Things you should know before buying a Bull
Terrier:
#1. THIS BREED IS EXSPENSIVE TO CARE FOR:
overall, this breed can be an expensive one to
own, mostly due to their destructiveness, slew of skin problems, training
problems, and “Quirky” behaviors. You cannot buy a cheap grocery store brand
food, even foods you thought were “good” or expensive, will rarely cut it.
Brands like Purina, Iams, hills science diet or eukanuba. Think more of
“holistic", "grain free", home cooked and raw.
Go with a cheaper brand of food, and its very
likely your bullie will end up with:
chronic ear infections-
chronic skin infections-
open sores and wounds-
obsessive itching, chewing and licking-
yeasty skin-
bad breathe and bad gas-
excessive shedding-
Some suffer grass allergies, sometimes you have
to be extremely careful about the soaps,shampoos, detergents you use on
everything, even the fabrics and carpeting you have in your house or pesticides
used on the lawn. Some bullies need to have a rinse off EVERY TIME they go into
the grass or lakes or puddles or dirt.
Can you pay for that? Can you pay 65+ dollars a
month just on dog food? Plus allergy medications all summer long, special shampoos and
bedding? What about medications for skin infections?
Can you afford top of the line sturdy toys for your Bullie? Nylabones and squeaky toys are NOT good choices for this breed,
they need good, heavy duty SOLID chews, I have heard stories of Bull Terriers
tearing holes in toys made for lions, horses and bears, I have heard of Bullies
who chewed a hole out of someone houses concrete foundation, I have a friend who
has had to buy 3 brand new couches within weeks of each other because their
teething Bullie puppy chewed them to the frame.
So before you say “I can deal with that”
remember-dog toys ARE necessity – NOT luxury for a Bullie, and those toys
are often 15-65 dollars a piece, and rarely last a Bullie more then a few weeks
or if your really lucky months.
What about a GOOD crate? a cheaply made 45$ crate doesn't always do the trick for some Bullies, can you afford the heavy duty
300$ escape proof crates should you happen to choose the Bull Terrier who dislikes being in theirs while your gone?
and YES CRATES ARE A NECESSITY!
Don't forget, some of YOUR things WILL get chewed
up in your new bullies first 2 years of life with you-its a given unless you
keep them in a Bullie proof box! So new remotes,cell phones, clothing, shoes
sunglasses, door frames, computer mouse, lawn ornaments etc are all fair
game-AND because this breed is also notorious for INGESTING non edible items-
its not at all uncommon for Bullies to have multiple “blockage” or “item
retrieval” surgeries. I’ve heard of bullies who ate their own leather collars
off while in their crates at night, bullies who ate whole tennis balls, big
garden pebbles, glass marbles, nails,fishing hooks and socks. This is NOT
uncommon to happen! Consider yourself lucky if you don’t have to make your
puppy throw up till its 4 or 5 months old.
Due to the breeds strong will and strong
physique, it is a MUST to own quality collars, leashes and training equipment. A
half chewed lead with a quick knot is no match to a 30 pound Bullie in training
pulling to greet another dog passing by, and THAT can be a lawsuit if the other
dogs owner is fearful of bull breeds and claims your sweet happy Bullie tried to
attack his tiny toy poodle, when in all actuality your pup was simply being over
overzealous, frightened that tiny dog into making a yelp or two making the owner
believer his or her dog was in serious danger.
So, if you cannot afford your Bullie getting
loose-buy quality training gear and walking and wearing gear.
None of those "cutesie" pet boutique specialty
ribbon collars for your girl, or those thin flimsy snake chain chokes, at least
not until your Bullie has been properly trained to walk nicely.
#2.THIS BREED IS NOT FOR EVERYONE :
If your personality is not a good match for this
breed, they can be the most infuriating, annoying, frustrating,
rip-your-hair-out dog you’ve ever met in your entire life!!
they are pushy,stubborn,pig headed,dim witted and
yet incredibly smart all at the same time.
You sometimes wonder how they have not killed
themselves yet, and then you’ll turn around and believe them to think as clearly
as you do. Don't feel badly if your not the type to own this
breed-its a true challenge for many. But try to be honest when answering these
questions: (and you’ll know you were wrong when you bring in a Bull Terrier and
it doesn’t work out)
In your group of friends, which one are you? The
leader, the go along with everything, or the quiet sensible one?
Are you active? as in “I enjoy getting out and walking or running or bicycling, or playing sports on a daily basis”
not “well I walk to work and to the store
sometimes” or are you more like “after work I enjoy sitting
down and watching movies or TV or playing video games”
do you have a good sense of humor?
