Bmakj
Member
- Oct 6, 2024
- 42
- 74
- Country
- Us
- Bulldog(s) Names
- Victoria
so some of you know, we had an acquaintance session at local shelter with Sunny, a Bulldog with a little pitty mixed in (female, 50 lbs, ripped/buff/cut physiqye) and Victoria (3 yr old spayed, 75 lbs), went very well, we brought her home two nights later.
Everything had been going pretty well until today. Apologies for length, but looking for real insights.
Generally, things have been going well. some issue with one a**hole cat (cat has started with her, hissing, growling, swatting, so now Sunny reacts aggressively to cat, but cat runs up and away), rest of cats, no issues, Sunny pretty much ignores them. Victoria, also displayed some attention hogging behaviour at first (ie muscling in between when someone in family would give sunny attention, but that was it, no actual hostility).
I am hand feeding sunny, working (and making pretty good progress I think) on come, sit, and a little stay. Generally I have been putting victoria's food bowl down in kitchen and putting gate up, and feeding sunny in next room, but it is pretty open floor plan, so victoria can hear us (thinking this might be a mistake).
When I give treats, generally to both, sitting next to each other, doling out equally (trying to train Sunny to catch them tossed like Victoria does, generally just hitting her in the face with them).
Each has a separate crate, in same room. At night, sunny is in her crate, Victoria is generally loose, same as when we go out. There were issues with sunny barking at cats while in her crate, so we started covering with a blanket, eliminated most of it, a few barks each night since, think the one a**hole cat might be making noises, or one of them might be on top (we are in bed).
I take them both out in back yard several times a day (have only walked sunny around block twice so far, alone), they have been playing, inside and out, pretty well together, rough, but running at each other, wrestling, jumping on each other, and the past week or so, they have been getting ears, jowls, feet/forelegs in each others mouths, but no real pressure.
The past couple of nights, when they play inside, I noticed a couple of times victoria would get a little too rough, or hold Sunny's head in her wide hippo mouth a little long, and I would verbally tell her "off", and if she did not back off, hit her ecollar button, and this would back her off (got sunny's ecollar a week ago, and remote is set up for 2 dogs now).
This morning, I was working, they were playing in next room, and it turned nasty, snarling (as opposed to growling like they have done when playing tug o war with a rope), and actually biting. I hit both their buttons alternating (not certain if I can hit both at once), did not seem to affect them (although I suppose it could have caused one to stop and the other then took advantage, all happened very fast). So I waded in, grabbed both collars, at this point sunny had victoria's jowl. I could not pull them apart, in fact victoria's collar released I was pulling so hard. I got my daughter (21 yo) very reluctantly to grab sunny by the collar while I had Victoria around the shoulders, got them separated, and she got Sunny into her crate (no aggression by either dog towards my daughter or myself, no one else home)
Victoria is currently at the vet, nothing horrific. But they are going to sedate, as there is one deep enough on her leg that they want to clean out well and close, they will clean the rest of the cuts (jowl, paws). Sunny seems to have only some superficial cuts/scratches on face/forelegs, she stayed home (could not take them together obviously), she is now much like she was when we first brought her home, skittish/shy.
Ideas on bringing them back together again? WE have a rather smallish house with a pretty much open floor plan other than bedrooms. We were supposed to go on week long road trip starting in a littler over a week (moving both daughters into college, one on a Thur, one on a Tuesday, 4 hours away from each other, each 9-10 hours from home), both dogs would have to be in same car for ride home (could separate on way down and between the two schools)
post Vet note: we are home, Victoria is good, a few stiches, a little stoned, and having issues with cone. I think they gave us one too big based solely on weight, not realizing bulldogs have a different build, and can have a smaller one than a weight chart might indicate. She keeps catching it on corners and doorways, and on the front steps when we came in.
Everything had been going pretty well until today. Apologies for length, but looking for real insights.
