Adult Bully

/bullies3

 
 
 
 
Adulthood

 
If you survived the first two years of your Bully's life you are over the worst part....from now on your Bully should get better...just like a red wine, they get better with age.
 

Sunbathing/Hot weather: Bullies, especially the colored ones (black brindle,brindle,tricolor) do not do well when days are very hot and sunny. They get overheated very quickly and most of them hate the hot sunshine. The white variety has a different problem: they do like to sunbathe, and they can get sunburned. Many people use sunblock on their dogs.Best is to use baby variety - PABA free.
 

The cool weather is exhilarating to all bullies.They love it.The first frost or first snow is crazy time ,time to Hucklebutt and behave generally crazy.Rain and dreary ? Well, you can not get them out.                                


Time goes by and young Bully is growing in leaps and bounces....and then one day....alas!!!
What do you see!? Big bald ugly spot on your baby's tail...Rat Tail!!!
Now on this picture the spot is covered with a clown white.
 
You can also experience bald spot on your baby's head...same thing.Nobody knows what it is !......Many veterinarians scratch their heads ..... but most of the Bully people believe that the bald spot ( about 2 inches from root of the tail or on the top end of the skull) has to do with a hormonal changes in the Bully's body. Do not worry,the hair will grow back eventually. Some people put liquid Vit.E on that bald spot ...it seems to help the hair to growth.
In my opinion the Bully is at its best as a one dog household pet . If with other dogs, Bully does better with  a breeds other then terrier or other bull breed. Many people are concerned with bully / cat situation. We do have three cats and do not have any problems .Some of our cats nurse on our Bully girls and they all like that arrangement. All our Bullies grew up with our cats so they are all friends. Actually they are better with the cats then other dogs. Bullies are homebodies and social animals, they hate to be alone.
 
 
Incorporating a new Bully in your household, when you already have one is NOT an easy task.
Make sure you discuss this with the breeder and TAKE their advice.
 
Ch Lionheart's Force O' One 
I do take my hat off to anybody who gets a title in obedience with a Bully.
It is a great achievement to get CD and CDX in obedience.
Many Bully people are doing CGC, agility and obedience with a success .
Agility is one of the ways how to have fun with your Bully.If interested in that try to contact Terri Bright,she can help you...terribright@comcast.net
Lionheart's Roots Rock
 
Every Bully and its owner should go to some obedience class .


Trained dog is a good dog/easier to control ,which is very important with this strong and powerful breed .
 

Health Tests:As I said before, we do try to feed an all natural diet to our dogs. BARF List and WELLPET List are good places to start learning. Our dogs eat all the vegetables and fruits. They are fed twice a day. If we feed kibble, it is always moistened with something.

We do test all our dogs for hearing (BAER test), kidney, heart, thyroid and patella problems. Every dog which will be bred is retested (except for BAER).Lately we also blood type our dogs (for breeding purposes ).
 Bullies like variety. If they become bored, they will be more destructive .
Ch. Lionheart's Rocky Fella
They love people (and many Bullies get stolen for that reason -they love everybody) and are overly-zealous when meeting new human friends. Do not lock your Bully in its crate when company comes. I know it is not easy as they go really crazy. But try to introduce your Bully to them on the leash, giving a treat when the Bully is nice and not jumping on your guests. Eventually, hopefully...it will work.
 
 
 
Ch. Lionheart's Dixiland Rock & Ch Bedlam Hope O' Lionheart

Many people who visit our home tell me later that; " Our Bullies were much more loving , strong/powerful than they had envisioned ". I guess the pictures cannot convey the power these dogs have.

Bullies are different. Correcting a bully with a hit into its chest (for jumping) will only make them more excited. "Ohhh, mom,what a fun!!! Do it again!!! Do it again!"
 
 
Lionheart's Worth O'Waiting For 

Many people think they have to PLAY with their Bully all the time (since they read "Bull Terriers need lot of attention") and talk to them in "baby talk." High pitched sounds make every dog crazy. Play with your Bully, but also just live with it. Pay attention to it, but do not go overboard. Let the dog  be on its own and just watch. I had many fun times just watching what they were doing. They need time to relax (watch TV/sleep on the sofa), a time-out. If the Bully is playing all the time, it gets too wild and is hard to control (especially when kids are involved, screaming and yelling). Use a normal voice and slow motions to relax and calm down your Bully.