As in “ my best friend accidentally kicked my
brand new flat screen TV-but it was hilarious and I couldn’t stop laughing!”
or are you more
“My best friend accidentally kicked my TV-so I
got crabby and was pouting the rest of the week because I had to pay a lot of
money to get it repaid”
why do you want a dog?
“I want a dog to spend my life with me-to be a
companion, to make me laugh and have fun with”
or
“ I want a dog to love me unconditionally, to be
my best friend and to be loyal, to protect me, to greet me when I come home from
work”
if you answered anything but the first answer to
any of those questions-don’t bother putting your money into getting a
Bullie-while yes, it could work-with tons of hard work on your part in changing
your own personality and or life style, but I should think you’d be better off
finding a different breed for your own ease.
If you answers straight up yes to all the first
answers- then a bull terrier is most likely the breed for you! This breed needs an owner who isn’t a push over,
an owner whose personality is just as strong and outgoing as theirs, an owner
who isn’t afraid of having their TV eaten!
Because if there is one thing that’s bad for this
breed-its an angry owner, these dogs, while loving and forgiving, just do not
thrive with angry or frustrated owners who cannot control themselves or their
anger and aggression-fight them and they will fight you back.
#3. THIS BREED HAS A DARKER SIDE....
This is a “Bull” and "Terrier"breed through and through, which
means, sometimes owning them is not all “sunshine” and “rainbows”.
some of the behaviors you may encounter and will
have to deal with:
FOOD GUARDING:
-from you, your kids, other pets, friends etc.
and I don’t mean playing “keep-away” I am talking,
flat out ready to grab your hand with teeth guarding.
This is VERY common behavior of this breed, usually showing up randomly around puberty (6-18 months)
this is something that needs to be addressed correctly the first time it happens and
it is something that needs to be taken into consideration while your Bullie is
young. Not only that-its a behavior that is very common,
and should not be looked at as “my Bullie is evil”
while it shouldn’t be thought too seriously-it
should also not be taken lightly as in “he will grow out of it”
this is a behavior that a behaviorist should be
brought in to deal with.
Dog on dog aggression-AKA-dog fighting.
Another common behavior for the breed-dog
aggression. You may be extremely careful about socializing your Bullie puppy,
watching her play with all her puppy friends well into her first year-then
suddenly, one day, she snaps, she grabs hold of another dogs face and your
unable to get her to let it go and panic, believing your dog has suddenly become
a pure monster! All normal behaviors that need to be taken into
account and addressed right away.
Dog on dog aggression is actually an acceptable
trait for Bull Terriers-and even top name CH kennels see no problem breeding
from a Bull Terrier who has same sex aggression towards other dogs.
So know that, this IS something that happens-but
should be managed with proper training and precaution.
You must also understand that, a dog who truly is dog aggressive, cannot be around other dogs, and the aggression cannot be
trained or "socialized" out. a truly dog aggressive dog can only be MANAGED-not fixed...
Extremely high prey drive:
and I am not talking about how the breed will chase
down small furry things-prey drive is more then that, it can be more then a
small fuzzy animal setting them off-it can be a child’s ball in the yard moving,
it can be an older women in a power wheel chair, a teenager on a skate board,
the sound of your computer game going “ BEEP, BEEP, BEEP” or the vacuum cleaner,
it can be the fish in your tank or your ceiling fan it can be a small child spinning in circles or a baby shaking a rattle. Bull Terriers are unlike many other breeds in that
They are very reactive to sounds-sounds you would not even notice.
My 3 year old male will become so excited over the sound of my gold ring tapping on metal he will scream, cry, jump at me and even go so far as to redirect his excitement onto other dogs nearby and start a fight.
I had a foster Bull Terrier who, would become extremely reactive towards any type of "Whooshing" sound (including someone sucking air into there mouths to loud) she would spin and bark and jump at them lightly nipping their clothing.
So be prepared to correct and re-direct your Bullie from every day noises.
This is a “Terrier"
a breed bred specifically to be highly prey driven and attack to kill anything
that scurried, squeaked, slithered or chattered.
Another thing about prey drive-when your Bull
Terrier is in predator mode and decides to kill the vacuum-good luck trying to
get him to calm down and stop, no treat, nor toy, no sweet talk is going to stop
him.
And if you’ve never dealt with that before-it
may surprise if not shock you, to find that, even picking your bullie up by its
harness and dragging it away will not faze him-and may even cause him to
redirect a few nips onto your arms!
But, rest assured in understanding-this is normal
and its something that needs to be dealt with and worked on from an early
age-hence the reason its so important to introduce your puppy to all sorts of
sounds, smells and moving things as well as teaching a good focus and leave it
early on in life when your puppy is easily handled and easily redirected.
