How to Discipline a Bulldog? How to Deal with Stubborn Bulldogs

Bulldogs are known for being stubborn and hard to deal with. However, they are very smart and can be disciplined as long as you know the correct ways to handle them.

So, how to discipline a Bulldog? To discipline a Bulldog, you need to start its training early, use positive reinforcement, and remain consistent and patient to build trust. To Correctly Discipline your Bulldog, you should replace bad behaviors with good ones using positive reinforcement and never physically punish the dog.

Continue reading to learn more tips about how to discipline Bulldogs correctly, effectively, and humanely (I’ll explain what you should do step by step and give examples) and when to seek professional help with training your dog.

Do you Need to Show Dominance Over Your Bulldog?

Bulldogs are a cute, affectionate, and kind breed which is why they’re considered one of the best companions breeds out there, and why it makes total sense that they are getting more popular by the day.

However, Bulldogs also sometimes tend to act stubbornly and disobey orders, which makes them difficult to discipline. One of the main reasons Bulldogs act stubborn is that they’re trying to show that they are dominant.

So, in order to discipline Bulldogs properly, their owners need to show dominance to make them understand who’s in charge. Once the dog understands the “pack order” in the house, so to speak, it will be easier to discipline it and get to follow orders.

It must be said that here that establishing dominance is always done peacefully and never by means of aggression or force, and that the most important factor in disciplining a bulldog is always going to be your dog’s trust in you and their natural love for you which makes them eager to please you by doing what makes you happy.

That’s why, if you have done the training and socialization parts right, you are rarely going to face problems with your bulldog as they will always want to do what makes you pleased with them. Nonetheless, problems may still arise even if you do everything perfectly, which is why you need to learn what should be done in this case.

Disciplining a Bulldog is a challenging process that involves various factors. We’ll be breaking down these factors in more detail.

How to Discipline a Bulldog?

When it comes to disciplining your Bulldog, there are many factors that you need to take into consideration.

The most important factor is when to start training and disciplining the dog. Other factors are the disciplining methods you’re using and how consistent you are throughout the process.

Bulldogs generally aim to please their owners. So, when you take an inch forward, they will take miles.

You don’t need to punish the dog harshly to discipline it effectively. All you need to do is start at the right time, use the right methods, and remain consistent.

6 Tips to Discipline Your Bulldog Correctly

Here are some tips you can follow to discipline your Bulldog correctly:

Start Early

The most important thing is to start training and disciplining your Bulldog as early as possible.

Training Bulldogs when they’re still puppies has a lot of advantages as it will they will be more open to learning new commands, and as they grow up, they will be less likely to develop any bad behaviors.

That doesn’t mean that teaching an adult bulldog is impossible. No, it’s still can successfully happen, but it will take more effort and time from you.

Establish Dominance

You need to establish dominance and show your dog who’s in charge.

Your dog needs to understand that you have a strong, confident personality and a caring, lovable one at the same time. You still want your Bulldog to love you not fear you because being afraid of you will not make it more obedient.

Choose a Training Method that Fits the Dog’s Personality

Get to know and understand your Bulldog’s personality. If you do that, you will have all the secret keys to your dog.

When you know the personality of your dog, you can start training them in a way that is more suitable for them, so they will learn faster and more effectively.

Use Positive Reinforcement

Your bulldogs need to have a good incentive to obey you. So, using positive reinforcement and rewarding the dog with treats will help encourage your dog to follow orders and display good behavior.

When your dog behaves properly, make sure to give it a reward and avoid using positive reinforcement in any other situation, as this will weaken its effect.

Keep the Training Sessions Short

Take care, bulldogs have short-span memories, and they lose interest easily. They also get distracted fascinatingly quickly.

Make the training sessions around 10 minutes long and repeat the sessions twice a day, so they can understand your commands clearly and don’t get bored from training.

Be Consistent

Consistency is the key when it comes to training and disciplining dogs.

If you want to discipline your Bulldog and control its behavior, make sure to use the same discipline methods and not skip any sessions throughout the training process.

Does Negative Reinforcement Work?

Negative reinforcement is the exact opposite of positive reinforcement, as you take something that the dog loves away whenever it displays bad behavior.

This method does work when disciplining the dog, but it’s generally recommended to use positive reinforcement more as it’s more effective and has a greater effect on the dog.

Using negative reinforcement to correct a dog’s behavior works on stopping the dog from doing said behavior, but the dog may then replace this behavior with a worse one, but using positive reinforcement to correct a bad behavior will replace the undesired behavior with a desired one, which is why it’s generally recommended to use it to discipline a dog.

To use negative reinforcement correctly, you need to keep some things in mind.

