URGENT!!! Please help I dont want to lose my baby!

Rosie1989

New member
Dec 22, 2012
10
1
Bulldog(s) Names
Vincent (vinnie)
Please help me!
Ok so My boyfriend and I adopted a 10 month old (roughly) English bulldog at the beginning of October last year and were told he was not good with other dogs and some people but we wanted to give him a chance as he was lovely to us and full of cuddles and we couldn't help feeling that the staff at the center were not being very helpful for him and his situation. He is a very big boy now, weighing roughly 85 pounds although the vet says he is not over weight, just enormous and tall for a bully. He is also incredibly hyperactive and is a bully in character as well as breed. His behavior has remained completely unreliable and last night he unexpectedly snapped at me. He has always got very excited whenever I (not my boyfriend) get out the shower to the point where we have to gate him in the kitchen, but last night after I had showered and redressed he still went to bite me. He gets completely overexcited and starts shaking before jumping up and snapping at me. He is a big dog and I don't know what to do. My boyfriend has started talking about getting rid of him as he cannot trust him but I cannot be parted from him. 90% of the time he is a complete baby and loves nothing more than sleeping on the sofa with me. He is a typical English bulldog in that he is trained to sit, stay, lay-down, and a few other things but only performs with bribery and even then he will still ignore us sometimes. He also refuses to come to his name unless you have food or his favorite squeaky ball (other imitation squeaky balls do not work). He did bite someone in our apartment block in his first few weeks but we put that down to insecurity and new surroundings and bought a muzzle for him which he is always walked in. We walk him 3 times a day, about 15 mins in the morning, about 45 mins in the afternoon and another 15 minutes before bed. I would not describe him as a nervous dog at all and cannot work out how to help him.
Please help me, I will do anything to avoid losing him.
Also as a sub-note, he has been fixed so I am struggling to understand his behavior.
 

Twice

My Bully Gave Me Wings
Feb 3, 2012
2,686
311
Woodbridge Township, NJ
Bulldog(s) Names
Abby (my Sweetie Head 10.24.11-11.23.12) and Otis
My first question is has he been thoroughly checked out by a vet? A lot of times sudden aggression is a pain response or has a medical explanation like his thyroid.

What do you do when he gets in this over-excited state? Do you try to calm him or ignore him?
 

JAKEISGREAT

.................
Mar 25, 2011
14,802
1,155
Southern California
Bulldog(s) Names
Jake
I think you know what to do here. You must control his escalation of excitement. He sounds like he has trigger points. I would use a crate and a leash in the house. If you sense he is getting excited, a gentle but firm correction on the leash and stern NO word..or whatever your correction word is. When it comes to the shower, put him in his crate until his triggers are past. Only bring him out on a leash and in a calm state. Keep him by your side on the leash and watch for any signs of excitement or aggression.

Biggest of all, I sense you are intimidated by him. If I can sense this...he KNOWS it. You have to assert yourself as his pack leader. You can do this by feeding him by hand..calmly. You go first..at all times. Remain calm and firm..most of all consistent.
 
L

Lucy-licious

Guest
I was going to suggest the exact same as Becky...Crate him before you go for a shower and dont let him out until he is calm, and even then on a leash until you are sure he is not going to lunge.
Hand feeding is a good way to take control and establish yourself as a leader without using drastic tactics like pinning especially as you are maybe not confident enough and he has a temper problem. [MENTION=390]cali~jenn[/MENTION] tried the handfeeding and she will tell you how successful it is.

Stay calm and try not to show him he scares you at times :hug:
 
OP
Rosie1989

Rosie1989

New member
Dec 22, 2012
10
1
Bulldog(s) Names
Vincent (vinnie)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
TWICE - I have taken him to the vet for check-ups and shots but have never discussed any medical possible causes for his behavior so I will make an appointment. Thank you. Also, when he starts getting excited we try to ignore him and act extra calm as if we try to interact with him this leads to full out bull dozer mode and then the biting. He has previously pushed me to the floor and has had to be dragged off by my partner.
JAKEISGREAT - The problem with controlling his escalation points is that I am often out the room when the excitement starts, in the shower for example, and by the time I come out he is a quivering, foaming at the mouth, solid ball of excited muscle. I have tried correcting with "no" and leash corrections on walks but he really couldn't care less what is going on at the other end of the leash. I walk him roughly 90% of the time although he always walks out ahead of me so I will try and get him walking by my side. Unfortunately I would say I can be intimidated by him as I have seen his behavior and cannot get him to snap out of his locked on states. He has been to doggy daycare and the staff have had nothing but praise for him and have said he mixes with other dogs well but in the past he bit a two dogs while I was out walking him and now I do not feel confident letting him socialize as I know I could not pull him off if he attacked again. I am definitely going to try feeding him by hand. However, do you have any advice on how to stop him snatching any teats or food (or fingers) that are fed by hand as he has never been good at taking food gently, and I have tried using "gentle" as a command and blocking him as the food comes toward him to no avail. Thank you so much for your feed back, it has given me some things to try.
 

