New bully parents & a few questions

[RoseTuckandJorge]

Hi! I've been reading this site since we got our bulldog - Jorge - and figured it was time to post. Jorge is 13 weeks old and weighs about 18.5 lbs. We got him at 8 weeks, about 8.5 lbs.

Since the day we got him, he's had soft stools. He was on Blue Buffalo Puppy Chicken & Rice at the breeder, which we kept him on for a few weeks. He had major diarrhea, so after reading many threads here we switched him to California Natural. We did the slow transition, and he's a little better, but I have yet to see a real solid poop! Any suggestions? We've tried the pure pumpkin and even some probiotics. He's been tested for parasites several times and everything comes back clean. Do I dare go through yet ANOTHER food switch?

Also, he's still having some issues with biting. I think he's getting more into the "mouthing" than actual chomping, but it still worries me that he might try it on a little kid when we're out in public, which would be scary!

A few pictures for your enjoyment

 

[RoseTuckandJorge]

I forgot to add. He HATES going for walks! Check out what my morning ritual looks like...all he wants to do is go back in the house!

 

[LynnA]

Jorge is precious and stubborn...lol

Otis does the same thing but I coax him with treats or pick him up and bring him further down the road and try again.

He is still in the biting stage as well (4.5 mos) he is also loosing his baby teeth and I too am hoping it will stop soon. I say a firm "NO BITING" and provide him with a toy and we seem to go round and round wth that but I feel being consistent I will win the battle. If he gets too out of control I use a water bottle and he doesnt like that one bit.

So, moral of the story, the beat goes on....and I WILL win...best of luck to you and your sweetie.

 

[cali~jenn]

Welcome, what a sweet boy you have! For your morning walks what about you carry him to the end destination and then he will want to walk back? lol Might get him walking better? I am new with that one tho so not much help there. As far as food.... I fed california natural years back in my search for the perfect food. It was ok, dont remember extra runny poos for Cutty back then but his poos are MUCH more firm now with fromm. Can never remember when to switch to fromm and which one they can have as puppies but I know many here feed their puppies it and have no complaints. I always push fromm just because it is the best thing I have fed so far.

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

!! So nice to meet you all! Jorge is so wonderful! Yes..the biting!! He will outgrow it..but if it gets too hard..make sure and correct him. Lots of chew toys helps! They love a variety! Just no rawhides! Now..the tough part..the food! It's such a trial and error process. But a lot of bully's are sensitive to chicken..so I'd start by trying to find one of the top rated foods without chicken. You can add canned pumpkin ..just make sure it's not the pie filling..and do a slow transition to any new food.

 

[Meggs19]

I think the Fromm, Four Star Nutrition line is for all stages (puppies included) correct? Can someone confirm? We started Tonka on that when he was about 8 months. As far as the biting, I hate to say it but I think that's just the beginning for that stage haha. I think some bullys go out of that stage a lot faster than others. Tonka is 10.5 months and STILL does the sassy biting when he plays. He has gotten better but when he gets fired up and hyper he can be very naughty like that yet. For some reason though, Tonka only gets like that with us for the most part. He was always good when he was around kids. We would also hold him and have him sit when around kids to make sure he wouldn't jump up on them either. Just be patient and keep using the same key words when you tell him no.

 

[BabyDuke]

are you feeding dry food or wet or both?? he is adorable..

 

[RiiSi]

He is beyond adorable and stubborn. That's one the worst/funniest cases I've seen I'm with [MENTION=390]cali~jenn[/MENTION] with carrying him and then he will probably walk home, it's worth a try, cause pulling sure doesn't work. Or maybe you can make it fun for him some how. I don't think they really grow out of any bad habbits if you don't correct the behavior. They are stubborn and you just need to be more stubborn! Good luck

 

[RoseTuckandJorge]

Thank you all for the suggestions! Glad to hear I'm not crazy thinking that he's super stubborn.

The morning walks do usually end with me picking him up and carrying him to the end, and yes, he runs back! I almost can't catch him. It's hysterical. He's really a sweet little boy, just very stubborn. I've tried the incremental treats, and that worked a bit. It just takes so long! I guess there's no giving up if I want him to change.

Regarding the food - Maybe I'll give him another week to see if the California Natural settles him a bit, and if not, will try Fromm or something else.

Thanks again, I'll continue posting pictures as he grows!

 

[Bella'sMom]

You mentioned you are giving him treats....you need to watch what treats you give him as well as the food. So I would start with that. Give him a couple pieces of his kibble for treats right now. You want to limit what he gets to isolate why he has runny poops.

Also watch his weight very carefully. If it starts to go down then watch is even closer. My Bella started out just like this and then went down hill very fast.

 

[RoseTuckandJorge]

Thanks! In the last few days we actually started using his kibble as treats, and it worked just the same for training (he already responds to come, sit, down, and roll-over!), so we'll stick with that. My husband just called to say he had more diarrhea today so it might be time for a few days of bland diet and then introducing Fromm. I'll keep monitoring the weight.

 

[agingermom]

Yes, those pesky treats!! Our feed store lady would give us samples for Arnold to try and that was the only time we had skin issues with him!! He is a cutie BTW. Welcome!!

 

[bullmama]

Also is he eating his food wet or dry? How much is he getting? Too much food can cause the squirts, even as little as 1/4 c too much in a day. Maybe cut back how much you are giving just by a little bit and see if that helps.

They only process what is needed for growth, the rest is extra. Another sign of it being just too much food is that what comes out looks like dog food put in a blender. Basically, undigested!

 

[318bud]

wow hes a very pretty color! maybe he doesnt like the restrain collar? maybe let him free and see what happens?
just a thought
Im also trying to decide what the best food is as well
my pup is about 2 months old

 

[Corlando465]

Your new baby sure is a cutie! My guy is 6 months ago and we went through the same learning to lead issues. I don't think he is being stubborn as much as he is timid and home is his comfort zone. My tip - Find a treat that he really likes. (My guy loves liver pieces.) Use the treats as a distraction/ motivation. When he refuses to walk, put the treat In front of his nose, so he can smell it but don't give it to him, just keep it in front of him and he will follow it. Once he has taken several steps the direction you want him to go, give him his treat and praise him. Add patience and repetition and he will soon be leading like a champion. FYI - they only need very small training treats so as not to give them tummy issues.


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