Advice from experienced owners please - THIS close to adopting one - heart connection

[rookie]

Hi all! As my name says I am a total rookie. Not just that but English Bulldogs weren't even really on my radar and the only dog I owned (though I lived with many later on) was a miniature poodle. BUT - my child has been dragging me into our local animal shelter to look for "hamsters" and when I took a look at the kennels there with this dog with unbelievable eyes and just such ... great energy. I can't describe it. It's a huge animal. It is not even "cute". I just feel such a connection to him. He is, per kennel note, an "old english bulldog mix" so I believe this forum is the most appropriate (but is he? I will attach a pic. My husband said he is a pit bull). Now, I have gone almost every day to see him, have all the info on him and had my children play with him in the yard. He knocked the youngest off and she is now scared. He is so gentle, but HUGE, 80lbs, and still young (2yrs old - is that still puppy?). The people at the shelter assured me he is great, indifferent to other dogs, his hyper brother was adopted within days, everyone loves him. I am THIS close to adopting him. But here are my questions - are they really good with kids? His demeanor is so gentle, but he is a big big boy. How bad is a potential bite? Like a pit bull bite? We live in Northern California. Can I take him to the beach when I use the same precautions as for my younger ones, such as water, beach tent etc. Can I train him at all to walk on a leash, listen etc? He is so heavy I cannot even lift him...how can I make sure he stays on the leash. Anything else I need to consider? It's sort of insane but I feel like I am in love with this pup. Thank you for reading!

 

[oscarmayer]

This boy appears to have a good dose of PitBull in the mix. As much as you might think you are "connecting" with this guy, I'm confident that this is a mistake. You freely admit that you are a rookie and you are considering taking on a dog that may require veteran management. He's very large, he's part Pitty, you have small children, one of your children is already afraid of him, you have no history of his behavior over the previous 2 years, and you are asking questions that indicate to me that you are indeed a rookie. A Pitty bite can be a life changing event, in a very bad way. A squealing/screaming child can only serve to heighten a given situation. You don't need more reasons from forum members to pass on this and look elsewhere. You've done a good job of providing the reasons yourself. Do not make this decision with your heart, make it with your head.
This guy may the best dog ever but IMO, given your lack of knowledge and experience, this is not a chance worth taking. If you were a previous dog owner with experience and no children in the home, I'd say go for it.

 

[MamaAndi]

He does look like a total sweetheart. I have to say that in my opinion it is best to start with a dog that is smaller in size or younger so you can train them and raise them if you kids haven't grown up with dogs already. All breeds aside....any dog can bite, any dog can knock a kid down. It's about how they were/are trained. That is the hard part about getting an adult dog from a shelter...you don't have a full picture of how they have been previously. It's also hard to get a good idea of how a dog is in a high stress environment (like a shelter).

I applaud you for doing the research and not just jumping in and getting him then coming to us and asking for help though! Good job on thinking it through first. I wish you all the luck in the world on finding the perfect fit for your family when you are ready

 

[Hankster]

oh boy,,,, i first will say that i had a pup that looked so very much like that one and truly the sweetest one of the best dogs i've ever lived with. And so *could* this one BUT, you have young children to be concerned with first and foremost. Probably in my younger years i would have gone for it NO DOUBT, but, with youngins i would not I would search and search for someone who would adopt though. and oh boy like i said, i feel your heart for this boy and it rips mine out to think of what you must or musnt do. It *seems* that he has a heart of gold,,,,, but with not much experience, i would advise to not though,,,,,,, i wonder if a dog behaviorist could evaluate.... geesh, this kills me and i havent even met the dear soul

 

[helsonwheels]

Hi all! As my name says I am a total rookie. Not just that but English Bulldogs weren't even really on my radar and the only dog I owned (though I lived with many later on) was a miniature poodle. BUT - my child has been dragging me into our local animal shelter to look for "hamsters" and when I took a look at the kennels there with this dog with unbelievable eyes and just such ... great energy. I can't describe it. It's a huge animal. It is not even "cute". I just feel such a connection to him. He is, per kennel note, an "old english bulldog mix" so I believe this forum is the most appropriate (but is he? I will attach a pic. My husband said he is a pit bull). Now, I have gone almost every day to see him, have all the info on him and had my children play with him in the yard. He knocked the youngest off and she is now scared. He is so gentle, but HUGE, 80lbs, and still young (2yrs old - is that still puppy?). The people at the shelter assured me he is great, indifferent to other dogs, his hyper brother was adopted within days, everyone loves him. I am THIS close to adopting him. But here are my questions - are they really good with kids? His demeanor is so gentle, but he is a big big boy. How bad is a potential bite? Like a pit bull bite? We live in Northern California. Can I take him to the beach when I use the same precautions as for my younger ones, such as water, beach tent etc. Can I train him at all to walk on a leash, listen etc? He is so heavy I cannot even lift him...how can I make sure he stays on the leash. Anything else I need to consider? It's sort of insane but I feel like I am in love with this pup. Thank you for reading!

