Neurosis and Behaviors - Common?

[2BullyMama]

There are a million other issues that they both have although the only area you can work on is training...and even that is only a part of the issue. The point that i wanted to make is I don't actually believe its stupidity but instead its quite the opposite - they are highly intelligent and a lot more mentally intricate, sensitive and capable than other breeds. Most other dogs are simple - food, sleep, play/love...Bulldogs are a lot more complicated, they think for themselves, they make what seems like educated (although questionable) choices and most of all they know you better than you probably know yourself and they seem to have a more intimate understanding of what is happening around them than other breeds. Im not sure this is helpful other than to say - you are not alone and that I do feel that the same particles that make them slightly crazy are also what allow them to be so beautiful and like no other breed and why I just cant imagine a world without them!

All the best

totally agree....

 

[Baxter Tiberius]

@MoandPinky @2BullyMama - that quote was amazing. Thank you for pulling it out of mo's post and reposting it. It really is true I think. Isn't it strange how they can seem dumb. But you are totally right. Its painfully obvious that they are seriously evaluating everything, and far more introspective than any other breed. You are totally right. I appreciate you writing that.

------

I actually feel bad after I post here, because i tend only to come here now when there are problems. I hope all of you don't think its one big negative drama fest in our house. Those weeks/months that go by when I don't post are always amazing times of happiness. He will just get in a "rut" sometimes. So I come here to vent. Then later I feel like "Gosh those people must think I am miserable and unhappy with Baxter." Couldn't be farther from the truth. I adore him. Absolutely adore him. And we are connected at the hip. Everyone in my building knows it. He's the light of my life.

I've noticed that its *my* level of patience on any given day, that dictates my perception of things with Baxter. If I am feeling stressed, tired, exhausted, or worst of all - impatient - dealing with him seems 10,000x harder. And the bad is magnified 10,000x more. And you can bet he looks at me like "Daddy why are you so annoyed today, im always this indifferent to your commands" (with an annoyed/perplexed look on his face) LOL ...

Tonight I was feeling patient as a Saint. And I took him out to potty. Wasn't raining. But ... little Baxter just peed about 10 times and chilled. Then chilled some more. Watched a guy ride by on his bike. Watched a car pull up. Meanwhile Kevin is saying - very patiently and kindly - "Baxter ... go potty". He looks at me ... sniffs around on the ground to start going #2 .... then stops again. Looks up. Watches a lady run to her car at the nearby gas station. Keeps standing there. Looking around. Im just standing there myself. Waiting. Waiting ...

Repeat this process .... 10 minutes .... 20 minutes goes by .... yes .... 30 minutes goes by and I am still standing there. 40 cars have filled their gas tanks and driven home. Probably gotten ready for bed and sound asleep. And still there I was waiting for baxter to go to the bathroom. He does what he wants. When he wants. But tonight I was patient, so I just enjoyed the breeze ... and shook my head ... and waited. Finally after 35 minutes Baxter decides to go #2 ... and we go inside. It used to literally take 1 minute and 45 seconds for him to finish his business. Now I get to stand there for nearly 45 minutes.

Any suggestions on this?

-B-

She will not go to the bathroom at night if she is told and therefore will need to poop inside and if she does she then eats her poop!!! Ever since she was a baby - if she ever makes a poop inside she will eat it before we see it - its horrible. She never does it when she goes outside. I believe that its simply because she knows she shouldn't go inside and she will get in trouble.

I just sat here laughing out loud. Seriously laughing. Probably out of humor, and also out of stress relief. Its so therapeutic to hear these stories. I know its your nightmare. But it makes me feel like my situation is normal. I am a "single parent". So I don't get to share the disobedience and frustration with a partner. I get to handle every minute element of the neuroses, disobedience, and difficulties, every second of every day, by myself. Despite the fact that I am not actually a single parent, I have developed a newfound respect for single moms. That's for darn sure. The ability to sit back and emotionally detach yourself from the situation while your partner cleans up the latest mess, or struggles to walk on the leash, is (i assume) very therapeutic. :-D

 

[2BullyMama]

@MoandPinky @2BullyMama - that quote was amazing. Thank you for pulling it out of mo's post and reposting it. It really is true I think. Isn't it strange how they can seem dumb. But you are totally right. Its painfully obvious that they are seriously evaluating everything, and far more introspective than any other breed. You are totally right. I appreciate you writing that.

