Often Time People bring home there
first Bull Terrier and after the a few months think how wonderful it
would be to have 2 of them and begin looking around for a second.
Some times people think bringing home 2
puppies at once is best so they can keep each other company and
always have a playmate.
Some times, people are told that having 2 dogs is easier then having just one.
If you are considered bringing in a second puppy/ adult or considering getting 2 at once instead of just one, please take the time to read this page THOROUGHLY before you make any decisions.
If you have already brought home 2- then please also read this thoroughly. While it is true- 2 dogs CAN be easier then just having one
They can keep each other entertained when you do not feel up to it.
HOWEVER- Bull Terrier's are not just “dogs” and often having 2 can be A LOT of trouble, A LOT of time, and A LOT of heart ache.
Bull Terriers were bred from a combination of Bull and Terrier breeds.
Bull Breeds are notoriously dog aggressive.
I am NOT saying this breed is naturally aggressive, they simply have a lower tolerance for OTHER DOGS.
This in no way reflects there attitude towards humans.
A dog aggressive dog is NOT a BAD dog as many are still being bred regardless of the dog aggression.
It is GENETIC, it CAN NOT BE TRAINED AWAY- only managed, and it does not matter how well socialized they were around other dogs as puppies, it just happens.
Think of it like people.
WE are naturally a social species, meant to live in close knit families.
Does that mean ALL of us enjoy being around EVERYONE ALL THE TIME?
Of course not!!
We still, as a species get into arguments with others, take a disliking to other people for one reason or another, some of us dislike having our personal space invaded.
It is natural, and it is the same for Bull Terrier's
some times they are rubbed the wrong way by a certain dog and gets into a fight
some times they just don't like other same gendered dogs and sometimes they don’t like ANY other dogs. That is just how it is sometimes.
On that note I want you to understand that if you bring a second Bull Terrier into your home
YOU WILL END UP WITH A FIGHT!!
No Question- they WILL find some reason or another to fight.
This breed is very pushy, very domineering and very possessive.
They WILL fight- don't kid yourself.
When they do it will be over a toy, a bit of food falling on the floor, a new person, the furniture, the bed, your lap, a sock, accidentally playing to roughly, accidentally bumping into each other, getting overly excited over a noise or knock on the door, seeing a cat run past while on a walk, etc,etc,etc.
When the fight happens- if it is what I call a “disagreement”
you will have your dogs roaring like lions while in a cloud of dust on top of each other or smacking muzzles or on there hind legs like bears hugging it out.
When this happens remain calm, clap or shout, grab a bucket of water to dump on them.
This kind of a fight is rarely serious.
You may get a bit of blood, a slight nip or torn ear, try not to sweat it and move on remembering what triggered it to begin with.
It is that Silent fight you should be afraid of.
Because when the fight is silent it means they are in it to do serious damage and are done trying to intimidate and are trying to kill.
When the fight is silent you will get dogs who, grab and hold, shake the other dog, tail tip twitching,
some times in males the penis will be slightly exposed.
When a fight like this happens- WORRY!
I suggest for ANYONE with Multiple dogs in their home to invest in a "Break Stick"
Break sticks are flat wooden or plastic sticks that are strong and sturdy that, when dogs grab a tight hold of another and refuse to let go, you can use the stick to safely and painlessly break them apart and keep either dog from getting further injured as well as the handler to keep from getting bitten.
Keep one handy and learn how to use it.
My Little Female Chimera took an immediate disliking to my sisters English Bull dog pup who, at the time was nor more then 5-6 months old.
I was watching her for my sister while she was away.
The Bull dog was a female and had no manners as a youngster, she was very pushy and domineering(your typical Bull Breed), Chimera would turn away to avoid the pup and the bull dog would get right back into her face to lightly nip to play.
I separated them and kept a close eye on them both to keep the Bull dog from pestering Chimera.
at the end of the night I had all 3 out for a few minutes while doing last potty rounds before bed.
the Bull dog approached Chimera while she tried to lie down and sleep.
no warning, Chimera had had enough of this pup, she grabbed her by the face and, even though the Bull dog was 5 pounds heavier, Chimera lifted her by the face onto the couch and shook her entire body off the ground.