View attachment 113469

Agree with all of the above. Follow your brain not your heart in this case. My son has 2 of these great bullies n a German Shepherd. His pitties are absolutely great. BUT yes a but...my son has total control on his dogs. He just snaps his fingers and say one -two words and the dogs listen immediately. He has control and never repeats. You just admitted n described yourselves. You basically know for now this dog is not for your family as you asked the right questions n fearful. If it was a Great Dane would be another story. But not this breed till you know how to control it n not be afraid of it. If your child is already scared of it just there it’s a red flag. There will more of this beautiful furball as there are tons of them for adoption. Start with a smaller dog, let the kids get use to seeing it grow up n respect. Having small children, raising a dog, working out of the house or not, all that is a job on its own. Boils down to you but no way I would recommend this breed for time being till “you” know how to handle it n stand up to it. That’s my 2cent.

 

[Manydogs]

Totally agree @rookie with all the above. I have had numerous breeds of dogs, and they all take work and training. Bulldog types of dogs tend to have a stubborn streak,and can easily "spot" someone who is not "alpha" and will run over you. The larger the dog, the easier it is for the dog to get away with it. I know it is a hard thing to pass him by,but you would be taking a big chance, that could lead to disasterous consequences. If you have fallen in love with a "bully" face, better to get and English Bulldog pup,and go to puppy classes.since you have no experience. Not what you want to hear-but all have stated the truth.

 

[rookie]

Thank you oscarmayer, that was very informative. I understand completely where you are coming from and really, I am so baffled by this connection to this dog. As you can tell, I am not an experienced dog owner at all and don't even "like" bigger breeds (my favorite animal is hummingbird for comparison) but this dog really touched something in me. He does have human eyes and it almost hurts me to imagine him in the kennel every day and night. I will add that my youngest is barely 2 and afraid as when we took him to the grassy area to play (I have been visiting him regularly) he knocked her over and gave her gentle kisses which absolutely scared her. I could see he meant well and I can "sense" (though of course no guarantee) that he is a gentle soul but yes, she wanted to be held the rest of the visit. Again, thank you so much for the level headed response. It all makes sense (and makes me sad of course).

 

[rookie]

Thank you MamaAndi. Again, it makes sense. But just breaks my heart. I know the shelter tested him, with other dogs, with children and they all assure me he is a sweetheart which is also my impression. But yes, no idea about his history...(he was found wandering a local park with his brother who was adopted within days)

 

[rookie]

Thank you Hankster... you really seem to understand how difficult this "love affair" is. I know he has been evaluated (otherwise shelter would not keep) and from my interactions he seems mellow and gentle and sweet (pretty much what everyone here is saying about their bulldogs). Do you also see pit bull in him? I know all of you advising against are right...it just hurts to imagine him staying there.

 

[rookie]

Agree with all of the above. Follow your brain not your heart in this case. My son has 2 of these great bullies n a German Shepherd. His pitties are absolutely great. BUT yes a but...my son has total control on his dogs. He just snaps his fingers and say one -two words and the dogs listen immediately. He has control and never repeats. You just admitted n described yourselves. You basically know for now this dog is not for your family as you asked the right questions n fearful. If it was a Great Dane would be another story. But not this breed till you know how to control it n not be afraid of it. If your child is already scared of it just there it’s a red flag. There will more of this beautiful furball as there are tons of them for adoption. Start with a smaller dog, let the kids get use to seeing it grow up n respect. Having small children, raising a dog, working out of the house or not, all that is a job on its own. Boils down to you but no way I would recommend this breed for time being till “you” know how to handle it n stand up to it. That’s my 2cent.