------

I actually feel bad after I post here, because i tend only to come here now when there are problems. I hope all of you don't think its one big negative drama fest in our house. Those weeks/months that go by when I don't post are always amazing times of happiness. He will just get in a "rut" sometimes. So I come here to vent. Then later I feel like "Gosh those people must think I am miserable and unhappy with Baxter." Couldn't be farther from the truth. I adore him. Absolutely adore him. And we are connected at the hip. Everyone in my building knows it. He's the light of my life.

I've noticed that its *my* level of patience on any given day, that dictates my perception of things with Baxter. If I am feeling stressed, tired, exhausted, or worst of all - impatient - dealing with him seems 10,000x harder. And the bad is magnified 10,000x more. And you can bet he looks at me like "Daddy why are you so annoyed today, im always this indifferent to your commands" (with an annoyed/perplexed look on his face) LOL ...

Tonight I was feeling patient as a Saint. And I took him out to potty. Wasn't raining. But ... little Baxter just peed about 10 times and chilled. Then chilled some more. Watched a guy ride by on his bike. Watched a car pull up. Meanwhile Kevin is saying - very patiently and kindly - "Baxter ... go potty". He looks at me ... sniffs around on the ground to start going #2 .... then stops again. Looks up. Watches a lady run to her car at the nearby gas station. Keeps standing there. Looking around. Im just standing there myself. Waiting. Waiting ...

Repeat this process .... 10 minutes .... 20 minutes goes by .... yes .... 30 minutes goes by and I am still standing there. 40 cars have filled their gas tanks and driven home. Probably gotten ready for bed and sound asleep. And still there I was waiting for baxter to go to the bathroom. He does what he wants. When he wants. But tonight I was patient, so I just enjoyed the breeze ... and shook my head ... and waited. Finally after 35 minutes Baxter decides to go #2 ... and we go inside. It used to literally take 1 minute and 45 seconds for him to finish his business. Now I get to stand there for nearly 45 minutes.

Any suggestions on this?

-B-


I just sat here laughing out loud. Seriously laughing. Probably out of humor, and also out of stress relief. Its so therapeutic to hear these stories. I know its your nightmare. But it makes me feel like my situation is normal. I am a "single parent". So I don't get to share the disobedience and frustration with a partner. I get to handle every minute element of the neuroses, disobedience, and difficulties, every second of every day, by myself. Despite the fact that I am not actually a single parent, I have developed a newfound respect for single moms. That's for darn sure. The ability to sit back and emotionally detach yourself from the situation while your partner cleans up the latest mess, or struggles to walk on the leash, is (i assume) very therapeutic. :-D

no worries Kevin.... it is what we are all here for... vent, share, learn and help. We all have the times you mention, right Tracey? [MENTION=9157]ddnene[/MENTION] There were times with Banks, countless times, I wanted to trade her in for a newer model, but las we all learn, they really do have a mind of their own and 'decide' if they are going to do what is asked of them.

 

[ddnene]

[MENTION=2894]2BullyMama[/MENTION] [MENTION=9462]Baxter Tiberius[/MENTION]

Oh ABSOLUTELY!!! After owning 4 bulldogs, I have come to the conclusion that part of their appeal is that they ARE stubborn… Lol AND extremely intelligent, I've NEVER had a breed that would actually "watch" TV or look at you intently while you are talking to another person. I think that part of the challenge that we all obviously enjoy, is actually getting them to DO what they are supposed to do as opposed to them just "ruling the roost" so to speak. The only other people that can relate to this unique relationship are those that own bulldogs themselves… that would explain why our family/friends think that we all are insane Can you imagine how boring life would be w/out this amazing canine?!! WE are the lucky ones, the rest of them are missing out!!!