Thankfully I did not panic and grabbed my Break stick to separate them.
neither dog was seriously injured, but the Bull dog was no longer welcomed in our home.
Though Chimera absolutely adored most other dogs and never showed such behavior towards any other dog before or after that and was most especially fabulous towards tiny dogs and could tone her play down so she was extremely gentle towards small dogs, male or female.
Chimera was not truly "Dog aggressive" she had simply taken a disliking to my sisters dog.
If a "Silent" fight happens Your dogs should NEVER EVER be allowed to be together ever again and you should look into
“crate and rotate”
that is where the dogs are kept separated 24/7 for the rest of there lives.
But for those loud scary squabbles your dogs should be fine and you can expect it to happen again and again for the rest of the dogs lives, BUT you need to learn the triggers and do your best to decrease them and maintain control because all it takes is for your dog to get tired of it and retaliate to the point of starting a “silent fight”
if you are going to live with 2 dogs, it is SO important you follow “NILF” training from day one and continue with it for the rest of your dogs lives. This helps to prevent fighting.
Also learn to feed each dog separately to prevent food aggression
which is SOOO common that, a dog who does NOT show some type of aggressive behavior towards another dog during feeding that I would be worried! Feed each dog separately and teach them name recognition when it comes to treats.
When you say
“Max” make sure your other dog understands that your hand is reaching towards Max ONLY and ONLY Max will be rewarded.
And vice versa.
When it comes to Bull Terrier's they are most certainly more HUMAN oriented dogs then dog oriented.
WHICH MEANS.
Bringing in a second one is not going to give you more time to relax, as they very rarely keep each other entertained
what happens is
instead of having ONE dog begging you for attention and following you around pestering the hell out of you
you now have 2 who ignore toys, ignore each other and stand there while you sit at your computer and stare nudging your arm.
And play time can be harder some time too because, some time fetch can turn into a fight over the ball, and don’t think having 2 balls will do you any good because they will STILL fight over the ONE ball the other dog has and ignore the other ball.
Buy them each a bone to chew and they will argue over the one. Bring them each a new toy to play with, they will chase each other for the one.
STILL wanting a second?
Here is what I recommend:
WAIT until your first dog is done maturing and through with puberty, if it is a Bull Terrier that time is right around 2 years of age.
Why do I say this? Because people do not realize that Bull Terriers temperaments change SO MUCH with puberty and between puppy-hood and puberty. I know plenty of people who had the perfect Bull Terrier puppy wondering what people were talking about when they said BT's being a difficult breed.
Having the pup obedience trained by 7 months, no more nipping, no more potty training, and they think the worst is over and they breathe easy.
And then, there Bully hits 18 months and suddenly, he is pooping in the house, she is shredding the couch, he is curling his lip when you tell him no, she is counter surfing, he is chewing your shoes and she is growling at people on your walks.
WHAT HAPPENED??! Puberty happened, and it is going to be long and hard and its going to be like having a whole new dog you need to start training ALL...OVER...AGAIN.
THAT'S right!
And Puberty can start any where between 6 months to 18 months and rarely past 18 months, and you can expect it to last until the age of 2-3 years of age depending on the dog.
And when you have a dog going through puberty AND a little puppy in training- your going to be training every day 24/7 for the next 5 years to get everything covered and done thoroughly!
Wait until your dog is completely trained. While I am not saying your dog has to be a genius and know every command in the book, NOT having any issues you are still trying to work on is ideal, because dogs WILL pick up on each others habits and behaviors, and while your dog might have perfect manners now, bringing in a new puppy or dog is going to cause those manners to slip a bit, depending on dog, they could slip A LOT
and training 2 dogs at once is damn near impossible While not totally impossible- it is very damn near and ANYONE who has had multiple Bull Terriers in there home will tell you they are NOT crazy enough to bring in and raise 2 BT pups at once.
If your dog has trouble pulling on the lead while walking, bringing in a new puppy who also pulls WILL encourage your other dog to pull more.
If your dog is having potty training issues- even mildly, bringing in a new puppy is going to make them WORSE because she WILL pick up on those behaviors of the new puppy.
