Reggies Parents
New member
Hi all,
We've only been on here for a few days, and I've been scouring the site looking for other bullys that show the same behaviour as our Reggie. I think its easier if I just start a new thread, as he has quite a few issues.
Info about Reggie -
Age - 19 weeks
Weight - Just over 14kg
Age we got him - 8 weeks
Food - Taste of the Wild High Prairie puppy (bison & venison)
Currently teething his adult teeth
1. Biting, growling and what seems like aggression
This is the worst of his behaviour issues. It comes from nowhere.
He will be playing happily by himself, or chewing his antler or horn, and then all of a sudden will run at one of us & bite whatever he can reach. This is not just mouthing, its full on teeth as hard as he can. He has drawn blood on both me & Kev more times than I can count.
2. Resource guarding
He's fine with his food, and will accept either of us approaching his bowl while eating. Its toys that are Reggies problem, BIG time.
Its getting to the point where we can hardly play with him, he's just so vicious if we have hold of one of his toys.
He always lunges at the toy, or if he cant get at it, he bites whoever is holding it. Occassionally we can jump up & very sternly say 'SIT' and he will restrain himself (its almost like you can see it in his face, that he wanted to bite but held back), then he has to give us paw before having the toy back. But most of the time its just bites.
He always gets time out's for these behavoiurs, immediately. He stays in there until he is calm and then has to sit and give us paw before he is allowed out again. 9 times out of 10 he immediately pee's on his bed when put into time out.
3. Nervousness/anxiety
Since being scared by a firework not long after we got him, he is a nightmare to walk outside. He will leave the house okay, mostly, but as soon as he hears a loud noise he gets terrified and bolts for the house. Sometimes I only get out for 10 seconds before having to go back.
At night its even worse and he won't walk at all if only one of us goes out with him.
If its both me & Kev on the walk he's like a different puppy. He walks like a superstar during the day, and at night is much more willing to overcome his fears, although he is still nervous of traffic and petrified by double decker buses.
He also hates the car. Whether in the front or back he hates it. Mostly he just lays on my lap and suckles my arm for the whole journey, so my coat is soaking through to the clothes beneath it. Occassionally he freaks out so badly he really growls and bites whatever part of me he can get, even snapping at my face.
4. Excitement
He just will not stop trying to get to people to say hello! We use the Julius K9 powerharness to try and hold him back but he pulls on it sooooo much he is basically laying flat but with front paws off the ground. We NEVER let him get anywhere when he does this, but after 11 weeks he is still showing no sign of improvement. When he does greet someone he always tries to jump.
Other people are probably our worst enemy when it comes to this because by the time we can say "please wait before saying hello, we are training him" they have already come over to enthusiastically greet the cute puppy.
Even when restrained his excitement level just doesn't abate, and he will start barking at the person he wants to say hello to.
5. Testicles
This may or may not be anything to do with the behaviour problems, but he has none!
When he arrived with us he had 1 testicle descended, although the breeder said he had both when her vet examined him. We have never seen that one, and 2 weeks ago (17 weeks old) the other one disappeared, not to be seen again!
We have tried positive reinforcement, and started NILIF although he hasn't been well (diarreah sp?) diagnosed as an irritated colon. So NILIF has been hard to follow as I have to make sure he drinks whenever he needs it.
We are now unsure what our options are regarding training, but kev is at the point where he is thinking of rehoming Reggie. It would not be a decision we took lightly, and would be the saddest day of my life, but kev has to think of his son who comes to stay with us and Reggie has, and does go for him too.
Sorry for the super long post but we need help, I feel like we are failing him somehow.
We've only been on here for a few days, and I've been scouring the site looking for other bullys that show the same behaviour as our Reggie. I think its easier if I just start a new thread, as he has quite a few issues.
Info about Reggie -
Age - 19 weeks
Weight - Just over 14kg
Age we got him - 8 weeks
Food - Taste of the Wild High Prairie puppy (bison & venison)
Currently teething his adult teeth
1. Biting, growling and what seems like aggression
This is the worst of his behaviour issues. It comes from nowhere.
He will be playing happily by himself, or chewing his antler or horn, and then all of a sudden will run at one of us & bite whatever he can reach. This is not just mouthing, its full on teeth as hard as he can. He has drawn blood on both me & Kev more times than I can count.
2. Resource guarding
He's fine with his food, and will accept either of us approaching his bowl while eating. Its toys that are Reggies problem, BIG time.
Its getting to the point where we can hardly play with him, he's just so vicious if we have hold of one of his toys.
He always lunges at the toy, or if he cant get at it, he bites whoever is holding it. Occassionally we can jump up & very sternly say 'SIT' and he will restrain himself (its almost like you can see it in his face, that he wanted to bite but held back), then he has to give us paw before having the toy back. But most of the time its just bites.
He always gets time out's for these behavoiurs, immediately. He stays in there until he is calm and then has to sit and give us paw before he is allowed out again. 9 times out of 10 he immediately pee's on his bed when put into time out.
3. Nervousness/anxiety
Since being scared by a firework not long after we got him, he is a nightmare to walk outside. He will leave the house okay, mostly, but as soon as he hears a loud noise he gets terrified and bolts for the house. Sometimes I only get out for 10 seconds before having to go back.
At night its even worse and he won't walk at all if only one of us goes out with him.
If its both me & Kev on the walk he's like a different puppy. He walks like a superstar during the day, and at night is much more willing to overcome his fears, although he is still nervous of traffic and petrified by double decker buses.
He also hates the car. Whether in the front or back he hates it. Mostly he just lays on my lap and suckles my arm for the whole journey, so my coat is soaking through to the clothes beneath it. Occassionally he freaks out so badly he really growls and bites whatever part of me he can get, even snapping at my face.
4. Excitement
He just will not stop trying to get to people to say hello! We use the Julius K9 powerharness to try and hold him back but he pulls on it sooooo much he is basically laying flat but with front paws off the ground. We NEVER let him get anywhere when he does this, but after 11 weeks he is still showing no sign of improvement. When he does greet someone he always tries to jump.
Other people are probably our worst enemy when it comes to this because by the time we can say "please wait before saying hello, we are training him" they have already come over to enthusiastically greet the cute puppy.
Even when restrained his excitement level just doesn't abate, and he will start barking at the person he wants to say hello to.
5. Testicles
This may or may not be anything to do with the behaviour problems, but he has none!
When he arrived with us he had 1 testicle descended, although the breeder said he had both when her vet examined him. We have never seen that one, and 2 weeks ago (17 weeks old) the other one disappeared, not to be seen again!
We have tried positive reinforcement, and started NILIF although he hasn't been well (diarreah sp?) diagnosed as an irritated colon. So NILIF has been hard to follow as I have to make sure he drinks whenever he needs it.
We are now unsure what our options are regarding training, but kev is at the point where he is thinking of rehoming Reggie. It would not be a decision we took lightly, and would be the saddest day of my life, but kev has to think of his son who comes to stay with us and Reggie has, and does go for him too.
Sorry for the super long post but we need help, I feel like we are failing him somehow.