New EBT 8 weeks old
Hello, I am picking up my 8 week old EBT tomorrow. I'm so excited, but I also have a lot of anxiety. Reason being, I had an EBT 10 years ago. I had him since 8 weeks old and was the sweetest dog ever. One morning he woke up (slept in my bed) and when I got up, he jumped off the bed and stood between me and the door way. The hair rose from the nape of his neck all the way to his tail, he growled and then snapped. LONG STORY SHORT... this kept happening for 2-3 days. I finally was able to bring him to a vet. Cat scans, xrays, Urine tests, blood work...but he still kept trying to bite anyone and was growling and showing his teeth. One week, thousands of dollars and 3 hospitals after....I was told that he had rage disease and I could either make a huge pen in my yard ... and play with him through the fence or put him to sleep. Being that I had young kids always at my house...I sadly had to say goodbye. I was young .. 22 and didn't know what else to do. I didnt' know much about Rage Disease or SUdden onset aggressive disorder.
So ... 10 years later...I still love the breed and Im hoping to try this all over again. I think about my dog so much. I feel so guilty for the decision I made. But when an experienced vet is telling you the options...and what he recommends...I did what I did.
I'm so excited for tomorrow...but I'm so scared this will happen again. now that i am older, I can manage it differently. I'm using this forum for help. Suggestions as to how to train my new puppy. My old dog was amazing until he did that. How can I teach my dog from a puppy to be sweet and not aggressive towards other animals or people. I see videos of sweet EBT's and I'm hoping that this new dog will live into its old age. I plan on putting him in dog daycare once a week for 8-10 hours just to associate with other dogs. PLEASE GIVE ME ANY ADVICE. and Please dont hold what i did in the past against me. I feel guilty as it is.
So ... 10 years later...I still love the breed and Im hoping to try this all over again. I think about my dog so much. I feel so guilty for the decision I made. But when an experienced vet is telling you the options...and what he recommends...I did what I did.
I'm so excited for tomorrow...but I'm so scared this will happen again. now that i am older, I can manage it differently. I'm using this forum for help. Suggestions as to how to train my new puppy. My old dog was amazing until he did that. How can I teach my dog from a puppy to be sweet and not aggressive towards other animals or people. I see videos of sweet EBT's and I'm hoping that this new dog will live into its old age. I plan on putting him in dog daycare once a week for 8-10 hours just to associate with other dogs. PLEASE GIVE ME ANY ADVICE. and Please dont hold what i did in the past against me. I feel guilty as it is.
Comments
Congratulations on your new pup. Expect demands for pictures. Every single things your pup does that you like, praise, praise, praise.
Your excitement for adding a new member into your family is normal but discard the feelings of being scared or nervous about any false apprehension in regard to him being mean or aggressive. Smoother him with love and enjoy his companionship. The puppy stages will be difficult at time but we are all here to help make training easier for you and your family. However, we do request request periodic photos of this little guy and we hope it starts tomorrow after he gets home with you!
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
And now here is Jaws!! I hope you have seen the pictures of Bull Terrier "Jimmy Choo", there is one illustration of a bull terrier as the "shark."
As for training, I think we'll have to help you as you go. Bull terriers are so alike, but so different. Definitely read through the forums when you can get your bub to sleep. I'd say expect to be bitten, expect to be tired, expect to be angry, and expect to be in love. Ease into socialization after 12 weeks of age when the vaccines are further along. I'd say people are safe to introduce before then, but you don't want to overwhelm him. After 12 weeks, take him to some parks or local events, all on leash. Wait till he's a little bigger for dog parks/group activities because he needs to be able to stand up for himself. If you have any friends with dogs, try one-on-one playtimes so he can get used to other larger dogs. Other people swear by puppy training classes, and sometimes the classes allow for puppy playtimes after learning.
Again, don't feel guilty. Dogs are hard - they are living creatures and we must do what is best for them and for us. Without your first dog, maybe you wouldn't have Jaws now.
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
Try to refocus on success.
I am usually not an advocate of using the pin method to “cure” all kinds of behaviors, the others know that I’m the softie. But to handle a stubborn and insubordinate puppy it might actually the best method on earth. Because it’s simulating the way dogs interact with each other in disagreements on their social ranking and it does not involve any physical pain for the dog. The pin method does not hurt your dog in any other way than his feelings.
But it can only work, if you MEAN it. Just holding your dog down on the ground is not what pinning is about. Subordinating your dog means that he has to NOTICE that you’re not amused and not afraid of him. Proper voice, facial expression and body language are part of that procedure, because he’ll notice the slightest sign of hesitation.
Your dog has to grasp that you are the one setting the boundaries and that breaking them displeases you.
You may have to use this method a few times before getting to the point at which raising your voice alone will be enough to discipline your dog.
But until then every time you’re using the pin method, you have to MEAN it or you’re just wasting your time. And your dog does not get up until he stops growling and until he submits.
Right now you’re afraid of him already. It’ll take him no time to figure out that weak spot of yours. And guess what’s going to happen … He WILL challenge you. That’s what puppies do. They WANT to learn their boundaries. But that does not automatically mean that they are mentally ill, aggressive or evil.
