My wonderful new bulldog

[Emmitt E]

So I introduced myself 2 weeks ago on a food thread. Emmitt is 13 weeks old and really great. He's doing amazing with the house/crate training, listens really well, and has just been a really laid back, awesome little guy.

Is this normal for the breed?

I've only had experience with a pug and a french bulldog. The frenchie was a training nightmare. Oy!

So is my experience typical? Is this a bulldog thing?

 

[cali~jenn]

I am no expert since i got my boy at 9 months but it sounds like you got the few that are mellow and fall into their bulldog category. lol From what I have seen on here most are active, bite a lot and very stubborn in training. I hope your boy stays this sweet but I think their devilish horns start to show after a while most the time. My pug was easy to train because he wanted to please me, bullies are stubborn and with my bully, he doesnt care if I am pleased, it is all about what he wants.

 

[izstigspunks]

lol. That's a really good question. Stiggy's my first dog and pet (unless you count my 4 turtles) and we've had the same experience as yours. His crate training went really well and he's been an almost-non barker. He seeks affection and playtime sometimes but is mostly laid back and/or sleeping. Once he gets to be comfortable with you though, he'll start sleeping beside you, on your lap, lick you while you're napping, etc. Its great!

 

[TessaAndSamson]

Awww Emmitt is so cute!! I don't know if that is how the majority of bully pups are but my Samson was really laid back and mellow when he was a pup too. He was (is) definitely stubborn but he picked up simple tricks and "commands" pretty quickly, he will do anything if a treat is involved. Was easy to potty and crate train. He wasn't a biter, chewed up a couple things but still much less than most puppies I hear about. Sounds like you lucked out!

 

[Emmitt E]

So maybe I should knock on wood? Ha, Ha.

Biting has been his biggest issue, but Bella'sMom told me to pick a firm command and stick with it. Since we started that last week it's been better. He'll actually let go and back off when we say, "no biting!".

The vet reccomended neutering him prior to 6 months. Do you all agree that that's ok?

 

[TessaAndSamson]

The vet reccomended neutering him prior to 6 months. Do you all agree that that's ok?

That sounds pretty standard to me.

 

[cali~jenn]

I think we neutered our pug before 6 months and it was fine. I have heard a lot of people say they dont develop the same, chest etc, if you dont let them fill in some first but I think it is mostly genetics and if I had my choice next time I will fix my bully by or around 6 months next time.

 

[bullmama]

I think they are definitely more mellow than most puppies- but it is hard to say because we have pretty much only owned English Bulldogs.....

You may want to ask your vet about developing 'hormonally' first. I have not researched this in depth but i would definitely be very interested in hearing what your vet says about that.

 

[Lacey28]

I had an easy time training Silva and yes she is mellow except her burst of energy here and there! :D

 

[LisaRN]

Chester is our first Bullie and he wasn't hard to housebreak and yup.. he is LAID BACK... he is the "sunglasses, flip flops, and a Corona" dog

 

[2bulliefamily]

Emmitt is such a handsome boy! My 1st bullie, Lola who is 3, was amazing and still is. I would not say she was/is laid back but minds very well (so we don't mind her being excited some of the time) and did fab-u-lous with potty training, etc. We hope and pray our 2nd one (getting Friday) is just as good as her. Hopefully it is not like having 1 real good kid and 1 bad. If so, oh no!

 

[2bulliefamily]

Chester is our first Bullie and he wasn't hard to housebreak and yup.. he is LAID BACK... he is the "sunglasses, flip flops, and a Corona" dog

Sunglasses, flip flop and a Corona, Oh be still my heart.

 

[kazzy220]

Maggie was pretty laid back and very easy to train. Daddy is a training nightmare and compared to Maggie ... very high energy!! However, I imagine a lot of the testosterone energy will be gone when he gets the "snippety-snip"

Our vet said that we should do that at 5 months .. but I have heard from one breeder that the longer you leave it the broader across the chest, and bascially more filled-out the male will get. We don't really care too much about that ... ok let me re-word that ... I don't care about that but the hubby wants the big macho bullie. So he'll probably be getting the snip at 5 months ..... because I'm the one dealing with the english bulldog puppy who thinks he's Tigger ...LOL

 

[Gertie's Mom]

Gertie was a pill when she was tiny. We got her at not quite 6 weeks and she bit and chewed something horrible. We got her to stop that tho and she's been a good girl ever since. Ida was older than Gertie, about 12 weeks old when we brought her home and she is much more calm, no biting or chewing at all. But she's apparently never heard that dogs won't soil their sleeping area. She is 6 months old and STILL goes in her crate at least once every 7 to 10 days. She doesn't care, she just lays down and sleeps a foot from the . They both play pretty wild, so I guess I wouldn't say they're exactly laid-back. But they're still pretty young.

 

[Libra926]

Vegas was a good puppy...really easy to train and very food motivated. Things started getting tougher as he got older. We did get him neutered at 5 months old. We had a friend visiting who was laying on the ground...Vegas came over to him, straddled his leg AND PEED. So, we wanted to make sure he wasn't going to start marking stuff...my vet had no problem with doing it early. He has never marked or lifted his leg since.
His stubborn bull-headedness started about the same time he was diagnosed with epilepsy. I don't blame him for his bullytude...he gets fixated and a little more aggressive around the time of seizures.
Now Orion. Sheesh. She was a brat from day one. She has so much bullytude...she has no room to store it. She DOES not stop until her eyes are closed. We kinda help the situation by putting her in clothes. She settles down and curls up to snuggle when you put a sweatshirt on her.