When your dog is totally reliable in the areas you WANT them to be reliable in every day life, then the set back will be minimal when you bring in a new puppy.
But it WILL happen, no questions about it, your dog will falter in one area or several, but you can expect it.
But a dog who is 100% without another dog will be about 95% with the new pup.
If your dog is 80% reliable without the other dog you can expect them to be about 70% with, sometimes worse.
Do yourself a favor- wait a little longer, train a littler harder, spend a bit more time and then go get yourself a second. With that being said
buying 2 puppies at once
DON'T DO IT!!
While do-able this is such a BAD, BAD, BAD idea!
For several reasons
they will feed off each other, follow each other. And learn to ay closer attention to each other.
Which may not seem like a bad thing- until you try to train them! Not only that, but often times they can end up with separation anxiety from each other.
Again- doesn’t seem like a big deal until you try to separate them for one reason or another.
If you have already bought 2 puppies, make sure to train separately whenever possible, have separate sleeping arrangements and separate crates for them, take them out for separate walks to teach heel and to help make sure they never become anxious about there sibling leaving them alone for a while.
Make sure you use NILF training from day one and never stop!
I have to say though, owning multiple dogs can be a lot of fun and keep you on your toes!
I am so very glad I bought my second pup Chimera and wouldn't change a thing!
But I made sure my male was nearing his second birthday before I brought her home, he was done with puberty and done with training. And even then It felt like I was training 2 dogs at once (mostly because- I was!)
my male Cesar had to re-learn his recall training, heel training, sit, stay and leave it.
When introducing new dogs, I like to introduce them in the yard, both dogs wearing snug fitting strong harnesses and strong leads.
Gauge the dogs reactions before allowing them to approach each other.
Is there hair on the back raised? This can be either a sign of aggression or being UN sure.
Is it paired with a closed mouth and ears pulled back and/or growling?
Then you can bet it is not a good idea to approach.
Stiffening of the body with an open mouth is the sign of an excited Bull Terrier ready to say hello!
When you let them meet, keep the leads slack don’t pull them back, as you can cause an outburst, keep the lead slack while they are sniffing but pay VERY close attention to what is happening.
Don’t let either dog mount each other, bite at each others faces or legs.
If they begin playing wrestling and climbing on each other is fine, but no mounting/ humping as this can be a sign of bad manners and can cause a fight.
Always make sure you have separate beds and separate crates and separate food bowls for each dog BEFORE you bring in the new dog.
And most importantly:
USE THEM!
I want to mention also, that while I make these warnings to people , it is so people understand the potential of these things happening.
I would rather people said "No Thanks" and were scared from owning multiple Bull Terrier's then to go in believing nothing bad would ever happen.
Aggression in both humans and animals is a flexible concept, aggression in dogs is no different then aggression in humans other then humans are able to process the emotion behind it. Dogs become bothered and annoyed, they do not like having there personal space invaded or whipped in the face by another dogs wagging tail or to be climbed on.
Some dogs are just more tolerant of these things then others, and in general, Bull Terrier's tend to have a lower tolerance for other dogs ill-mannered behavior, but again, THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE!
Some Bull Terrier's can be the sweetest most laid back tolerant dogs you have ever met.
My boy Cesar is one of them, he almost always turns the other cheek unless seriously provoked.
So, before you go complaining or getting upset thinking "I know plenty of people who own multiple Bull Terrier's who have never had problems!" there are just as many who HAVE had an incident or two or three.
I talk to people on a daily basis telling me both good and bad experiences.
Some how in this day and age people have turned problem behaviors into some thing "taboo" and wicked.
Things like dog aggression for one has become such a taboo topic that owners are often panic stricken should there beloved pet take a nip to there neighbors dog.
Dogs communicate using teeth and mouth, it is there way of saying "NO' or "Stop" or "I don't like you, leave me be"
Dogs will be dogs- they can be nothing else. All we as humans can do is pay attention and do our best to read them and listen to what they need in a calm respectful manner.
If you have any doubts or worries about your dogs temperament towards other dogs, or if you are unsure if your dogs fighting is serious or just simply squabbles.
Contact a behaviorist who has dealt with Bully Breeds before.