 

[Texas Carol]

Kevin...I feel your pain and truly, I empathize with all you said and yes, it
would be easy to read your post and say, Kevin is just not a bullie person.
And...if true...so what...nothing wrong with that! After all, nothing can prepare
you for life with a bulldog except...life with a bulldog.

I'm amazed and always will be that I tolerate their quirky ways & unbelievable
stubbornness as well as I do BUT there have been moments I wanted to find
the two I've had, new homes! You seem to be very intelligent, a control freak,
impatient & master of your domain...except for the intelligence, I'm that kind of
person along with being fastidious about my house, clothes, yard, etc, loving fine,
high end fabrics & formal decor, none of which is suitable for bullie life And both
my (adopted & older) bullies were housetrained, omg...all breeds of dogs I've had,
no problems training them. The bullies?....a nightmare! They'ed do great for awhile
then regress out of the blue. Do you know how many times I've washed & dry cleaned
feather bed, down mattress cover, silk king comforter, silk sheets, etc?!! Of course, they
wouldn't crate by this time, they'ed rub faces raw in protest & cry all night. SIGH!!!!!!!
My 1st bully, Brutus (RIP beloved boy) came to me very neglected all his life & many
owners, none really having or spending much time w/him. 4-5 yrs old, so eager to love
and be loved and ready for it, we bonded immediately <3 He was so handsome and had
great manners, very mellow boy, loved my cat CoCo right away and she adored him. That
is the two of them in my sig line, both gone now (RIP CoCo, forever cherished) along with
my husband in Sept, 2012, so much loss, so much pain that only my currant bullie, Cami
can help heal my brokenness and she's doing a fabulous job <3 A retired breeder, she's a
bit of a diva but sweet, very sweet. I had a bad week going on and yesterday, just broke
down & cried in my room. Cami came and just sat by me, I threw my arms around her and
sobbed against her big wide, white chest, just stoically & motherly, there for me, always.
I forgive her peeing on my immaculate, impressive bed & sumptious coverings all those
times. They can be replaced, Cami and all she gives me, nothing held back ever, her love,
loyalty & heart shining out thru her adoring eyes at me, priceless!

BTW...she finally...finally...goes potty outside, decided on HER timetable, it's a bully thang.

 

[minibull]

I've noticed that its *my* level of patience on any given day, that dictates my perception of things with Baxter. If I am feeling stressed, tired, exhausted, or worst of all - impatient - dealing with him seems 10,000x harder. And the bad is magnified 10,000x more. And you can bet he looks at me like "Daddy why are you so annoyed today, im always this indifferent to your commands" (with an annoyed/perplexed look on his face) LOL ...

Tonight I was feeling patient as a Saint. And I took him out to potty. Wasn't raining. But ... little Baxter just peed about 10 times and chilled. Then chilled some more. Watched a guy ride by on his bike. Watched a car pull up. Meanwhile Kevin is saying - very patiently and kindly - "Baxter ... go potty". He looks at me ... sniffs around on the ground to start going #2 .... then stops again. Looks up. Watches a lady run to her car at the nearby gas station. Keeps standing there. Looking around. Im just standing there myself. Waiting. Waiting ...

Repeat this process .... 10 minutes .... 20 minutes goes by .... yes .... 30 minutes goes by and I am still standing there. 40 cars have filled their gas tanks and driven home. Probably gotten ready for bed and sound asleep. And still there I was waiting for baxter to go to the bathroom. He does what he wants. When he wants. But tonight I was patient, so I just enjoyed the breeze ... and shook my head ... and waited. Finally after 35 minutes Baxter decides to go #2 ... and we go inside. It used to literally take 1 minute and 45 seconds for him to finish his business. Now I get to stand there for nearly 45 minutes.

Any suggestions on this?