Most of the Bullies love water .Most of them can swim, but since they are heavy and dense they eventually ,start to sink to the bottom like a rock. They all should wear life preservers if on a boat.
Many Bts do drown is swimming pools and lakes.
 
Ch.Lionheart's Captain's First Mate
The garden hose (that sound of water), wheels of MOVING garden tractors and vacuum cleaners are viewed as a enemy and are attacked .They can seriously injure your Bully,so watch out!            
            

Fetching the tennis ball is great...many Bullies will not give up that one ball; but if you use two, they will bring them both and give you one.

Not everybody is suited to have and control a Bully. They are powerful and stubborn animals definitely not suited for children only to have as a pet. They are dogs for a responsible adult.
 
Ch. Lionheart's New Years Eve

Many Bull Terriers they can develop hot spots, fungus problems and sometimes Demodex..Small localized Demodex spot may appear when Bully is young and it will go away on its own.If Demodex is more severe (generalized form) contact your vet and your breeder immediately.
Bullies are not outdoor dogs and need good diet/supplements to stay healthy.They can live up to 15 years of age and give you lots of fun ,if you take very good care of them.

Bull Terriers can be loving to the point of injury ...:-)) They are clowns and happy characters , they will make you smile even when you are mad at them for eating your favorite things. I do love them.

Getting a Bull Terrier is like getting married.
You are not getting just a dog, you are getting new addition to your life which is there all the time (like your new spouse) and you have to work on that relationship all the time. If you do not ,you loose it.
 
Bullies are different then any dogs I ever had (Fox Terrier,Cocker,Great Danes,Springer Spaniels,Borzoy and Engl.Bull Dog).When you have an older /mature Bully ,you have a friend, you have a buddy ,not just a dog-pet.The beginnings are often hard,but in the end you end up with a friend with individuality,spank and sense of humor .
 

So, study the breed very carefully and make the right decision.Talk to us breeders,go and see some shows,visit people who have teenage Bullies.

Puppy 8 weeks old is different then 8 month old Bully.
 

Bull Terriers are a little bit like a cats -- they have their own minds and will do what feels good to them.

But when you have a Bully to love you.......you will be hooked for life. I am.

Yana

*STANDARD BULL TERRIER - HEALTH PROBLEMS*

KIDNEY DISEASE:Bullies can suffer from Juvenile renal disease(JRD) affecting small puppies and teens. The dogs can died young as a few months old. The other kidney diseases are: chronic or acute.The chronic: can take 4-5 years before the kidneys fail. Inherited in most cases.The acute: Sometimes kidneys can be damaged by Leptospirosis virus or harmful chemicals as ANTIFREEZE or rat poison......many dogs died horrible dead after licking it in a driveway or in a garage......

Urine laboratory tests are needed yearly.Visit your vet and ask for: UPC (urine/protein /creatinine ratio test).

Watch for excessive drinking & urinating, lack of energy, poor appetite, pale colored urine, bad breath. No cure.

HEART DEFECTS: arrhythmia, murmurs, persistent coughing, fainting spells -need to be investigated by a cardiac ultrasound. Bullies have inherited heart defects. No real cure.

HEARING: deafness in both or one ear (UNI) can cause behavior problems.BAER(or BEAP) test can be done by a specialist...most of the breeders test the puppies before the puppies go to their new homes.Watch for lack of attention, lack of ear movements,look for that puppy which always keeps on sleeping when others are running around, failure to locate source of sound, spookiness and aggression. Many Unis will run the other way when you call them, as they cannot locate the origin of that sound.No cure.Highly inherited.

THYROID:Hypothyroidism is a relatively common endocrine disease of dogs which results from progressive loss of functioning thyroid tissue. It is usually caused by lymphocytic thyroiditis (most likely an immune-mediated disease) or idiopathic thyroid atrophy (shrinking of thyroid tissue from unknown causes). Clinical signs may include; hair loss, seborrhea, bacterial skin infections, excessive skin pigmentation, lethargy, obesity, muscle or nerve weakness, slow heart rate and reproductive disorders. ...