Extreme tantrums-
yup-you heard right, this breed is prone to
extreme tantrums as puppies. While not all, its not uncommon for this breed to have fits of
anger as puppies when they don’t get their own way, they make the worst sounds
you’ve ever heard that will make you certain he was ready to tear your face off.
Hackles raised, teeth bared, gnashing your sofa or leaving bruises on your arms.
This, is not common-though also not uncommon, and
is another behavior that needs special training to work through. Sometimes these
puppies can be downright scary!
Extreme hyper activity:
NO, there's nothing wrong with that Bull Terrier
puppy who doesn’t seem to have an off switch and who honestly is not satisfied
on anything less then 16 hours of playtime. That’s your average, everyday Bull Terrier puppy,
needing to be kept stimulated by you-the owner 24/7 or else.
I’ve heard of so
many new owners who are quite shocked to find out that-this breed is indeed VERY
high energy and NEED something to do constantly. People who are active can
easily be worn down by this breed till they are fully mature. This is a breed
who, would seemingly run themselves to death and still not be relaxed!
And don’t think handing them a toy is enough, oh
no, they want YOU to keep them entertained, not some toy-and they will let you
know it too. All you can do about the hyper-activity is, know
that once again-ITS NORMAL, and to do your very best to keep up with
them.
BUT-something else you must understand-YOU CANNOT FORCE OR ALLOW A BULL TERRIER PUPPY TO OVER EXERT THEMSELVES OR RISK JOINT DAMAGE!
you heard right, 30 minute play session in the house or yard is enough at a time otherwise your risking serious joint damage later on in life.
Many people say "well, he doesn't act hurt"
that's because they are not hurting-what is happening is inside your puppies joints
as puppies, the tissue surrounding the joints is soft and pliable until they mature when they harden and set for the rest of their lives.
running or walking puppies on pavement, lots of hard landings while jumping on or off furniture, any shock to the joint is causing
damage and wear. when the tissue hardens, and the joint has shifted even a few CM's that's going to be potentially slipping knee caps , slipping elbows, lameness early in life or severe stiffness and soreness at an early age.
I fostered a female who had obviously been over worked as a youngster, at the rip age of 3 years old was already suffering joint pain and near lameness after only short walks.
Which was frustrating to the two of us because she had the desire and energy to move but was physically hurting.
#4. THEY ARE FREAKISHLY STRONG...
You heard correct- this is a medium breed dog, I
often have my standard sized male mistaken for a mini due to the fact that, in
photos they look much larger then what they truly are-but make no mistake,
smaller or medium, they got MUSCLE, and they most certainly DO know how to use
it! Even my tiny (by Bull Terrier standards) 37 pound
female can knock adults off their feet when she becomes overly excited and tries
to say hello.
She as almost taken me down several times simply
by pulling on the lead towards a kid on a bike to follow him and give him a
kiss. This is a breed that should be trained right off
to walk well on a lead-or suffer the consequences of being drug around every
time you go into public. This is a breed that KNOWS how strong they are and
KNOWS how to use it and when to use it.
I have had kids ask if they could walk my dogs-I
have always said no because I know that my dogs would
take those kids for a ride...on their face....across the pavement...to jump into
someones open car door.
One time, we had 2 guys come over to deliver a
new chest freezer (for the dogs food) one of them had the balls to kneel down
and attempt to hold them both back from mauling his face with kisses, his
response?
“WOW!!! I didn’t realize they were so strong and
muscular...AHHHH!”
while being knocked to the floor and kissed to
death.
This is something you really do need to take into account when thinking of buying this breed, if you have any trouble with your back or knees and do not have anyone to help you train, then I would look into a different breed , or at least finding a trainer to help you.
#5. OUCH!!!
As puppies they are known as “carpet sharks” or
“mouths with legs”
and for a very good reason!
"Bull Breeds" are tough, bred to have a higher
threshold for pain(But do not mistake that for not being able to feel pain-as they most deff do, they just do not show it the way other breeds do making it difficult to detirmine sometimes if they are hurting) "thicker skin” as it will, these puppies were raised with a
litter of other Bull Terriers, as well as a Bull Terrier mother who, taught them
to have a bit harder of a bite then say...a poodle.
Because they were raised with other Bull Terriers, who taught them it was okay to bite a little bit harder, be a little
more persistent, intense and rough in play-it is you the owner who gets to teach them
how to mouth just a wee bit softer on human skin-or, like most of us-not mouth
human skin at all! Its hard work, that, owners of other breeds do
not understand what “mouthy” really means till they have their first Bull breed
pup and are horrified to be faced with a puppy who they simply cannot get to
stop chewing on them!