cali~jenn

..........
Mar 28, 2010
0
419
Southern California
Bulldog(s) Names
Cutty, Miila and Mugsy the pug :)
Well to add to what Becky and Angie have said, I would def. crate him when triggers may happen. Seems that they happen mostly when you rnt with him, is that right? So maybe he needs crated anytime you have to be out of sight. Shower, outside, etc. I know it sounds cruel BUT if it prevents this behavior and keeps him safe along with you then it is a good thing. He def knows you r intimidated and how could you not be? Miilas started in after we got her but there was no fear since she had bitten me and she was only 35 pounds so I knew what she could do, not much. Hand feeding I think saved her the most. I also submitted but every once in a while her teenage self will regress (thinking maybe she has the upper hand) and honestly submitting appears to do nothing. She submits easily for me and will go back and be trying to bite Cutty the next day. When I went back to the basics of hand feeding, it put her right back n her place almost immediately. I know we have many times written on hand feeding so if you search you might find more but I will try and put howi did it.

If you have any other pets feed them first, allowing him to watch them eat in a sit/stay. (Doesn't sound like you do tho) so to feed him, put his food in the bowl while he is in a sit/stay and take your time. YOU r in control of his food. As soon as he understands that I think it will empower you some. Let him drool..... Take a handful at a time and before allowing him to eat any he must work. (Practice sit, stay, shake, etc) after he does what you ask of him he can have the bite out of your hand. It is slimy and sounds like it will take too long to doubt honestly it goes pretty quickly and once you see results you can slowly cut corners,making it faster and easier on you. I think it is moorland to have your boyfriend also feed meals this way so that there is consistency in who runs the house.

I could go on I think but that is the basics to get started. In between bites make him wait on YOUR schedule, not his. Miilas shakes and drools while she waits and you feel bad BUT knowing she is so in tune with us as a pack makes it worth it. Hope it helps you some.
 
OP
Rosie1989

Rosie1989

New member
Dec 22, 2012
10
1
Bulldog(s) Names
Vincent (vinnie)
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
Thank you so much! I am going to try all of this immediately and I will let you know how it goes in a couple of weeks. Anyone else with any other ideas please still feel free to chip in. I really will do anything :)
 

My kids have 4 paws

New member
Apr 13, 2013
173
5
Bulldog(s) Names
Zeus and Paisley
I think you know what to do here. You must control his escalation of excitement. He sounds like he has trigger points. I would use a crate and a leash in the house. If you sense he is getting excited, a gentle but firm correction on the leash and stern NO word..or whatever your correction word is. When it comes to the shower, put him in his crate until his triggers are past. Only bring him out on a leash and in a calm state. Keep him by your side on the leash and watch for any signs of excitement or aggression.

Biggest of all, I sense you are intimidated by him. If I can sense this...he KNOWS it. You have to assert yourself as his pack leader. You can do this by feeding him by hand..calmly. You go first..at all times. Remain calm and firm..most of all consistent.

Great advice!


Zeus & Paisley's Mamma
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Davidh

Head Pooper Scooper
Staff member
Mar 21, 2011
13,407
848
Katy, Texas
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
BeBe, Hazel, Lucy Lu, JLO, Hillary, Henri, & Katie
You have some excellent advice above, and I have nothing to add. Just be patient and when you go on walks make him sit at the door and you go through first and make him walk beside you or behind you. If he tries to go ahead of you, stop him and make him sit. Then start again. You can also tub the leash to the side to get his attention to make him slow down and get beside you again. It will take time so be patient and consistent. Hope this helps.
 

Tooleysmom

New member
Community Veteran
Mar 24, 2012
601
68
Winnipeg Canada
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Miss Tallulah and Buster
Good advice here. And please do not look at the treats as bribes. We all work for something whether it is money, praise or food. That is natural. Positive reinforcement training with redirection and management and praise will serve you well. There are lots of websites with info on this, books, and also you-tube videos. If you like I can look for them and post the URL's if you are having difficulty finding them. You need to demonstrate a calm, firm but gentle energy when you are with him at all times. You will be tested. You have your work cut out or you but you seem determined and very committed. You have my deepest respect for not giving up. None of this will change over night but you will see progress bit by bit and you Bully will be happier and more relaxed as the training continues. I wish you good luck and much success.
 