LUXATING PATELLAE(KNEE): inherited joint problem of the back legs; one or both may be affected. Watch for limping, skipping, poor muscle tone.Regular veterinarians can feel the defect without X-rays. this examination should be part of yearly your dogs check up.May need surgery.

SKIN PROBLEMS: can be inherited (auto immune defect)DEMODEX or caused by food allergies, sun, neglect, contact allergies, flea allergy ,yeast allergy.

Watch for red feet, rashes, foot-licking, sores.Many Bullies improve after reaching 1-1 1/2 year of age, some do not.Medications/shampoos/change of diet & natural diet may help dog.

OBSESSIVE -COMPULSIVE disorder is defined as recurrent obsessions or compulsions that are severe enough to be time-consuming or cause distress or significant impairment.

The specific cause of this problem is not known. But, many believe it to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the body, and in some cases may be caused by a source of frustration or conflict such as running up and down around the fence,being in the crate for many hours.

Examples of compulsive disorders in dogs are: tail chasing, spinning, repetitive and monotonous barking, excessive self-licking resulting in hair loss and skin injury, and staring into space.....Some of the dogs will spin so much that they will wear off pads of their paws until they are bloody. They will not stop ..just keep on turning..some will grab their tails and bite it causing it to bleed.

Behavior modification to reduce stress may help-eliminating the cause of that stress helps in some cases. No matter what, it is long process with no guarantee.                                         Some dogs can be also treated with medication (Prozac and such) .Many dogs have to be euthanized as they will not stop spinning or injuring themselves.

PALATE & TRACHEAL DEFECTS: inherited problems that affect breathing & swallowing; surgery may help. Watch for coughing or fainting when on leash, difficulty in swallowing food. 
                     
                                                                    

SO - YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DOG!

Be it your first one or not, please, remember that this is a great responsibility.

We, as breeders, do not want our (or any other breeder's) offsprings to end in a puppy mill, dog rescue, or dog pound. Please, follow the advice below: 

Learn as much as you can about the breed. Bull Terrier people have BT List where, after joining, you can talk to some of the foremost breeders from around the world. Find the BT E-MAIL LIST and learn more about BTs -go to Link at our Other Bull Terrier Breed Internet Links.

  1. A good breeder will tell you all the pros and cons (negatives) about the breed , not just the good stuff.
  2. Is the breeder being honest, straightforward, and not evasive? Do they have time for you?
  3. Do you feel good about her or him?
  4. Ask if you can talk to the breeder's veterinarian (Your  pup's health problems may cost you thousands of dollars)..
  5. Ask for references. Are they members of any BT club?                                            
  6. What kinds of return (days) and health (years-for genetic problems) guarantees will the breeder offer?
  7.  Under which conditions will the breeder take the puppy back? Compare; ask breeders who do not have puppy at this time for their terms.
  8. "How soon can I take the dog home?" We NEVER let puppy go before 7 weeks of age. If the breeder says 4 or 5 weeks, hang up.
  9. Ask for health tests done on the dame and the sire. Look for the following tests:
    •  kidney problems (urine protein/creatinine ratio)
    •  BAER test (hearing test done by specialist using electronic equipment)
    •  patellas (knees) check
    •  heart (murmur)
    •  ask about skin allergy problems
  10. If the breeder has too many different breeds, or a huge number of dogs do not buy that puppy. be careful.
  11. The puppies  and their parents may not be well socialized.
  12. Do the parents have any titles (Ch...CD...CDX...CGC)?
  13. Be ready to wait for your new puppy .Was the puppy BAER tested (specially if white)? Does it have a health certificate?
  14. If you buy that puppy  make sure you get the AKC Registration Papers before you leave with your pup.
  15. Have the breeder explain to you what Limited and Full registration is.
  16. Or read about it on AKC.org 
  17. Most of all: Try to play with a young Bull Terrier - not a little 8 week old pup , but 6-12 month old.
  18. Take your spouse and your kids.You will get better idea how strong and wild they can be.
  19. Also, try to see the parents.Are they friendly?Any skin problems ?
  20. Expect that any good breeder will ask you a lot of intimate questions about you/your family and the environment you will provide your puppy with. 
    21. Ask BT Rescue Organization about the breeder. You can contact Rescue via Internet BT List or other Links.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE a CONTRACT.