Thank you, that is very interesting. So your son has two pit bulls which are similar looking to "mine"? I agree, I am a petite woman and this boy is HUGE HUGE HUGE. It is absolutely insane and I wish I had not this weird connection to him. The reason my youngest was scared I described above - but to be honest, my other, older ones, were also pretty fearful. He is just big. Last question - how did your son get to the point of being so in control of his dogs? Grew up with them? Classes?

 

[rookie]

Thank you too, Manydogs. I can absolutely tell he is so stubborn but gentle at the same time. Just a loveball. And I have to be honest that I am not an "alpha" but an inexperienced former -poodle owner. By "disastrous consequences" you mean harm to my children or others, right? It really is not even the "face", like I said bulldogs were not on my radar at all, but just this particular dog's energy. Yes, not what I wanted to hear but you are all helpful and "right". My heart is heavy.

 

[helsonwheels]

Thank you, that is very interesting. So your son has two pit bulls which are similar looking to "mine"? I agree, I am a petite woman and this boy is HUGE HUGE HUGE. It is absolutely insane and I wish I had not this weird connection to him. The reason my youngest was scared I described above - but to be honest, my other, older ones, were also pretty fearful. He is just big. Last question - how did your son get to the point of being so in control of his dogs? Grew up with them? Classes?

Many moons ago I use to train dogs..as decades went by all our family dogs were never the alpha of the house. So he basically saw how the dogs were raised. Also he like Cesar. But the new shows. He has 2 Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Basically, the American Staffordshire, or regular Staff, or American Pit Bull or any other “bullies form” all has some form of pit bull in them. You have time before getting one of them. Adopt another breed or mix if I were you. Especially now that you mentioned both kids are fearful. Dogs will sense that n it will not be a happy outcome down the road. You have absolutely no information on this dog. Just a thought.

 

[Lalaloopsie]

Like Helsonwheels says, owning this breed you should be experienced in dog training. Also it’s a different story when you adopt an adult dog compared to getting a puppy. Adult Dog that big will most probably try to establish their alpha role in pack (your family is a pack of funny hairless dogs for them), and extremely unlikely they will accept priority of your kids. Given your lack of experience I would say it’s better not to risk your kids safety. And pit bite can be lethal for a child.
I had dogs all my life, feel very confident in dog training, but I would never go for a so called dangerous breeds, or even so called service type of dogs like German shepherd. These dogs are not for sofa. They are warriors, proud helpers and servers. Lazy life with lack of exercise makes them prone to restlessness, stored energy needs exit and they start to try limits. In my understanding, pit bull is this type of dog, he needs to stay on the farm, run many hours a day, follow horses or sheeps, play with fellow dogs, chase away coyotes and foxes from chickens. In my opinion, city or even suburban home isn’t enough for them.
I’m not prepared to put constant pressure on dog, establish my authority to keep them under control etc. It’s constant check of balance, “who is the boss?”. I just want hugs and slobbery kisses and to know that no matter what, my daughter is safe with a dog. That’s why I have an English Bulldog

 

[rookie]

Like Helsonwheels says, owning this breed you should be experienced in dog training. Also it’s a different story when you adopt an adult dog compared to getting a puppy. Adult Dog that big will most probably try to establish their alpha role in pack (your family is a pack of funny hairless dogs for them), and extremely unlikely they will accept priority of your kids. Given your lack of experience I would say it’s better not to risk your kids safety. And pit bite can be lethal for a child.
I had dogs all my life, feel very confident in dog training, but I would never go for a so called dangerous breeds, or even so called service type of dogs like German shepherd. These dogs are not for sofa. They are warriors, proud helpers and servers. Lazy life with lack of exercise makes them prone to restlessness, stored energy needs exit and they start to try limits. In my understanding, pit bull is this type of dog, he needs to stay on the farm, run many hours a day, follow horses or sheeps, play with fellow dogs, chase away coyotes and foxes from chickens. In my opinion, city or even suburban home isn’t enough for them.
I’m not prepared to put constant pressure on dog, establish my authority to keep them under control etc. It’s constant check of balance, “who is the boss?”. I just want hugs and slobbery kisses and to know that no matter what, my daughter is safe with a dog. That’s why I have an English Bulldog

THANK YOU. so all agree there is not an english bulldog in this boy? all think pit?

 

[Lalaloopsie]

I would say he has more in his appearance from pit bull and American bulldog.