-B-


I just sat here laughing out loud. Seriously laughing. Probably out of humor, and also out of stress relief. Its so therapeutic to hear these stories. I know its your nightmare. But it makes me feel like my situation is normal. I am a "single parent". So I don't get to share the disobedience and frustration with a partner. I get to handle every minute element of the neuroses, disobedience, and difficulties, every second of every day, by myself. Despite the fact that I am not actually a single parent, I have developed a newfound respect for single moms. That's for darn sure. The ability to sit back and emotionally detach yourself from the situation while your partner cleans up the latest mess, or struggles to walk on the leash, is (i assume) very therapeutic. :-D

I know this is an old thread, but this and your original post hit home because I sometimes find myself feeling similarly impatient -- and I feel like an awful person when that feeling hits just because Buttercup refuses to conform to my timeline.

We left her with another family over Thanksgiving and since then she just will not eat her food-water-ACV mix that she gobbled up so heartily before. She seems to like the dry food, but she is drinking so little water that I worry about her long-term kidney function. We give from a squeeze bottle but it just is not anywhere enough to meet her minimum daily requirement. And she won't drink from a bowl or Lixit bottle. Sometimes I get so frustrated by this that I could nearly cry, and I'm sure she senses that.


For Baxter's pooping schedule I wonder if it would help to do some playtime before the expected poop, indoors if permitted or outside if weather permits. I find that Buttercup almost always poops during or after exercise, regardless of whether she went just before that exercise. She also tends to poop right after she eats, so I try to take advantage of that "gastrocolic reflex" that people and animals tend to have.

She is not as keen to poop if I take her out on the leash for a potty break as she would rather run off and find her own spot. So for those times that she does not go during a leashed potty break (e.g., if there are distractions like deer or people outside near our house) I just give up and take her inside to keep from getting annoyed. I wonder if it would be better, if only for your sanity, to take Brutus inside if he does not potty after a few minutes and then try again a little later. Even just a few minutes later might help him to "reset" any fixations he may have.

I hope you have found a solution or at least some peace by now, but even if not know that I feel similar despair at times for other reasons and can empathize with you. Also agree that it is nice to have at least occasional times when someone other than me can try to coax her to do whatever it is that needs doing!

 

[Donnam]

This has been such an interesting thread to read! I now have Winnie who is just 6 months old and she is my 4th bully. All of my bully's have had crazy quirks, but not too many, maybe because I've had other dogs at the same time (maybe that helped normalize them a little?). One thing I would add to all that has been said is be careful what behavior you laugh at. Our first bully Daisy, one night during a thunderstorm (loud), asked to go out and started attacking the lawn chairs, pulling them around and knocking them over, growling like a ferocious beast. We thought this was hilarious and laughed at her. Forever after that, during a storm (and she wasn't afraid of storms) she would do the same thing. That is just an example. Anytime we laughed at her, that behavior would remain in her repertoire. Anything for a laugh--you know?

 

[Manydogs]

@Donnam I believe you have hit on a good point. I think that EBD's are more like children and will do things for attention-wether it be GOOD attention or Bad attention. Whenever the dogs and I go outside-Maude will pick up a leaf in her mouth. After a while, I realized that she KNEW that I would say"don't eat leaves,you silly" and now she will pick up a leave every time, but if I ignore her, she drops it and goes on. She will pick it up in her mouth, and I can see she is waiting for me to say what has been said so many times, she actually before you realize what is happening(they have ways...) YOU are trained!
and I am now wondering how [MENTION=8322]baxter[/MENTION]Tiberious is doing at this time, as I have not seen him post lately.

 

[Donnam]

And another thing, Lynn, all of my bullies have had memories like elephants. They never forget anything! And all of mine have been such creatures of habit, they fall into a routine so easily. Just something else that makes them so interesting and sometimes challenging!

 

[Baxter Tiberius]

@Manydogs

We're still here. Sorry I rarely check back these days. I started really praising baxter saying "Good boy go poo poo!" when he would go #2. After he finish I would repeatedly say "Good boy Baxter go poo poo!" ... he would get all happy and start doing the "downward dog" position with his little butt up in the air and looking adorable. He was happy about the praise. And this has really helped. Now he poops really quickly when we go out, and when I say "Go poo poo?" he starts sniffing around to do it.

