THINKING OF OWNING AN AMERICAN BULLDOG?
Are you ready to own an American Bulldog?
Before you decide on an American Bulldog, I encourage you to reasearch the breed as much as possible. They are a large, dominant breed of dog, not suitable for the first time dog owner. They can be dog aggressive (most commonly with dogs of the same sex) and have high prey drive (meaning they love to chase and catch animals they percieve as prey..cats, birds, etc.) It is extremely important that you start early training and socialization with your bulldog. Bulldogs respond best to confident outgoing owners. If you are very softspoken and mild mannered, the bulldog may not be for you. Some things I prefer from prospective buyers
Do you own or rent your home? If you rent, can you show proof that your landlord will allow your new bulldog? If you own, does your Homeowner's Insurance cover bullbreeds?
Do you have a secure, fenced yard?
Do you have large breed dog experience? Preferably with bull or molosser breeds?
Do you currently have or plan on getting another dog? If so, what breed/sex?
Can you supply character and vet references?
These are just some of the things you should ask yourself and a breeder should ask of you, before deciding to add a bulldog to your family. They are truly wonderful dogs...just not a breed for everybody.
NUTRITION
Let me start off by saying, I am not a certified nutritionist or an "expert" by any means. What I do have is years of research, trial and error and knowledge gained from mentors and peers. Nutrition in large breed dogs has come a long way. We now know it is important to feed them formulas that promote slow, even growth, and not to overfeed. Rapid growth can cause severe issues such as dysplasia, irregular bone growth, arthritis, etc. Overfeeding puts an abundance of stress on bones and joints and can lead to injury, irregular bone growth, dysplasia, obesity, diabetes, heart disorders and a plethora of other health and even behavioral disorders. As a rule of thumb, it is best to see a nice tuck in the tummy area as well as the last rib or two on a young, growing large breed. If you stand over your dog and look down, they should have an "hourglass" appearance.
Now many people think that your common "large breed" formulas should be just fine. I answer that by saying it really depends on the formula and who manufactures it. Many companies have yet to do ample enough research on the effects of these formulas to really determine if they are beneficial or harmful. Some companies have put thier time in and have developed formulas that are complete and beneficial to your dog. I will post a few links below this section that offer very good information on the large breed nutrtion as well as offering analysis of most brands of dog food.
If you feed a kibble based diet, it is incredibly important that you feed a quality, premium kibble. Most bargain brands of dog food are full of fillers that hold little if any nutrtional value (meaning..more poop!) As a general rule, any dog food that you can buy at the grocery store or your local Wal-Mart, is not going to be a quality food. Many of these foods contain products such as corn, wheat, soy and by-products and are often preserved with artificial preservatives. These products are the number one cause of skin allergies and digestive disorders in dogs. Even if your dog does not happen to show any outward allergies, etc., I can guarantee that they are eliminating (pooping) multiple times a day and are most likely heavy shedders. A quality kibble should not contain any of the above mentioned products and should be naturally preserved (vitamin E (also seen as tocopherals) is the most common natural preservative). Meat should be the first ingredient or at the very least, in the top 3. Meat meal is OK, but definitly no meat "by-product". While many of the premuim foods seem to be priced high, your overall cost in the long run will be minimal, as you do not need to feed as much as with a poorer quality food. The ingredients in a quality kibble are much better utilized by the dog's body... more nutrients are absorbed...meaning, less waste (less poop!!!) You add to the fact that your dog will be healthier (less trips to the vet) and the extra 10-20 dollars spent on food is well worth it. To learn how to better analyze your dogs food or to research different types of kibble to see what is best for you and your pooch, please check out the DogFoodAnalysis site.
I personally feed and recommend Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Dog Foods. Currently, all of my dogs are being fed the Ultra Premium formula. Other foods that myself or friends recommend are : Canidae, California Natural, Innova, Artemis, Abady, Blackwatch, Nature's Variety, Eagle Pack, Wysong, Merrick, Nutro Ultra, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Souls, Diamond Pet Foods Lamb, chicken or beef and rice formulas, Kirkland Signature (Costco) Exceed (Sam's Club) . There are many more, but these seem to be the most popular.
Many people prefer a RAW or BARF diet. While I don't personally feed a raw diet, many of my friends do, and thier dogs are in excellent health. To reserch more about these diets, please check out the following:
Great Dane Lady Raw ; Barfworld ; Raw Dogs
As for a feeding regimen, this is what I recommend:
I personally do not feed a puppy formula to any of my dogs. My puppies are started on an adult formula from day one. Most people recommend feeding either an adult formula or, if you feel you need to use a puppy formula, to do so only until your puppy is between 4-6 months of age. Puppy formulas promote rapid growth which can spell trouble for large breeds. As for a puppy feeding schedule, I recommend feeding at least 3 small meals a day until the age of 6 months. After 6 months of age, I recommend 2 meals a day until adulthood.
As long as they are healthy, once my dogs reach 12 months of age, I will begin to feed meals once a day. If they are in training, I divide thier kibble up to be fed as a reward during training. If they are not training, I feed them one meal in the evening. I fast all of my dogs one day a week. Regardless, all of my dogs recieve more than thier share of doggy biscuits daily!
For overall large breed nutrition, I highly recommend the Great Dane Lady's website. Tons of great information!!
SUPPLEMENTS
I give and recommend the following supplements to all of my dogs.
1. Ester-C (pill form)= A purer form of vitamin C that is lacking in most dog's diets. It is essential for a healthy immune system and has been shown to prevent or slow down the effects of dysplasia, degenerative joint disease and arthritis. Is also a natural pain reliever. I buy human grade (GNC or any vitamin section of a store)I recommend starting dogs (and puppies) at 500 mg doses. Increase by 500 mg each week until your dog's stool becomes soft... decrease by 500 mg at that point and maintain that dosage. As it is not a toxic drug, you can not "OD" it... what the body doesn't use, it will pass through in the urine. As a general rule, dogs 65 pounds and under 500- 1500 mg daily doses. Dogs 65-100 pounds can have 1000- 2000 mg doses, and dogs over 100 pounds average 3000 mg. Again, these are maintenence doses.... if you have an arthritic or dysplastic dog, you can increase these doses as mentioned above.
2. Glucosamine, Chondroiton, MSM (pill, liquid or powder)= essential for healthy joints and not contained in high enough doses in most foods. Administer according to dosage on bottle.Can be human grade or labled for animal use. Found at GNC or most feed and pet supply stores.
3. Fish Oil (capsule or liquid form) = is essential for healthy skin and coat. Is high in Omega fatty acids and promotes less shedding. Great for healthy cardiovascular system as well! Can be human grade (capsules) or labeled for dogs (liquid pump Salmon Oil, etc.) Administer 1-4 capsules daily depending on size of dog, or follow lables on liquid.