Once again-all extremely normal! Your Bully pup
is going to make you feel like curling up into a fetal position, rock back and
forth and bawl. Again-all it takes is time and some correct
training to gently, but firmly teach your little “carpet shark” that biting so
hard is unacceptable-and before you say:
“NO, you don’t understand HE NEVER STOPS! This
isn’t NORMAL!!!”
let me just stop you and proceed to laugh-he IS
normal, that IS normal!
I have seen videos of 8 week old puppies latching
onto their owners arms and hang off the ground while the owner squeals in pain
at the sharp puppy teeth now embedded in her skin. And if that puppy can grow up normal and happy
and stable-so can yours. So, take deep breathes and relax, because the
mouthing, chewing and biting all can easily last well into the pups 1st year of life before stopping-just remember its normal,
but it does need to be dealt with in the correct way.
#6. "Watch out for the head!"
You read that correctly! But, before you freak-out, keep reading.
Remember how I said Bull Terriers are freakishly strong? Well, they are also Freakishly tough and they also have no clue what "Personal space" means.
With that being said, Every Bull Terrier owner learns sooner rather then later what the term
"Love Hurts"
Truly means.
While Bullies are rarely aggressive, they do inflict their fair share of bumps, bruises, bloody noses and broken teeth and black eyes on their owners (or anyone else who is brave enough to give one a kiss on the head!)
Those heads are made of solid bone, and boy are they SOLID!
I have been lucky enough to learn how to dodge those heads, Ive only ever bitten through my bottom lip, had a bloody nose, countless lumps on my forehead, a black eye, countless scratches, and my Husband has had more nut shots then he would like to admit!
Like I said, IVE BEEN LUCKY! I know people who, have been knocked unconscious, have had broken noses, broken ankles and wrists from what Bullie owners like to affectionately call "Bullie love"
This is something you cannot train out, and you cannot punish away. Bull Terriers become excited and happy about being in your face (LITTERALLY!)
You also need to learn how to keep your cool, if your like me, getting a bash to the nose causing your eyes to water and your nose to gush blood straight for 5 minutes, you tend to get a little angry and upset. HOWEVER
Getting angry at your Bullie is not fair, you can give a mild correction such as "AH!" but do not hit your Bullie back, they did not mean to hurt you, they only wanted to be nearer you to show you their love and happiness.
So, think long are hard if this is something you can handle, because it wont just be you who gets a nose to the eye, its everyone who meets or greets your Bully until they calm down with age.
I myself have made it a habit when people approach to pet mine, the first thing I say is
"WATCH OUT FOR THEIR HEAD!"
#7. The Are a Talkative Breed.
What I mean by “Talkative” is- They Make lots of strange noises.
The Breed is rarely Barky- The do Like to “Talk”
Such a Strange kind of “Talking” That, I have had several People Assume my Bullies are “Growling” at them! Which is NOT the Case!
The most Common sounds are described such as:
"Purring”
Often times new bully Owners will hear this purring and assume it is trouble with the lungs as it can sound down right gravelly in the chest.
If You are unsure, just have your vet do a quick listen. As they age, the gravelly chest noises will turn into motor sounds when your Bullie becomes happy or excited almost like a "Ggggggguuuuhhhhhhggggg" Like a human trying to mimic a cats purr.
“Uhn, Uhn, Uhn”
My Bullies tend to make this sound gently and not so gently when they want attention, its like sucking air in through the nose.
My boy Cesar tends to do this repeatedly while being petting very softly.
Sometimes it can be loud-like LOUD! and almost sound like he has suddenly forgotten how to properly breathe.
“Snorting”
Snorting is the sound that many people hear and assume is growling and seem rightly confused when the bullies facial expression doesn’t match the “growling” sound coming from them.
That’s because its NOT growling at all but them sucking air in quite loudly through the nose in a pig like grunting/ snorting sort of way that sounds very much like a throaty growl.
I have noticed my dogs making this noise while begging to get attention or food and also while playing.
I will never forget one day, Me, Cesar and my Husband were at his cousin's camp site, his cousin's wife and 3 kids.
Everyone was sitting around talking and eating hot dogs- Cesar was sitting at my Husbands Cousin's feet eagerly awaiting some thing to fall while we all talked and ignored him.
Well- They had been ignoring him for far to long and he had to remind them he was still sitting there awaiting a bit for himself and he let out a snort and a few “Uhn Uhn Uhn's”
My Husbands Cousin went wide eyed and looked at Cesar, then quickly to Me.
I did not understand his fear until Cesar snorted and “Uhn Uhn Uhn” once more and my husbands cousin lifted his hands up in the air and attempted to step back wards slowly.
THEN I understood what was happening- He had assumed Cesar was growling at him!
I quickly laughed and explained what was going on and did a few of my own impressions to let him know he was NOT growling-but simply talking.