Texas Carol

Texas Carol....put the heart in EBN
Community Veteran
Jul 4, 2012
7,581
832
Central Texas
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Brutus & Cami live in Heaven
Great advice given you already, I just want you to know how much
I sympatize with your situation and that how much you love him and
how greatly you are committed to helping him comes thru in your words.

I will be praying for all of you...GOD bless!
 

JAKEISGREAT

.................
Mar 25, 2011
14,802
1,155
Southern California
Bulldog(s) Names
Jake
TWICE - I have taken him to the vet for check-ups and shots but have never discussed any medical possible causes for his behavior so I will make an appointment. Thank you. Also, when he starts getting excited we try to ignore him and act extra calm as if we try to interact with him this leads to full out bull dozer mode and then the biting. He has previously pushed me to the floor and has had to be dragged off by my partner.
JAKEISGREAT - The problem with controlling his escalation points is that I am often out the room when the excitement starts, in the shower for example, and by the time I come out he is a quivering, foaming at the mouth, solid ball of excited muscle. I have tried correcting with "no" and leash corrections on walks but he really couldn't care less what is going on at the other end of the leash. I walk him roughly 90% of the time although he always walks out ahead of me so I will try and get him walking by my side. Unfortunately I would say I can be intimidated by him as I have seen his behavior and cannot get him to snap out of his locked on states. He has been to doggy daycare and the staff have had nothing but praise for him and have said he mixes with other dogs well but in the past he bit a two dogs while I was out walking him and now I do not feel confident letting him socialize as I know I could not pull him off if he attacked again. I am definitely going to try feeding him by hand. However, do you have any advice on how to stop him snatching any teats or food (or fingers) that are fed by hand as he has never been good at taking food gently, and I have tried using "gentle" as a command and blocking him as the food comes toward him to no avail. Thank you so much for your feed back, it has given me some things to try.


This is why you leash him to you constantly while working on this behavior. When not attached to you..he is in the crate. Period. No doggie day care while his behavior is bad. They often pick up very bad habits there and he needs to be a calm bully before being around excited dogs. When walking him..you NEVER let him lead you! Ever!

You can't let him roam free until he knows his place.
 

stephannerobles

New member
Apr 20, 2013
3
0
Bulldog(s) Names
Khloe (female) Bettis aKa Fattie (male)
Thank you so much! I am going to try all of this immediately and I will let you know how it goes in a couple of weeks. Anyone else with any other ideas please still feel free to chip in. I really will do anything :)

All good advice. For the most part that is. I'd for sure get him checked out and let them know what's going on. So they know what to check for or test, if needed. U said he does it when ur not in the room or around. My male is sooo codependent and will mark on things when i'm in the shower or in the front yard without him to long and he can't c me. What worked for me was leaving the bathroom door cracked so he could come in to check on me. I know it sounds silly but it worked for us. Now he just lays outside the door without problem. When i'm in the front and can't take him out cause neighbors dogs r out, I leave the front door open. So he can c me but can't get out cause the screen. I would try it all and u'll c what works best for u. As all of our kids r not the same :p be patient and I think I'll work out. Good luck.
 

BulldogMoma

New member
Apr 15, 2013
33
2
South Carolina
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Morgan (born 5-28-2013) Clyde (2004-2012)
You've got some really great advice here. To make hand feeding less intimidating for you, hold the food in the palm of your hand with fingers/thumb together and your hand flat, like a plate. Use the "gentle" command every time.
How about an obedience training class? You are to be commended for working hard with your bully and not giving up on him. One other note... I was told by my vet NEVER to put a muzzle on a bulldog... just thought I should mention that. Of course, my vet recommended a harness instead of a collar too. Basically, nothing to restrict their breathing. Good luck.
 

ModernFemme

Arts'y bulldog farts'y
Community Veteran
Oct 5, 2012
882
61
Delaware
Bulldog(s) Names
Sir Remington (Remi)
All the advice which has been given is great. I just want you to know that I've had our bully, Remi, since he was 12 weeks, and his personality has always been super hypher and unreliable. He has finally calmed down now, at 10 months, to the point where I can begin trusting him, but because your bully hasn't had the guidance, it will just take a while to get where you are.

I just wanted to let you know you didn't get a dud! You are experiencing a bulldog who hasn't had any discipline. You can do this! We're here to help.
 

Most Reactions

📰 Latest posts

Members online

No members online now.
Top