amazing disposition. Everywhere I go with her, I get stopped, people always comment that she is the most beautiful frenchie ever even my vet! We cannot wait to get a second frenchie from Deb! Michelle We came across Deb while we were searching for our first frenchie. We contacted Deb and spoke on the phone for about an hour and a half during our first phone call. She was super supportive, informative and incredibly helpful in providing advice. She also asked us questions to make sure we were the right fit and if we would provide a safe environment for the frenchie. We got to meet Uniii through Facetime and we immediately fell in love with him at first sight. We were so impressed with Deb's knowledge about this breed, her love and passion for each and everyone of them. Whenever we had questions, Deb would answer back right away and would give us tips which has helped us tremendously. When we take Uniii out and about, people are always so impressed with how calm and good temperament he is. Uniii is super friendly and loves to be around people. He loves learning new tricks, in fact, he is so smart that I was able to teach him basic commands like 'paw' and 'sit' at 6 months. He is so easy, mellow and chill to take care of, that we are thinking of getting him another sibling for him. It will definitely be through Deb again. Thank you so much to Bijou French Bulldogs for providing us with our very first frenchie fur baby. Feel free to follow our pup on IG as well and reach out if you have any questions uniiiboiii Venus As first time dog owners, we did a lot of research before settling on a breeder. When we came across Bijou French Bulldogs and spoke to Deb, we knew we found the one. We could have gone with a number of breeders much closer to home but the decision to go the distance was extremely worth it! Deb's knowledge of the breed, care for the animals, and beautiful dogs are unmatched. She was extremely response throughout the whole process. Our beautiful girl is now 1. Our vet always comments on how well bred she was and how great it is to see a Frenchie without breathing problems. If I ever wanted another Frenchie I would definitely go back to Deb and recommend her to anyone looking for their new best friend! He is really an extraordinary dog who has made our lives so much better. Since I am now a French bulldog owner, I am more aware of other French bulldogs and can appreciate the superb breeding strategies that Debbie practices in her business. While I know that everyone thinks their dog is the best, I can objectively say that his form is perfection, from tail to ears. Not always the case with this breed, as we all know. We get stopped everywhere and people just cannot get enough of NiRAN. He is another great example of a gorgeous Frenchie in the making, and NiRAN loves to play with his new cousin. Thanks to Bijou French Bulldogs, we have our own little best friend who loves to snooze, snack, and play! Marina Deb is an absolutely pleasure and a dream come true to work with! She is hands on from beginning to getting your furbaby but even afterwards she is still involved. The furbabies she develops are all beautiful and healthy. If we could buy more we sure would!! Our experience has been amazing ever step of the way. We highly recommend her! Call me if you need to discuss Denise Denise Deb!!! Such a pleasure to share a testimonial. You can use the pic I just barely sent above? Deb was such an incredible person to work with to find our new family member. With a previous frenchie crossing the rainbow bridge we were feeling super nervous trying to find a reputable breeder that would be willing to answer lots of questions and truly help us though what was both an emotional and exciting process. She was endlessly available and highly engaged in our efforts to understand how to best match her upcoming litters with our interest. You can tell she cares so deeply about the health and wellness of each one of these little nuggets she helps bring into the world and even more, really looks to build a relationship and keep in touch with her puppies families. We feel so fortunate to have found Deb and our little fur baby! Jayme Mellisa Testimonial: Deb is a wonderful, caring and responsible breeder and we are so happy to have found her when looking for our 3rd Frenchie. It is clear she cares deeply for not only her pups but the breed in general. Wellington aka Welly exhibits all the qualities we love about frenchies - affectionate, curious and social. He is a healthy and confident pup with the sweetest disposition. From my 1st inquiry to picking up Welly, working with Deb has been an easy, seamless process. We are so happy to have found Bijou French Bulldogs and for the joy that Welly has brought to all of us! Mellisa M. By absolute fate, Deb came into our lives. Our family had just been told by another breeder one we worked with for our 9 year old frenchie that the puppy we put a deposit on, was no longer available, with absolutely no communication or reason. Our entire family was heartbroken, especially our two children. Out of desperation, I did a quick google search and stumbled upon Bijou French Bulldogs. After reading the testimonials, I sent a message to Deb to which she replied almost immediately We scheduled a facetime meeting for the next evening. The conversation was fluid and seamless. This also gave her the opportunity to see where the puppy would live which brought her comfort as well. Throughout the entire process Deb was communicative and transparent, something we had not experienced with any other breeder. For example, a few days before we were scheduled to pick up the puppy, Deb called and said the puppy was at the vet, as she was not eating or drinking overnight. I need to get her better first. She also sent us the medical paperwork and note from the vet, she was extremely thorough. Although we were disappointed with the temporarily delay, we respected that Deb was acting solely out of her care and love for the puppy. After pushing the pickup day back, a week, my husband drove to pick up Carmella. We brought Carmella home to meet our two children, and our 9-year-old French Bulldog, Dutchess. Deb was knowledgeable about how to introduce Carmella to our family. To no surprise, Deb was on point! During the first few weeks of having Carmella at home we would reach out to Deb with questions, pictures or just updates. Deb, completely consistent with how she treated us throughout the entire process was communicative, transparent, and helpful. Her knowledge for this breed is unrivaled by any other breeder we have experienced. Growing up with English bulldogs, and French bulldogs myself, I have never experienced a more thorough and responsible breeder. If you are looking for a breeder who puts quality care into her pups, will be communicate with you during every step of the process, and patiently answer all of your questions and concerns, then Bijou French Bulldogs is for you. Carmella fits in perfectly with our family, and we have Deb and her outstanding program to thank. Amy Debbie is a very responsible breeder caring for each pup individually and the whole litter. Debbie always makes herself available for any questions you may have before during and after your purchase. I Purchased Mr. Quinn in March of and never looked back. He is beautiful kind, and funny. He has such expression in his face. Everyone who meets Mr. Quinn falls in love with him. He is a real character with lots of charm. He gets along well with my other dogs. Quinn loves to travel and we are attending breed handling classes hoping to enter the show ring in the near future so Mr. Quinn can put his swagger on and hopefully come home with a few ribbons. Glenna We love our sweet little Gizmo. Thank you Deborah for helping us pick the perfect match for our beloved 5 year old frenchie. Gizmo is strong, loving, sweet and wants to be just like his big brother! Deb was easy to work with, very professional and takes excellent care of her puppies. Olive came to me trained on puppy pads with the sweetest and most kind temperament you could ever want from a French bulldog. Olive was already socialized and great with other dogs. Especially as first time dog owners it is crucial to have a breeder you can trust. Deb went above and beyond making sure my wife and I felt comfortable and ready to buy a puppy. Further to that she was always available to us for any questions we had to help guide us through the first few months and beyond of raising our puppy. She answered all of our questions and showed us the litter of adorable puppies, the mom and their whelping area. Even after we took our adorable pup home, she still checked in on her and responded to any questions we had. Poppy is a happy, healthy and sometimes sassy LOL pup and we are so happy with her! Finding a reliable preservation breeder was of high importance to us and we feel so lucky to have stumbled onto the BiJou French Bulldogs website one day. From the start, Deb has been a great communicator which really helped us feel at ease throughout the process of getting a pup. It is clear how much she loves her pups and cares about the families they go to. .Butaro is our first dog and our pride and joy! He is the sweetest pup and loves meeting new people and people love meeting him! He has brought so much joy into our lives and also came housebroken, which was a big and pleasant surprise as first-time dog owners! If you are looking to bring a french bulldog into you family, we highly recommend Deb and BiJou Frenchies - they are the best at what they do, you will not regret it! Stephanie C Easy experience from the beginning to end. Deb got back to me quickly about the last available pup. Communication was a breeze and we were able to agree to a pickup location that was convenient for both of us. Lola came with all her shots and chip information. We love Lola so much and are very happy we were able to bring her home last February. She was very professional. She was very knowledgeable about the breed and answered all my questions. It was such a great experience that I also purchased a puppy for my daughter. I take Paris to work with me everyday and the residents at the skilled nursing facility where I work love her. She is calm, friendly and well behaved. Joy B My puppy, mochi, is absolutely perfect! She is healthy, beautiful and so full of love! I could not be more grateful. In addition, Deb has been very helpful and is there to answer any questions I may have. Margaret C Our family has been researching various breeds of dogs and felt that the French Bulldog would best suit our family. Over this past summer, we have had the pleasure of working with Deb Knowlton of Bijou French Bulldog. We came across her website and became even more intrigued about the French Bulldog. From the first time we came into contact with Ms. Knowlton, she has truly demonstrated many qualities of professionalism and passion for the work that she does. She was always available to answer any questions we had via text or email in a promptly manner. When the time came to pickup our Frenchie, the process was fairly simple. Knowlton welcomed us into her home and gave her undivided attention to discuss all the information we needed to best care for our dog. Luna was already chipped, vaccinated and examined by a qualified veterinarian. Today, Luna is doing well and continues to bring such joy to our family. Dom M This year we added a second Frenchie from Deb to our family.We could not be happier with the disposition of our pup Levi and he has been a great addition.Deb took the time to identify a perfect match to our existing Frenchie and both are thriving. Deb is always available for questions during and after the entire process and makes sure that both parents and puppies are happy for years to come. Rebecca W Deb made the process of selecting the right Frenchie easy and fun. Just before the pandemic when we visited Deb to choose our puppy, she let the mother audition us as owners and we really hit it off. When we went back to the pen, the littlest puppy approached us and that was it. Love at first sight. Yasmin is a happy, healthy, self-confident puppy who brings joy to us every day. Bijou French Bulldogs is the best! Yolanda S We looked for the right breeder for our frenchie for awhile, and as soon as we met Deb, we could feel how much care, knowledge, and respect for this breed that she brings. We knew she would be the perfect choice for one of the most important in our lives! Fiona is beautiful, and exhibits all the best qualities of a well bred frenchie— she is super healthy, active, social, and the most friendly temperament. We won the lottery with Fiona and we know that deb had a huge part in making this possible. From the start, Deb took the time to share her knowledge on the breed, their characteristics, and her process. We knew immediately that we had an expert in Deb, and someone who loves and cares for her animals. Minka is the most loving, playful, silly, and all around best dog. She has completely exceeded our expectations, and everyone who meets her falls in love with her. As with most dog lovers we will go to extremes for our dogs, and to say we spoil them in an understatement. We put a great deal of time into investigating the breeders of our dogs and this was especially true for Tucker. This was a journey that took us to visit and meet several Frenchie breeders all who had a love of this wonderful breed. Along this journey we came to meet Deb of Bijou French Bulldogs. Immediately upon meeting Deb and visiting with her we realized Deb was truly special. From the time we picked up Tucker Deb has remained in touch with us and offered advice and support. Tucker is a healthy and absolutely beautiful puppy that has a wonderful personality, his coloring and disposition was exactly what Deb had said it would be. Linda L We are a dog-loving family, but, almost exclusively, we have been Lab owners. While we were all in the house for the pandemic, we realized that this would be a great time to get a puppy. However, this time my daughter asked if we could get a smaller dog that could sit in her lap easier , and that she could take with her more easily than she can the larger labs. Not having explored the smaller dog world before, we did a bit of digging into what breeds of small dogs would fit into our lives, and we determined that the French Bulldog was the way to go. I began my research into finding a pup, and I quickly learned a few things: 1. Rescue French Bulldog puppies are hard to impossible to find, 2. Frenchies are a significant investment and 3. I looked for quite some time, and began discussions with more than a few breeders. Some of the breeders were excellent, but many were not. It began to remind me of puppy milling of labradors we have encountered so many times in the past. Lots of discussion about designer colors on web sites, but little about breeding philosophy. On the day that I sent her a quick note looking to connect, Deb called me. During that first phone call I asked her with questions about her kennel, her breeding philosophy, and overall questions about Frenchies and how well a puppy would fit in our house. Deb enthusiastically engaged in that discussion with passion, and I knew this was a person who I wanted to work with. I was particularly concerned with breathing issues that these dogs so often has, and Deb was able to answer all of these questions with with ease and details since she has a deep experience in breeding Frenchies, and loves to do it. She very purposefully and knowledgeably sets up her breeding program based on a lot of data, not just a pedigree. She has a fantastic working knowledge of genetics, and tracks her dogs health so well that she can use this data to produce great litters. Her process is impressive. We were able to give Deb our criteria about the kind of dog we were looking for, and what we were not. She immediately spoke about future litters she was planning that would fit our needs. I fully expected to have to wait up at least 6 months for a puppy, but we were able to get a puppy sooner than that. We got Millie, a beautiful Fawn with tons of red accents. She is smaller in size, just as we like, and Deb told us that with her intensity gene, that her coloring was going to be stunning. She was absolutely right. Millie has been an amazing addition to our family, and even keeps up with our labs! Her alert spirit commands the room, and at the same time, she is loving and sweet. Her temperament could not be better. We love that she is a pretty puppy, but more important to looks, her health and temperament are paramount. However, the best testimonial that I can provide comes from the days following Millie home-coming. We took this beautiful 5 lb puppy to the vet for a wellness visit, and during the exam, the vet turned to me and said that she had no concerns about breathing or palate issues with this puppy, and that I should commend Deb for a beautifully bred dog - the best she has seen in years. If you are searching for Frenchies, and are considering Bijou, rest assured that you are in excellent hands and paws Sean D Once my family had decided it was time to get a dog I knew we needed a smaller one, who would bond with the whole family. I have always had dogs, large and small. My last one was an American bulldog, Rottweiler mix, we rescued at 6 weeks old, whom I loved. After researching the qualities we settled on a French Bulldog. I was excited my husband, who wanted a larger Pit Bull less than. There are so many breeders on the internet and 90 percent of them left me feeling like it was a business. Some I down right worried about the animals in their care. What I loved about Deb was the level