We all had a laugh over that one!
Terrier:
#1. THIS BREED IS EXSPENSIVE TO CARE FOR:
overall, this breed can be an expensive one to
own, mostly due to their destructiveness, slew of skin problems, training
problems, and “Quirky” behaviors. You cannot buy a cheap grocery store brand
food, even foods you thought were “good” or expensive, will rarely cut it.
Brands like Purina, Iams, hills science diet or eukanuba. Think more of
“holistic", "grain free", home cooked and raw.
Go with a cheaper brand of food, and its very
likely your bullie will end up with:
chronic ear infections-
chronic skin infections-
open sores and wounds-
obsessive itching, chewing and licking-
yeasty skin-
bad breathe and bad gas-
excessive shedding-
Some suffer grass allergies, sometimes you have
to be extremely careful about the soaps,shampoos, detergents you use on
everything, even the fabrics and carpeting you have in your house or pesticides
used on the lawn. Some bullies need to have a rinse off EVERY TIME they go into
the grass or lakes or puddles or dirt.
Can you pay for that? Can you pay 65+ dollars a
month just on dog food? Plus allergy medications all summer long, special shampoos and
bedding? What about medications for skin infections?
Can you afford top of the line sturdy toys for your Bullie? Nylabones and squeaky toys are NOT good choices for this breed,
they need good, heavy duty SOLID chews, I have heard stories of Bull Terriers
tearing holes in toys made for lions, horses and bears, I have heard of Bullies
who chewed a hole out of someone houses concrete foundation, I have a friend who
has had to buy 3 brand new couches within weeks of each other because their
teething Bullie puppy chewed them to the frame.
So before you say “I can deal with that”
remember-dog toys ARE necessity – NOT luxury for a Bullie, and those toys
are often 15-65 dollars a piece, and rarely last a Bullie more then a few weeks
or if your really lucky months.
What about a GOOD crate? a cheaply made 45$ crate doesn't always do the trick for some Bullies, can you afford the heavy duty
300$ escape proof crates should you happen to choose the Bull Terrier who dislikes being in theirs while your gone?
and YES CRATES ARE A NECESSITY!
Don't forget, some of YOUR things WILL get chewed
up in your new bullies first 2 years of life with you-its a given unless you
keep them in a Bullie proof box! So new remotes,cell phones, clothing, shoes
sunglasses, door frames, computer mouse, lawn ornaments etc are all fair
game-AND because this breed is also notorious for INGESTING non edible items-
its not at all uncommon for Bullies to have multiple “blockage” or “item
retrieval” surgeries. I’ve heard of bullies who ate their own leather collars
off while in their crates at night, bullies who ate whole tennis balls, big
garden pebbles, glass marbles, nails,fishing hooks and socks. This is NOT
uncommon to happen! Consider yourself lucky if you don’t have to make your
puppy throw up till its 4 or 5 months old.
Due to the breeds strong will and strong
physique, it is a MUST to own quality collars, leashes and training equipment. A
half chewed lead with a quick knot is no match to a 30 pound Bullie in training
pulling to greet another dog passing by, and THAT can be a lawsuit if the other
dogs owner is fearful of bull breeds and claims your sweet happy Bullie tried to
attack his tiny toy poodle, when in all actuality your pup was simply being over
overzealous, frightened that tiny dog into making a yelp or two making the owner
believer his or her dog was in serious danger.
So, if you cannot afford your Bullie getting
loose-buy quality training gear and walking and wearing gear.
None of those "cutesie" pet boutique specialty
ribbon collars for your girl, or those thin flimsy snake chain chokes, at least
not until your Bullie has been properly trained to walk nicely.
#2.THIS BREED IS NOT FOR EVERYONE :
If your personality is not a good match for this
breed, they can be the most infuriating, annoying, frustrating,
rip-your-hair-out dog you’ve ever met in your entire life!!
they are pushy,stubborn,pig headed,dim witted and
yet incredibly smart all at the same time.
You sometimes wonder how they have not killed
themselves yet, and then you’ll turn around and believe them to think as clearly
as you do. Don't feel badly if your not the type to own this
breed-its a true challenge for many. But try to be honest when answering these
questions: (and you’ll know you were wrong when you bring in a Bull Terrier and
it doesn’t work out)
In your group of friends, which one are you? The
leader, the go along with everything, or the quiet sensible one?
Are you active? as in “I enjoy getting out and walking or running or bicycling, or playing sports on a daily basis”
not “well I walk to work and to the store
sometimes” or are you more like “after work I enjoy sitting
down and watching movies or TV or playing video games”
do you have a good sense of humor?