Our biggest challenge right now is still other dogs. He's a rambunxious menace anytime another dog comes by and 100% of the time will get viciously barked at to "back off". he tries to jump on their heads and wrestle with them, right out of the gate. That isn't how dogs are supposed to approach eachother. He doesn't care. When I am walking him if suddenly I get jerked backwards because the leash has yanked me back? Its because Baxter has seen a dog 30 yards away approaching on a leash and has decided to just STOP, and squat down on the sidewalk. At that point he doesn't hear anything i say. Hyper-focus on the other dog. Wont move. Ignores all my commands. And I can't physically pull him. He wont budge.

When the dog gets near, he jumps up and does a full sprint right at the dog to "play", which causes all kinds of problems. Meanwhile Im sternly telling him STOP and BAXTER! and etc etc etc. Pulling yanking on the leash with all my strength.

So that's our new current situation. Doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body but this has got to stop. Tonight I had to pick him up and carry him back to the building because he kept going limp on the leash since another dog was walking alongside us. The other owner commented that he'd "seen another one of those dogs" in the building and it always just went limp on the floor, and its owner would just drag it along the slippery lobby floor by his leash as he dragged like a dead body. I know exactly what he's talking about. These dogs are something else....

 

[brutus77]

Hi Kevin, good to hear from you. I know these situations are frustrating for you, but I just love Baxter stories. From the time he was a pup with potty training, His stories just get better!

 

[Texas Carol]

I agree, totally love Baxter and remember his puppy pics, omg,
the cuteness was too much! He has grown into a very handsome
bully and I believe he will mellow out in about 6 months, he's still
young. A trainer could help smooth out his behavior w/other dogs.
Great hearing your update & hope life is good for you, Kevin.

 

[Cali Doll]

Wow, this thread is very interesting! Baxter Tiberius, thank you for sharing your struggles. My Bella is very smart, stubborn, and neurotic, too. She is almost uncontrollable around other dogs. Right now, at 28 pounds, she pulls and I'm barely able to contain her when she's trying to get at another dog.

Generally, I get a lot of packages delivered (Amazon Prime!); however, once I had an office desk delivered and she lost her mind. I opened the box and I had the wood pieces scattered around the dining room. She was going crazy in her playpen. It seemed that nothing would calm her. Once I had the desk assembled, she finally calmed down. She also freaked out when I had a deck lounge chair delivered.

I don't think she's neurotic about much else and she's good about pottying outside. She is quite stubborn, though. Sometimes, when I call her name, she will remain seated and force me to drag her accross our hardwood floors. When I attempt to put ointment on her eyelid, she collapses on the ground. I don't know what it's about, but I'm certain she finds it entertaining.

[I'm totally fine now, but...] I slipped on ice and fell on my back this past Friday. I was scared and in a lot of pain; I was afraid that my back was broken. I broke down in the kitchen (crying, etc.) and Bella sat at my feet, looking at me, cocking her head left and right. I'm sure she was wondering why I was so upset. It seemed like she was empathetic at that moment. It was sweet. She definitely rationalizes and has consideration that I've never seen in another dog. Bullies are very unique!

 

[Manydogs]

@BaxterTiberious
Do you walk Baxter with a collar, or a harness? I had Belgian Malanois, and German Shepherds, and trained them with a so-called chain choke collar.
When I took two bullies for a vet visit, after they were 40 lbs., I had their harness on and leash. Since there is no where to walk them where I live(no sidewalks, I swear cars try to hit you if you are on the road on a horse, or with a dog)they did not get to walk on leashes enough, they embarrassed me soooo much by dragging me into the vets office, and trying to get to the other dogs to sniff! After that visit, when I take one anywhere, I use the chain collar,proper use of it works wonders.(unfortunately called the "choke collar") Jerk and release,and it must be put on correctly.. They walk like proper ladies,don't drag me, and I can control them.I know a lot of people think that they are cruel, but it is because they are people who don't use them correctly.I do not have the strength to be dragged any more-nor do I want to be. Mals and Sheps are pretty thick headed, but when they do learn, they never forget. Bullies never forget, but seem to be testing to see if you forgot!!!