If you worry about introducing a new dog, contact a behaviorist who can help you do proper introductions or do a temperament testing.
Some times, people are told that having 2 dogs is easier then having just one.
If you are considered bringing in a second puppy/ adult or considering getting 2 at once instead of just one, please take the time to read this page THOROUGHLY before you make any decisions.
If you have already brought home 2- then please also read this thoroughly. While it is true- 2 dogs CAN be easier then just having one
They can keep each other entertained when you do not feel up to it.
HOWEVER- Bull Terrier's are not just “dogs” and often having 2 can be A LOT of trouble, A LOT of time, and A LOT of heart ache.
Bull Terriers were bred from a combination of Bull and Terrier breeds.
Bull Breeds are notoriously dog aggressive.
I am NOT saying this breed is naturally aggressive, they simply have a lower tolerance for OTHER DOGS.
This in no way reflects there attitude towards humans.
A dog aggressive dog is NOT a BAD dog as many are still being bred regardless of the dog aggression.
It is GENETIC, it CAN NOT BE TRAINED AWAY- only managed, and it does not matter how well socialized they were around other dogs as puppies, it just happens.
Think of it like people.
WE are naturally a social species, meant to live in close knit families.
Does that mean ALL of us enjoy being around EVERYONE ALL THE TIME?
Of course not!!
We still, as a species get into arguments with others, take a disliking to other people for one reason or another, some of us dislike having our personal space invaded.
It is natural, and it is the same for Bull Terrier's
some times they are rubbed the wrong way by a certain dog and gets into a fight
some times they just don't like other same gendered dogs and sometimes they don’t like ANY other dogs. That is just how it is sometimes.
On that note I want you to understand that if you bring a second Bull Terrier into your home
YOU WILL END UP WITH A FIGHT!!
No Question- they WILL find some reason or another to fight.
This breed is very pushy, very domineering and very possessive.
They WILL fight- don't kid yourself.
When they do it will be over a toy, a bit of food falling on the floor, a new person, the furniture, the bed, your lap, a sock, accidentally playing to roughly, accidentally bumping into each other, getting overly excited over a noise or knock on the door, seeing a cat run past while on a walk, etc,etc,etc.
When the fight happens- if it is what I call a “disagreement”
you will have your dogs roaring like lions while in a cloud of dust on top of each other or smacking muzzles or on there hind legs like bears hugging it out.
When this happens remain calm, clap or shout, grab a bucket of water to dump on them.
This kind of a fight is rarely serious.
You may get a bit of blood, a slight nip or torn ear, try not to sweat it and move on remembering what triggered it to begin with.
It is that Silent fight you should be afraid of.
Because when the fight is silent it means they are in it to do serious damage and are done trying to intimidate and are trying to kill.
When the fight is silent you will get dogs who, grab and hold, shake the other dog, tail tip twitching,
some times in males the penis will be slightly exposed.
When a fight like this happens- WORRY!
I suggest for ANYONE with Multiple dogs in their home to invest in a "Break Stick"
Break sticks are flat wooden or plastic sticks that are strong and sturdy that, when dogs grab a tight hold of another and refuse to let go, you can use the stick to safely and painlessly break them apart and keep either dog from getting further injured as well as the handler to keep from getting bitten.
Keep one handy and learn how to use it.
My Little Female Chimera took an immediate disliking to my sisters English Bull dog pup who, at the time was nor more then 5-6 months old.
I was watching her for my sister while she was away.
The Bull dog was a female and had no manners as a youngster, she was very pushy and domineering(your typical Bull Breed), Chimera would turn away to avoid the pup and the bull dog would get right back into her face to lightly nip to play.
I separated them and kept a close eye on them both to keep the Bull dog from pestering Chimera.
at the end of the night I had all 3 out for a few minutes while doing last potty rounds before bed.
the Bull dog approached Chimera while she tried to lie down and sleep.
no warning, Chimera had had enough of this pup, she grabbed her by the face and, even though the Bull dog was 5 pounds heavier, Chimera lifted her by the face onto the couch and shook her entire body off the ground.
Thankfully I did not panic and grabbed my Break stick to separate them.
neither dog was seriously injured, but the Bull dog was no longer welcomed in our home.