As in “ my best friend accidentally kicked my
brand new flat screen TV-but it was hilarious and I couldn’t stop laughing!”
or are you more
“My best friend accidentally kicked my TV-so I
got crabby and was pouting the rest of the week because I had to pay a lot of
money to get it repaid”
why do you want a dog?
“I want a dog to spend my life with me-to be a
companion, to make me laugh and have fun with”
or
“ I want a dog to love me unconditionally, to be
my best friend and to be loyal, to protect me, to greet me when I come home from
work”
if you answered anything but the first answer to
any of those questions-don’t bother putting your money into getting a
Bullie-while yes, it could work-with tons of hard work on your part in changing
your own personality and or life style, but I should think you’d be better off
finding a different breed for your own ease.
If you answers straight up yes to all the first
answers- then a bull terrier is most likely the breed for you! This breed needs an owner who isn’t a push over,
an owner whose personality is just as strong and outgoing as theirs, an owner
who isn’t afraid of having their TV eaten!
Because if there is one thing that’s bad for this
breed-its an angry owner, these dogs, while loving and forgiving, just do not
thrive with angry or frustrated owners who cannot control themselves or their
anger and aggression-fight them and they will fight you back.
#3. THIS BREED HAS A DARKER SIDE....
This is a “Bull” and "Terrier"breed through and through, which
means, sometimes owning them is not all “sunshine” and “rainbows”.
some of the behaviors you may encounter and will
have to deal with:
FOOD GUARDING:
-from you, your kids, other pets, friends etc.
and I don’t mean playing “keep-away” I am talking,
flat out ready to grab your hand with teeth guarding.
This is VERY common behavior of this breed, usually showing up randomly around puberty (6-18 months)
this is something that needs to be addressed correctly the first time it happens and
it is something that needs to be taken into consideration while your Bullie is
young. Not only that-its a behavior that is very common,
and should not be looked at as “my Bullie is evil”
while it shouldn’t be thought too seriously-it
should also not be taken lightly as in “he will grow out of it”
this is a behavior that a behaviorist should be
brought in to deal with.
Dog on dog aggression-AKA-dog fighting.
Another common behavior for the breed-dog
aggression. You may be extremely careful about socializing your Bullie puppy,
watching her play with all her puppy friends well into her first year-then
suddenly, one day, she snaps, she grabs hold of another dogs face and your
unable to get her to let it go and panic, believing your dog has suddenly become
a pure monster! All normal behaviors that need to be taken into
account and addressed right away.
Dog on dog aggression is actually an acceptable
trait for Bull Terriers-and even top name CH kennels see no problem breeding
from a Bull Terrier who has same sex aggression towards other dogs.
So know that, this IS something that happens-but
should be managed with proper training and precaution.
You must also understand that, a dog who truly is dog aggressive, cannot be around other dogs, and the aggression cannot be
trained or "socialized" out. a truly dog aggressive dog can only be MANAGED-not fixed...
Extremely high prey drive:
and I am not talking about how the breed will chase
down small furry things-prey drive is more then that, it can be more then a
small fuzzy animal setting them off-it can be a child’s ball in the yard moving,
it can be an older women in a power wheel chair, a teenager on a skate board,
the sound of your computer game going “ BEEP, BEEP, BEEP” or the vacuum cleaner,
it can be the fish in your tank or your ceiling fan it can be a small child spinning in circles or a baby shaking a rattle. Bull Terriers are unlike many other breeds in that
They are very reactive to sounds-sounds you would not even notice.
My 3 year old male will become so excited over the sound of my gold ring tapping on metal he will scream, cry, jump at me and even go so far as to redirect his excitement onto other dogs nearby and start a fight.
I had a foster Bull Terrier who, would become extremely reactive towards any type of "Whooshing" sound (including someone sucking air into there mouths to loud) she would spin and bark and jump at them lightly nipping their clothing.
So be prepared to correct and re-direct your Bullie from every day noises.
This is a “Terrier"
a breed bred specifically to be highly prey driven and attack to kill anything
that scurried, squeaked, slithered or chattered.
Another thing about prey drive-when your Bull
Terrier is in predator mode and decides to kill the vacuum-good luck trying to
get him to calm down and stop, no treat, nor toy, no sweet talk is going to stop
him.
And if you’ve never dealt with that before-it
may surprise if not shock you, to find that, even picking your bullie up by its
harness and dragging it away will not faze him-and may even cause him to
redirect a few nips onto your arms!
But, rest assured in understanding-this is normal
and its something that needs to be dealt with and worked on from an early
age-hence the reason its so important to introduce your puppy to all sorts of
sounds, smells and moving things as well as teaching a good focus and leave it
early on in life when your puppy is easily handled and easily redirected.
