Stubborn bull terriers

Roushni

My dog trainer lent me a brilliant book-
It is called When Pigs Fly!- training success with impossible dogs
IBSN: 1-929242-44-1 Jane Killion
Library of Congress Control number:
2007011652
It may have even been written by a Bullie as it covers all the quirks and cheeky behaviours

I've owned border collies for 35 years but realise you haven't lived 'til you've owned a Bullie!

BulliesofNC

That's a very popular book that many people really enjoy. I must have for all BT owners.

Leslie

I have it too very detailed and the piggy pointers are great!!!!

Sonja

I am really happy to see this thread and to have the title of this book! Thank You!  That said, I know I am new, but I'm not new to Bulllies although I am without the longtime expert knowledge base which you all have.  As a long time trainer and dog rehabilitator I've got to say that I have never seen a truely Stubborn dog of any breed, Bulldogs and other Bull & Terrier breeds included.  Now before you Laugh your butts off....NOw I am laughing!  LOL...I will hasten to add here, that as we are primates and our furkids are canines, I see a lot of misunderstanding in how we can MOTIVATE our furkids with  positive and upbeat cues when we wish them to do something.

Maybe this would involve treats, like tossing a treat a few feet away and say FIND IT! Then move on to what we want our furkid to do?  Maybe it would involve us jumping around like idiots and Playing Happy, Happy, Happy, or maybe even(yes I've been there and done that! LOL) laying down and rolling on the floor to break a dogs static feelings and get them moving.

Think outside the box here and try and think of your cutie as a dog, and then think, "Hmm. I am supposed to be smarter than this cute critter, so  what can I do to MOTIVATE him/her into doing something happily instead of stalling out?"     I hope also that everyone will right away, eliminate the 4-letter word NO from their vocabulary. OK,OK you want to be picky as it's not 4 letters! LOL But it should BE!

  All the Best, Sonja & Pumba ( who has his own problems being motivated as he suffers from PTSD).

Roushni

Since my Bullie came to live with me as a 10 week old - he is 14 months now- I've found myself doing more explaining than I have ever done in my entire dog partnership days- I still have 2 border collies of 8 and 12 years.
He is well socialised, friendly and really hasn't a bad bone in his body, plays happily with my male collie (they have the odd rumble but only my older boy reminding my Bullie of his manners) and I think it's sad that i find myself shouting " its ok- he's socialised" when i see another dog owner walking away because if the average other dog owner gives out negative responses to a youngster that is what he is going to absorb. I never thought I'd find myself saying this but if I had the money I would be posting a copy of When Pigs Fly to every Bullie - less dog owner to educate and help them understand the way these boys and girls are wired.

xchairity_casex

I too enjoy that book and bought it last year! lots of great info!

BulliesofNC

Here's a couple other BT Books that we own and enjoy:

Roushni

Thank you for that - I will make a point of checking your recommended book list out- you can never read too much. Potential Bullie owners should be required to read up about these wonderful beings thereby having the answers to potential problems before they arise- a bit like humans going on parenting awareness courses ;;)

Leslie

Where's the Bull Terriers for Dummies!!!

BulliesofNC

I need to write that book!

philsergeant

Steve, You already have... here are 2000 web pages of it!

BulliesofNC

For the past few years I've been telling my wife I'd like to write my own book on Bull Terriers. She always laughs when I say it but I'm actually being serious. I think it would be fun to do and something to be proud of at the same time. I still haven't dismissed the idea.

You're right though, this forum is like a book in itself and best of all the knowledge provided comes from everyone through individual experience. Sometimes it amazes me when I look at the admin data and see how many views some of the threads have received. It's apparent there are a lot of visitors and people reading the posts. This is a new Forum too and it's only getting bigger.

xchairity_casex

I own the Barons book (with Rufus on the cover) and the Miniature Bull Terrier book- I really enjoyed the history in the Mini bully book! extremely thorough!