Even if the unlikely case would happen that this new dog would develop SOA, that does not even mean that the consequences would necessarily be the same as before. Our former dog Fancy had some episodes at the age of about three. She would lunge up from her bed to bite my feet when she was sleeping. After waking up it was as if she did not remember anything. She was friendly and not aggressive at all.
It was a little disturbing, because Fancy was the most sensitive and caring dog, I’ve ever met.
For quite some time I really had to watch my feet when walking by while she was sleeping. It did not last forever. Over time it vanished until it did no longer happen.
Our vet suspected a mild case of SOA. It never really became a problem.
There are also other “unwanted” situations you may stumble into with your new family member, such as your dog not liking other dogs, puppies, cats or whatever. And you will have to deal with it and either decide to manage it by evading certain situations in the future OR disciplining your dog. Either way, you will encounter and have to deal with certain unpleasant situations and accept that your dog comes with certain instincts.
You’re the “Alpha dog”. It’s your responsibility now to set the rules and give him chance of finding his position in the pack and do things right.
He is good from the bottom of his heart. But he needs your guidance and firmness to show him, what kind of “good” you want from him. Don’t be afraid of doing so. He’ll love you for being a great guide!
As Queenofhearts said, we deal with a SOA mini bully.
What he has, to be exact, is a mild epilepsy where his seizures, instead of the classic body-shaking kind, is a surge of rage and aggressiveness, he usually happened when he was asleep.
We suspected he had it when he was still young, and managed to confirm it through exams later on. That led to some problems with his education... we didn't want to punish him for something he couldnt control, so until we had a good understanding of his condition, we may have been a little too lenient, so today all his bad behavior is (fortunately?) due to that.
His epilepsy, and therefore SOA, has been under control since we changed him to phenobarbitals (?), his liver is still healthy (we test him regularly because too much of those drugs can have effects on his liver) and we are living a good life.
He has been socialized since he was a puppy and went to puppy kindergarden. He is shy around bigger or too-high-energy dogs and loves to play with same-sized to smaller ones, but he is never aggressive. He loves chihuahuas and yorkies, and is extra-careful around elders and little children.
The first two years were really difficult indeed, but we can't even fathom getting another kind of dog. Actually, we are arranging to get him a little big sister (he is a mini, and we are almost 100% set on getting a female ebt). Now, having any other dog, including a healthy bully, seems like playing the same game again, on easy settings, and we are really looking forward to it!
To handle it you can also train your dog - first with non-food objects - to let things go on command or leave (not touch/ grab) them. Once accomplished with less attractive items, you can switch to more attractive things, such as food and treats.
Also make him work for his treats/food by showing good manners with the "nothing in life is free principle". He does something nice, he gets something. Such as sitting and waiting politely for his bowl to get filled and only touching his food once you allow it.
That's a loooooong way, I've just described in three sentences. It needs to be done step by step. And it will not happen over night. But it's fun from the first day until you get there.
Start off with the hand feeding and if you want more info on training the other stuff, feel free to ask.
After 2-3 days his mom's milk dried up because there was such little demand for it. So he was formula fed by the previous owners. His mom really did'nt want anything to do with him. He is a sweet boy just needs some attention.
I’d start socializing him in an appropriate environment as soon as his vaccination status allows for it to avoid him developing any hostility against other dogs.
If you’re able to even find a puppy group with dogs of his size, I think that would be great for him.
Making the training part of daily life is the BEST! I’ve done that since we have Djamila.
And I could not think of a better way to describe the routine than you did!
I am usually hesitant to recommend it, because I am afraid people may mistake this a “a LOT of work” advice - which it really isn’t.
Djamila is now shortly over 2 and I still always have some frozen beans, baby carrots or my homemade treats (all low cal) ready for a quick 5-minute trick or obedience training session or just to reward extraordinarily great behavior. The treats are calculated into her diet in order to keep her weight on track. On days with a lot of treats she gets a little less food or extra exercise and we’re good.
If I happen to NOT have a treat ready, a very hearty praise and rub also always does the job. Djamila thrives with praise and is eager to EARN food or praise.
Dogs are constantly developing - also good habits, once they notice how much it benefits them.
Supporting that can lead to astonishing results over time without the owner even feeling the “effort of training the dog”.
Plus - and there you’re making the extra important point - being ready to reward wanted behavior any time is a great starting point, especially with a dog (and maybe an owner) that’s new to training!
I’ve started out that way, too. That’s actually one of the principles in clicker training.
It’s an easy way to get a chance of reinforcing positive behavior and makes the transition to targeted training and introduction of commands a lot easier.
Djamila is very hyper. Since she was little and until today we have our “goody-goody game”. When she wants attention in times I need to concentrate on my work I take a handful of treats and send her on her doggie bed in the office right beside my desk. She then sits or lies down and waits politely for me to pop her a treat every now and then just for being calm and letting me do my stuff (I’m working in my home office, which can be challenging with an EBT). Meanwhile she also knows that she will not get anything else from me during that time. So, once she gets tired of that game, she usually just takes a nap.
As we are kind of constantly working with each other - I use almost every chance for training, let her sit at the door before we go outside, tell her to leave it when I drop something in the kitchen or let her do one of her tricks to reward her for it now and then … progress sometimes kind of sneaks up on us. More than once already I’ve been surprised by some amazing results.