Every action of your English Bulldog is not by accident, a dog tries to satisfy some want.
If your Bully eats rocks, grass, soil or roots, it's because of minerals lack and (or) problems with intestinal flora. Go to a vet and not to Bulldog trainer.
It's normally when your Bulldog puppy chews and gnaws everything during second dentition. Give the puppy something safe (Bulldog chew toy) before to forbid doing this.
Primary needs in thirst, hunger satisfying and comfort are impossible to get rid of with training.
Communication need is also primary one. You are the mother, the best friend and the one of the pack for your Bulldog. If you pay not enough attention to the dog, it will do something in spite you. The command "Leave It!" will become a reward for Bulldog in this case.
Analyze all those moments, when you would tell the dog command "No!" ("Leave It!"). You can use another one command almost in every situation. Use dog command "Come!" when Bulldog found carrion. Bulldog jumps on you? Dog command "Sit!" Bulldog chews your things? Dog commands "Come!" and "Place!" are suitable. Barks at somebody? "Down!" or "Place!" And so on. Give another one command at once even if you have already told "Leave It!" ("No!"). Tell your Bulldog not only what is forbidden to do, but also what it should do in a certain situation.
Don't forget to praise Bully for running the command. Most often dog command "Leave It!" is used to prevent picking up and eating from the ground. Here is one important point. Your Bulldog mustn't afraid for you. It should rather come to your call than not to pick up from the ground. That's why never punish your Bully when it had eaten something from the ground and then came up to you.
1. Take two pieces of Bulldog treats in left and right hands. Show the treat on the right palm, say quickly, with a deep voice "No" and close your palm so that Bulldog didn't grab the treat. Tell: "Good boy" ("good girl") at once and give it the treat from your left hand. Repeat this exercise until the dog turns away from the treat on your palm and you needn't close it after the command "Leave It!" ("No!"). Now you can floor the forbidden treat and continue Bulldog training in the same way. Then throw the treat in front of Bulldog. If it yields to temptation and eats the treat, say "Bad" and huff it out of the room for a minute. Then, continue Bulldog training.
2. Go outside and repeat exercise 1 in short. Then throw the treats on the ground. Walk your Bulldog. If it pays no attention to them, praise your Bulldog and treat it out of your hand. If it tries to grab treats, tell "Leave It!" If the dog had grabbed the treat and you're sure it wouldn't bite you, try to get it out of Bulldog's mouth, telling "Spit Out!" This method is rather unpleasant, but sometimes it saves your dog's life when it had grabbed a poisoned piece and you had time to tell "Spit Out!" If you can't do this, scold the dog a bit and continue training.
Dog command "Leave It!" is negative, that's why 5-7 min. of Bulldog training to run this command will be more than enough per day. Otherwise, you may spoil relationship with your Bully.
3. If Your Bulldog had picked up something from the ground and cane up to you, tell "Leave It!" and try to get this out of its mouth, showing the treat you hold. Try to exchange something found by the dog to your piece.
Many Bulldog owners throw away a bone, which they took from their dogs. Bulldog runs after the bone and picks it up again. It's better to throw the bone to your feet and walk around with your Bulldog telling "No!"
Every such case shouldn't go unnoticed. Always scold your Bulldog when it tries to pick up something from the ground and always stop swearing when it comes up to you closer than 1.5 m or spits out the bone. Praise the Bulldog right there and go on walking. Control your emotions.
Don't forget to give another one command instead of "Leave It!" ("Come!', "Sit!", "Down!") when it's possible.