of time and care she put into her animals. As a nurse I appreciated the commitment to health and socialization she gave for what I knew would be my newest child. I have two with two legs and now Nas, our Frenchie and Mashugana our Bengal cat to make two on four legs. We have only had him since September but he is adored by our whole family. My husband within a week was proudly telling everyone Nas was just what he wanted and now six months later is trying to get me to agree to a second. The vet was so impressed with his health, everyone who meets him talks about how smart he is. I have never had a dog more willing to love on everyone he meets. If we do decide to expand our family again we will be contacting Deb. She truly has a passion for what she does and the joy she brings to families. She was honest, professional, and very caring about us and our puppy. She is always willing to help with any questions, promptly responds and cares deeply for the pups, doing all she can to best prepare them for life with their new family. She is confident and does not get easily stressed. She is also very well socialized. Luna is the perfect example of what a Frenchie should be like. She is social, accepting, very friendly, and a quick learn… she has far exceeded my expectations! From our initial phone call to when I picked Baxter up, Deb and Shelley were knowledgeable, communicative and very clear that their top priority is the health and well-being of their dogs. Not only is Baxter the most beautiful Frenchie I have ever seen, but he also has the best temperament - he is sweet, playful, friendly with all dogs, people and children, snuggly, loyal - I could go on and on. Baxter and I can hardly make it two feet on the street without getting stopped - people come out of stores and restaurants to meet him. I will definitely get a second puppy from them sometime, hopefully in the near future. Not only Is Dexter healthy and happy but he has the perfect personality that could only have come from great parents fur and human. Shelly and Deb are phenomenal, educated us and made the whole process exciting and comfortable. Their continued support and love since we picked Dexter up is amazing. We already have and would continue to recommend them as breeders. K Stoltzfus Deb and Shelly are not only two of the nicest most helpful, honest and knowledgeable people, they treat their dogs like their family and will be there to help with any advice you need even after you bring your puppy home. Our boy, Xander, is smart, funny and full of love, hugs and licks. I was in such shock I think I must have mentioned it to everyone who asked how our visit went. She's healthy, happy, intelligent and the most affectionate pup I've ever met. We brought her home in August at 14 weeks and she has truly completed our family!! I was looking to add a french bulldog to our family, and from the onset they were absoltely helpful. This was the first time I was researching and interested in the breed, and they were very helpful in educating me along the process. They were very responsive and answered all of my e-mails and I send a lot! They truly love thier dogs, which is evident, and take pride and care in what they do. I look forward to the day we are able to grow our family even further and hope to have the opportunity to work with them again! J LaRocco Owning a French bulldog was a dream of mine for about 10 years before it became a reality. I always loved the look of the breed but after careful research I knew if I ever purchased one I would need to find a reputable breeder. I asked around, did some Google searches and scoured Facebook for contact information. I had been talking to another breeder when I found Deb and Shelly. I immediately sent in an interest form and Deb called me within a day or so. She was so knowledgeable and passionate about her dogs and why they were superior to the others. And after speaking with the other breeders I could compare them all and it was abundantly clear who I'd be getting my next furbaby from! Health testing was very important to us and Deb has done a wonderful job of making sure that her puppies are free of genetic and other disorders. Penny Lane came to us in Sept and has been such an awesome addition to our crew. She has the sweetest temperament. She's very smart. And she has these amazing brown eyes that look at you so lovingly you just have to give her pets or a treat! She's been a wonderful companion to me and our other dog. I highly recommend speaking with Deb and Shelly if you are searching for a Frenchie. You will not be disappointed! B Smassanow Deb and Shelly were absolutely wonderful to work with. We did a lot of research on Frenchie breeders in the New York area and luckily came across Beautibuls. From the first conversation with Deb we knew they were the ones we wanted to go with. They were extremely knowledgable and were so happy to share their expertise with us. We visited Deb and Shelly early on in the process and they showed us many puppies they were all equally adorable! She is healthy, happy, full of personality and absolutely stunning! After we took her home, they were reachable at any time which really helped us settle in as new puppy parents. We receive endless compliments of how well she represents the ideal French Bulldog breed. She is perfection! We cannot wait to extend our Frenchie family and will absolutely be giving Deb and Shelly a call when we are ready. We did a lot of research before we settled on to getting a puppy from them. They are respected breeders by other French bulldog breeders and that was an important consideration for us. Deb and Shelly have been great in giving us advice and answering our questions on every aspect of raising a healthy and happy puppy from feeding, toilet training and teaching good habits. Their advice and involvement in raising Louis have been invaluable to us. Louis is now a 16 months old happy, smart , sweet and strong young adult dog. He is completely house broken in and has his routines and has become a loving family member. Our two children love Louis like a brother. We highly recommend Debbie and Shelly and the Beautibul puppies. YKW and family. Y Waite "Fred and I give Beautibuls a 6 star out of 5 star review"! Looking back at all the disappointment from other breeders, it was a blessing in disguise to find Beautibuls and become part of their extended Frenchie family! I filled out the online application and heard back within a few hours. Beautibuls have changed my perception of what a great experience purchasing a puppy can be! I was instantly drawn to the pair, Deb and Shelly. If we ever add another Frenchie to our family it will be a Beautibuls Frenchie"! S Kibbe We are the very proud owners of 3 French Bulldogs. I was referred to Deb and Shelly by a breeder I had purchased my last little girl from as she did not have what I was looking for at the time. My experience with them was great. We spoke at length about what I was looking for in a pup as we were adding a 3rd and wanted the dynamics to work. Randal is a pied boy he is about 8 months old now and really filling out beautifully. He was housebroken in 6 months which is record breaking for my Frenchies.He is very sweet, and lovable with a great personality. Deb and Shelly were extremely accommodating and I have enjoyed sharing Randal's milestones with them.They have a top notch breeding program and take great pride in what they do. I would not hesitate to recommend Beautibuls to anyone looking for an amazing dog. I am one of the Beautibuls. I am named after my frenchy dad Dominic but I look just like my frenchy mom Senka. My mom is Gale. She tells me she loves me because I am sweet and a good snuggler. My dad says he loves me because of my good health which means no vet bills! My frenchy sister Giada is not a Beautibul we still love her and she had some large vet bills as a puppy. Grammies Shelly and Deb made sure that did not happen to me. Dad is also proud of how fast I was able to train him to hold me and give me lots of love. Our puppy Bowie is a playful, smart, happy, and loving pup. Being a part of the extended Beautibuls family is a wonderful place to be. I had to fill out online applications amid fighting back the tears, getting over losing our little pied gal. We got Lola from a breeder in Australia when we lived there 10 years prior, so we had no connections with US breeders. Some breeders never replied, some were short, but Deb emailed us back right away and even set up a call with us the very next day to find out about our situation and our ability to care for one of her pups. As luck would have it, we ended up with our handsome Louie very soon after we spoke with Deb. We were a bit nervous about having a new puppy so close to our loss, but he was the blast of sunshine that our family needed. Louie is energetic, smart and healthy, with a great temperament and he has the whole neighborhood suckered into playing fetch with him. We brought our puppy home last August and Deb and Shelly have been there every step of the way with any questions we may have had. Or little boy has been a perfect fit with our other two dogs and has an awesome temperament! He's the best. Every time I show co-workers they always ask " Where did you get him from". Our vet said he's never seen a puppy so prefect. With that said we are blessed to have a Beautibuls dog in our family. I don't want to forget how great of a dog he is as well. We have another Frenchie and we see the difference. Thanks again for the best meatball ever. Couldn't picture life without our Tyson" Kevin F "My husband and I purchased our first Frenchie from Beautibuls and we could not be happier. Knowing that this was our first the breeders were so knowledgeable and helpful. We are completely in love with this little guy. Although we chose not to show him, he is our Grand Champion!!! We will defiantly be back for a second puppy". Lisa T "Henry is such a sweet soul. He loves to snuggle up on your lap but he's also very playful. His wobble wag giggle ball is his favorite toy - he just loves chasing it around the house. He's super friendly with everyone and loves playing with other dogs. People ask me all the time where I got him because he's so adorable!! He makes me so happy every day"!! He's a puppy from your very first litter and has been such a joy in my life. You have helped guide me in the show ring and are always there for any questions I may have. Thank You Ladies!!! Lori H Enchanted Bulldogs It was a pleasure engaging with Deb - she was very helpful and informative throughout the process. Achilles, our puppy, was healthy and has immediately become one of the family. Also, Deb has been helpful after we took Achilles home with us. I highly recommend them as breeders. Steve D "I have been an ecstatic and exceedingly happy Beautibulls Frenchie Mommy to 2 beautiful, happy and healthy frenchies, Mimosa and Madeline Maddie since the minute I brought them home!! In addition to being a beautiful dog, her disposition was friendly and loving to me, my friends, my cats, and the dogs in the Park! She often gave THEM - most of whom were much bigger - a run for their money, and tuckered them out from play way before she was ready to call it quits!! Anyway, they're pretty funny when that all comes out, but they are truly NOT that helpful!! They are both cuddlers, lickers, and lovers - just wanting to be around mom, and in mornings and evenings even view the kitties as fellow cuddle buddies! Mimosa will be 5 at Christmas and Maddie will be 2 at the end of this month. Neither has had any health issues, and any concerns or questions that I had when I first brought them home Shelly and Deb were eager to answer. Similarly before I committed to buying one and joining their "family", I was very curious about the breeding and whelping processes, and besides being incredibly interesting, they helped me understand how and why my girls were going to be as healthy as they were. My first 3 dogs were big dogs - 2 bullmastiffs and 85 lb boxer lab and I adored them completely. I miss them dearly as well, but I am so so so happy with my 20 lb frenchies - they might be smaller in size, but not smaller in heart or energy levels and I'll never go back! As a matter of fact, I have notified Beautibulls of my desire to get another one, so if that's not a positive reference, I don't know what is!! I could not possibly recommend Beautibulls more highly!! Thank you Deb and Shelly!!! Our hearts were forever broken and we soon realized that that the only thing nearly as sad as losing our bully, was the emptiness we felt without having a dog to share our lives with. Knowing the breed well, we set out on a quest to find a reputable breeder. It was a very long journey but we were determined, and health and temperament were our top priorities. As time went on we developed a keen interest in Frenchies — and we were ever so fortunate to have come across the Beautibuls website. It made us so very hopeful - not only were the photos of their dogs beautiful, but they were so healthy and accomplished. We reached out and to our surprise not only did we get a prompt response, but it was such a pleasure to speak with Deb who dedicated a great deal of time to listen to our story, and talk to us about their breeding program. She was so knowledgeable and patient with us in answering all of our questions. Deb and Shelly made the process so smooth and were and still are! Luigi has been nothing short of amazing from day 1. He came to us so well socialized — we remember being so surprised at how quickly and confidently he settled right in… sleeping right through from his first night onwards! He steals the show in his training classes, loves his skateboard and is an emotional support dog. The breed is small and muscular with heavy bone structure, a smooth coat, a short face, and trademark "bat" ears. Many of my dogs are Champions and Grand Champions, producing incredible babies. My dogs are health tested to guarantee all puppies live a long and happy life!

All with their own unique personalities and amazing qualities that a dog owner would love to have! There are four females and two males and they are right around cats and very affectionate towards kids. And they need a forever home and a loving and caring and family. They can grow up and be a part of it. Buy Now 5 Girl 2 boy German shepherds going on 1 month 7 adorable just almost a month old. Heir is an American staffordshire Pitbull Terrier. Shepherd intelligent mixed with the power of a pithily makes a great guard dog and wonderfully lifelong companion!!! View Detail Geman Shepherd The dogs have paper and first shots, if interested we can be reach at xxx-xxx-xxxx or xxx-xxx-xxxx. Pure breed. She is AKC registered, has her first shots and vet check, and is ready to go. Call xxx xxx xxx5. These German shepherds are available to become the latest addition to your family. There are 11 puppies on all. Attached is the picture of their mother Paris. Contact Jonathan at xxx. Jake is located in Rochester NY View Detail Solid white German Shepherd puppies needing new homes We just have male and female puppies available at the moment so send us inquiries anytime via xxxxxxxxxx xxxxx. Puppies will come with first vaccination and veterinary check. Currently 4 weeks old. They will be ready for the 25th of February. Parents are both purebred German Shepherd. Call me xxx-xxx-xxxx. Thanks for looking. There is a litter of 8. And the mothers parents have won show medals. View Detail German Shepherd Pups I have a male and female pure breed German shepherd pup they will make the perfect house pet very smart dogs great holiday gift please contact me if interested for more information or pictures xxx-xxxtwo View Detail Dog on sale Nice dog just 3 months older it's. Male please send me a email at xxxxxxx xxxxxxx. We are moving! No pets at new apartment. He loves life, lots of fun. He enjoys family atmosphere, loves to hug. View Detail German Shepherd Sables, black and tan, and solid black. These pups are large boned, straight backed black and tan puppies. My name is Ralf aka Ralfy aka Ralfy Palfy. My fosters gave me the last nickname because they say I will make someone a great Pal. You see, I was found on the side of the road barely alive after being hit by a car. I couldn't walk very well because my pelvis was broken in three places. But after visiting this place called the veterinarian, I started feeling much better. Unfortunately before my accident I had never met kind humans and still to this day, I'm very easily startled and scared of new people. It's going to take someone very special and patient to earn my trust. But once you earn it, I'm the sweetest and most gentle dog ever. I love love love chest rubs and ear scratches. But my number one love of all time is treats!!! I love all flavors so if you decide to take me home, don't be shy when shopping for me! I enjoy sunbathing and relaxing in my kennel. It's my safe place when I feel overwhelmed. I promise to love you if you promise to take the time to get to know me. I will do best in a quiet house with maybe 1 or 2 adults and an older mature doggy friend. I don't care much for traveling and prefer to be a homebody. I do love to play with doggy friends and don't mind cats either. I'm currently working on becoming more confident in public spaces. What do you say? Can you give me a shot? Ralf is kennel trained and potty trained. He is a local adoption only. His current foster is a trainer who is willing to offer two free sessions along with his adoption to set you both up for success and better help you understand what he will need and how you can help provide that for him. He is a Shepherd mix that weighs roughly 50lbs.