Roushni

My comments are fired by the amount of Bullies on 'pre- loved' rehoming sites. There is a scary amount of Bullies up for rehoming. When Pigs Fly makes the distinction between 'biddable' and ' non biddable' which has helped to rearrange my approach to training. It has been a big learning curve for me personally going from Border Collies which make good eye contact to Bullies who have a "see you later- maybe" slant on training-
Maybe not so much a book for dummies but one giving the heads up on the reality of long term commitment and maybe another book which should be aimed at the general public dispelling fears that Bullies are dangerous and want to eat their children, their cats, their small dogs and their granny.

Soapskid

@Steve - the idea is great and I can see someone who is passionate about the breed to write the ins and outs of BT's.

The one discussion I had with some friends lately is that many libraries are closing down in my area due to budget deficits and people are now getting most of their information from the Internet. The problem is what's a reliable source as there can be deceitful people who won't put a real name or picture to their Internet alias.

I could see using this forums stories along with your own stories to fuel a book since you've been involved in the breed for a long time. It could be a great resource for BT owners all over.

Roushni

Some Bullie/dog books I've read/ looked at usually give a brief history / profile, breeding, feeding,ailments, and cover a handful of problems. I've yet to read a book that has a section on say 'meeting the mental health needs of your dog' or what to do with a bored Bullie on a rainy day which for me is a continual learning curve. I'm making it sound all a bit military but when you compare dog books to the raft of what do with bored children on a rainy day there is a tilt in favour of the kids - and they're less likely to eat the sofa if they're bored where a Bullie could end up crated and next thing they're profiled on a pre-loved dog site because they're bouncing off the walls and the owner can't cope. I have read well meant write-ups on the net by Bullie experts that almost seem designed to put potential owners off. It would be nice to see an easy to read impartial support book for new Bullie owners making it clear that if you don't address AB+ C then the chances are XYZ could happen- maybe an anecdotal chapter on what owners do to keep their Bullies well occupied and balanced to avoid negative behaviour.

BulliesofNC

@Roushni - You're correct in your statement about seeing many posts on line that describe the Bull Terrier in a manner that would put potential owners off. Many of them are conducted by non-bias dog lovers that know a little about the breed but not enough to truly provide an accurate overview of the breed. Additionally, when someone is going to provide their opinion about a specific dog breed they're going to do it based on the ones they've had the opportunity to spend some time with. Those could have been great Bull Terriers or could have been Bull Terriers from poor genes. I see a lot of breed reviews coming rescue groups as well. I can just imagine the quality of Bull Terriers they commonly encounter.
There really aren't too many books or even internet posts that go into detail on Bull Terrier training or behavior correction. There needs to be because I often see the same questions and concerns posted on social networks and forums like this one.
One thing for sure - The Bull Terrier breed is so unique in comparison to other breeds. As a matter of fact I don't know of another breed that goes through so many changes within their temperament, activity level, and obedience as a Bull Terrier. The difference between a 1 year old Bull Terrier and a 6 year old Bull Terrier is incredible. Sometimes I tell people that once they turn about 2 years old it's like a light switch went on and they actually start really listening, becoming less hyper, more loyal, more predictable, less destructive, and a lot more manageable. Yes, all dogs are different and have their own personalities but it seems as though when a Bull Terrier is described they usually describe a rambunctious 7 month old Bull Terrier vice the matured, well trained, 3 year old.
 

Roushni

BulliesofNC you echo my sentiments completely!

Roushni

This is SO ironic! Last week I saw a woman I'm friendly with whom I haven't seen for a few years. In the course of conversation she mentioned they now had a dog adding it is an English Bull Terrier. She has two grown up sons and they wanted it. She said the Bullie is really really naughty and does the usual trashing of the house and people. He is Red +White, 4 years old and entire- but has a chemical injections every 6 months or there abouts but the jabs seem to wear of after 4/5 months.
I went to see him (the Bullie) yesterday- and the family showed me their catalogue of scars which include finger nails being crushed off and numerous scars on their arms.
However, he is a sweet boy but he is also a chunk - I can see that there is too much tail wagging the dog. I've urged them to join this forum in the hope they can gain a few 'piggy pointers' and their relatives start visiting them again!

