At what age is it best to begin training a French Bulldog? Just as people begin learning while young, the best training period for a French Bulldog is also in puppyhood. Adult French Bulldogs are clearly harder to train than puppies because many of their habits are already fixed by then. The ideal time to begin is around two months of age. If this period is missed, training becomes more difficult. So what kinds of actions can a French Bulldog be trained to do?
Basic Principles of Training a French Bulldog
1. Dog training must be built on trust, and the trainer must have sufficient patience.
2. It is forbidden to hit a young French Bulldog or use rough behavior in other ways. After training ends, praise the dog so that it feels it is capable of doing the task, rather than feeling forced into it.
3. Learning and training do not need to be restricted to a fixed daily time. The trainer can devote a more focused training session on one day each week and spend the rest of the time repeating and reinforcing the lessons.
4. Before guiding a young French Bulldog into training, the owner should usually crouch or kneel down to the dog's level.
5. During training, make full use of body language and facial expression. This helps keep the young French Bulldog's attention fully focused on the trainer.
6. When giving commands, the trainer's tone matters more than volume.
7. Commands must be short. It is often best to combine them with the dog's name, because long sentences easily confuse the dog.
8. Do not feed the dog before the first training session of the day. Use food as a reward during training. After eating, do not let the dog play too wildly, so as to avoid stomach cramps or other discomfort.
9. After completing one exercise in each session, the dog should be allowed to rest and play for a few minutes.
Training the French Bulldog to Eliminate Outside
The first important thing a young French Bulldog needs to learn is to go outside to relieve itself. In principle, after every feeding and after every awakening, the owner should take the dog outside through the same door and bring it to the same elimination area. If you need to carry the puppy, support the chest with one hand and the hips and thighs with the other.
Every time the young French Bulldog successfully goes outside to eliminate on its own, it should be warmly praised and petted. Most puppies can learn this in about half a month.
While learning this skill, the dog may show behaviors such as bumping into the door, sniffing the ground repeatedly before sitting in the designated area, or circling around the same spot. These are all part of the learning process.
If the young French Bulldog eliminates indoors while the trainer is present, it should be corrected immediately and then taken outside to the designated place. It is often helpful to leave a little waste there as a reminder. The indoor area that was soiled should be cleaned thoroughly with disinfectant, or with a mixture such as vinegar and water.
The Commands ?No? and ?Drop?
When the dog hears either of these commands, it should immediately stop what it is doing. These two commands should be spoken in a firm, warning tone. If this does not work, the trainer may hold the loose skin at the back of the young French Bulldog's neck securely. During repeated training, the owner must stay determined. If the owner cannot tolerate giving appropriate correction now, training may fail later.
So how do you teach a French Bulldog to spit something out of its mouth? One common method is to place your hand near the dog's nose, raise a finger, press lightly at the mouth or teeth area, and repeatedly give the command ?Drop it? until the object is released. Once the dog spits the item out, do not forget to reward it.