Experience the Joys of Owning a Dog Experience the Joys of Owning a Dog Experience the Joys of Owning a Dog If you've been considering dog ownership, why not find out what it's really like with us before making that big commitment. That's why we entrust them to resolve your fear of dogs within our specially controlled environment. Or know someone who has? Many people who are bereaving find it very therapeutic coming to The GRE because they are reminded of the joys of having had their pet and receive the healing love and attention they've been missing. We're based in the quiet countryside of Exmoor National Park, surrounded by rolling hills with a 10 minute walk to the beach. Makes a perfect Wedding Gift and we do Gift Certificates. You can book out our grounds dogs included of course for up to 6 hours of dog-filled fun. Enquire below. Additional Expertise and Accessibility Learning, Social and Behavioural Difficulties Additional Expertise and Accessibility We have experience working with the blind, elderly patients and children and adults with Down syndrome. The GRE is fully wheelchair accessible and we have ample parking for minibuses and coaches. We'd love to see all of you at The GRE but we don't accept walk-ins because we have a limited capacity, all bookings must be made in advance via the 'book now' button on our website. If you want to book, please press the 'book now' button on the bottom of your screen. Otherwise, fill out this form and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Please note that we are not offering 3-hour sessions for Summer but please get in touch if you still have a 3-hour gift certificate to use. As a hybrid dog, the Golden Irish will inherit the physical and behavioral traits of both its parent dog breeds, however, not all Golden Irish dogs will inherit the same characteristics even if from the same litter. It is recommended to familiarize yourself with both the Golden Retriever and the Irish Setter if you are planning on adopting a Golden Irish as the breed can have more characteristics of one parent breed than the other. Golden Irish are known for being very loyal and affectionate dogs with exceptional agility. They are very friendly and should make a wonderful companion or family dogs. Golden Irish are active dogs that require regular exercise to maintain their physical and mental well-being. Exercise is essential as it helps them burn off excess energy, maintain a healthy weight, strengthen their muscles and bones, improve their cardiovascular health, and prevent behavioral issues such as boredom and destructive behaviors. The intensity necessary may vary depending on their age, health, and lifestyle. Responsible dog owners should ensure that their furry friends get plenty of exercise to keep them healthy and happy. Important Notice!!!!!! Due to scams and imposters, please make sure and submit your deposits and payments only via this website! Never send money directly to an email, PayPal, Venmo, or other accounts not listed on this website!! We never ask for any remaining funds, until the day you pick up your puppy, or the day prior to shipping. After a puppy is reserved its is our goal to make the update within minutes with few exceptions outside holidays and unforeseen events. You can be confident the available puppies and their pictures shown are accurate and up to date. Transportation We will provide transportation for your puppy if needed and have had great success with our puppies traveling all over the USA. We handle all travel arrangements and details. Pet Nanny flights may be more expensive depending on location. Contact Us. Hip and elbow scored, DNA tested, eye and gonioscopy tested. This helps produce healthy puppies. Pampered During pregnancy and whelping our Mummies are pampered and given the best 24hr care. Loved All our puppies are kept as part of our family in our home with lots of cuddles Stud Services All our Daddies studs which we use regularly are proven, PRA clear, eye tested and hip scored. Learn More Customer Feedback Straight from the start, Jess has been welcoming and provided the much needed assurance and advice. No question was too much trouble to answer and as a first time dog owner, I had many. The communication and regular "pup-dates" meant we felt included in the whole process. The love and care that goes into all of the dogs not just the puppies is an absolute joy to see. I can't wait until we can welcome some more Hollyrosefen paws into our household. We were first time dog owners and have two children with special needs so getting a dog that would fit in with our family was super important. Everyone we meet often comments on the lovely nature of our dog and how calm he is. I'm sure this is full credit to Jess and her family and how the pups and their mum are so carefully cared for. Thank you.

Breeders VS. The sad truth is that many pet store purchased pups actually come from puppy mills. Basically, there is zero authenticity with pet stores. When it comes to adopting any animal from a pet store, there is an increased risk of unforeseen health or genetic problems. You also cultivate a life-long relationship with the breeder, meaning support is available to you anytime you may need it. With My Golden Retriever Puppies , you have the option to come and visit both the puppy and the breeder in person! Golden Retrievers are an adaptable breed, meaning they are better at adapting to seasonal changes and various types of climate than certain other breeds. Goldens sport a double-coat, which ensures that these sweet pups are able to tolerate slightly colder temperatures than their friends from other breeds. Your pup deserves better than that, which is why here at My Golden Retriever Puppies , we ensure high-quality care is taken of your pet at all times. For more about the true price of a golden retriever puppy, you can read our full price breakdown here. Location Information for Texas Customers Our home office is located in Ohio, but we understand that long-distance travel can be inconvenient. If you prefer to meet a breeder in person, they may be able to offer private visits at their home. Of course! Here at My Golden Retriever Puppies , we value family and authenticity, which is why we always guarantee our pups through our 2-year genetic health guarantee. Like adopting a Golden Retriever from a pet store, there is an increased risk when adopting a pup from a rescue center or shelter as well. For example, pups purchased through a shelter or rescue center are far less likely to come with the kinds of health guarantees and reassurances that a breeder can provide. What type of Golden Retrievers are sold in Texas? We have some good news! Ready to make your Golden Retriever dreams come true? Take a look at our convenient list of available puppies. How do I know which breeders to trust in Texas? Our independent network of trusted breeders have already been pre-screened and verified, so that you can focus on what really matters: choosing your dream puppy. Be the first to know when we have new puppies! All Rights Reserved. If you would like to have the puppy held for you, make a deposit online. You are certainly welcome to select your puppy this way without a deposit, but please note that availability may change on a daily basis. If you come and see the puppy, make your purchase and take the puppy home if the puppy is 8 weeks old or older. Skip to 6, unless you need to arrange travel for your pup. Connect with us and we will get the right information to deliver the puppy to you and set up the exact date and time. Enjoy the new puppy that you have adopted into your family. If you have any questions, please reach out to the breeder for help! How much is a Golden Retriever puppy, and why do the prices on the website vary? The price depends on the credentials of the parents and the number of puppies available at the time. This allows you to set up an appointment that fits both your schedule and that of our breeders. Our golden retriever puppies are all raised by families in the Northeast Ohio area, conveniently located about an hour and a half from both Cleveland and Columbus. This makes it easy to come visit our puppies and spend time playing with them in a home environment. How can I get puppy travel arranged if I am out of state? A little-known fact about golden retriever puppies is that they actually do very well with travel. Check out our puppy travel page here to find out more about how we go the extra mile. How do you raise your dogs? When buying a golden retriever puppy, the people who bred and raised them can have a big impact on the health and sociability of the dog! Because of this, we are dedicated to choosing caring, dedicated golden retriever breeders in Ohio who will get your pup started on the right track. Our small network of breeders in Ohio all are dedicated to the same principles. This starts by providing carefully-planned breedings to ensure the best pedigree for our pups. They raise healthy, socialized pups that can make a smooth transition to a new home. Most of our breeders actually have young children at home who help raise the puppies and play with them so they can become socially adjusted. How do I leave a review of my Golden Retriever experience? This could cost you thousands of dollars in medical bills down the road. On the other hand, when you buy the animal from a licensed Golden Retriever breeder, you can pick out your future puppy with confidence. Not only will proof of his pedigree show that your breeder is certified, but it will also verify that your puppy is a true Golden Retriever. The best puppy breeders take pride in providing healthy dogs through careful genetic research. They should be so confident in their work that they offer you a health guarantee , which will tell you what to do if your puppy faces any unforeseen health issues. Since breeders are there from the day the puppies and their parents! And picking the right pet for your family starts with finding a breeder you can trust. No matter how nice they seem or how attractive their website looks, you should always do a little bit of research before choosing a Golden Retriever breeder. Here are important points that all breeders should address: Image Source Does the breeder give back to the breed? Breed preservation should be the primary goal of Golden Retriever breeders. They should participate in keeping the species alive through membership at a Golden Retriever breed dog club, a performance club, or an obedience club. What type of experience does the breeder have? Do they stay true to the pure genetic traits of the breed? Do they provide health screenings and health guarantees? Can you meet the puppies and parents in person? How many litters do the females have each year? Female Golden Retrievers can have up to two litters per year. However, breeders who follow ethical practices will only allow the females to have four to six litters in their lifetime. A female can breed between the ages of two and eight. Once you choose a breeder that seems like a good fit for you and your family, you should write up some questions to ask them. And in return, expect some questions about you, your lifestyle, and your home! One of the first things any breeder you inquire about should provide is a list of former buyers. Reviews posted online are one thing, but being able to talk with customers directly speaks volumes about the legitimacy of the breeder. When you speak with their former customers, ask questions about their buying experience and how their dog is doing years after purchase. Puppies should receive some level of preventative care that is appropriate for their age. Newborn puppies up to eight weeks old should stay with their mothers, but they will also receive their first round of core vaccines during these few weeks. They should have a yearly examination by a licensed veterinarian that will perform vaccines, flea, tick, and heartworm prevention, as well as general health checkups. A reputable, passionate breeder will be more than happy to receive updates and questions about their puppies well into adulthood. With that being said, the breeder should also provide a health guarantee. A health guarantee states that you are not financially liable for any genetic issues in the puppy, as long as the health condition is verified by a certified veterinarian. This is an essential point that you might not think twice about. A good Golden Retriever breeder will ask questions to determine if your household is a good fit for their puppy. Image Source 1 Why do you want a dog? This is a simple yet important question that you should have an answer to. Golden Retriever breeders that dedicate their livelihood to continuing the pure genetic bloodline will want to know what appeals to you about these energetic companions. Additionally, the breeder might ask who will be walking, feeding, and playing with the dog. Golden Retriever puppies require tons of attention, especially during the first two years of their lives. If the breeder asks this, they want to know how your children will be participating in the handling of the puppy. They also want to understand how you plan to introduce the puppy to other pets so they can coexist safely within the same home. No matter how nice a breeder may seem, you want to avoid accidentally contributing to backyard breeders or a puppy mill disguised as a reputable breeder. Doing so can cost you thousands of dollars in medical bills and years of potential heartbreak. Here are some of the most critical and obvious warning signs of an untrustworthy breeder. Less experienced breeders will charge on the lower end, and more experienced breeders usually with generations of pure genetic proof! Additionally, some of the best breeders will only sell trained puppies to ensure their pooches are family- and forever-home ready. Therefore, you should receive standard documentation upon adopting your new Golden Retriever puppies, such as care instructions, registration papers, vaccination records, and necessary contracts. The contract may also state that you agree to surrender the puppy instead of adopting him out to a shelter or the pound. Some warranties will say that the breeder should have the right to reclaim the puppy in an unexpected situation like this. If you do ask for references, and they give you a list of written reviews instead of contact information for former clients, this is a red flag. A refusal for a tour means that the breeder knows potential clients may be turned away by the environment. If you are invited to tour a facility, learn about what a professional kennel should look and smell like first. The bottom line is, you need to do plenty of research. Best Golden Retriever Breeder in Colorado? Well, we will let you be the judge, but we love our dogs like family and treat them as such. We do not over breed our dogs or participate in any crossbreeding tactics or exotic dog types. We are Golden Retriever lovers, enthusiasts, and protectors. Every dog is like family to us. While we are happy to entrust our puppies to loving families, we do have a puppy acquisition process in order to ensure our high quality dogs are delivered to warm homes that are able to care for our dogs properly. Every puppy we sell is depending on us to properly screen new owners, so please understand we take this seriously. This also protects your interests and maintains high standards for you as well. All puppies MUST be picked up in person. No exceptions. Golden Retriever Lovers Welcome! If you have a wonderful home for one of our puppies, we would love to hear from you. Whether you want a family retriever or a specialty dog for hunting, we will help find the exact fit for you. Many times there is a waiting list so apply early! If you are just getting started and would like to discuss our process, we are also eager to hear from you. Contact Us Today! Look at the current breedings or litters we have or are upcoming and fill out our contact form specifying what breeding you are interested in. Before puppies are born we only take deposits on the first pick, second, and possibly third picks on both males and females. After puppies are born and all spots are filled you will be told what pick you have. Get ready to welcome a lovely puppy that will bring all the love and affection. Tucker is now 3 born and is my best companion. Tucker is the quintessential Golden, beautiful, faithful, active, family-oriented, and geez I cannot come up with enough good things to say. Tucker is my soulmate. He makes me smile every day. If I feel bad he cares and comes to comfort me. He is so wonderful. My parents adopted another Slater Creek Golden, different parents, and she is phenomenal. So beautiful and sweet. Slater Creek Goldens are all love, loyalty and so much fun. Linda — you and your pups are my favorite ppl! Linda you will be in my heart forever. Life Span Did You Know? The Golden Retriever has been an AKC-recognized breed since and was commonly used as a gun dog and for retrieving small game such as waterfowl, and for companionship. The Golden Retriever originated in the Scottish Highlands. The first Lord Tweedmouth, Dudley Majoribanks, is credited with developing the breed and keeping detailed records to create the ideal gun dog for the terrain. Great discipline and a gentle spirit make the Golden Retriever a perfect retrieval breed since the goal of this task is to bring the trophy back as undamaged as possible. Golden Retrievers first appeared in dog shows in at a British dog show. They also started appearing in the United States around the same time as they were brought across the Canadian border. They gained popularity with sport hunters and in general. Their popularity really took off in the s and they are consistently one of the most popular dog breeds. If you are not the sporting type, bringing a Golden Retriever into your family as a pet is just as rewarding because they are one of the most loyal and jovial breeds out there. One of the facts about Golden Retrievers is that they are the epitome of friendly and make fantastic family dogs. Golden Retrievers are considered one of the friendliest dog breeds. They tend to be good with kids, other dogs, other pets, and even strangers. Goldens love attention and they bond closely with their families. They are affectionate with them, and also just about everyone else. Although they do tend to get along with everyone, they love being around their favorite humans the most. They will bark to alert you and can end up barking a lot if you do not train your dog to stop barking early on. Golden Retrievers are highly adaptable dogs. They thrive in homes with yards where they can run. They can also adapt to apartment living as long as they get enough daily exercise, mental stimulation, and attention. These dogs do well in just about any climate, but are sensitive to heat. As one of the most affectionate dog breeds , they are not at all happy about being left alone for long periods of time. Although super-friendly and attention-loving, Goldens can also be sensitive to their surroundings; make sure they feel included, but have a quiet place to go if things get too noisy or overwhelming. Potential health concerns to be aware of in a Golden Retriever include progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, elbow dysplasia , and hip dysplasia. Good breeding practices make a big difference in the health of puppies. Reputable breeders screen their dogs to avoid passing preventable issues to puppies. So, make sure you ask about the health and genetic history of the parents. You can also ask about any health tests or clearances that have been done. Goldens are considered one of the best dog breeds for first-time owners. They are highly trainable dogs that pick up on things quickly and are eager to please. These traits make them a good fit for owners of all experience levels. It also helps them excel at obedience competitions. As one of the smartest dog breeds , Golden Retrievers can get bored easily. Because they pick up things quickly, they can get bored with too much repetition in training. If your dog has mastered the command, move on to something more advanced or another activity. You can also enroll in puppy training classes for some variety in training and also some socialization. Golden Retrievers have a long double coat that will shed a little year-round and will be heavier twice a year as the seasons change. Brushing a few times a week and daily brushing during seasonal shedding along with a bath as needed is usually enough for at-home care. You will want to go to the dog groomer for a professional trim a few times a year, especially as the seasons change. Nail trims once or twice monthly keep nails from growing too long. Daily tooth brushing, along with cleanings at the vet when needed, is ideal. Golden Retrievers are one of the most active dog breeds. Daily walks plus some playtime, time to run, and other activities are usually enough to keep these dogs happy and healthy. But, they are high-energy dogs that will likely always be up for more activity if you are. Much like the Labrador , they also tend to have an extended puppyhood. They tend to start winding down a little around the age of 3 and settle into your lifestyle, but they will still be high-energy dogs that require a lot of daily activity. Goldens are known for being versatile and athletic dogs. They tend to love swimming. Once they are done growing and the vet clears them for higher-impact activities, you can try other things too. They are one of the dog breeds that make good running partners. You can also teach them how to play frisbee or play fetch. Training for dog sports is another good option. In addition to obedience, Golden Retrievers are well suited for agility, dock diving , rally, flyball, tracking, and more. Fully-grown Golden Retrievers usually stand inches tall and weigh pounds. Golden Retrievers generally live for years on average. With their intelligence, eagerness to please, and gentle disposition, Golden Retrievers are versatile working dogs. In addition to being one of the dog breeds that make the best service dogs , Goldens can be found working as emotional support dogs, certified therapy dogs, search and rescue dogs, military dogs, police dogs, animal actors, and more. Featured Golden Retriever Article.

