Hello, future owner with questions, thank you

[Dmrock]

I pick up my puppy Sept 12th. And have a few questions. I know the breeder currently has Newman on Royal canin and I was going to go with that until reading on here and other sites. I've decided to go with either taste of the wild high prairie with bison and roasted venison puppy, or blue buffalo wilderness grain free, thoughts? Last question the crate I have on hand is 24" long , 20" inches wide and 21" high is this big enough just to start him out I'm? I really appreciate any input. Thank you

 

[benny]

The crate size is big enough for now. I am using 30” (x19” x 21” tall) crates for adult females and they’re a perfect size.

As far as your food choices go, there are going to be people on this forum who tell you all three of those foods are garbage. At the end of the day you need to find a food that your dog does well on (which might be any of those three or a completely different one)

IMO: I don’t like grain free. But one of the bulldogs at my house is on a grain free diet because that’s what the owner wants. She does great on it.

 

[2BullyMama]

Welcome to EBN! Yes, the current crate is fine, but as Benny stated, you'll need more like the medium size, like 34-36 I believe it is. as for food, it is trial and error, we feed raw which I believe is best but not everyone can afford or wants to deal with it. If choosing kibble you do want to avoid chicken as a lot of bulldogs tend to have issue, I think it is how it is processed, but for whatever reason it tends to be a high allergen. When you decide on a food.. try duck or turkey based as a start to see how they do. if you choose a high quality kibble like Open Farm, earthborn, Zingnature then you can easily switch between flavors without doing a slow transition.

 

[Dmrock]

The crate size is big enough for now. I am using 30” (x19” x 21” tall) crates for adults and they’re a perfect size.

As far as your food choices go, there are going to be people on here who tell you all three of those foods are garbage. At the end of the day you need to find a food that your dog does well on (which might be any of those three or a completely different one)

IMO: I don’t like grain free. But one of the bulldogs here is on a grain free diet because that’s what the owner wants. She does great on it.

I want to start out with a dry food, I just want a good quality after reading so many reviews it's hard to choose. In your opinion are those brands I mentioned good quality?

 

[Dmrock]

Welcome to EBN! Ye, the current crate is fine, but as Benny stated, you'll need more like the medium size, like 30-36 I believe it is. as or food, it is trial and error, we feed raw which I believe is best but not everyone can afford or wants to deal with it. If choosing kibble you do want to avoid chicken as a lot of bulldogs tend to has issue, I think it is how it is processed, but for whatever reason it tends to be a high allergen. When you decide on a food.. try duck or turkey based as a start to see how they do. if you choose a high quality kibble like Open Farm, earthborn, Zingnature then you can easily switch between flavors without doing a slow transition.

 

[Cbrugs]

I have 32 inch crates that I use for the girls for their dog shows and then I have 36 inch that I use at home. As a puppy what you have will work fine and then you'll probably have to get a bigger one when she gets bigger. For potty training purposes, you don't want her to have too big of an area in the crate anyways.

Food can be quite the hot topic so I always advise to feed what works for you but most importantly what works best for your dog. Just like humans, every single dog is different and just because one dog thrives on a specific food, that doesn't mean your dog will. The best approach is to look at any recommendations you get and then do your own research and decide what brand you want to try. Finding a good food that works well with your dog can be like a science project with lots of trial and error.

There is at least 1 person on here that feeds Taste of the Wild and her dogs do well on it so you can certainly give it a try. As suggested, other decent brands you can look at are Open Farm, Zignature, Earthborn Holistics, First Mate, Stella & Chewy has a variety of different formulas, just to name a few. Fresh Pet is gently cooked and not raw.

 

[Squeezer]

Concur with the previous opinions on crate sizes. We purchased a larger crate that had a divider included in the package , and it allowed us to start small and then expand as the bullies grew larger.

Also concur about the opinions regarding food. We’ve always fed our dogs kibble, but to each their own. We have been switching between brands , and most recently started rotating Fromm and Nature’s Logic. Our dogs didn’t do well on Royal Canin but as many can attest, the vets sometimes will urge folks to use it ( many sell it of course).

Others can chime in, but I think the main ingredient in Fresh Pet is chicken? Our dogs have not done well with chicken, so we’ve used formulas with duck, lamb, beef and salmon. Nature’s Logic has a sardine based formula that a friend of ours uses and his bullie does well on that type of kibble.

Best of luck with the new puppy…..you are going to have soooo much fun with having a bulldog in your family! We have had. bulldogs for 35 years and wouldn’t want to be without one!

 

[benny]

Others can chime in, but I think the main ingredient in Fresh Pet is chicken?

There are several on these forums that avoid chicken at all costs… It is referred to as a common bulldog allergy here.

I can say: the girls at this house don’t have a problem with chicken, I use it as bait and it is sometimes in our treats and toppers. So like everything else it will be a trial and error.

Venison is a hot protein, as such it has a possibility of contributing to seasonal allergies, if your dog is susceptible. Look up cooling, warming, and hot proteins to get an idea and so you’re clued in to what to watch for and what else to possibly try.

 

[Cbrugs]

There are several on these forums that avoid chicken at all costs… It is referred to as a common bulldog allergy here.

