Birch and bullies kennel
Training Tips
Training should begin as soon as your puppy comes home and should always be based on patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement. Short, frequent training sessions work best for puppies and help keep learning fun and engaging.
Use treats, praise, and toys to reward desired behaviors, and be consistent with cues and household rules so your puppy understands expectations. We encourage the use of a clicker, or marker word. We like to use "YES!" to mark the action, and "Good" as duration marker.
Redirect unwanted behaviors rather than punishing them, and remember that puppies are learning—mistakes are part of the process. We like to utilize sounds to mark unwanted behavior such as "ah ah" or "Tssttt".
We encourage you to enroll in a puppy training class or working with a professional trainer beginning around 4-6 months of age. Not only does this provide you as the new family with a baseline for training your new puppy, this also helps socialize your puppy with other dogs in a group setting. Classes are usually offered in steps such as puppy class, basic obedience, and progress into AKC canine good citizen preparation.
socialization
Socialization is a critical part of raising a well-adjusted, confident American Bully. Proper exposure to people, other animals, and a variety of environments from a young age helps prevent fear, anxiety, and aggressive behaviors later in life. A well-socialized Bully grows up to be a friendly, adaptable, and confident companion who can handle new situations with ease and enjoy positive interactions with everyone around them.
Target Socialization Milestones:
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8–10 Weeks: Gentle introductions to family members, calm visitors, household sounds, and safe surfaces indoors.
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10–12 Weeks: Short outings to quiet outdoor areas, exposure to new objects, and supervised interactions with other vaccinated dogs.
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12–16 Weeks: Increased exposure to varied environments, mild distractions, and positive experiences with different people and animals.
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16–20 Weeks: Practice polite greetings with strangers, explore busier locations, and reinforce calm behavior around new stimuli.
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20+ Weeks: Ongoing daily socialization, gradual introduction to challenging situations, and continued supervised interactions to build lifelong confidence.
Training milestones
8–10 Weeks
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Begin house training and crate training
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Introduce name recognition and basic cues such as sit
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Start gentle leash exposure indoors
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Focus on socialization with new sights, sounds, and people
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Keep training sessions very short and positive
10–12 Weeks
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Continue reinforcing house-training routines
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Introduce cues like down and come
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Practice leash walking with minimal distractions
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Increase positive socialization experiences
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Begin handling exercises (paws, ears, grooming tools)
3–4 Months
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Improve consistency with basic commands
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Work on impulse control (waiting, gentle play, no jumping)
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Begin short training sessions in mildly distracting environments
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Encourage focus and engagement during training
4–6 Months
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Strengthen reliability of known cues
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Address common behaviors such as chewing and jumping
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Increase leash manners and outdoor training
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Consider enrolling in a puppy or basic obedience class
6 Months and Beyond
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Continue reinforcing training through consistency and practice
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Introduce more advanced skills or tricks if desired
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Maintain socialization and structured routines
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Remember adolescence may bring testing of boundaries—stay patient and consistent
Exercise
Exercise is essential for a puppy’s physical and mental development, helping build strong muscles, support healthy growth, and prevent boredom-related behaviors. For breeds like the American Bully, it’s especially important that exercise is controlled and age-appropriate, as excessive stress, jumping, or high-impact activities can damage developing joints and growth plates. Activities should focus on gentle walks, play, and mental stimulation rather than intense or repetitive movements. A good rule of thumb is about 5 minutes of structured exercise per month of age, up to twice a day, gradually increasing as the puppy grows. When exercise is done correctly, it not only supports long-term joint health but also helps burn off energy—because a tired puppy is usually a well-behaved puppy.
How much exercise does an American Bully puppy need?
A good rule of thumb:
5 minutes of structured exercise per month of age, up to twice a day
Example:
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3 months old → about 15 minutes per session
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5 months old → about 25 minutes per session
Good puppy exercises
✔ Short walks
✔ Gentle play (tug, fetch on soft ground)
✔ Training sessions
✔ Puzzle toys and games
Avoid for puppies
❌ Long runs or forced jogging
❌ Jumping from heights
❌ Excessive stair climbing
❌ Hard surfaces for long periods
These can damage growth plates.
6 months and beyond
As your puppy grows, you can gradually begin introducing more challenging forms of exercise. One of our favorites is the flirt pole—it’s a fun, efficient way to help burn off excess energy. However, even once your dog is old enough for more intense play (around 6 months of age), jumping should still be discouraged. Light, controlled jumping may be appropriate between 12–18 months, only on soft ground and kept low and infrequent. By 18–24 months, when growth plates are fully closed, most American Bullies can safely handle moderate jumping, but it should always be intentional and never excessive to protect long-term joint health.