So, is adding a second golden retriever to the family a good idea? But what are the pros and cons? If your golden has separation anxiety, another dog will really help them out. No more fighting about who is going to pet or play with them because now you have two. When your retriever has a buddy, it can make them feel more secure They will never be alone or lonely Retrievers are cheerful dogs and one of them can light up your life so can you imagine what two of them will do. If the first dog is well trained, the second dog will copy most of their actions and make training them on commands much easier The cons Cleaning up will be a pickle because now you will clean up after two which means more hair all over your place You will need to make more budget for their food and needs, there will be twice the vet bills as well. Your retriever might be the jealous type which will make adding a new retriever to the family harder. You will need more energy for exercising two energetic retrievers Training two dogs will be more difficult if the first one is not already well trained. If they are chewers then it means twice the damage control Also, two dogs mean twice the potty pickups Want to learn more about how you life changes with a second golden retriever? Read my post on why are golden retrievers better in pairs here. So here is how you should introduce your second golden retriever to both your family members and first dog. Step 1: let the dog approach the children and not the other way around because the new dog might feel threatened and will snap in self-defense. Step 2: tell your children to sit down while holding a toy to encourage the puppy to approach them. Step 5: prevent any hugs or cuddles till the dog is completely ready for them. Step 6: After the first meeting, ask your children to give the puppy some space so they can explore the new environment. Golden Retrievers get along very well with other dogs, and they almost always get together super well, so this will be quite easy, but you still need to do a bit of effort. Step 5: for the meeting take them both out for a walk never introduce them inside the house. Step 6: you should take your first retriever in front of you and the new retriever behind with the person who is helping you. While you are both walking, start slowly to work your way to get them closer to each other. Step 8: After a minute of sniffing, start walking again, you need to keep their first interactions short and nice. Step 9: repeat the whole walking and sniffing part several times until they are both calm. Step since they both seem calm, you can bring both dogs inside the house, let your first retriever enter first then allow him to welcome the new retriever. Step give your new retriever more space in the house so they can adjust and explore the house. If you have a backyard, you can let the dogs run around and play together but still limit their playtime and keep it short a first. Do not leave them alone together Important Tips for introducing your second golden retriever Give both of the dog love and attention equally Keep their feeding areas separated Keep them both active, for example, take them for a walk or find an activity that can be both fun and burn out all their extra energy. Watch out for any signs of stress or aggression, if you do notice any sign of stress, reduce their time together. Golden retrievers are the best family dog because they are great with both humans and animals, getting a second retriever will be great because they will be both super friendly, however, golden retrievers are rarely aggressive but if they get jealous they can display some unwelcoming signs to the new dogs. So the most important thing is to spend time with each one of them equally and love them both unconditionally. If you liked this article you can share it with your friends and family, they might be considering adding a second dog to their family and it can help them as well, also It would make me really happy and grateful. Related Questions Is it good to have two golden retrievers? Can you have 2 male golden retrievers? What is the best age to add a second dog? The best age to add a second dog is one year according to many behaviorists because it can take up to six months for any dog to adjust to their new home then they take six more months to bond in the right way with their owner and to learn your commands and house rules. Helpful Resources. Golden Retrievers: 0. First, you might choose to bring home two puppies at once, usually littermates. Or, you might opt to get one Golden Retriever and then later on add a puppy or another adult Golden. Perhaps the idea of separating your puppy from their family makes you sad and you think that bringing home two will make it easier for them. Maybe the breeder suggested that you take two puppies. Or you think the idea of having two puppies at once seems like double the cuteness and fun, and that you can just get the puppy stage done with both dogs all at once. Are any of these ideas true? What is Littermate Syndrome? Littermate syndrome is when two puppies from the same litter , or two puppies from different litters but similar ages, are raised together and develop problematic behavior issues. There are several main categories of undesirable behavior that are associated with littermate syndrome: aggression, separation distress, fear of novelty, and lack of human-dog bond. Aggression In some cases, you might see that two Golden Retrievers display aggressive behavior towards each other, or toward others, both dog and human. Often the aggression arises around the time of adolescence or social maturity 6 months to 18 months. The two dogs might start having more conflict, whereas before they got along without issue. One dog might start becoming a bully towards the other. Perhaps intense conflicts break out over toys or bones. Maybe fights come out of nowhere without any apparent provocation. This can be extremely distressing to witness as an owner, and obviously frightening for the recipient. Two dogs snarling, barking and lunging at another dog or a person is probably not what you signed up for when you brought home a pair of fluffy Golden puppies. Separation Distress Another common result of littermate syndrome is intense separation distress. This can start much earlier than the aggression discussed above, and even puppies three months or four months old can show distress when separated from their littermate. Puppies or dogs might start screaming or thrashing around if separated even a short time or distance. You can imagine how hard this can make life for both you and the dogs. If one dog needs to go to the vet or have surgery, the other dog will be panicked. Crating or otherwise confining them separately might be impossible. Even trying to train them separately could be met with extreme anxiety from your pair of pups. Fear of Novelty This one sounds a little odd, but another way littermate syndrome can manifest is through the dogs showing fear of novelty, also known as neophobia. This can start when the littermates are young, and can worsen as they get older. They might show strong fear of new people or dogs, as well as new locations, environments or objects. Lack of Human-Dog Bond Because the two littermates spend so much time together, they may bond more closely with each other than with their human family. This hyper-attachment with each other can result in two dogs that care way more about each other than you, or what you have to say. Getting their attention might be a real struggle. They might blow you off when you call in favor of continuing to wrestle and play. Littermates may be so preoccupied with each other that they never really develop a social bond with you or your family. Your two Golden Retrievers may struggle to learn house rules and boundaries, and it can be harder for them to understand how to regulate themselves emotionally. Training can also be a challenge, as mentally, they are more focused on their sibling. Ask any experienced dog trainer, behavior consultant, or veterinary behaviorist, and they will tell you that littermate syndrome can happen when someone brings two pups home. And despite this breed being notoriously social, sweet and bonded with their humans, it can happen with Golden Retrievers. Bringing home two puppies does not necessarily mean they are doomed to experience littermate syndrome, but it is absolutely something to be mindful of and to proactively avoid it from happening. Want to potty train your Golden Retriever puppy fast? Click here to get the Potty Training Cheat Sheet! What Causes Littermate Syndrome? Again, there have not been formal studies, but there are some likely factors to which littermate syndrome can be attributed. You might know two people that have an unhealthy attachment, maybe romantic partners, a parent and child, or friends. The relationship impedes normal social, emotional, and mental development, and has a negative impact in other areas of their life. This is exactly what can happen with canine littermates too. They are missing out on some critical development due to this hyper-attachment. Behavior like aggression or separation distress may arise out of that unhealthy attachment. The thought is that they can entertain each other and tire each other out, which will make your job as the owner easier. The cost to this is that they are then spending a lot of time together, rather than getting one-on-one time with their owners, which is so crucial to properly raising a puppy. This lack of individualized attention may contribute to the dogs not closely bonding with their humans. Letting two pups spend all day every day together without enough solo time and attention could potentially lead to littermate syndrome. Lack of Training Training two Golden Retriever puppies at once is nearly impossible! It will be hectic, frustrating and confusing for both you and the puppies. In order to effectively teach anything, you will have to dedicate time to work with each puppy individually, which means double the time spent training. Some people might not have the time to train each puppy one-on-one, or may just not have the desire to put in double the effort. Training is also an excellent way to bond with your puppy, and so if training is minimal, you will miss out on a crucial opportunity to bond with each pup. Lack of Proper Socialization Socialization is critical to raising a confident, well-behaved dog. The prime time for socialization is before sixteen weeks of age. What your puppy learns and experiences during these first sixteen weeks of age can have a permanent effect on their temperament and behavior. Just like with training, socialization needs to be a one-on-one activity. Again, this means double the socialization, which is a huge time and energy investment for you. Each puppy needs to meet new people and new dogs away from the other puppy. Each puppy needs to visit new environments and have new experiences without their sibling. Each puppy will need to be walked individually. They may always need their sibling next to them in order to feel okay about the world. Lack of one-on-one socialization also leaves a gap in their relationship with you as their owner. Learning about the world with you as their guide creates a strong, positive relationship. Without that foundation, your puppy may choose to take their cues from their puppy sibling, instead of you, which can be very frustrating as they grow up. How To Avoid Littermate Syndrome As mentioned previously, littermate syndrome is not a guaranteed outcome if you do bring home two puppies. The idea that bringing home two puppies will make your job as their owner easier could not be more wrong. Properly training, socializing and raising two puppies at the same time is double the work. The obvious solution to preventing littermate syndrome is to only bring home one puppy. Life with a single Golden Retriever puppy is plenty busy and you completely avoid the risks associated with littermate syndrome. But if you are set on getting two puppies and fully understand the responsibility and risk associated with this, or you already have two, here are some ways that you can prevent littermate syndrome from happening with your pair of pups. This is absolutely crucial to building a strong relationship with your puppies. Play with each puppy one-on-one. Go on walks with each puppy individually. Romp around the yard with them separately. So to counteract any potential for hyper-attachment, commit to spending one-on-one time with each puppy. They may become very distressed if they are separated, which might include destructive behavior, barking, peeing or pooping , or even self-injury. When you work on this in addition to spending one-on-one time with each puppy, you set everyone up for success for the times where one dog needs to go to the vet and the other needs to stay home, for example. Train and Socialize Each Pup Individually While your pair of pups might be two peas in a pod, they are, in fact, two unique individuals, and should be treated as such. Each Golden Retriever puppy has their own distinct temperament, strengths, and weaknesses. Treating the puppies as a unit does them a disservice and might create issues as they mature. Perhaps one puppy can chill in their crate and practice their confinement skills while you work on training the other puppy. You will likely find that each puppy learns things at different paces, and what was easy for one puppy is harder for the other, and vice versa. Spending training time with them individually will help you learn about their unique personality so you can help them really shine. Likewise, socialization should also be done one-on-one. Socialization is a process of exposing your puppy to the world in a way that builds their confidence and teaches them how to feel and act in various environments. Introducing your Goldens to new people, other dogs, new locations, new experiences, new surfaces, new sounds, etc. For example, you take one puppy with you on an errand to a local dog-friendly gardening store. You notice that they are scared when someone else enters the store with a big dog. Your puppy cowers and bit and hides behind you. Ideally, you want each puppy learning how to confidently move through the world with you as their guide. You want them to learn that you are trustworthy and to look to you if they are unsure or scared. Double the Fun, Double the Trouble Bringing home two Golden Retriever puppies has the potential to be a highly rewarding experience, or a disaster waiting to happen. If you are dedicated to putting in the effort to help each puppy mature into a happy, confident, well-behaved dog, it can potentially have a positive outcome. You can always add another puppy to the family when they are more mature and well trained. This is generally a better way to go about it if you want to have two or more! Golden Retrievers. It allows you time to fully bond with your first dog and focus on their training and socialization before you get a second. Typically, things will go more smoothly by getting the two dogs with some time in between, but there are certainly considerations to keep in mind to set everyone up for success from the start. Now, no dog is perfect and they all have their little quirks, but if your current Golden loves to bark out the windows at every passerby, just imagine two Goldens engaging in that behavior. Dogs are social learners and they do learn from each other. You should feel overall comfortable with what your current dog might teach the newcomer. That terrible counter-surfing behavior might get way worse now that your attention is split between your dog and the new pup. You want to feel happy with where things are at with the current dog. However, it is generally a good idea to wait until two years old so that you have really formed a positive relationship with your first dog and have good habits in place. Is it possible to bring home another Golden Retriever when your first one is, say, one year old? Yes, but it might be more work for you. Every dog is different and some older dogs genuinely love interacting with puppies, while others find them to be utterly annoying. Some dogs just adore puppies while others find them repulsive. If your dog has positive, but more lowkey feelings about other dogs, then your process might move along at a quicker pace. Pick a Location First, decide on where the two dogs will meet for the first time. If your dog regularly has playdates at your house and is okay with sharing their space with other dogs, then setting up the first meeting at home might be an option. That way by the time the newcomer is in the house, your older dog is at least aware that they exist and knows their smell. Pick a Time Sometimes picking up your puppy from the breeder is an adventure in itself with road trips and flights involved. And that can mean your puppy might get home at a really odd time. Midnight may not be the ideal time to have your adult dog meet the new baby. Giving them a nice walk before they meet their new sibling can help your dog feel content and more relaxed when the meeting happens. You really need to know your dog and proactively set them up for the most possible success. You can put the puppy in the exercise pen and let them sniff and say hi through the pen at first, which can give you an idea of how both parties are