Are you thinking about getting a puppy but not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered! As French Bulldog breeders we get asked this question so often when people are interested in our puppies. That’s why we decided to share with you an ultimate first-time puppy owner guide! Of course, each breed differs in things like how much exercise they need or how much food they need for example. So for the purpose of this blog and because we are experts in the breed, we will refer to everything for the French Bulldog breed in specific.
1- Is a Puppy the Right Fit for My Lifestyle?
So many people underestimate how much time puppies require. It’s like having a baby how often they need care and attention. For example, all puppies need to be observed at all times for at least the first 6 months whenever they are not in their crate. Why? Because puppies don’t know any better and like to get into anything that is right in front of them. This is why its important to puppy proof your home before your puppy comes home with you. This way anything that you don’t want wrecked or that could harm them is put away.
Puppies need to go potty very often. If you are home with them, they should go out every 2 hours. If you are gone and have them in a crate, make sure not to leave them crated too long. A good rule of thumb is that they can be crated as many hours long as their age is in months. So if they are 4 months old, the max time they can be left in the cate before going potty is 4 hours. This makes for a very busy time in your life and you may need to get extra hands on deck from family or friends to help you during the puppy potty training phase.
Puppies need to be fed 3 times a day. If you don’t work from home, this can be a tricky time and is another reason for all hands on deck to help your puppy when you’re busy. It’s important to get your puppy on a food schedule that works best with your schedule. So the times can vary and as long as they get their three meals in a day, you’re good. Make sure to bring your puppy out for potty immediately after they are done eating as the food always makes them poop right away! So don’t feed them at a time when you don’t have time to bring them out for potty. Our puppy feeding schedule is 7am, 12 pm, and 5pm.
Puppies should get play time each day. French Bulldogs need 30 min of exercise a day. Now, most puppies don’t know how to go for a walk right away so they require leash training to get the hang of it. So play time for a puppy at first will just be around your house and in your yard the majority of the time.
Once playtime is over, your puppy will crash and take a long nap as they need lots of sleep to help them grow. Puppies need around 18-20 hours of sleep a day. Their bodies are changing so much so fast and hopefully you’re introducing them to new environments and different stimuli, which is another thing that will tire them out.
2. How Much Does a Puppy Actually Cost?
People are often surprised by the true cost of owning a dog. The cost is especially high when it’s your first dog because you have to purchase everything up front. So let’s talk about what that looks like, here are some of the main things you will need:
- Purchase of puppy ($3,000-$5,000)
- Vet visits ($100/visit)
- Vaccines ($30-$50/vaccine)
- Food ($50/month)
- Crate ($35)
- Bed ($20)
- Toys ($50)
- Grooming Supplies ($40)
- Emergency Vet Fund ($2,000)
- Pet Insurance ($30/month)
The first year of owing a new puppy is the most expensive. They need to go to the vet every 2 weeks for about two months to get all their necessary vaccines.
3. What Supplies Do I Need Before Bringing My Puppy Home?
If you are a fist time puppy owner, no doubt you are anxious and excited to make sure you have everything you need to make your new buddy feel happy and comfortable in your home. Here is a list that will help you start out on the right paw:
- Food & Water Bowls
- Food
- Crate
- Bed
- Toys
- Training Treats
- Potty Training Bells
- Poop Bags
- Wipes
- Shampoo
- Nail Clippers
- Tooth Brush/ Toothpaste
- Collar, leash, name tag
- Cleaner (for when accidents happen)
4. How Do I Potty Train a Puppy?
Puppies have very small bladders. Expect to take them out every two hours minimum for the first couple months when you are home with them. It takes about 8 months for them to be fully potty trained. If you stick to a strict potty schedule, they should get trained faster. But if you have a busy life and get sidetracked from that potty schedule it could take longer.
Crate training them is how you will be able to teach them to hold their bladder longer. So do this no matter if you are home or gone. A good rule of thumb is to only keep puppies in a crate for as many hours long as they are months old. So for example, if they are 4 months old, only leave them in a create for 4 hours max because they can’t hold their bladder longer than that. This is where extra hands come in! Puppies thrive on a schedule. So even if you are gone, make sure you have someone you trust to let them out for potty. Keeping your puppy on a strict potty schedule will help to avoid accidents and will help to potty train them faster.
What are some warning signs that your puppy has to go potty? Puppies usually give pretty clear signals that they have to go. You just need to learn what those signs are. When puppies need to go right then and there, they usually will sniff the ground (especially in circles), they might pace, or they will suddenly stop playing and wander off. Some signs that they have to go soon are them whining or softly barking, going by the door or scratching it, restlessness, or they may follow you around more than usual. Sometimes puppies should be let out extra, even if they don’t show any clear signs that they have to go potty. Some examples of this are right after they wake up in the morning or after a nap, right after eating or drinking, after playtime or excitement, or when you let them out of their crate. As breeders ourselves, we swear by staying ahead of the game by always sticking to that strict potty schedule. Don’t wait for these signs to happen. The more consistent you are, the faster your puppy will learn!