WhiteBull

@BulliesofNC I am considering myself lucky. I did a lot of research before committing to the pair we have now, and I was ready for the house to be turned upside down. For the most part it has not been bad at all. All the chairs have their legs, the corners of the furniture are intact and over all there is little damage. I watched them like a hawk the first few months and never left them alone giving them a chance to destroy much. Anything I have been correcting them on they mostly leave alone. They finally left the plants alone and don't knock over my daughter all the time. I almost feel cheated as they don't clown around as much as I thought they would. If they turn even more calm in the next year or two I will have a very calm pair of dogs.

apollosmama

Once the kids are done eating we are going to the library. I doubt if they'll have when pigs fly, but it doesn't hurt to look. The puppies for dummies book was worthless. It was everything I already knew or read before.
Steve, you should write that book! The best knowledge we gained was from you!

Sonja

Oh Boy! A BOOK of Bullies Steve? First of all, know that one of my good Cattle Dog buddies is a publisher! Now I don't know if they would handle a dog book as they are mostly writing/publishing political stuff but maybe we can ask? So, get going! LOL

Secondly, this nice Roushni (love your post!)posted that the Bully Books he has read don't have much on how we can keep our furkids mentally healthy and what to do  to keep them busy on a rainy day etc? Don't forget guys, Bullies are DOGS after all, and they are dogs before they are any BREED. even though we know they are a 2 year old kid in a Bully Suit.  So, there are many wonderful and amazing books out there on our beloved partners and how to love them, but at the same time  learn how to keep them occupied and have fun with them at the same time. One of my favorite  sayings from a long time ago(had a wonderful Rottie then)was " A GOOD DOG IS A TIRED DOG"...and this fits Bullies quite well I think! LOL  

 Widen your focus and not be quite so narrow in looking for fantastic books, especially regarding the Canine psychology versus our Primate outlook on life. Here is a list of some of my favorites, 

FOR THE LOVE OF A DOG,  Dr Patricia McConnell, INSIDE OF A DOG, What Dogs See, Smell & Know by Alexandra Horowitz, 101 THINGS TO DO WITH A BOX(cardboard),  by Karen Pryor;  THE HIDDEN LIFE OF DOGS, by Elizabeth Thomas; MOTHER KNOWS BEST,  the Natural Way to Train Your Dog by Carol Lea Benjamin(writer for the AKC Gazette); 101 DOG TRICKS, by Kyra Sundance;  AND from my extensive library of  TWO Bully Books.... ROFL!...  CAVALIERS & CLOWNS, Published by The Bull Terrier Club of America. A fabulous collection of Bully stories. Wonderful!!!!   Have fun! Sonja & Pumba in OR 

Some Bullie/dog books I've read/ looked at usually give a brief history / profile, breeding, feeding,ailments, and cover a handful of problems. I've yet to read a book that has a section on say 'meeting the mental health needs of your dog' or what to do with a bored Bullie on a rainy day which for me is a continual learning curve. I'm making it sound all a bit military but when you compare dog books to the raft of what do with bored children on a rainy day there is a tilt in favour of the kids - and they're less likely to eat the sofa if they're bored where a Bullie could end up crated and next thing they're profiled on a pre-loved dog site because they're bouncing off the walls and the owner can't cope. I have read well meant write-ups on the net by Bullie experts that almost seem designed to put potential owners off. It would be nice to see an easy to read impartial support book for new Bullie owners making it clear that if you don't address AB+ C then the chances are XYZ could happen- maybe an anecdotal chapter on what owners do to keep their Bullies well occupied and balanced to avoid negative behaviour.

 

 

yoshirican

Steve that is so funny how you tell your wife something serious and she laughs lol! I do the same thing with my husband and then like 'Oh you were being serious" LOL!! Steve you should tho, we all would support your endeavor!