Extreme tantrums-
yup-you heard right, this breed is prone to
extreme tantrums as puppies. While not all, its not uncommon for this breed to have fits of
anger as puppies when they don’t get their own way, they make the worst sounds
you’ve ever heard that will make you certain he was ready to tear your face off.
Hackles raised, teeth bared, gnashing your sofa or leaving bruises on your arms.
This, is not common-though also not uncommon, and
is another behavior that needs special training to work through. Sometimes these
puppies can be downright scary!
Extreme hyper activity:
NO, there's nothing wrong with that Bull Terrier
puppy who doesn’t seem to have an off switch and who honestly is not satisfied
on anything less then 16 hours of playtime. That’s your average, everyday Bull Terrier puppy,
needing to be kept stimulated by you-the owner 24/7 or else.
I’ve heard of so
many new owners who are quite shocked to find out that-this breed is indeed VERY
high energy and NEED something to do constantly. People who are active can
easily be worn down by this breed till they are fully mature. This is a breed
who, would seemingly run themselves to death and still not be relaxed!
And don’t think handing them a toy is enough, oh
no, they want YOU to keep them entertained, not some toy-and they will let you
know it too. All you can do about the hyper-activity is, know
that once again-ITS NORMAL, and to do your very best to keep up with
them.
BUT-something else you must understand-YOU CANNOT FORCE OR ALLOW A BULL TERRIER PUPPY TO OVER EXERT THEMSELVES OR RISK JOINT DAMAGE!
you heard right, 30 minute play session in the house or yard is enough at a time otherwise your risking serious joint damage later on in life.
Many people say "well, he doesn't act hurt"
that's because they are not hurting-what is happening is inside your puppies joints
as puppies, the tissue surrounding the joints is soft and pliable until they mature when they harden and set for the rest of their lives.
running or walking puppies on pavement, lots of hard landings while jumping on or off furniture, any shock to the joint is causing
damage and wear. when the tissue hardens, and the joint has shifted even a few CM's that's going to be potentially slipping knee caps , slipping elbows, lameness early in life or severe stiffness and soreness at an early age.
I fostered a female who had obviously been over worked as a youngster, at the rip age of 3 years old was already suffering joint pain and near lameness after only short walks.
Which was frustrating to the two of us because she had the desire and energy to move but was physically hurting.
#4. THEY ARE FREAKISHLY STRONG...
You heard correct- this is a medium breed dog, I
often have my standard sized male mistaken for a mini due to the fact that, in
photos they look much larger then what they truly are-but make no mistake,
smaller or medium, they got MUSCLE, and they most certainly DO know how to use
it! Even my tiny (by Bull Terrier standards) 37 pound
female can knock adults off their feet when she becomes overly excited and tries
to say hello.
She as almost taken me down several times simply
by pulling on the lead towards a kid on a bike to follow him and give him a
kiss. This is a breed that should be trained right off
to walk well on a lead-or suffer the consequences of being drug around every
time you go into public. This is a breed that KNOWS how strong they are and
KNOWS how to use it and when to use it.
I have had kids ask if they could walk my dogs-I
have always said no because I know that my dogs would
take those kids for a ride...on their face....across the pavement...to jump into
someones open car door.
One time, we had 2 guys come over to deliver a
new chest freezer (for the dogs food) one of them had the balls to kneel down
and attempt to hold them both back from mauling his face with kisses, his
response?
“WOW!!! I didn’t realize they were so strong and
muscular...AHHHH!”
while being knocked to the floor and kissed to
death.
This is something you really do need to take into account when thinking of buying this breed, if you have any trouble with your back or knees and do not have anyone to help you train, then I would look into a different breed , or at least finding a trainer to help you.
#5. OUCH!!!
As puppies they are known as “carpet sharks” or
“mouths with legs”
and for a very good reason!
"Bull Breeds" are tough, bred to have a higher
threshold for pain(But do not mistake that for not being able to feel pain-as they most deff do, they just do not show it the way other breeds do making it difficult to detirmine sometimes if they are hurting) "thicker skin” as it will, these puppies were raised with a
litter of other Bull Terriers, as well as a Bull Terrier mother who, taught them
to have a bit harder of a bite then say...a poodle.
Because they were raised with other Bull Terriers, who taught them it was okay to bite a little bit harder, be a little
more persistent, intense and rough in play-it is you the owner who gets to teach them
how to mouth just a wee bit softer on human skin-or, like most of us-not mouth
human skin at all! Its hard work, that, owners of other breeds do
not understand what “mouthy” really means till they have their first Bull breed
pup and are horrified to be faced with a puppy who they simply cannot get to
stop chewing on them!