Though Chimera absolutely adored most other dogs and never showed such behavior towards any other dog before or after that and was most especially fabulous towards tiny dogs and could tone her play down so she was extremely gentle towards small dogs, male or female.
Chimera was not truly "Dog aggressive" she had simply taken a disliking to my sisters dog.
If a "Silent" fight happens Your dogs should NEVER EVER be allowed to be together ever again and you should look into
“crate and rotate”
that is where the dogs are kept separated 24/7 for the rest of there lives.
But for those loud scary squabbles your dogs should be fine and you can expect it to happen again and again for the rest of the dogs lives, BUT you need to learn the triggers and do your best to decrease them and maintain control because all it takes is for your dog to get tired of it and retaliate to the point of starting a “silent fight”
if you are going to live with 2 dogs, it is SO important you follow “NILF” training from day one and continue with it for the rest of your dogs lives. This helps to prevent fighting.
Also learn to feed each dog separately to prevent food aggression
which is SOOO common that, a dog who does NOT show some type of aggressive behavior towards another dog during feeding that I would be worried! Feed each dog separately and teach them name recognition when it comes to treats.
When you say
“Max” make sure your other dog understands that your hand is reaching towards Max ONLY and ONLY Max will be rewarded.
And vice versa.
When it comes to Bull Terrier's they are most certainly more HUMAN oriented dogs then dog oriented.
WHICH MEANS.
Bringing in a second one is not going to give you more time to relax, as they very rarely keep each other entertained
what happens is
instead of having ONE dog begging you for attention and following you around pestering the hell out of you
you now have 2 who ignore toys, ignore each other and stand there while you sit at your computer and stare nudging your arm.
And play time can be harder some time too because, some time fetch can turn into a fight over the ball, and don’t think having 2 balls will do you any good because they will STILL fight over the ONE ball the other dog has and ignore the other ball.
Buy them each a bone to chew and they will argue over the one. Bring them each a new toy to play with, they will chase each other for the one.
STILL wanting a second?
Here is what I recommend:
WAIT until your first dog is done maturing and through with puberty, if it is a Bull Terrier that time is right around 2 years of age.
Why do I say this? Because people do not realize that Bull Terriers temperaments change SO MUCH with puberty and between puppy-hood and puberty. I know plenty of people who had the perfect Bull Terrier puppy wondering what people were talking about when they said BT's being a difficult breed.
Having the pup obedience trained by 7 months, no more nipping, no more potty training, and they think the worst is over and they breathe easy.
And then, there Bully hits 18 months and suddenly, he is pooping in the house, she is shredding the couch, he is curling his lip when you tell him no, she is counter surfing, he is chewing your shoes and she is growling at people on your walks.
WHAT HAPPENED??! Puberty happened, and it is going to be long and hard and its going to be like having a whole new dog you need to start training ALL...OVER...AGAIN.
THAT'S right!
And Puberty can start any where between 6 months to 18 months and rarely past 18 months, and you can expect it to last until the age of 2-3 years of age depending on the dog.
And when you have a dog going through puberty AND a little puppy in training- your going to be training every day 24/7 for the next 5 years to get everything covered and done thoroughly!
Wait until your dog is completely trained. While I am not saying your dog has to be a genius and know every command in the book, NOT having any issues you are still trying to work on is ideal, because dogs WILL pick up on each others habits and behaviors, and while your dog might have perfect manners now, bringing in a new puppy or dog is going to cause those manners to slip a bit, depending on dog, they could slip A LOT
and training 2 dogs at once is damn near impossible While not totally impossible- it is very damn near and ANYONE who has had multiple Bull Terriers in there home will tell you they are NOT crazy enough to bring in and raise 2 BT pups at once.
If your dog has trouble pulling on the lead while walking, bringing in a new puppy who also pulls WILL encourage your other dog to pull more.
If your dog is having potty training issues- even mildly, bringing in a new puppy is going to make them WORSE because she WILL pick up on those behaviors of the new puppy.
When your dog is totally reliable in the areas you WANT them to be reliable in every day life, then the set back will be minimal when you bring in a new puppy.
