Bit of a Scare today after bath

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Baxter Tiberius

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Bath time personality change:

Bax usually loves bath time. Even tonight he was super relaxed and calm for 99% of the bath. Didn't mind it at all. Near the end of the bath, he just "changed". Instead of enjoying it, he walked to the edge and tried to get out all of a sudden. So I decided bath time was over. As I was pulling him out of the bath, wrapped in a towel, he started freaking out. Started growling and biting the towel. Clamping down on it and shaking his head. His face went into that crazy angry dog mode and he wouldn't stop. By this point he was shaking. I normally would just ignore this and dry him off, but I noticed his heart was pounding, and he was getting himself so worked up that his throat sounded like it was closing. He was gasping for air (not from the water in his lungs).

So here we were, gurgling from fluid he inhaled into his lungs, and his throat wheezing because he was flipping out, tearing apart everything in sight. My shorts were on the floor and he dove onto them, gurgling and growling and wheezing, his body shaking as he tore at them with his teeth. He tore a hole in my sock. I was trying to calm him down but every time I picked him up and wrapped him in the blanket he would flip out shaking yelping to get out of the towel. I really didn't know what to do.

Maybe this is all normal for bulldog puppies, but it was kind of upsetting. Its like he turns into a vicious monster. If this kind of thing happened at 60lbs there would be blood all over the room I think. Its scary. I am hoping its just his youth. It took him about 15 minutes of ripping apart the towels, going into a total temper tantrum, before he started to calm down. The whole time I was talking quietly and calmly to him and petting his back, as he periodically turned to nip at my hand. I have heard about bulldogs working themselves up into a self destructive frenzy. Its scary. Seriously ....

Finally he calmed down a little, but is still gurgling and wheezing. I feel like I am totally doing this bath thing wrong. The weird part is that in the bath tub (no water in the base, just running gently from the faucett) he's totally fine. Relazed. Licks me while I clean him, etc. Its like he just flipped and went into violent mode.

Any thoughts?
 
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Davidh

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Well this is not normal behavior, could he have gotten water in his ear or down his throat or nose? Or maybe he is in pain somehow? It's hard to tell what set him off, but it's not normal. They usually will love to play and bit on towels, but not go crazy. You might want to get him checked out by your vet. might be something else going on with him.
 
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Baxter Tiberius

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I mentioned above that he had inhaled a bunch of water. He sticks his nose in the faucett and just devours it half the time. I pull him away but he does what he wants. Yes he had a lot of fluid in his lungs at the end, was gurgling and wheezing.

But sometimes he just gets worked up and does a personality flip anytime he clamps down on anything with his teeth. My shoelace is a good example. Its like he goes into violent dog mode when he gets a shoelace in his mouth. Face changes, and everything. He was has always been easily stressed, and I have posted other threads commenting that he was aggressive with other dogs too. Even grabbing the skin of a mother bulldog and pulling it away from her leg with his teeth. He's been nipping and biting a lot lately, and sometimes he is just in freakout mode like this. Every single morning since I have gotten him, he's basically the same, minus the biting. Freaks out, shaking, and totally going crazy. Mostly because he needs to be let out, and wants to eat, etc.

I am starting to think he simply needs a LOT of daytime exercise and activity because he's got so much pent up energy. Watching the dog whisperer he often comments that some dogs are very high energy and will become aggressive if they're not often run down from exercise. Hopefully thats all this is. But yes he goes nuts...
 
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Baxter Tiberius

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Maybe I am overdoing the description. If it happens again I will videotape it. Knowing me, Im just new to bulldogs and what is "scary" to me is probably "harmless" to you guys.

I probably described it too extremely LOL ...

He did freak me out though.
 

DudleysMom

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When Dudley was a puppy (he's 2 1/2 now), he would be playing and, just like kids sometimes, he would get so wound up I would be a little afraid of him. He would "attack"...he ripped holes in my jeans. He would jump up and grab my leg. I was ready to get rid of him. It was ugly. I'd be sitting on the couch and he would attack and try and bite my arm! The trainer I found saved us. She said when he got like that to put his leash on and start running him through his commands. He would literally "turn off" the minute I put that leash on him. He grew out of it...but for a while there, I thought I was going to have to get rid of him, because I was afraid of him. He's my sweet baby now!
 

Daizy and Dukes mom

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I would be a bit worried about aspiration pneumonia from inhaling the water. As for the biting frenzy....Daizy used to be insane with her biting, like Kathleen I seriously considered getting rid of her, it was that bad. What worked for us was a popcan with pennies. When she was doing something she shouldn't be doing, i would shake the can and it would distract her enough that i could give her something she should be chewing other than me. I spent a month with a popcan behind my back so she couldnt see it. Those little razor teeth hurt like hell!!! I would be a little more concerned with the gurgling, a bully's respiratory system is very sensitive and that you don't want to mess with that
 

Vikinggirl

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I'm sorry I don't have any experience with this behaviour, and you already got some good advice from members above. I just wanted to add that when we first brought our two guys home, we bathed them under the faucet like you, and I found because we had to use a container to rinse them, they got more water in their eyes, ears and nose, plus it was very hard on our backs to crouch down and rinse them in the tub, so we went to Home Depot and bought a new shower head, it's a hand held one, so now there is no water running coming out of the faucet, but from the shower head, so it's much easier to rinse them with, and easier on the back, plus the water doesn't get into their nose or ears anymore.
 

wouldtick

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I have only had one bulldog puppy who is now over a year old. Barley loves the bath but absolutely loves being dried off. At first he attacks the towel and i throw it over him. He still lets me dry him off but does love to shake the towel. Last week i towel dried him for 30 minutes or so. After about 5 inutes it turns into a towel massage. He turns into putty and snorts as i massage him. I am hoping that your bully calms down for you.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
 

brutus77

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I'm going to start by saying I have no experience in this but I think we should separate the behaviors for a minute. The bath behavior sounds like he swallowed water and panicked. He may have set off a little anxiety attack because he was scared. The other behavior sounds kind of normal. When he is over aggressive you should remove him from whatever he is attacking whether it is you, a toy, or another dog. I am a big fan of "time out". It is NOT a punishment, but a gentle reminder to Baxter that aggressive behavior in any setting in not going to be tolerated. He will get the picture because these beautiful babies love nothing more than making us happy. I wish you luck, Baxter has come a long way with his training so I think you guys will be ok. He is a good boy.
 

harvey

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Sep 6, 2013
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So do you think it was the bath or the wrapping of the towel around him that caused the problems? I can tell you that my bullies did not like taking baths in the tub, but they do well in the shower. You can try that next time. I think it's normal that dogs bite the towel when you're trying to dry them: one of my dogs does. However, they don't get vicious and over-work themselves to the point of coughing and wheezing, however. Gosh, I'd be scared too if this happened to me. Please let me know what comes of this--and good luck. Bax is sure a cutie-:))
 

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