Now that you’re a pro in potty training your puppy, let’s talk about why accidents happen. Not all accidents are a sign of bad behavior. We talked already about the rough rule of thumb that the age they are in months is roughly as long as they can hold their bladder. For some, this time will be less. So it’s up to you to pay attention to your dog and get to know them well. Perhaps they fall into this minor category.
Did you miss the timing window? Again, we say strict because we mean it. Waiting even an additional 5-10 minutes too long can end up in your puppy having an accident.
Not all puppies make it obvious that they have to go potty. Maybe your puppy isn’t barking at the door. But they may pause and sniff the ground, or wander off quietly, or make a quick circle and go potty right away.
Overexcitement can be a puppies downfall to having accidents. When puppies get really excited, their bladder control gets worse and they forget they need to go potty. This is especially common during play, greeting someone, or when making a new friend.
Stress or environment changes are tough on anyone, including a puppy. Things like a new home, a new routine, or new people-it can all cause accidents. And anxiety, like excitement, can trigger accidents too.
Left over smells. If previous accidents aren’t cleaned properly it will leave a smell. This smell will make your puppy think “this is a bathroom!” So try to use an enzymatic cleaner to fully remove the scent so this doesn’t happen again!
Too much freedom too fast. If a puppy has access to your whole house they will wander off somewhere and have an accident without you even noticing it. Make sure to limit the space they have to prevent them from having accidents. You can block off an area of your house or attach a leash to your waste to keep them near you. This way you will always be able to see them and watch for their cue’s that they have to go potty.
5. What Should I Feed My Puppy?
One of the ways we show our dogs we love them is by what we feed them. Make sure you are giving your puppy high quality puppy food rather than adult food, senior food, or all stages of life food. Puppies need extra calories and nutrients than adult dogs so make sure not to skip this small but important step!
Puppies also need to eat small meals throughout the day. Feed them 3-4 times a day. Aim for morning, midday, and evening. Whatever works best for your schedule. Depending on the size of your puppy they will eat different amounts. For French Bulldogs for example, 1-1.5 cups of food per day is good. So just break down the total amount of food your dog will eat in a day into how many times you will feed them per day. So you’re feeding your puppy 3 meals a day, you can feed them 1/2 cup of food at a time. But if you’re feeding them 4 meals a day, you may want to feed them 1/3 cup per meal. Of course, if your puppy is getting too fat or too skinny you can adjust these portions. Smaller, more frequent meals help aid in digestion and reduce bloating.
Your puppies poop tells you a lot about their diet. If the poop is soft or runny, you could be giving them too much food. If its very small or hard they may need more food or they could be dehydrated. Because kibble is so dry anyways, its always good to add a little water to it to help keep your dog hydrated. If you are seeing consistent firm stools from your dog, great job! You’re right on track!
6. How Do I Socialize a Puppy?
Socialization is critical between 8-16 weeks. These few weeks set the tone for how well adapted your dog will be for their entire life. Of course any new socialization should be safe and any dog you introduce your puppy to should be a well mannered dog as they will learn what is and isn’t acceptable from who you introduce your puppy or dog to.
Some things that are great to introduce your new puppy to for different ways of socialization are different people, kids, well mannered dogs, new environments, different sounds, and different surfaces.
If your puppy only sees the same few people, this may stunt their socialization skills and may cause them to be timid or aggressive towards other people.
Socialization for your puppy is something to take very seriously.
7. How Much Training Do Puppies Need?
If you are a first time pet parent, you may assume that training comes easily. However, it is a big responsibility you should take on because how you train your puppy is letting them know what is and isn’t ok. So if you do not train your dog well, its a good chance you will get a sassy dog. However if you train them, even just a few things, your dog will be well mannered and you will be in control of them, rather than they are in control of you.
I highly recommend any fist time pet parent to go to a puppy training class. This is great for teaching them manners and socializing them with other dogs, new people, new environments, and new noises.If you’re not familiar with how to train a dog, puppy classes will teach you everything you need to know to be a pro! It’s extremely important to be the alfa or “boss” of your dog rather than they are the alfa or “boss” of you. Puppy classes will teach you how to do this.
A couple basic things you need to train your dog with is crate training, leash training, basic commands, and preventing bad habits early.