feeling. Loose, wiggly, waggy body language is a positive indication. Signs that a dog is unsure or fearful include tucked tail, cowering, stiff body, hard stare, freezing in place, and growling or snapping. While this might seem sad, it can go a long way to keep everyone safe, and is a completely humane precaution to take. A basket muzzle allows dogs to pant, eat and drink, but prevents teeth from making any contact. If you feel a muzzle is necessary, you should also hire a professional trainer to help you facilitate the meeting process. Plus, getting professional help is never a bad idea. How to Integrate a New Dog with Your Dog Beyond the initial meet and greet, there is the whole process of integrating the new puppy into daily life with your current dog. Again, this requires some planning and strategy to ensure everyone is safe and happy. Management Tools It can help to let them drag light leashes around the house, at least for the first few days, so that you can easily redirect them if needed. This prevents you from having to manhandle your dog or puppy, which can sometimes make them uncomfortable and stressed. It is unrealistic to expect your dog and puppy to spend all day everyday together without issues. Your puppy will get overexcited. Your dog might be too exuberant and you will worry they will squish the baby. Use management strategies like crates , gates , leashes , and pens to give them separate spaces. Your adult Golden might not be too keen on this new punk puppy trying to lick up kibble crumbs while they are still eating dinner, so have a plan for keeping them separate during meal times to prevent any resource guarding issues. Similarly, things like toys and bones can become points of contention, depending on the dog. Or maybe they want to just sniff the toy your older dog is playing with. Keeping an eye out for these situations, and running interference when needed, can go a long way to get your two-dog household off to a good start. Play Times Always monitor play times to ensure that each dog is safe and having fun. You can call them over periodically for some treats and then give them a little down time before allowing them to go back to playing. Alone Time Any time you cannot be actively supervising the two dogs, confine them separately. Separate Spaces Provide them both with their own comfy places to relax. You might find that your puppy struggles to settle with your other dog around, or vice versa. Giving them each their own space, using a gate, crate or pen, can help them learn how to coexist peacefully without constantly erupting into play. Expect Some Bumps in the Road This can be a rocky process sometimes, and just know that is normal. You might find that your existing dog picks up a new bad habit when the puppy comes home. Remember that you have plenty of time to integrate the new pup into your home with your current dog. Do not rush the process! There is always the disappointing possibility that your current dog just cannot cope with another dog in the home. Some dogs truly do best being the only dog in the family. Getting help from a certified dog behavior consultant can help you evaluate your situation and process making a hard decision if necessary. Work on teaching the puppy new skills without your other dog, and then you can add them in as a distraction while you continue to strengthen their skills. Balance all this new attention on the puppy with some quality one-on-one time with your adult Golden Retriever. They used to be the solo light of your life, and now they are sharing you with a new puppy. While the puppy naps, perhaps you go for a walk at the park or hit up a favorite trail for a fun hike. Twice as Nice There is a lot to love about life with two Golden Retrievers. It can really help to have realistic expectations before you become a two-Golden family. Have a plan, and a plan B. The key is to be consistent with proactively avoiding negative interactions and unwanted behavior, while fostering positive interactions and behavior. Do you have two Golden Retrievers? Would you recommend it? Let us know down in the comments! And if you liked this article, check out the ultimate guide to raising a Golden Retriever puppy. Getting a Golden Retriever puppy? Check out the Golden Retriever Puppy Handbook. Related articles:. If you already have a Golden, how about doubling the fun by getting another one? Are Golden Retrievers better in pairs? Yes, Golden Retrievers will do better in pairs. Due to their social nature, they will have each other for constant companionship throughout the day and anytime you are away or busy. On the downside, taking care of two Golden Retriever dogs will double your chores and expenses. This article may contain affiliate links and loyalgoldens may earn a commission if a purchase is made. Unlock your goldens natural intelligence and see just how quickly problem behaviors disappear. This is the best at home dog training I've ever used! What if you can add another Golden Retriever dog to the household mix, and they could use some of their abundant energy wearing each other out instead? As you may already know, the purebred Golden Retriever was initially bred in Scotland around the s when breeders wanted a powerful hunting dog who could retrieve game from both land and water while running through the countryside all day long. Because of this, Golden Retrievers were bred to have abundant levels of energy. The rule of thumb with a Golden Retriever is you should take your pup for a minute walk at least 2 times per day more is better to keep him healthy and entertained. Between wrestling and chasing each other around the house, two Golden Retrievers will easily get their allotted exercise time each and every day. Note: While a second dog of the same breed is great, a Golden Retriever will be just as happy with a different breed of doggy companion. For the best level of exercise, however, another Golden or a breed with similar energy levels ie. Labrador Retriever would be best. This family picked out two Golden Retriever puppies right from the start! Why is this wrong? Having two dogs can be an excellent way to deal with spoiled behavior. When you go for walks, your dog will also learn to curb his urge to move around each time the other dog stops for a potty break. It Satisfies the Pack Instincts Regardless of the breed, all dogs want to live in a pack. They want to have an alpha leader to look up to, promoting their sense of overall security. It will also alleviate any separation anxiety that is common among Golden Retrievers. It Grants Your Senior Dog a New Sense of Purpose Like most large breed dogs, senior Golden Retrievers have a high risk of developing hip dysplasia, a destructive bone disease that limits their activity level. Getting a younger Golden Retriever can be the best way to rejuvenate your senior dog without demanding excessive physical activity. The older dog will teach the new member all the house rules, including where to do his business, how to react politely to visitors, how to play with kids without hurting them, and so forth. This really works! Not only did it give them a sense of purpose it seemed to make them feel more relaxed when we were away from home knowing they had a buddy in the house still. Discover how to train your Golden Retriever by playing games : 21 games to play with your Golden that will make them smarter and better behaved! If they should each need veterinary treatment at the same time, it can really add up fast! If you thought one Golden could eat through a expensive 40lb bag of kibble quickly, just wait untill you see two in action! Consider grooming, for instance. Since Goldens have long, wavy coats, you should brush them at least once per week. Because Golden Retrievers have floppy ears, they may also develop nasty infections without regular ear cleaning. If you let that go for a day or two your backyard will look like poopageddon! You May Not Have Enough Space If you already have a Golden, you probably know that they can grow taller than 25 inches 63 cm and heavier than 60 pounds 27 kgs. In that case, you could still reap the benefits of getting a second dog by opting for a smaller breed, such as a Pug, Basset Hound, Boston Terrier, or even a Miniature Goldendoodle. Check out the following tips to ensure that your dogs get along well, especially when first introduced. Pick Neutral Ground For Introductions No matter how friendly your Golden Retriever is, his territorial instincts could kick in if a new dog invades his personal space all of a sudden. Encourage them to sniff and play together, but keep an eye out for the following signs of aggression so that you can intervene right away if necessary: Growling. Naturally, one would assume that having two of a good thing is better than one! Owning two Golden Retrievers means twice the fun, cuddles, and love! Golden Retrievers are highly social, and owning two means that they would have each other to play with, and keep each other company while you are away or busy. But, there are many downsides as well, owning two means double everything! Golden Retrievers do best when they are in the company of their family. It takes time for your Golden to adapt and accept another Golden into the household. Owning two means they will become best friends. Well, having two means twice the fun, laughs, love and cuddles! One might be very sweet and submissive, while the other may be more assertive. A common dilemma that many owners face is whether to get a male or female Golden Retriever. In fact, many fellow Golden Retriever owners enjoy having two dogs of the same sex, without experiencing any issues like dominance or aggressiveness. But, also because your older Golden Retriever will be able to teach the younger one new tricks. Your older Golden will be a role model for your younger one, making things like potty training, basic commands, and rules of the house much easier and faster to learn. Since most dogs naturally go potty where other dogs have gone, potty training can be accomplished with fewer problems. But, having two Golden Retrievers, will alleviate some of your responsibility, especially because they will do most of their playing together. Two Golden Retrievers means plenty of wrestling sessions, chasing each other, tug-of-war, and tiring each other out. Con 1: Double Everything! Cost, Work, Hair, Etc. Owning one Golden Retriever is expensive, it requires plenty of work and devotion from you, and you certainly need a lot of patience. And one Golden Retriever produces plenty of dog hair and dog poop! But, owning two Golden Retrievers means double everything! Plus the time and effort it takes to brush and bathe two Goldens. Owning two dogs means that you will need to allocate time to spend with each one on an individual basis. This means extra time spent going for walks, training, playing and grooming. Can your couch accommodate two full-size Goldens laying on it, plus yourself? Or, will you find yourself sitting on the floor while your two Goldens occupy your couch? Owning one Golden Retriever means giving up half of your couch and your bed. But, owning two means you might have to sacrifice your own comfort or invest in twice the furniture! Having two Goldens means you need plenty of space, not only in your home but also in your vehicle. This is especially true when it comes to fighting over food, toys, and your attention. Adding a second Golden Retriever to the household, suddenly means your current dog has to share your attention, love, and food. It could lead to competition and jealousy between the two dogs. It certainly is devastating for you to have to say goodbye, but, it is just as devastating for your remaining Golden to lose a best friend. Owning two Goldens means eventually the time will come when one dog outlives the other. Some will whine and cry out for their best friend, become lethargic and depressed, and many will search their home, yard and neighbourhood for their best friend. The more bonded your two Goldens are, the more difficult it will be when you lose one. Many owners find that adding another Golden to the household helps the other dog heal, as well as themselves. Con 6: Bad Habits Can Form If your current Golden Retriever has some bad habits, you can guarantee that those bad habits will be taught to the younger one. Make sure your current Golden is fully trained and obedient, before introducing a second Golden to the mix. This, however, can be reversed as well. For instance, a younger Golden can teach your older one some new bad habits as well. Training sessions and spending equal amounts of time with each dog individually can help to curb some of the bad habits. Their current Golden is amazing, and they just want a second one. They feel their current Golden could use a companion. Here are some important things you need to consider beforehand: Your Financial Situation Can you afford to properly care for two Golden Retrievers? Adding a second Golden Retriever to your family will certainly pull on the purse strings! The cost of food and treats, toys, grooming, vet bills, pet insurance, training, and other expenses quickly add up. You need to be sure that you are financially capable of caring for two Golden Retrievers. Consider how your current Golden will feel about sharing his home, toys, and your love and attention with another dog. Very few Golden Retrievers accept a new dog into their household right away, usually, there is a lengthy adjustment period lasting a few weeks to a few months. There are also a few instances where adding a second Golden has not worked out. This usually results in having to rehome the new dog. Before making the commitment, be sure to evaluate your current Golden Retriever, and if they enjoy being around other dogs, their energy level, play style, and health. Sure, the two of them will keep each other company and play together, but, they will both want your attention as well. Your new Golden Retriever will require plenty of your time and commitment to train and bond with, and your current Golden will require your attention equally to prevent feeling neglected. Space Having enough space for two full-size Golden Retrievers is an important factor to consider. When fully grown, these dogs range in height from 51 to 61 centimetres and weigh anywhere from 55 to 75 pounds or more. Goldens can easily adapt to smaller homes, as well as apartment living. That is as long as they get plenty of daily activity in the form of exercise and mental stimulation. Some, however, enjoy being motherly toward them and taking them under their wing. Age is an important factor to consider. If you currently have a senior, a puppy might bring out the playfulness in him, but it could also wear him out and affect his health and mobility. Typically, the most compatible arrangement is having two Goldens of similar ages, at least 2 years apart, so that they will have the same energy level. It just means you might have to step in and ensure the puppy is not too rambunctious for your older one. Gender Most dog experts agree that dogs of the opposite sex get along better than dogs of the same sex. Plus, for many Golden Retriever owners, having both a male and a female allows them to enjoy both genders. While gender is an important factor to consider, it is more important to consider compatibilities, such as temperament and personality. Two alpha males and two alpha females are likely to have jealousy and aggressive tendencies. This is easier if you are bringing home a puppy, but can also be accomplished when bringing home an adult. You can rub a blanket, towel, toy, sock, or any other item on the puppy, and bring the item home with you for your current Golden to sniff. This way neither dog will feel like their territory is being invaded. Let both Goldens sniff each other, and become familiar with each other. Once both dogs are comfortable around each other, you can return the items. Many Golden Retrievers become territorial over food, and an incident can occur. Supervise Play For the first little while, and especially if you have a puppy and an older dog, you will want to supervise their playtime. A young puppy can be too exuberant for a senior dog, as well as a bigger dog can hurt a puppy by accident. I have heard of too many close calls, from dogs almost being strangled because their collar got caught. But, realistically, you should expect there to be an adjustment period. It could take days, weeks, or even months for the two of them to accept each other. This short video demonstrates the adjustment period of Sterling and Colin, the same two Golden Retrievers we watched in the video above. However, there are certainly many factors to take into consideration such as your financial situation, and how your current Golden feels about sharing his home and you with another companion. Are you thinking of adding a second Golden Retriever to your family? Do you currently own two Golden Retrievers? Share your thoughts, experience, and comments below. I would love to hear from you! Jenny I am the proud owner of a Golden Retriever named Ellie. She keeps me busy, and when she is resting, you can find me working on my blog. She is always close by though. I live in Stirling, ON Canada with my husband, and we both enjoy the never a dull moment life with our Ellie. Spread the love. That includes Puppy and Training classes, take them to a trainer