Tips For Care & Grooming

Tips on how to make your dog look and feel great -

    (Be sure to scroll and read each section below)

1 Feeding- Feeding your dog a proper diet is highly important, but what you feed your dog very much depends on the details of who your dog is. No matter the size, energy, or age of your dog, a balanced diet is essential in their growth and development. Since we specialize in The American Bully, we will describe a few tips for feeding your puppy or dog a good diet. If you are feeding a puppy, then I am gonna guess you are most likely schedule feeding; along side crate/house training. A moderately high protein and moderate fat puppy food would be best.  puppy food must have a dry matter minimum of 22.5% protein and 8.5% fat, compared to minimum 18% protein and 5.5% fat for adult dogs. Many dog food brands will cut the amount of protein and fat in their adult formulas because nutritionally-dense ingredients are expensive. Here is a list of items you can give your puppy or dog to help boost protein, vitamin, and mineral intake:

1. Add raw or lightly steamed veggies. ...
2. Add raw or lightly cooked meat or eggs. ...
3. Add oils for essential fatty acids. ...
4. Add goat's milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, or canned fish. ...
5. Feed raw, meaty parts of poultry.
6. Carrots, spinach, liver, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, fish oil, eggs, turnip greens.
   

  *** With Bully puppies we suggest making sure they get enough protein and fat while having a conscious awareness of the need for vitamin D for bone development and growth. Too much protein without sufficient amounts of Vitamin D has been known to cause rickets (a buckling of the joints due to too much pressure and weight gain against growing puppy joints). We have added vitamin supplements to our puppy's diet. A lot of sunlight is also highly important.

2 Elevate your dog’s bowls- Purchase adjustable, elevated dog bowls. Bullies tend to carry weight in their head, neck, and shoulders. For this reason, elevating the bowls will help with the stress that will be placed on the puppy/dogs joints as she/he leans down to drink water or eat. Elevating the bowls encourages the puppy to stand straight and lightly on their feet. This will improve the development of their fronts, their feet, and even their topline. You can help your dog have nice tight feet, instead of pressure induced splayed feet. You can help the front legs and joints to grow straight and healthy. By elevating the bowls, you can help your dog develop a nice topline, smoothly sailing down their back. Place the bowls at the adjustable height of just high enough that your dog does not have to lean or do extra to reach their food and water. The dog will have a nice, comfortable, and balanced stance while eating and drinking. This is important in the development of your bully.

3 Don’t leave your dogs on slick and hard surfaces for too long. Your puppies front legs, chest, and feet will face devastating changes and development if they are left on a slick, hard surface for too long each day. We understand your puppy must be kenneled during times you are away (if kept inside during your away hours), but make sure your puppy gets plenty of sunshine, vitamin D, and healthy playtime on gripping surfaces. Take your puppy outside for a few hours, at least, each day and play tug of war in the grass and sturdy terrain. Play fetch in the sunlight on a comfortable warm and sunny day. Take your puppy swimming, with constant supervision and rest breaks. These activities are both physical and mental stimulating, but also great for developing strong legs and feet. Your puppy will begin to take on an "easty, westy" look if left on slick surfaces without sufficient play to help balance out. 

4 Which dog food-Use a high protein dog food that is not too high in fiber. You must find which dog food works best for your dog and you. Most enjoy the salmon, lamb, and maybe even beef products over the chicken, as some dogs can have allergies to chicken. This could show in just having skin and coat issues. We are thankful that our dogs do not exhibit an allergy to any dog foods. We currently feed our dogs victor brand dog food, adding some fruits, veggies, probiotics, calcium, and vitamin supplements to their kibble. You can add bone broths or even some teas as added hydration to your dog's dry kibble.

5 Baths- give your dog a bath as needed using a gentle shampoo and sometimes I use conditioner on my dogs. ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU RINSE EVERYTHING OUT OF YOUR DOGS COAT COMPLETELY! If you are raising a puppy, it is highly important to desensitize them to grooming, weekly or very often. It is better to start young and end up with a grown dog who will handle being groomed with banners and good behavior. If they act scared, be calm gentle, and reassuring. ALWAYS make it a good and fun experience. Use treats sometimes, sweet talk, and lots of praise for being good. Use key words so they learn what action is taking place. I tell my dogs, "Good Boy, Costa is getting a bath". Many of my dogs have learned many words regarding actions, toys, and even parts of the house.

6 Brush their teeth- I brush my dogs teeth because I have found the bones and toys don’t do as great of a job as they claim. Try to start them young, from puppyhood, and brush their teeth weekly. You should really find time every 2-3 days, if possible. DO NOT USE HUMAN TOOTH PASTE! They have tooth paste strictly for dogs, which is what I use. If you can't get tooth paste, even using plain water is helpful to your dogs gum health and dental hygiene. Take your time, make it pleasant, give lots of praise.

7 Nails-Clip your dog’s nails every week or 2, or at least when they begin to look long. Be careful not to clip the quick of their nails. You use Dog clippers and clip where the nail starts to curl, avoid the quick. This is easier when the nails are pink and you can see the quick. I suggest getting a Dog Dremel. I have found this so much easier and less stressful on me and my dogs, than trimming nails with clippers. I can Dremel and stop before the quick, as well as round off the nails and avoid sharp edges, which is common with clipping nails. Keeping your dogs nails short is extremely important in the growth, development, and use of their feet!!! Your dog will stand and use the pads of his feet forward, properly, and pain free when their nails are short enough for them to truly use the front of their pads. When a dog's nails are too long, it shifts their weight further back onto their pads. This can lead to a completely different development in their feet. They will not exhibit a nice tight feet, like the standard for bullies calls for.

   Your dogs hygiene, cleanliness, and the care you give them completely and 100% contributes to the development, joy, and health of your dog. It is highly important to take these seriously and always find the time to properly care for your puppy or dog in the way we have described. Please reach out to us for questions. We care about the overall health and outcome of your puppy. Following these simple tips can change everything for who your dog will become!!!