Growing a Family with Bulldogs Litters

Bulldogs are naturally good with children; their gentle disposition and affectionate nature make them a good companion and family pet. They will get along with other animals in the house and are not vicious.

However, getting a family of bulldogs is no trivial matter, it requires advance planning and a lot of consultation before you breed the female.

Bulldogs normally give birth to small litters with three to four puppies; some may have more or less. Since bulldogs are not that big, they will not take up too much space in the house but you may need to give the dam a bigger space especially after she whelps because of the puppies.

There are some other changes you will have to do to make the mother comfortable. Feeding requirements of the dog will change since she needs more energy to produce milk. The dam needs food high in energy and with higher amounts of calcium and phosphorous.

In the early stages, the puppies will totally rely on their mother’s milk and will not need supplementation with anything. However, weak pups that do not nurse may require bottle feeding. There are formulas available in pet shops that you can buy and use a dropper to feed the pup or a baby bottle. You can also make your own formula using evaporated milk, syrup and a little warm water.

You can wean the bulldog pups when they are 4 weeks old or wait till they are six weeks old. Weaning is usually a stressful period for the puppy and some puppies may not do so well often refusing to eat or eating less than they should.

When starting to wean your puppies, you can use cereals mixed with some milk or dry food mixed with milk. As the puppies get used to the food, you can then introduce more solid food. The puppies should be fed together when starting out but as they mature you should get them separate feeding bowls.

The first milk the puppies suckle from their mother contains antibodies that will provide their body with immunity as their immune system develops. This immunity is however temporary and later the pups will have to receive the necessary inoculations.

Puppies will normally receive inoculations against rabies, distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus. There are various protocols that can be followed and you can ask your vet to recommend a good one. The puppies will also need worming which is done to eliminate any worms the puppies may have.

Taking care of bulldog puppies is usually time consuming and will need someone to check on the puppies and the mother constantly to ensure that they are all right. This checking is also necessary in order to note any changes regarding state of the puppies. If you are living in a cold place you may need to provide extra heating for the dam and her litter.

The bulldog pups will need to be properly socialised even as pups to ensure that they are confident and free with people and grow well.

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