that understands the inherent difficulties of raising two puppies together. Take them on separate nights hopefully to the same trainer. They can play together but only at strict designated times and for a period of no more than 15 minutes each designated play time. This regime will not be for life as the pups will, after a period of about 12 to 14 months have formed their own personalities and temperaments; at this age they will have become confident of their own individual abilities. Not as in most cases total inter-dependence to each other when siblings are raised, trained, and fed together. Without the total reliance on their sibling for constant support they will grow and blossom into much rounder and less aggressive and fearful individuals. I cannot stress how important it is to separate the siblings until they are older. It will produce two individuals rather than an impaired two parts of the whole. It is worth stating that it is not only siblings that have these problems. If you raise two young pups from different litters or even breeds, you can have similar problems. I always recommend my clients to wait till their puppy is 14 months old before purchasing another puppy this then allows you to concentrate all your efforts on that individual and hopefully it will take on some of the good traits of the older more experienced dog. I have no respect for a breeder that uses these tactics or that sell litter mates to one owner. If they are experienced and not a first time breeder then they are well aware of the pitfalls of these actions, and that the dogs will suffer for the rest of their lives. Post Reply Preview alsdengoldies btinternet. I'm so sorry, it must have been very hard. Post Reply Preview todd. For the first few years the vet bills will be rather straight forward, just beware as the dogs age you'll probably be faced with double the expense when the dogs reach the age of eight or so, which is when the health problems this breed is known for usually start to surface. Post Reply Preview alanckaye 13 years ago Hi, I'd just like to comment as I have only recently learned of "littermate syndrome" recently. Two years ago my wife and I decided it was time to give a good home to another golden. We lost KC to cancer after 14 years a few years prior. When we went to the breeder in Ocala, Fl. The girls were bottle fed. It was their mother's third litter which to me seems excessive since she was only six when she died. We had been told it would not be good to take two puppies from the same litter - for reasons I'm guessing mentioned above but our hearts went out to the sisters and we ignored the rules taking both home. KD and Karma are close, they play together but they also fight - one will wine for attention from my wife or I but aside from that they have both bonded with us remarkably well. Karma adores me and often positions herself in our home to where she has full sight of me or I have to step over her so she knows when I'm on the move. The only thing I have noticed is when we walk them together and one is out of sight of the other they begin to search for the other. One is picky with being friendly to strangers or strange dogs. The other will be friendly to any and all people and dogs. They were raised in separate crates in the same room as puppies and I take them for their morning walk separately. I suppose I'm lucky that I did not have to return the girls because we fell in love with them at first sight and they are a very important part of our life - especially for me as a retired law enforcement officer, I spend about 16 hours a day with them. I take care of all their needs, even to the point of expressing their anal glands when I notice they have become uncomfortable with full glands. This seems to happen mostly at night when I am ready for bed and I notice a subtle change in one girl and how she seems to be feeling not up to par. I appreciate this information as it does give me some insight into why they act the way they do at times but all in all this has been a very good experience for all - the sisters are together and do love each other and they love us as much as we do them. I guess my point here is that if you do get litter mates it doesn't have to turn out to be a bad thing. The puppies in the photo are adorable - it's a shame you had to return them. Post Reply Preview gabbi 13 years ago Thanks everyone for such a great discussion and willingness to share your experience and expertise. Like everyone here I am a dog lover! I have a 7yr old husky-sheperd mix. Very sad. Took me three years to get over it enough to be able to get another dog. So cute and can live up to the name Nightmare 2. I have always wanted and loved the look of the Bernese mountain dogs. So I ended up getting a puppy from there two.His name is Armegeddon. I read about how important it was to make sure they bond with etc. So I put in a lot of hard work.Walks, separate training from the same trainer. I'm also very lucky that I can bring my dogs to work. This I think made all the difference in socializing them to be their own dogs and further reinforce me as alpha. So like other people, I am having a positive experience. They are 13 monthes now. They were getting into fights for a couple of weeks.But I made sure to assert myself right away if I saw Nightmare's body language indicating he was gonna start something. Nightmare was the one starting it, so I would confront him with my body and walk toward him. So he would back away and be focussed on me instead of picking a fight. This nipped it in the bud. They have been good. I have no idea how this is going to work out. They weren't raised together, so I'm hoping this helps. To complicate matters, Cocoa is in heat at 13 monthes old. Both boys are neutered, but Nightmare is trying to mount Cocoa. Armegeddon is not, which is good. But he is not happy with her. They had a squirmish last night, so we will see what happens over the next couple of weeks. Any suggestions are welcome or ideas of where to find similiar situations would be great! Post Reply gouldj Posted 12 years ago. Edited by gouldj member 12 years ago We purchased two Golden Retrievers over 8 years ago, they were brothers. Sadly one of our Goldens just passed away. While they were both alive we never once experienced the troubles associated with "littermate Syndrome". To the contrary, our Goldens were best of friends and they were also best of friends to my wife and me. I had actually never heard of this syndrome until very recently and was amazed at the "issues" people were having. I am not sure what we did differently from other owners so I do not have any advice to share. I will not hesitate one second to get two Golden brothers again. They are sister and brother. I never knew of same litter syndrome, I just thought the problems with the dogs was a follow on from my circumstances changing. I lived alone but then shortly after getting the dogs I meet a guy with two kids we now all live together and recently had a baby myself. But the dogs have had three huge fights were they have been pulled apart before the male killed the female, but then when it has all calmed down they dont want to be seperated, even from another room the female gets anixious. They are together all day and sleep together. They love the kids but the female is shy and doesnt always want to interact. But yet she is great with other dogs and the male attacks other dogs feeding off her insecurity. I am booked in for dog training classes tonight one dog per session. I hope that something can be done eve though they are 3. I feel so bad I have left it go but in the case I was totally ignorant! Post Reply. Many people who have a dog often ask themselves whether they should get another. I did! I often asked myself; Does my golden retriever need a companion? He is a social dog and will not have any issues adjusting especially when he spent his puppy life in a multi-dog family environment. Many fellow Golden Retriever owners say that having a pair of Goldens is a good thing. Golden Retrievers are known to be very social dogs, and always get along well with other Goldens. Before bringing a new puppy or adult Golden dog into your home, it is important to evaluate your current Golden and carefully assess if having a second golden dog will be beneficial. Here are ten things you may want to think about when asking yourself if getting a second dog is a good idea. Dog ownership cost has to be a top consideration. Food, vet bills, dog care supplies, and pet insurance can add up to a hefty amount. It is important to make sure your household budget can cater to owning a second dog. Everything works out if you plan well. How will your dog feel? It is crucial to consider how a second dog will make your first dog feel. Your first dog is used to being the only companion and might act upset or jealous and develop anxiety. So, consider a thorough assessment evaluation of your current dog before adding a second dog. Another Golden Retriever is the best companion dog for your Golden Retriever. However, Golden Retriever also gets along well with most other breeds of dogs. If you are considering a different breed, read up on their different character traits and behavior to make sure it is a good match. To further your dog breed education, consult your veterinarian and connect with other Golden Retriever owners who currently have a two-dog household. Gender Matters: Male or Female Dog? Gender plays an important role in whether your second dog will get along with your current dog. And, many experts tend to agree on this as sometimes bringing a same-sex second dog into the home can create problems: Female dogs can often display jealousy to each other, and male dogs may show aggression to each other. In our case, we did not follow this rule and decided to welcome another male dog into our household. No aggression and jealousy occurred. Is it better to get a puppy as a second dog? A puppy is always a temptation, but it may not be a good idea especially if you have an elderly or sick older dog. Do You Have the Space? Having adequate space to play and for comfortable living, eating and sleeping is another important factor. Golden Retrievers are considered big dogs but can definitely live in a small home as long as you provide adequate exercise, mental stimulation, proper training, and routine grooming. Do You Have the Time? As much as two dogs can keep each other company, they will still want a piece of you. So before you decide whether you should get another dog, make sure you can provide both dogs the energy and attention they both need; especially the new dog that will require a lot of your time. A good play routine for each dog is one way to stay on top of this requirement. Make sure you have your first dog fully-trained before introducing a second dog. Any new dog will learn from the older dog. Remember you will have to contribute a lot of your time and energy to this process also. So be honest and ask yourself — Do you have the ability to commit to all the responsibilities for another dog? Is a second dog really the right decision for your family? Having a second dog is double the joy if it is done for the right reasons. Does your family want a second dog? Make sure to include your whole family in making decisions. Owning dogs involve a huge commitment. Are you in for the long haul? When life changes occur unexpectedly, your family must be able to continue providing the best life for your dogs. No matter what, bringing a dog into your home will change your life. There are lots of responsibilities to having two dogs, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Two dogs mean double the fun, love, and will definitely keep you active. Be prepared to plan your life and your time around your dogs. Adding another dog to your life is a big decision and will definitely enrich your life. Hopefully, the above points will help you to decide if getting a second dog is a good idea. But one thing is for sure if you do it right — two dogs equal twice the fun, happiness, unconditional love, and enjoyable companionship for everyone around. Related Posts:. We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. But if you do find yourself doing it, there are things you can do to ensure a greater level of success and happiness within your household. So, you head down to the breeder or the shelter to choose a new puppy to adopt into your family. But when you get there, you see two adorable sibling puppies together. Hello Little Golden Puppy! Plus, they will be able to play with one another, which will make everything easier. No joke this happened to me before I got my first puppy, Linus. When I went to the shelter there were two cute little Australian Shepherd Lab mix puppies. That is just not the case! There are a lot of things inherent in the way that sibling puppies respond to one another that makes it harder to integrate two of them together into the same home at the same time. But, for whatever reason, if you do find yourself getting sibling puppies, there are a few things you can do to raise them successfully. Read on as we explain why sibling puppies are such a challenge, share our top tips on how to raise sibling pups together, and walk you through how to side-step some of the problems inherent to raising two puppies from the same litter. Sadly, no. The main problem with adopting sibling puppies is that they are going to bond with one another over you. This is a problem because the bond they have with one another can diminish the bond they have with you. This can make them much more difficult to train. Add to this that they are pack animals, and in addition to bonding you can expect them to fight, as it is common to fight for dominance within the pack. The two siblings will very often gang up on the third dog, and it is not unknown for them to seriously injure, or even kill, a third dog introduced into the home. This is not only for the health and happiness of both you and the dog, but many sibling dogs soon find themselves back in a shelter because of the difficulties associated with raising them. When I went to obedience class with Linus there were sibling Husky mix dogs in the class. They literally could not be 20 feet apart. They would whine and yelp until they were back together. Before You Get Sibling Puppies Ask Yourself… So you should seriously consider whether you are prepared to raise sibling puppies before agreeing to take them home. Ask yourself: Are you going to be able to look after them financially? Twice the food, twice the toys, twice the vet trips? Do you have time to give both dogs the individual attention they require? Are they a sociable breed that is more likely to get along with other dogs, or are they a problematic breed? You can learn more about picking the right dog breed for you here. Do you have a family member who can take on responsibility for one of the pups? Also, consider the gender of the puppies you are adopting. Puppies of the same gender are much more likely to fight as a result of their pack instincts. If you get a male and a female puppy, you have the risk of them breeding unless you choose to have them spayed and neutered. Suffice it to say, there is a lot to consider before taking on this kind of responsibility. Here are the things we think are the most important: 1. Invest In Crate Training Crate training is one of the most effective training tools. While some people consider it cruel to confine a pup in this way, this is looking at it from a human rather than a dog perspective. Not only does the crate contain them, but it also gives them a secure place to call their own, where they can retreat when things get stressful. They are also less likely to get stressed out by you overreacting to any accidents or mishaps. So, in this way, the crate can make you both feel better. It also means the puppies can be near you, inside their crates, when they also have to be restricted. Crates one each are the most effective and human way to keep the puppies apart without causing them serious anxiety. We purchased this crate for our first puppy, Linus, over 15 years ago and still use the exact same crate today. It is adorable! But when you bring your litter puppy siblings home, that needs to come to an end. Sleeping together forms a deep and unbreakable bond, which is lovely but will make them impossible to control when they are together, and undermine their ability to bond with you and the other members of your household. Sibling puppies should sleep separately. You might not want to do this from day one. Being introduced to a new home can already be a challenging and scary experience, so ripping them away from their sleep buddy at the same time just seems cruel. But you should have them sleeping separately within two weeks of bringing them home. If they are sleeping in crates, as we recommend, you can start with the crates next to each other and then slowly move them further apart. Rip off the band-aid. Some puppies will bark in the crate on their first night while others do just fine from day one. We got our most recent puppy, Elsa, from a breeder and she started the process of separating her pups in crates at 5 weeks old, several weeks before puppies went to their new homes. This will only reinforce their strong and exclusive bond with one another, and make it more difficult for them to bond with you and