Once again-all extremely normal! Your Bully pup
is going to make you feel like curling up into a fetal position, rock back and
forth and bawl. Again-all it takes is time and some correct
training to gently, but firmly teach your little “carpet shark” that biting so
hard is unacceptable-and before you say:
“NO, you don’t understand HE NEVER STOPS! This
isn’t NORMAL!!!”
let me just stop you and proceed to laugh-he IS
normal, that IS normal!
I have seen videos of 8 week old puppies latching
onto their owners arms and hang off the ground while the owner squeals in pain
at the sharp puppy teeth now embedded in her skin. And if that puppy can grow up normal and happy
and stable-so can yours. So, take deep breathes and relax, because the
mouthing, chewing and biting all can easily last well into the pups 1st year of life before stopping-just remember its normal,
but it does need to be dealt with in the correct way.
#6. "Watch out for the head!"
You read that correctly! But, before you freak-out, keep reading.
Remember how I said Bull Terriers are freakishly strong? Well, they are also Freakishly tough and they also have no clue what "Personal space" means.
With that being said, Every Bull Terrier owner learns sooner rather then later what the term
"Love Hurts"
Truly means.
While Bullies are rarely aggressive, they do inflict their fair share of bumps, bruises, bloody noses and broken teeth and black eyes on their owners (or anyone else who is brave enough to give one a kiss on the head!)
Those heads are made of solid bone, and boy are they SOLID!
I have been lucky enough to learn how to dodge those heads, Ive only ever bitten through my bottom lip, had a bloody nose, countless lumps on my forehead, a black eye, countless scratches, and my Husband has had more nut shots then he would like to admit!
Like I said, IVE BEEN LUCKY! I know people who, have been knocked unconscious, have had broken noses, broken ankles and wrists from what Bullie owners like to affectionately call "Bullie love"
This is something you cannot train out, and you cannot punish away. Bull Terriers become excited and happy about being in your face (LITTERALLY!)
You also need to learn how to keep your cool, if your like me, getting a bash to the nose causing your eyes to water and your nose to gush blood straight for 5 minutes, you tend to get a little angry and upset. HOWEVER
Getting angry at your Bullie is not fair, you can give a mild correction such as "AH!" but do not hit your Bullie back, they did not mean to hurt you, they only wanted to be nearer you to show you their love and happiness.
So, think long are hard if this is something you can handle, because it wont just be you who gets a nose to the eye, its everyone who meets or greets your Bully until they calm down with age.
I myself have made it a habit when people approach to pet mine, the first thing I say is
"WATCH OUT FOR THEIR HEAD!"
#7. The Are a Talkative Breed.
What I mean by “Talkative” is- They Make lots of strange noises.
The Breed is rarely Barky- The do Like to “Talk”
Such a Strange kind of “Talking” That, I have had several People Assume my Bullies are “Growling” at them! Which is NOT the Case!
The most Common sounds are described such as:
"Purring”
Often times new bully Owners will hear this purring and assume it is trouble with the lungs as it can sound down right gravelly in the chest.
If You are unsure, just have your vet do a quick listen. As they age, the gravelly chest noises will turn into motor sounds when your Bullie becomes happy or excited almost like a "Ggggggguuuuhhhhhhggggg" Like a human trying to mimic a cats purr.
“Uhn, Uhn, Uhn”
My Bullies tend to make this sound gently and not so gently when they want attention, its like sucking air in through the nose.
My boy Cesar tends to do this repeatedly while being petting very softly.
Sometimes it can be loud-like LOUD! and almost sound like he has suddenly forgotten how to properly breathe.
“Snorting”
Snorting is the sound that many people hear and assume is growling and seem rightly confused when the bullies facial expression doesn’t match the “growling” sound coming from them.
That’s because its NOT growling at all but them sucking air in quite loudly through the nose in a pig like grunting/ snorting sort of way that sounds very much like a throaty growl.
I have noticed my dogs making this noise while begging to get attention or food and also while playing.
I will never forget one day, Me, Cesar and my Husband were at his cousin's camp site, his cousin's wife and 3 kids.
Everyone was sitting around talking and eating hot dogs- Cesar was sitting at my Husbands Cousin's feet eagerly awaiting some thing to fall while we all talked and ignored him.
Well- They had been ignoring him for far to long and he had to remind them he was still sitting there awaiting a bit for himself and he let out a snort and a few “Uhn Uhn Uhn's”
My Husbands Cousin went wide eyed and looked at Cesar, then quickly to Me.
I did not understand his fear until Cesar snorted and “Uhn Uhn Uhn” once more and my husbands cousin lifted his hands up in the air and attempted to step back wards slowly.
THEN I understood what was happening- He had assumed Cesar was growling at him!
I quickly laughed and explained what was going on and did a few of my own impressions to let him know he was NOT growling-but simply talking.
We all had a laugh over that one!