Generally, things have been going well. some issue with one a**hole cat (cat has started with her, hissing, growling, swatting, so now Sunny reacts aggressively to cat, but cat runs up and away), rest of cats, no issues, Sunny pretty much ignores them. Victoria, also displayed some attention hogging behaviour at first (ie muscling in between when someone in family would give sunny attention, but that was it, no actual hostility).
I am hand feeding sunny, working (and making pretty good progress I think) on come, sit, and a little stay. Generally I have been putting victoria's food bowl down in kitchen and putting gate up, and feeding sunny in next room, but it is pretty open floor plan, so victoria can hear us (thinking this might be a mistake).
When I give treats, generally to both, sitting next to each other, doling out equally (trying to train Sunny to catch them tossed like Victoria does, generally just hitting her in the face with them).
Each has a separate crate, in same room. At night, sunny is in her crate, Victoria is generally loose, same as when we go out. There were issues with sunny barking at cats while in her crate, so we started covering with a blanket, eliminated most of it, a few barks each night since, think the one a**hole cat might be making noises, or one of them might be on top (we are in bed).
I take them both out in back yard several times a day (have only walked sunny around block twice so far, alone), they have been playing, inside and out, pretty well together, rough, but running at each other, wrestling, jumping on each other, and the past week or so, they have been getting ears, jowls, feet/forelegs in each others mouths, but no real pressure.
The past couple of nights, when they play inside, I noticed a couple of times victoria would get a little too rough, or hold Sunny's head in her wide hippo mouth a little long, and I would verbally tell her "off", and if she did not back off, hit her ecollar button, and this would back her off (got sunny's ecollar a week ago, and remote is set up for 2 dogs now).
This morning, I was working, they were playing in next room, and it turned nasty, snarling (as opposed to growling like they have done when playing tug o war with a rope), and actually biting. I hit both their buttons alternating (not certain if I can hit both at once), did not seem to affect them (although I suppose it could have caused one to stop and the other then took advantage, all happened very fast). So I waded in, grabbed both collars, at this point sunny had victoria's jowl. I could not pull them apart, in fact victoria's collar released I was pulling so hard. I got my daughter (21 yo) very reluctantly to grab sunny by the collar while I had Victoria around the shoulders, got them separated, and she got Sunny into her crate (no aggression by either dog towards my daughter or myself, no one else home)
Victoria is currently at the vet, nothing horrific. But they are going to sedate, as there is one deep enough on her leg that they want to clean out well and close, they will clean the rest of the cuts (jowl, paws). Sunny seems to have only some superficial cuts/scratches on face/forelegs, she stayed home (could not take them together obviously), she is now much like she was when we first brought her home, skittish/shy.
Ideas on bringing them back together again? WE have a rather smallish house with a pretty much open floor plan other than bedrooms. We were supposed to go on week long road trip starting in a littler over a week (moving both daughters into college, one on a Thur, one on a Tuesday, 4 hours away from each other, each 9-10 hours from home), both dogs would have to be in same car for ride home (could separate on way down and between the two schools)
post Vet note: we are home, Victoria is good, a few stiches, a little stoned, and having issues with cone. I think they gave us one too big based solely on weight, not realizing bulldogs have a different build, and can have a smaller one than a weight chart might indicate. She keeps catching it on corners and doorways, and on the front steps when we came in.
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). But yes, like Christine said walk them together every morning if possible for a good 30 mins minimum. The photos attached is basically what I bought. A duo split leash and the short hand leash (orange photo). The duo leash, Nyala would be about 1/2 her body length ahead of Jake’s head. If you notice the duo is adjustable. The short hand lead is so neither be too far in front me. If something happened, easier to grab and all dogs should never be on long leashes. Well that my opinion. Both walked to my left along the street side so non stops to smell anyone’s grass. Nyala was the walker of an hour long and Jake never walked cause he was on an acreage in runs. He would be let loose daily to run free. Why I put Nyala as the leader so she can train Jake. But yes, definitely it’s all about walking and training.