other human family members. While you will certainly do things together, you will also want to do things alone with each of them. You should maintain this until they are at least one year of age, and probably long beyond this. This means walking them separately, playing with them separately, taking them to the vet separately. This is why sibling puppies are a huge time investment. They should also have their own possessions. They should never share leashes, bowls, or toys. You should even feed them separately, in separate parts of the home, or one at a time with the other waiting in the crate. Invest In Professional Training Training is also something that should be done separately. Not only will the professional trainer be able to guide you on a thorough training process, but the act of being in the class with other dogs will be an essential part of the socialization process. If at all possible, the sibling pups should not be part of the same class. If they are, they should be kept separate and cared for by two different family members, both during the course and when doing homework exercises. You can read other puppy training tips here. Use Their Names If you want your dogs to be able to distinguish which one of them you are calling, it is very important that you use their names from day one. Monitor Domineering Behavior You will need to monitor the bonding that is happening between your pups, as there will be a tendency for one to try to dominate the other. You can limit the likelihood of domineering behavior by ensuring that you treat the puppies equally. Socialize With Older Dogs It is not uncommon to hear people say that puppies will socialize and teach one another. But this is a case of the blind leading the blind, and usually reinforced negative behavior. So you just end up with two misbehaving pups. However, pups do learn good habits and socialization from older dogs. So, do what you can to let them spend time, separately, with older dogs. Raising two sibling puppies at home can be easier if you already have an older dog, who is likely to take on a parental role and occupy the position of leader. You can keep sibling puppies together, but it is generally not advisable. This is because the sibling puppies have a tendency to form a close bond that undermines their bond with the human members of their household. This makes it much more difficult to train and control them. Also, while having two puppies means they always have a playmate, rather than keeping one another out of trouble, they are more likely to egg one another on and get into even more trouble. It is challenging to raise two puppies together because their natural tendencies as siblings can make it more difficult for them to integrate into a broader household. While you might think that it is an economy of scale raising two together, this is not the case, as they will need everything to be separate and double: twice the food, twice the gear including everything from leads to crates , and twice the veterinary bills. Why Do Sibling Puppies Fight? Dogs are pack animals, so it is natural for them to bond—and also natural for them to fight for dominance. While sibling puppies will play-fight, they will also fight to be the dominant member of their pack of two. This is much more common when the two puppies are of the same gender. For this reason, if you are adopting sibling pups, it is advisable to get a male and a female pup, as long as they are neutered and spayed to prevent breeding. Can Littermates Eat Together? They should either eat in separate places in the home or at separate times, with the other dog waiting in the crate. This is essential for teaching the dogs the difference between their food and that of their sibling. It is probably best to maintain this practice for about the first year. After this, you may be able to place their bowls alongside one another, but you will need to monitor this for the first few weeks. Yes, puppies from the same litter need lots of individual attention. This is about them forming a bond with you. If you want the puppies to bond with you, they are going to need to do this without the distracting attention of their sibling nearby. So, it is a good idea to take dogs out for walks and play separately for at least the first year, and probably longer. Yes, it is better to have two dogs of the opposite sex. This is because dogs are pack animals and will naturally vie to be the alpha male or female of the pack. Therefore, two dogs of the same gender are much more likely to fight. However, if you get two dogs of opposite genders, you need to consider how you will prevent them from breeding unless you are planning on having at least one of them neutered or spayed. The ideal age gap between dogs is about two years. This means that the first dog has been fully trained and is settled in the home, but is still active and energetic and so will be able to keep up with the new puppy addition. My first puppy Linus stayed young and energetic and loved playing with younger puppies right up to his final days. By that age, he was done playing with energetic puppies and would rather rest on his bed. The Verdict It is generally not advisable to take home two puppies from the same litter. This is because their special bond represents a challenge that will make it more difficult for them to bond with you. This makes it harder to train them and gives them a tendency for disobedience. However, if you do decide to take home sibling puppies, there are things you can do to make a success of it. The key to this is managing their tendency to become involved with one another to the exclusion of all other things and to foster their bond with you. And the key to this is giving them individual attention, and keeping them separate at important times such as when eating and sleeping. While it is certainly challenging, it is rewarding to see two happy pups successfully integrated into your family. Have you ever raised sibling puppies? Were you successful or did they form a close bond with each other rather than with the family? Tell us about your experiences in the comment section below. Helps ease anxiety in their new home. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist. Colby Colby Morita has been raising and training guide and service dog puppies for over 13 years. Colby has been writing to the PuppyInTraining.

And also, you want to know what to look for when buying an English Bulldog? There are some obvious questions and some not so obvious you should ask the breeder before buying. Generally, expect to pay somewhere in-between for a well-bred puppy from a renowned and respectable breeder. The fees for a new puppy is not all profiteering by the breeder, though. There are expensive testing procedures they must pay for, such as progesterone testing. When faced with the high cost of buying a new puppy, some think it makes sense to buy a cheaper dog. The puppies are a more affordable price for a reason, which is usually slipshod breeding methods. When this happens, the new owner will pay thousands more in vet bills because of ongoing health issues. They have a list of Bulldog breeders they recommend. One primary requirement is the health testing of breeding dogs. Even pet stores are not the place to buy a quality bred puppy. You are perpetuating an industry that thrives on the unhappiness and pain of defenseless animals. If you see an offer to fly an English Bulldog puppy to your area of the country, refuse to buy. English Bulldogs are brachycephalic flat-faced , and even if the breeder can find an airline that still allows these dogs on board, the dog might not survive. Some of the common problems with English Bulldogs are breathing difficulties, hip dysplasia, skin allergies, and cherry eye. Even the best quality Bulldogs can suffer from any of these ailments. But even though the health issues are minor, they will add to the cost of owning a Bulldog. What you need to avoid are any serious underlying health problems. You can avoid them by buying your puppy from a reputable breeder. These breeders do everything in their power to produce the best quality and healthiest Bulldog puppies. They care about their dogs and their reputation. They will offer you a health guarantee. Generally, the breeder allows for the puppy to be seen by your vet. If your vet finds anything serious, the breeder should offer a refund or a replacement puppy, depending on what you both agreed. A good breeder will always question prospective new parents to make sure they will be suitable for their puppies. Most breeders you come across will only sell their puppies if they are spayed or neutered when they reach the correct age. Generally, breeders are not enthusiastic about the selling dogs for breeding or showing. If they are, expect to pay a lot more money. What Color Do You Want? All white is trendy, but they can also be brindle or red. Be aware that black or blue is not part of the Bulldog breed standard. If you are lucky enough to get a pick of the litter, which should you choose? From our experience, we like puppies that show confidence and curiosity. Try to contain your enthusiasm and wait for a puppy to notice and pay attention to you. Many people say they picked an individual puppy because they instantly connected with the puppy they chose. But always lookout for the one that notices you. Cherry eye is a problem with the breed. Inside the mouth: Look for an elongated soft palate; if there is, avoid the puppy. Breathing: Because they are brachycephalic, Bulldogs will always labor a little with their breathing. Make sure this is not excessive in any of the puppies. Lethargic: A puppy can be sleepy, but when he wakes up, he should be lively. If the puppy seems overly tired and sluggish, he has a problem. Walking and playing: The puppy should walk correctly, does not appear wobbly on his feet or dizzy. He should be aware of his surroundings. Puppy nose: Look for Stenotic Nares in the puppy. These are narrow, pinched nostrils that will create significant breathing difficulties later on. Conclusion Adopting a puppy is a joyous occasion for all the family. We hope this article on what to look for when buying an English Bulldog has given you some guidelines which will help you along the way. Further reading. It's a question that we get asked a lot so we decided to put together this guide. Its a combination of general dog buying tips plus some specific to English Bulldog owners. The tips below are focused around buying a puppy, however most apply if buying or re-homing an older Bulldog too. Find a reputable Bulldog breeder We will always suggest buying your Bulldog puppy from a proper, reputable Bulldog breeder. There are standards and laws in place to protect both yourself and your new pup, and it means you can be sure your puppy has had the best start in life. Of course, there are far too many breeders out there that do not abide by moral standards or even the law, so making sure you find a good breeder is important. Remember that just because a breeder is on the list does not mean you should trust them blindly - always go and meet your breeder before buying a puppy. Ask questions Speak to your breeder and ask lots of questions about the puppies. A good breeder should know all the answers and be enthusiastic when speaking about their pups. Be prepared to answer questions in return, as any decent breeder will want to know that their puppies are going to good homes. Always arrange to meet the puppies at their home - you should be suspicious if a seller wants to deliver or meet at a different location. Meet your puppy and their family This may seem obvious but you would be surprised the amount of people who are willing to buy a dog without meeting it or their parents first. It's very important to go and see the litter, the mum and dad where possible and the seller. You can get a good idea of how a puppy may turn out by spending some time with their parents - if you can, take someone more experienced in dog ownership with you to help. Of course, it's not entirely possible to know for sure how an 8 week old Bulldog puppy is going to grow up in terms of temperament and health. A lot of the time a dogs behaviour can be attributed to nurture and not nature - meaning a good home generally means a good dog, especially in English Bulldogs as they are by nature a well mannered dog. Check the paperwork Whether buying from a breeder or a private seller, your puppy should come with at least the following items: A signed copy of a contract of sale Details about your puppy's microchip Information about your puppy's vaccination and worming treatments The above should come in the form of a pet vaccination record book, which you keep and have updated by your vet going forward. Bring your puppy home The final step - where you get to bring your gorgeous new English Bulldog puppy home! Bulldogs really just need a safe, comfy home with quality food and loving owners. The reward of this amazing dogs companionship for years to come will make all your hard work worth while. We highly recommend seeking help from a trainer or going to puppy training classes especially for any first-time dog owners. The tips and tricks you pick up will be extremely valuable particularly when your pup grows up. And that's it! You can check out the Bulldog Shop for hand-picked Bulldog food, toys and other items to keep your Bulldog happy and healthy. Recent posts. Contact Us Buying A Bulldog The Definitive Guide English bulldogs are the mascots of choice for many colleges, organizations, and even military branches. Bulldogs are mostly docile and well-behaved, choosing sleep over other popular canine activities. For those looking to purchase a bulldog, there are several considerations that must be made beforehand. Below are some tips on how to shop and buy a Bulldog puppy, what to look for in a breeder, and what to consider when purchasing a dog. What should I expect to pay for a puppy and how do I choose a reputable breeder? Many are surprised to find out that bulldogs are an expensive breed. In fact, quality puppies will set you back anywhere from two to four thousand dollars. But, there is a reason for this. Bulldogs are the result of specific and selective breeding process especially when it comes to champion dogs and bulldogs that represent the breed well. There are huge expenses for the breeder as well such as progesterone testing, stud fees, c-sections, milk formula, vaccinations, de-wormings, puppy checkups, special diets, whelping gear, etc. Choosing a dog because of a smaller price tag could cost you more in the long-run. You should search for a reputable English bulldog breeder. But where to start? One of these requirements is health testing. This way at least you know that you are dealing with Breeders who are conscientious about producing healthy puppies. Do not look to purchase puppies through Craigslist, Social Media Sites, Pet Stores or the Walmart parking lot yes, I have seen them for sale in parking lots! Breeders who sell thru these venues are generally profiting and are not truly dedicated to the breed. These puppies are often poorly bred which results in an unhealthy puppy. A reputable breeder will be available to you for the long haul and eager to help with any questions or concerns throughout your bulldogs life. Look for breeders who can provide you with a complete pedigree of your dog, a health guarantee, and a bill of sale. Finally, never have a bulldog shipped to you. Since they are brachycephalic flat-faced , they are less likely to survive the shipping process compared to other breeds. What should I know about Bulldog health and Cost? You should know beforehand bulldogs can have minor but common health concerns, including cherry eye and skin allergies and require excellent veterinary care so before buying a puppy make sure to have the puppy checked out by a Vet. A reputable and responsible breeder will have a clear and transparent health guarantee listed on their website and give you hours to get the pup examined at your own vet just in case there are any costly or life-threatening conditions outside the minor issues common to bulldogs that can be easily treated. Check to see if they will replace the puppy; refund you in the event something is untreatable. Caring for a female dog in heat is messy and time consuming, and male dogs with their testicles intact tend to be more headstrong and have more of a tendency to lift their legs and mount yours than neutered males. Finally, decide on appearance. White bulldogs resembling the University of Georgia mascot are very popular, but the breed standard also allows for dogs to be brindle or red. Black or blue colors however, are not part of the breed standard. The English bulldog is a great breed, but be sure to know what to look for in a breeder and in a puppy before purchasing. Finally, if a puppy is not your thing, there are many bulldog rescues throughout the country that can provide you with an adult dog. Whatever method you employ, remember to take your time, do your research, and always opt for quality over cost. For detailed information or to have a question answered by a breeder click here. Since then they have been dedicated to responsible Bulldog breeding and passionate about breeding as well as competitively showing English bulldogs. A lot of people make the mistake of buying an English