I can say: the girls at this house don’t have a problem with chicken, I use it as bait and it is sometimes in our treats and toppers. So like everything else it will be a trial and error.

Venison is a hot protein, as such it has a possibility of contributing to seasonal allergies, if your dog is susceptible. Look up cooling, warming, and hot proteins to get an idea and so you’re clued in to what to watch for and what else to possibly try.

I will add my two cents to this as well. Some on here avoid chicken like it's the plague because it can be a "common bulldog allergy." While I do not feed chicken on a regular basis, it does get added into the rotation and all 4 of my dogs are fine with it. And if a bland diet is needed, I use boiled chicken and I also use boiled chicken in the show ring with my 2 girls. Some will say if you rotate proteins while the dog is a puppy, they are less likely to have an allergy.

 

[Dmrock]

I have 32 inch crates that I use for the girls for their dog shows and then I have 36 inch that I use at home. As a puppy what you have will work fine and then you'll probably have to get a bigger one when she gets bigger. For potty training purposes, you don't want her to have too big of an area in the crate anyways.

Food can be quite the hot topic so I always advise to feed what works for you but most importantly what works best for your dog. Just like humans, every single dog is different and just because one dog thrives on a specific food, that doesn't mean your dog will. The best approach is to look at any recommendations you get and then do your own research and decide what brand you want to try. Finding a good food that works well with your dog can be like a science project with lots of trial and error.

There is at least 1 person on here that feeds Taste of the Wild and her dogs do well on it so you can certainly give it a try. As suggested, other decent brands you can look at are Open Farm, Zignature, Earthborn Holistics, First Mate, Stella & Chewy has a variety of different formulas, just to name a few. Fresh Pet is gently cooked and not raw.

 

[Dmrock]

Thanks so much, does open farms make a dry kibble? If so am I okay just as long as it says for puppy and maybe steer clear of chicken? I didn't see earthborn holistics on chewy?

 

[Cbrugs]

Thanks so much, does open farms make a dry kibble? If so am I okay just as long as it says for puppy and maybe steer clear of chicken? I didn't see earthborn holistics on chewy?

Yes, Open Farm is a dry kibble and you can get it on Amazon as well. I use the Ancient Grains formula. I have 4 dogs (1 Frenchie and 3 bulldogs) and have never fed a specific puppy formula to any to of them. You can just look for All Life Stages on whatever brand you decide.

One thing to note, and again, it's up to you, but I generally would avoid a high protein kibble for a bulldog puppy as there is a possibility it can affect their growth and make their legs turn out. I have seen it happen. I look for a protein % of 24 - 26. Nature's Logic will be recommended to you and while it is good food, IMO the protein is too high for a growing puppy and I wouldn't want to take the chance.

 

[Dmrock]

Yes, Open Farm is a dry kibble and you can get it on Amazon as well. I use the Ancient Grains formula. I have 4 dogs (1 Frenchie and 3 bulldogs) and have never fed a specific puppy formula to any to of them. You can just look for All Life Stages on whatever brand you decide.

One thing to note, and again, it's up to you, but I generally would avoid a high protein kibble for a bulldog puppy as there is a possibility it can affect their growth and make their legs turn out. I have seen it happen. I look for a protein % of 24 - 26. Nature's Logic will be recommended to you and while it is good food, IMO the protein is too high for a growing puppy and I wouldn't want to take the chance.

You have no idea how much I appreciate this! I did find on Amazon Merrick Backcountry raw infused puppy with healthy grains or the Merrick beef and sweet potato grain free. In your opinion is one better than the other such as grain free?

 

[Cbrugs]

You have no idea how much I appreciate this! I did find on Amazon Merrick Backcountry raw infused puppy with healthy grains or the Merrick beef and sweet potato grain free. In your opinion is one better than the other such as grain free?

I don't have experience with Merrick but the backcountry raw infused puppy doesn't seem to terrible. You can always give it a try to see how the puppy does. I personally avoid potatoes (and sweet potatoes) as they are pretty starchy and can contribute to yeast.

 

[benny]

Merrick

Back in the day (before 2013?) I tried Merrick Grain Free (which is a different formula than what you are mentioning, so my comments don't necessarily apply) the memories are vivid 🤮🤣. This is from a correspondence I had at the time:

I previously had my dog on Holistic Select before deciding to test out Merrick's grain-free option, hoping it might reduce her shedding. However, even before she had fully transitioned to Merrick, she began experiencing severe gas. The odor was so strong that our entire home took on the smell of decaying animals. At first, I thought this might just be her adjusting to the new diet and hoped it would subside with time. However, even after she had been on Merrick for over a month, she developed multiple yeast infections. It was especially concerning given she had gone many years without any fold issues prior to this food change.

I decided to switch her to Fromm immediately without a gradual transition (I'm aware this isn't the recommended approach). My concerns about Merrick grew as I became convinced it was the source of both her gas and yeast infections. Remarkably, after making the switch to Fromm, her gas issues resolved almost instantly. Three weeks into feeding her Fromm, the yeast infections are also nearly gone.

Vada ended up doing really well on Fromm.

The moral of my story is to pick up small bags while you’re looking for what works for you.