But it WILL happen, no questions about it, your dog will falter in one area or several, but you can expect it.
But a dog who is 100% without another dog will be about 95% with the new pup.
If your dog is 80% reliable without the other dog you can expect them to be about 70% with, sometimes worse.
Do yourself a favor- wait a little longer, train a littler harder, spend a bit more time and then go get yourself a second. With that being said
buying 2 puppies at once
DON'T DO IT!!
While do-able this is such a BAD, BAD, BAD idea!
For several reasons
they will feed off each other, follow each other. And learn to ay closer attention to each other.
Which may not seem like a bad thing- until you try to train them! Not only that, but often times they can end up with separation anxiety from each other.
Again- doesn’t seem like a big deal until you try to separate them for one reason or another.
If you have already bought 2 puppies, make sure to train separately whenever possible, have separate sleeping arrangements and separate crates for them, take them out for separate walks to teach heel and to help make sure they never become anxious about there sibling leaving them alone for a while.
Make sure you use NILF training from day one and never stop!
I have to say though, owning multiple dogs can be a lot of fun and keep you on your toes!
I am so very glad I bought my second pup Chimera and wouldn't change a thing!
But I made sure my male was nearing his second birthday before I brought her home, he was done with puberty and done with training. And even then It felt like I was training 2 dogs at once (mostly because- I was!)
my male Cesar had to re-learn his recall training, heel training, sit, stay and leave it.
When introducing new dogs, I like to introduce them in the yard, both dogs wearing snug fitting strong harnesses and strong leads.
Gauge the dogs reactions before allowing them to approach each other.
Is there hair on the back raised? This can be either a sign of aggression or being UN sure.
Is it paired with a closed mouth and ears pulled back and/or growling?
Then you can bet it is not a good idea to approach.
Stiffening of the body with an open mouth is the sign of an excited Bull Terrier ready to say hello!
When you let them meet, keep the leads slack don’t pull them back, as you can cause an outburst, keep the lead slack while they are sniffing but pay VERY close attention to what is happening.
Don’t let either dog mount each other, bite at each others faces or legs.
If they begin playing wrestling and climbing on each other is fine, but no mounting/ humping as this can be a sign of bad manners and can cause a fight.
Always make sure you have separate beds and separate crates and separate food bowls for each dog BEFORE you bring in the new dog.
And most importantly:
USE THEM!
I want to mention also, that while I make these warnings to people , it is so people understand the potential of these things happening.
I would rather people said "No Thanks" and were scared from owning multiple Bull Terrier's then to go in believing nothing bad would ever happen.
Aggression in both humans and animals is a flexible concept, aggression in dogs is no different then aggression in humans other then humans are able to process the emotion behind it. Dogs become bothered and annoyed, they do not like having there personal space invaded or whipped in the face by another dogs wagging tail or to be climbed on.
Some dogs are just more tolerant of these things then others, and in general, Bull Terrier's tend to have a lower tolerance for other dogs ill-mannered behavior, but again, THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE!
Some Bull Terrier's can be the sweetest most laid back tolerant dogs you have ever met.
My boy Cesar is one of them, he almost always turns the other cheek unless seriously provoked.
So, before you go complaining or getting upset thinking "I know plenty of people who own multiple Bull Terrier's who have never had problems!" there are just as many who HAVE had an incident or two or three.
I talk to people on a daily basis telling me both good and bad experiences.
Some how in this day and age people have turned problem behaviors into some thing "taboo" and wicked.
Things like dog aggression for one has become such a taboo topic that owners are often panic stricken should there beloved pet take a nip to there neighbors dog.
Dogs communicate using teeth and mouth, it is there way of saying "NO' or "Stop" or "I don't like you, leave me be"
Dogs will be dogs- they can be nothing else. All we as humans can do is pay attention and do our best to read them and listen to what they need in a calm respectful manner.
If you have any doubts or worries about your dogs temperament towards other dogs, or if you are unsure if your dogs fighting is serious or just simply squabbles.
Contact a behaviorist who has dealt with Bully Breeds before.
If you worry about introducing a new dog, contact a behaviorist who can help you do proper introductions or do a temperament testing.