Bulldog without doing much research, only to later discover that these dogs have a lot of special needs. In this guide, I will lead you through all you need to know before buying an English Bulldog, and also what to look for, particularly with the breeder. What should I know before buying an English Bulldog? Although English Bulldogs are known to be sweet, loyal, and very people-centered, they are also prone to a host of health problems. This is the most important aspect of all… you need to be prepared for the potential for high vet bills. These specific needs can make them time-consuming and expensive dogs to keep. Unfortunately, far too many English Bulldogs end up abandoned once they develop costly health problems. As a result of decades of breeding to ensure a flat nose and stout figure and those famous wrinkles , English Bulldogs are unfortunately prone to a few genetic disorders. These include hip dysplasia, brachycephalic syndrome, and ventricular septal defect, where a hole develops in the heart. However, many of the other conditions that plague this breed are avoidable with a little foresight and care. As they are a brachycephalic flat-faced breed, they find it harder to breathe than other dogs. This is especially true in summer when they are prone to heat exhaustion. Additionally, they are also predisposed to a multitude of skin conditions. If the folds around their face are not kept clean, it can cause bacteria growth that can result in irritation and even infection if left for too long. With that said, these are charming and loyal dogs. Full of personality and affection, they make perfect family pets and ideal companions for the right owners. This next step will depend on whether you want to adopt an adult English Bulldog or a puppy. Each choice has its advantages and disadvantages, so it depends on which one will suit your lifestyle better. Buying English Bulldog puppies Aside from the cuteness overload, arguably the best advantage when it comes to buying an English Bulldog puppy is that you can train them early on to fit in with your lifestyle. However, if you have the time, experience, and patience to get through those initial months of training, you will have the opportunity to build an excellent bond with your new pup. Buying a puppy can present a lot of challenges, but providing you know what to look for, it will be a rewarding experience! By ensuring that they are getting adequate training from day one, you can help them to avoid bad behaviors. In a similar vein, by making sure they are getting the right healthcare early on, you can ensure that they avoid any unnecessary health complications. Buying an English Bulldog puppy from a reputable breeder also means that you can be sure about their heritage. English Bulldogs are not cheap from the get-go, but as puppies, they will require plenty of trips to the vet for all their initial check-ups and vaccinations. Buying an adult English Bulldog Buying an English Bulldog who is fully grown means that there will be fewer surprises. On the downside, any bad habits they have developed will be firmly ingrained. Buying an adult English Bulldog who has already been trained can be a lot easier. The only challenge here is that it may take some time to find the right dog to fit your needs. On the flip side, there are also plenty of adult English Bulldogs looking for a home who have behavioral issues. Although some of these issues are minor and may only need remedial training to correct, there is also the risk of encountering more severe behavioral problems. A dog who displays fearful or aggressive behavior may take years of training to correct and is not a task for an inexperienced owner. The only danger here is that you may not be adopting a purebred dog. Aside from this, there are also dedicated rescues just for English Bulldogs. How to buy an English Bulldog Arguably the most crucial step you can take when choosing to adopt an English Bulldog puppy is to ensure that you are going through a reputable breeder. An honest and dedicated breeder will always put in the time and effort to ensure that any puppies they are raising are as healthy as they can be. The puppies should be socialized from a young age, and the breeder should have no issue with you coming to visit the kennels. This is where you do not want to hunt for a bargain. English Bulldogs are expensive to breed, owing to the unique complications and special needs involved with this practice. Although you could go for a cheaper puppy, you risk adopting a dog with severe health issues. As a general rule of thumb, a cheaper dog can end up costing you far more in the long run. Also, many good breeders should be able to provide you with a bill of clean health before you adopt, and they should offer you a guarantee. Once you adopt, they should give you at least two days so that you can get your new puppy checked out by your own veterinarian. If you find any unexpected health issues within this period, the breeder should be willing to offer you a refund or to replace your puppy. What to look for when buying an English Bulldog puppy Once you have settled on a reputable breeder, now comes the best bit: picking out your new puppy including what to look for when buying an English Bulldog. For one, you need to ensure you pick the happiest and friendliest puppy in the pack. If the puppy is curious and shows confidence when approaching you, that is an excellent sign. Instead, enter the enclosure where the puppies are kept, and sit down to observe them. As hard as it can be, resist the urge to reach out for any of them, and instead allow them to come to you. Doing this also allows you to observe their behavior. The puppy that you pick should be friendly, easy-going, and well natured. Other signs to keep an eye out for include: Clean eyes and ears: The puppy should not be squinting. Red eyes in particular can be a sign of a serious problem. Look for a straight tail that shows no restriction while moving: Additionally, the tail should not be pointing down. These can all be an indication of screw-tail — a malformation of the vertebra in the tail. This condition can result in severe discomfort for the dog, and expensive treatment later on down the line. See how often you should walk your English Bulldog. Where you can, avoid puppies with abnormal coloring: This type of coloration includes chocolate, black, blue, and lilac. All of these colours are clear indicators that the puppy may develop severe health issues as it grows older. Decide on a male or female puppy: In general terms, males tend to be more energetic, whereas females can be more relaxed. Be cautious if the price is too cheap. An unusually low price could be the sign of an unhealthy English Bulldog puppy. That said, by keeping an eye out for some of these signs, you are more likely to be adopting the healthiest puppy that you can. English Bulldogs only have 3 to 4 puppies in a litter and only should be bred a handful of times over their lifetime. Questions to ask an English Bulldog breeder Before you settle on buying an English Bulldog and have ticked off all the things you should look for, please, please, please question the breeder extensively. Ask how many litters the mother has had: an English Bulldog should only really have 1 litter a year, preferably only one every couple of years. More than that is a warning sign that she has been bred more than she should have been. Make sure your breeder is knowledgeable: on looking after his breed. Also Google the breeder first to see what other people have said about them. Ask if the puppy has been assessed by a vet: You also want to be sure the puppy has had the right vaccinations. Injections should be sorted out by the breeder before the puppies are available to buy. By doing so you can see what the puppy might grow up to be like and whether the mother is healthy. Ask if the parents have had health checks: This will also help you decide whether the puppy will grow up healthy with no genetic traits. Things to look out for on the health check include hip problems, cataracts, cherry eye, deafness, and soft palate problems. The best breeders will be transparent and honest. Ask how old the parents are: A mother younger than 3 years old ca present a problem as health problems might not yet have appeared yet. Try to buy an English Bulldog puppy whose mother is older than this age. Ask where the puppies have been living:You want to buy an English Bulldog puppy who has been socialized a little. Ask how often the puppies have been handled: Puppies that are handled from a young age will also be easier to train. Conclusion Regardless of these issues and health concerns, English Bulldogs are beautiful and sweet companions. They are full of personality and will be sure to make you laugh with their confidence and quirkiness. However, they do require a lot of care and attention… and any potential problems can be reduced providing you know what questions to ask and what to look out for when buying an English Bulldog puppy or adult dog. I write about the things we've learned about owning dogs, the adventures we have, and any advice and tips we've picked up along the way. Recent Posts. This mid-size breed is 16 to 17 inches tall at the base of the neck. Males are about 54 pounds and females 50 pounds. Adult dogs are prone to becoming overweight. Bullies have thick necks, short faces, and heavy wrinkles that need frequent cleaning. A bulldog coat is straight and short and sheds a moderate amount. The bully has low grooming requirements. The standard colors for bulldogs are fawn, red, white, or brindle tiger-stripe. They can also have 2 piebald or 3 tri-colored colors. English bulldogs are laidback and only need 20 to 40 minutes of exercise per day. But they are physically unable to swim. The bulldog is people-orientated and needs a moderate amount of attention. Bulldogs are brachycephalic flat-faced and do not do well in hot weather. They tend to overheat and have breathing difficulties. Still interested in owning an English bulldog? Due to potentially serious health risks, reputable breeders have a significant investment in each puppy. You can find bully pups online and in pet stores. They are usually more affordable but also poorly bred. These dogs typically end up costing their owners thousands more in vet bills due to ongoing health issues. Buying English bulldogs through these venues also keeps in existence an industry that thrives on the unhappiness and pain of defenseless animals. A breeder must follow stringent guidelines before the BCA will endorse them. When picking a reliable breeder, it is essential to know their reputation. How long have they been in business? Are the dogs allowed to mature before breeding? Is the breeder comfortable with you visiting their facilities? A reputable breeder should come across as open and honest and welcome your visit. Preferably, the parents will be together, and the animals can go outside to play. Check if the puppy has been socialized with cats and children as well as with other dogs. You should not buy an English Bulldog puppy if they offer to fly it to you. Are they healthy and friendly toward other animals and each other? What do they look like? Those adorable puppies are likely to grow up to look like and act like one of their parents. Meet the Puppies Of course, you are going to fall in love. Puppies are adorable! But step back a moment and make sure you pick the right puppy. Study the puppies to avoid obvious health issues. Here is a list of what to look for when buying an English bulldog puppy. If the puppy is five to six weeks old, she should walk and breathe normally. Rasping, rattling, or wheezing is a red flag. Is the puppy happy and friendly? His tail should be straight and move easily — not restricted or pointing down. The puppy should not need to squint when looking at you. Is the dog deaf? White or predominately white bulldogs are prone to deafness. The puppy should be aware of his surroundings and be lively, not sluggish or overly tired. If elongated, the soft palate can cause issues. Be cautious about selecting the runt of the litter as they may have more health issues. Temperament Is the puppy friendly? Did she come to you? Look for signs that the pup is fearful. Is he whimpering, crying, or urinating due to fear? Check for aggression or rebellion. How does the puppy act if restrained for 30 seconds? Will she follow you? Will the pup let you carry him? You want your puppy to be confident, curious, easy-going, and good-natured. Gender Male or female? Many believe a female bulldog is easier to train, and the males are less emotional. Every dog has its own personality, so judge the pups by their temperament. Body Type All bulldogs have slightly different body shapes. Observing the parents should give you a good idea of how large your dog will grow and its body type. Perhaps its head will be a bit larger or its legs a bit shorter. Color English bulldogs come in eight standard colors. The piebald 2 colors and tri-color bullies combine these colors. Brindle tiger-stripe — is a striped pattern with a different colored base. Fawn red — ranges from a pale tan to deep deer-red. White — a popular choice that may be pure white or have a few freckles in another color. Lilac — rare color variation, the purplish-gray color is a mix of blue and brown hues. Black — a rarer color, the shiny black coat may have a fawn undercoat. Blue — the coat will appear gray in the sun or against darker-colored objects. Chocolate — another rare color. A deep, rich brown. Seal — very rare. These dogs have light-colored eyes and a reddish or brownish cast to their coats. Their legs and tail will be darker than the rest of their coats, and they will have a dark stripe down their backs. Some experts suggest that bulldogs that are black, blue, lilac, chocolate, or seal color could have more health problems than the brindle, fawn red , and white dogs. The Breeder Should Question You A reputable breeder cares for his dogs and wants them to have a good forever home. It is usual for them to question you on your suitability as a dog owner. They will not be enthusiastic about selling dogs for breeding or showing, so you will pay a premium if that is your intention. A good breeder will not hand over the puppy until it is eight weeks to three months old. Before eight weeks, puppies need their mothers for health, developmental, and weaning reasons. Separating them from their mothers too soon can lead to health and behavioral problems. With another month, the bully pup learns a lot and is less miserable to leave his dam. Expect to sign an agreement with the breeder that you will have your pup spayed or neutered when they reach the correct age. Medical Records and Certification Every dog breed has some health issues, and even the best quality bulldogs can suffer from many ailments. Minimize the potential for underlying severe health issues by purchasing from a reputable breeder. Breeders with quality dogs care about their reputations and work hard to produce healthy puppies. The breeder can provide those records. A puppy with a historical bloodline of purebreds and champions shows that the line still meets the original bulldog standards and should have fewer health issues. This popularity attracts them to inexperienced and unscrupulous breeders. So how do you know the difference between a responsible and irresponsible breeder? Dogs Australia registered breeders follow a strict code of breeding ethics, conduct health testing to help reduce the incidence of inherited diseases and, for accountability, and research. This could be the difference between a happy and healthy puppy and a poorly bred one. What is a healthy British Bulldog? Dignified, kind, friendly, courageous and calm, conveying an impression of determination, the British Bulldog is a well-known breed and considered a national icon in its home Country of England. Narelle works as a certified vet nurse of 24 years and is the lecturer for the British Bulldog at Dogs New South Wales for aspiring judges. Narelle has worked as an animal trainer in the Australian film and television industry for the past 30 years. What health testing should breeders be doing? There are a range of health tests recommended for British Bulldogs. It is strongly recommended that Dogs Australia registered British Bulldog breeders test for the following health conditions in their breeding stock. Most dogs are tested between 12 and 18 months. The ones on the televisions are showing severe symptoms. What is a well-bred British Bulldog like? Narelle has competed in Obedience and Agility with her British Bulldogs. Health testing since , it fell to 8. Narelle is pleased with those new to breed being keen on health testing. There are concerns with dogs sold as British Bulldogs who have off-standard colours and coats sold for large amounts. Right breed — Have you researched all you need to know about your breed from its natural instincts to grooming? Right Breeder — Is your breeder responsible, operating under a code of ethics, with regulations and health checks? From getting a dog to keeping them happy we will have you covered at dogsaustralia. It champions the highest standard of animal welfare through education and fostering dog-loving communities. Keep Updated Want to stay across the latest news? Sign up here and we will add you to our mailing list.