8. What Are Common Puppy Behavior Problems?
Puppies are adorable—but they’re basically tiny chaos machines learning how to exist. Most “problem behaviors” are totally normal development, but knowing them helps you manage and train early. Some common behavior problems include: chewing, biting/nipping, barking, jumping, not listening to commands, food guarding, and separation anxiety. Keep in mind that most of these behaviors are not intentional and they are not permanent if you work with your puppy on them.
9. How Often Do Puppies Go to the Vet?
Puppies need to go to the vet often for the first couple months of their life. They need age appropriate vaccines at 6 and 8 weeks old, which your breeder should take care of. Puppies usually go home at 8 weeks old. So once you get your 8 week old puppy, they will also need vaccines at 10,12,14, and 16 weeks old. If your puppy is having diarrhea or is sick in any way, do NOT get their vaccines! Wait until they are feeling good to get their vaccines. If they are having problems and they get vaccinated, it will exacerbate all of your puppies symptoms.
10. How Long Does The “Puppy Phase” Last?
Having a puppy is such a fun time, but it’s also a lot of work. So when will things get easier for you and your puppy? Honestly, this depends much on how you train them. Dogs are very smart. If you stay consistent with training them, they will learn fast exactly what to do. But if you slack off in staying consistent with training them, it will take them longer to learn what to do.
The general stages you can expect for having a puppy is 8-12 weeks old is a big adjustment period for them. Give your puppy some slack as everything is new to them.
When they are 3-6 month old you can expect teething chaos as their adult teeth are slowly making their way through. Make sure you have puppy friendly bones and not hard bones like an antler for them to chew on. This can break their teeth and effect their adult teeth. If they are chewing on something they shouldn’t, just redirect them with a toy or puppy bone that they can chew on. Bitter Apple Spray may come in handy at this time period. You spray it on the area they chew and they will hate the taste.
Then comes the teenage phase at 6-12 months old. Like any teenager, you can expect some rebellion and may need some reinforcement of the training you did when they were a puppy.
Once your dog is 1-2 years old they reach maturity. I would say at 2 years old they are an adult.
11. How Do I Puppy-Proof My House?
Puppies are very curious and will explore any area they are in. Because of this, you need to make sure your home is safe for your puppy. You can think of it like baby proofing your home. It won’t last forever, yet its a very important change you will need to make in your home. Make sure you hide any cords laying on the ground. Move any toxic plants that your puppy could reach and eat. It’s always a good idea to secure your trash cans so they can’t explore in there. Put away your shoes unless you want a hole in them. And if any room in your house is unsafe for a puppy, make sure to block it off for them.
12. What Should I Expect for the First Week With a Puppy?
Your first week with a new puppy is going to be the most difficult. You can expect them to cry in their crate at night because they are not used to being alone. They used to sleep with all their siblings and perhaps mom too. So this is a very big adjustment for them.
You can expect there to be accidents in the house. As you get to know your puppy better, you can learn exactly what their cue’s are to tell you they have to go potty. Remember, some puppies do not give obvious signs, so keep them near you at all times so you can observe them and learn what their potty cue’s are.
You can expect both you and your puppy to be stressed as it’s a very big adjustment for both of you. Be patient, things will get easier. You are both learning about each other. You are adjusting your puppy from the breeders schedule to your schedule.
Bonding with your puppy is so important and really helps ease the stress. Bonding with a new puppy is less about one big moment and more about a bunch of small, consistent interactions that build trust. Bonding with your puppy helps them to learn about you and views you as someone they can go to for safety, fun, and comfort.
Make sure your puppy know you are their safe space. They just left their mom and siblings and are in a new environment and that is a very scary change! You can be their safe place by sitting on the floor and letting them come to you, speak to them in a calm, soft voice. Make sure not to overwhelm them with too much too fast. All of this will build a foundation of trust for your puppy.
Other ways you can bond with your puppy is by hand feeding them at first so they can learn to trust you. This way they start to associate you with good things. Food is love is puppy world!
Make sure to play with your puppy daily. Let them “win” sometimes so that it builds confidence in them. Doing this makes your puppy think of you as their favorite source of fun!
Simple training skills build a great bond. Make sure to train with high quality training treats! Skills like name recognition, “sit”, or “come” are all simple ways to build trust. Use positive reinforcement with them by giving them treats and praise during this time as well.
Puppies thrive on predictability. So the sooner they are on a schedule, the better they will be. This goes for things like feeding times, potty breaks, and bedtime. Make sure you’re regular and consistent with all of these. When you do this it builds security and trust.
Of course calmly petting your puppy, scratching them behind their ears, under their chin, and on their chest gives them attention that they will melt for! This also helps them feel safe and connected to you.
Exploring the world together is great for bonding because this makes you their anchor in new situations. Going for short walks, car rides, or even going to a new safe environment are some great ideas for bonding.