English bulldogs are stocky and dense by nature what is the ideal weight for an English Bulldog? I have known many other bulldog owners over the years as well. Many of us struggled with finding the best solution to maintain their weight. We talked with our veterinarians, done a lot of research and tried everything else we could think of. The thing that helped us the most was tracking our bulldogs weight by using an English Bulldog Weight Chart.
Why is Weight an Issue for Bulldogs?
Unlike most dogs, English Bulldogs tend to be sedentary by nature. However, it puts them at a high risk for obesity. This isn’t just due to pure body fat, they are also big boned. Choosing the right diet for your dog is essential and it’s best to start walking it within the first week that you adopt it.
Bulldogs need a lot of nutrients once they reach adulthood to maintain their large bone mass. This is around 18 months. Most can get by with being fed their usual diet twice a day. Table scraps are bad so don’t give them any of those if you can help it. However, some fruits and vegetables, such as a banana slice, a few green beans and a sliced apple can serve as treats. Treats and bones are fine as long as you don’t give them too often. A treat once a day for good behavior during a walk or when they’ve achieved a new good behavior is usually adequate.
How Often Should English Bulldogs Be Fed?
Puppies under four months old should be fed about four times a day, about one to three cups a day. Once they reach six months, you can cut back to three times a day. Then once they reach a year old, that’s when they’re ready to start being fed twice a day. If you work outside of your home, you can try feeding them when you wake up or are about to leave and then again when you get home.
However, if feeding your dog twice a day creates bloating issues, you could try cutting it down to once a day. Another thing that you could try is portioning out their food throughout the day. If neither one works, it’s time to visit your local veterinarian.
Typical English Bulldog Weight Chart
Age Ideal Weight
One Five lbs
Three to Five 15-30
One-Year-Old Female 48-50
One-Year-Old Male 52-55
One way to tell if your dog is overweight is if their waists are large. That’s the one place that they’re normally slimmer. If they’re unable to scratch their ears, to stand properly, to clean themselves adequately or are unable to breathe properly, those are bad signs. The last can also lead to other health complications such as bronchitis.
Bulldogs are best weighed on kitchen scales. However, if you don’t have a kitchen scale or if your dog is too big for it, you can do it on your bathroom scale. It’s simple, just get on the scale holding your dog first, then weigh yourself and subtract the two.
How Can I Help My Bulldog’s Weight Loss?
First, please don’t feel guilty. A lot of bulldog owners often overfeed their dogs without even knowing it. Cutting their portions down is usually the first solution. The second is to walk and exercise them on a daily basis. If you just want to walk your dog twice a day, that’s fine as well. Just be consistent with whatever you do.
However, do be careful not to overexert your dog. It could easily get heatstroke if you walk it in high humidity. They tire out and get dehydrated easily. The reason that bulldogs are often seen in dog-sized t-shirts or sweaters is because their bodies don’t resist temperatures very well. If you’re really in doubt, do your walks and outdoor exercises in mild temperatures.
If diet and exercise don’t work, it could be a medical issue, such as hypothyroidism. That means that their thyroid doesn’t work properly, which doesn’t allow the metabolic system to function properly. If you think that something like that may be the case with your dog, it’s time to see your local veterinarian.
What Kind of Diet is Best for an English Bulldog?
They usually eat brands like Wellness and Blue Buffalo. One in high meat protein is usually best. Occasionally mixing scrambled eggs and carbs, such as rice or pasta, can go a long way. So can occasional pieces of cheese unless they show signs of lactose intolerance. However, goat cheese is better for them than traditional cow’s cheese.
Summary
The biggest challenge of owning an English Bulldog is monitoring their weight. However, the good news is that, unless it’s due to a health issue, it’s not too difficult to do. The majority do well on a well- balanced and well-portioned diet and regular exercise.
Again, however, you want to do your best not to overwhelm your dog. You don’t want it to just laze around the house 24/7 but you don’t want to make their routines too rigorous, either. They may have been bred for the cruel sport of bull-baiting originally but they’re not aggressive or particularly active by nature. In fact, they’re usually very sweet, loyal and friendly dogs.
In fact, they probably tend to be sedentary because they lack the energy to be as active as some other breeds. Their body structure is very unusual because they’re very stocky, have short legs, are big boned and stand very low to the ground. If you try to imagine yourself in that kind of a body, it probably would be hard to run very far without running out of breathe. It would probably also be very difficult to jump super high. Then on top of that, imagine if you couldn’t easily cool down in hot temperatures or warm up in cold temperatures. You probably wouldn’t want to be spending a lot of time outside, either.
Want to learn more about English Bulldogs? Check out my article on English Bulldog pet insurance.