7 month old English Bulldog

Question
Hello.  I have a 7 month old bulldog who my husband and i go 2 months ago.  she was in a pet shop for 3 months and wasn't taught proper house training techniques.  

so right from the start, we took hour out every hour, monitored her food/water rations (4xs a day with water at all times) and was doing really well on her training.  

She has recently been to the vet and is totally healthy except for the vaginitis she was diagnosed with but has been given antibiotics and is better now.

My concern is she gets fed purina puppy chow 2xs a day, once at 7am, then again at 5pm with a treats in the middle (small milk bones broken in half).  being a stay at home wife, i take her out every 2 hours and twice a day when we'd go out, she would do her business and then we'd play for a good 45mins-1hr, then picking up going out in 1 hour then back on to every 2.  she was doing fine with this but recently, she has done a 180 and is now doing her business inside.  my husband and i keep her in our smaller bathroom so she stays cool and has room to wander but she has been pooping in there and then lays in it, sometimes eating it.  i know a dog eating it's own waste can be a natural thing to do but . . . i am getting weary of this.  we have a routine and it seems like she doesn't tend to it like a bulldog is supposedly said to. i have tried to get her to use puppy pads but she prefers to eat them, despite the fact that she has a nyla bone and a kong toy on the floor next to her.


what am i not doing right?  how can i get her to get back with the program we have? do i have to restart training again, unsung a different technique.  she is not a verbal bulldog so if she needs to go out before she needs to, she doesn't let me know until it's too late.

if you could help me, i'd greatly appreciate it.  Meg

also . . . my vet mentioned putting her on adult dog food.  she originally came to us eating ROYAL CANIN Large Puppy food which i changed to Purina Puppy Chow after a couple weeks.
I know the RC is better food but every other dog i have raised, we always used puppy chow.  but after my vet told me to switch to adult food, i have been looking for a better food for my dog without trying to add too much stress on her stomach.  RC make a food specifically for bulldogs . . . is this any good or is it just an advertising scam for owners to buy the more expensive food?

thanks again for your help.        sincerely, meg

Answer
Hi Meg:  Ok, I understand your concern... Yes, your vet is correct about getting her off the pup food.  It must be too much protein for her to digest.  Also, the brands you mentioned are full of junk fillers.  ( even the royal canine)

Here is what I would do for your baby:

Go to the pet store and find Innova ( adult dog food -) Not the Evo.
You can do Innova Evo once she is 12 months old.  The Innova is wonderful and easy to digest.  The poops will be smaller and you will feed less food, too.  The food is condensed with quality, not full of corn and grains.   If you can't find Innova, let me know and I can refer you to another brand.

Next, give this kid some salmon oil - pure salmon oil, 1/2 teaspoon every day ontop of her food.  Once your dog is 12 months old, give 1 full teaspoon every day.  Excellent for her joints and skin!

Make sure you do the change over slowly - over a 3 week period of time.   You can do 1/2 the new food and 1/2 the old food.  That way you won't shock her system with too much good food all at one time.

Also, NO treats of any kind.  ( just the 2 meals of Innova per day)

Last, give NuVET Plus wafer treats... ONLY 1 per day is needed:  This is a wonderful vitamin / supplement for bullies.
http://www.nuvet.com/81098

As for the behavior "potty" question, can you ask the behavior experts? I believe many of the poop problems have to do with the food and treats you were feeding.  ( I hope)

We have some great Behavior experts here at All Experts . Com.


Thanks and I hope this helps!
Let me know how things go with the new food and supplements.

Marie of The Doggie Chalet Hotel
http://www.apluspetcare.com
We love Bullies!!