Bringing home a Sunduza English Bull Terrier puppy
Our puppies are socialised with people from the moment they are born. Mom starts sleeping in her whelping box inside two weeks before the babies are due. Her and her babies will never be left alone until the puppies are four weeks old and then only for short time periods.
Puppies begin weaning at around three weeks so by the time you take your baby home it will be completely self sufficient. Under no circumstances will a puppy be allowed to go to its new home until it turns 8 weeks old. Again if you plan to leave the puppy alone for long periods of time, choose another breed. English Bull Terriers are companions and people pleasers.
Before you bring your puppy home make sure you have a warm safe crate available with a comfortable blanket that the puppy can call his own. These are available from pet shops, West pack, Crazy Plastics and SPCA charity shops. Make sure you sterilize the crate with a dilute Jik solution. You will also need food and water bowls(large) as well as a good quality dog food of your choice with a high protein content.
Your puppy will be used to a collar. A correctly fitting choke chain is best i.e. not so large it will slip over babies head or so tight it will hamper his breathing and swallowing.
If you provide your puppy with safe chew toys, scaling up as he grows from soft squeakers to harder balls and ropes, both of you can have a lot of fun. Have a selection ready for when he gets home. Make sure he knows what he can and can’t chew.
If introduced to water early English Bull Terriers love swimming. Please make sure you are always there when he has access to the pool as sadly many puppies are drowned through neglect. As a precaution show him where the steps are over and over again.
Introduce your puppy to the family including staff one at a time so he is not overwhelmed. He must learn his place in the family right from the beginning.
- People enter doorways first.
- Anyone has the right to pick up his food bowl at will before returning it to him.
- Teach your puppy to sit as soon as possible, use a treat and gently push his bum down until he complies. Use the word sit with a hand gesture, then pet him and give him the treat.
Learning to sit is very important to stop an exuberant friendly puppy jumping on people and making a nuisance of themselves. If you do not stop this behaviour early on you will land up with a strong adult lapdog (not fun, especially with muddy paws)
English Bull Terriers are quick learners and can assimilate words fast. Words like in, out, up, down, gentle, on, off, food, toilet etc. are a cinch. Talk to your puppy and take him with you wherever possible. If I pick up a piece of plant and ask sternly who did this everyone scatters to the hills. By four weeks your baby is already learning gentle. They love chewing and those little teeth are like needles, all it takes is a disapproving GENTLE to change the biting into a contrite lick.
When you return home with your curious, cuddly Sunduza Bull Terrier he will have had his first vaccination, been de wormed twice and micro chipped. KUSA registration papers will follow as soon as received. He/she must visit your veterinarian within 48 hours for a health check.