First, you need to take away something that the dog loves, whether that’s treats, toys, or attention, immediately after the dog has done the bad behavior.

Second, make sure to remain consistent and not just use this method once; otherwise, the dog won’t have time to learn.

This method is a much better alternative to violently punishing the dog’s bad behavior by hitting it or yelling at it. Violent punishment will only cause the dog to become more stubborn and your bulldog might even attack you.

How to Crate-Train Your Bulldog?

Crate training needs patience and consistency from you. It can take days or weeks according to the personality of your Bulldog and the approach needed for him to be trained correctly.

The most important thing is to make sure that the crate is big enough to fit the dog so it wouldn’t feel confined when it stays inside. Bulldogs can be quite large, and they need to have a big space to move freely.

Here’s a quick guide on crate training that will help you a lot with training your dog:

Introduce Your Dog to the Crate

Put the crate in a place where you and your family gather and spend most of the time. Then, make your Bulldog enter the crate, then sit with him and speak to him in a soft tone.

You can leave the dog inside the crate for 10-15 minutes a day, then gradually increase the time period. Eventually, your dog will get used to sitting inside the crate for long periods of time.

Make the crate as comfortable as possible for the dog so that it enjoys staying inside. For example, you can place some soft blankets inside the crate for the dog to lay on.

Put some of your Bulldog’s favorite toys inside the crate so it won’t feel bored. You can also leave some treats and food that your dog loves near the crate.

Make sure that the door of the crate is opened, so the dog won’t feel confined inside the crate.

Make Your Dog Eat Inside The Crate

When it’s the time for your Bulldog’s meal, put it inside the crate near the door. Then, gradually, move the dog’s meal further and further inside the crate.

To help the dog get used to eating inside the crate, gradually close the door while it’s eating and open it immediately after it finishes.

Make Your Dog Sleep Inside The Crate for Longer Periods

Now that your dog is used to staying and eating inside the crate, you can start putting it inside the crate to sleep.

Your Bulldog must be used to staying inside the crate for long periods of time so that it will be comfortable enough to sleep inside.

The first couple of times you try to make the dog sleep inside the crate will be difficult, so make sure to stay near the dog and offer it some comfort.

Over time, the dog will be able to sleep through the night inside the crate without waking up or causing any trouble.

How to Leash-Train Your Bulldog?

Leash training is easier than you think, but it also needs some consistency from you.

The most important thing is to make sure that the collar you attach your dog’s leash to is comfortable for the dog as it will be wearing it for long periods of time. If the dog is not comfortable, leash training will not be effective.

Here are some quick tips you can follow to leash-train your Bulldog easily:

Introduce your dog to the leash by making it wear the leash at home and give the dog some treats to help it make positive associations.
Introduce your dog to a unique sound that will be related to the leash. Some owners use their tongues or hands to make a sound, while others use a clicker.
Put your dog on a leash at home, and make the unique sound that you choose. Once your dog comes to you, give him a treat, and repeat these steps several times.
When you see that your Bulldog is fully recognized the sound and understands it, it’s time to take him outside on a leash. Take your dog out for a walk, and repeat the same steps.

8 Tips for Training a Stubborn Bulldog

Training a stubborn bulldog may look so hard, but if you understand your Bulldog’s personality and know the suitable approach for him to be obedient and listen to your commands, you will find them the easiest to be trained.

So, here are some important tips to keep in mind when training a Stubborn Bulldog.

You should keep the training sessions short, as they have a short memory span, and they lose attention and interest in a very short time.
You can make the training period for 10 minutes and repeat it 2-3 times per day.
You should start with the basic commands, such as “sit,” “down,” “stop,”…etc.
Start early as soon as possible; the earlier you start the training, the easier it will be.
Make the training period funny, smooth, and a source of happiness for him; otherwise, he will hate this period and be more stubborn.
Use positive reinforcements. Whenever your Bulldog does something right and obeys your command, reward him with his favorite treat or food.
Be consistent. Keep the training sessions every day, don’t skip them, so your dog can be improved and still remember every command.
Don’t be aggressive, and don’t use physical punishments; it will make your stubborn Bulldog worse.

When to Seek Professional Help with Your Stubborn Bulldog?

You should seek help when you follow all the tips for training a stubborn bulldog, but you find him still stubborn and not obedient.

In this case, something is going wrong. So, you need to consult a professional dog trainer ad get some advice about the best methods to use and whether you were doing something wrong within the training period.

You can also take the dog to the vet for a check-up as the reason behind the dog’s stubborn behavior might be an underlying health problem that needs treatment.

How to Discipline a Bulldog? How to Deal with Stubborn Bulldogs

Do you Need to Show Dominance Over Your Bulldog?

How to Discipline a Bulldog?