training a bulldog puppy

[Elder Sister]

Am sitting on the sofa (had to move from my chair so that my dog could be right next to me) with the greatest dog ever.  I second Spock's suggestion; if you're not familiar with training dogs, get some help from someone that knows what they're doing; whether it's a book, a real, live person, or The Dog Whisperer...a good dog is better than pretty much anything, in my not-so-humble opinion.

Also, just an fyi; I have a tendency to lie down and not move when I've walked/worked/played too hard, so it's not just stubborn dogs who do this.  

[Commodore]

My general advice is to guarantee every outcome (which is easier said than done).

At the start, don't give any command you can't follow through on, do not tell him to come or sit unless you can physically make that happen (i.e. use a long leash for training it to come). The dog has to believe resistance is futile.

Interruption of bad behavior in the moment is key, whether it's using the bathroom inside, or jumping on furniture. Grab him and move him the moment it happens or is about to happen (like I said, that kind of vigilance is easier said than done).  Yelling no after the fact does very little. Likewise, rewards work best when they happen immediately after good behavior. 

The moment he starts sniffing the floor he's likely looking for a place to go, you will recognize the signs.

Crates or dog beds are a good way to establish dominance and give the dog a safe familiar space to go to. Advise against letting it sleep on your bed. My dog knows the command "bed" and retreats there when he has anxiety. 

[Soka]

Sadly I have failed to find English translations of Martin Rütter's books introducing his "D.O.G.S." training system, which has helped me building a solid base of training knowledge. So if you happen to understand some basic German, I strongly suggest reading his books.

Overall, I agree with the canon of taking training classes, and also reading as many books as possible about the topic, some training tipps might work for Dog A while Dog B will reward you with greater success using a whole other approach. Half of the time your dog seems to ignore your signals it simply doesn't understand them (the rest of the time... they're probably ignoring you because there are more interesting things around or you're boring them to death, etc. - especially when you keep shouting at them), so there are no golden rules to abide by.
Most is trial an error and a lot of patience as well as the absolutely mandatory ability to not get angry at the fur child when things just don't seem to work out (in the beginning, this can be quite hard) but find other ways to help them understand you and motivate them to actually work with you.
I also second the importance of early socialising (I've experienced first-hand just how *quickly* they are all grown up without ever having seen a cat close-up, so make sure to get started on this).
As for the question of sharing a bed... I guess that is completely up to you as this is a popular and endless discussion. All I can say about that is that every bed-sharing human-and-dog couple I know seem to enjoy being so close to each other, even if it's only for cuddle time every now and then. Of course this does not render the little guy's own bed/place unnecessary, Commodore is absolutely right. This is a much needed "safe spot". 

Uhm... sorry for all the jabbering... I'm really looking forward to hear more about things will work out for you, so keep us updated.

[rocksniffer]

all the above is good advice...i am curious...and i don't think i missed it but what kind of bulldog small, large, american, english french...a bull terrier like my avi perhaps