ABOUT THE BREED
Playful and clownish, courageous and full of fire.
If you remember the late 1980s, you probably recall the Budweiser commercials featuring a Bull Terrier named Spuds Mackenzie, whose sly grin and on-screen antics turned the breed into a pop icon. Many people were captivated by the breed's unique head, muscular build, and fun-loving nature. After the ads aired, the Bull Terrier's popularity soared.
Nicknamed "the kid in a dog suit," the Bull Terrier is active and friendly, as well as being one of the clowns of the dog world. He has a larger-than-life personality that ranges from intelligent and innovative — not always the most desirable qualities in a dog — to placid and loyal. He also comes in a smaller version — the Miniature Bull Terrier — who shares the same attributes.
Life with a Bull Terrier is always an experience. He's a "busy" dog from puppyhood well into middle age. The Bull Terrier isn't content to spend long periods alone day after day; he wants to be with his people, doing what they're doing. He does best with an active family who can provide him with plenty of energetic play. He also needs someone who will consistently (but kindly) enforce the house rules. Otherwise, he'll make up rules of his own. For that reason, he's not the best choice for timid owners or people who are new to dogs.
Like most terriers, Bull Terriers (unneutered males in particular) can be aggressive toward other animals, especially other dogs. To be well-behaved around other canines, they need early socialization: positive, supervised exposure to other dogs that begins in early puppyhood and continues throughout life. Cats and other furry animals who enter their territory should beware.
Because they can be rambunctious, Bull Terriers aren't recommended for homes with younger children, but with older kids they're tireless playmates. They enjoy vigorous daily exercise and can be highly destructive if they're bored. Successfully training a Bull Terrier calls for patience, confident leadership, and consistency.
Some cities and states have restrictions on or ban ownership of Bull Terriers, and you should be aware of your local laws before you bring your Bull Terrier home.
If you're ready to take on the challenge of a Bull Terrier, you'll find him to be an affectionate, loyal companion who's always ready to entertain you — he's been known to make even the most serious of people giggle — or go on an adventure. One thing's for sure: life with this breed will never be dull.
*information from: http://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/bull-terrier
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Bull Terriers thrive in the company of their people, and should live indoors with their human family. They don't do well when left alone for long periods and will wreak destruction when bored.
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Bull Terriers aren't suited for cold, damp climates. Keep your Bull Terrier warm with a coat or sweater in winter.
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These aren't high maintenance dogs, grooming wise. A weekly
brushing and occasional wipe-down with a damp cloth is usually all it takes to keep them clean, although they must be brushed more frequently during twice-yearly shedding periods. -
The Bull Terrier needs 30 to 60 minutes of exercise, play, and mental stimulation daily.
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Ownership of Bull Terriers is restricted or banned in some cities, states, and provinces. Research your local dog laws before you get one; banned dogs may be seized and euthanized.
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The Bull Terrier is strong-willed and can be difficult to train.
He's not recommended for timid or first-time dog owners. -
Without early socialization and training, Bull Terriers can be aggressive toward other dogs, animals, and people he
doesn't know. -
Bull Terriers are too rough and rambunctious for homes with young children, but they're tireless playmates for active older
kids who've been taught how to interact with dogs.
HIGHLIGHTS
HOW TO INTRODUCE A BULL TERRIER TO ANOTHER DOG
Thinking about adding a dog to your pack but not sure how to introduce? Here at BTRCF we are big on SLOW introductions! We know bringing a new dog into your home is a super exciting, often times long awaited time for your family. Taking the time to slowly, and properly, introduce your resident pet to your new adoptive dog will set you up for a lifetime of success & a lasting FUREVER successful adoption. Jumping the gun introducing dogs improperly & too quickly can be a quick way to cause an adoption to fail without even giving it a fair chance. So, if you are wanting this adoption to work then being patient in the beginning & playing the first few weeks to month right can be imperative to the success of the adoption as well as the relationship between the two dogs. We can’t stress SLOW introductions enough. The slower the better! Rushing an introduction can be a recipe for disaster but you can never go wrong taking it SUPER slow.
1. DECOMPRESSION PHASE: human bonding with your new dog, NO interaction with other dogs
When you first get your rescue dog home, allow it 1-2 weeks of decompression & acclimation time. Set your dog up in its own room with a crate that is in a quiet spot of your home. Cover the back half of the crate with a blanket or crate cover & line the inside with a cozy bed and/or blankets once you have determined your dog does not destroy/eat bedding. Allow your dog to use his/her crate as a safe place they can go to sleep, nap & relax. Teach all children in the home to respect your new dog’s crate & to leave him/her alone while in it. This should be a place he/she can go to relax, destress & feel safe. Use this first 1-2 weeks to get to know your dog & let your new dog get to know you. Bond with your dog on walks, playing with toys, teaching your dog basic commands, exercise together, cuddle together & get your dog on a consistent daily food/potty routine. Keep each dog separated from other dogs in the home allowing no interaction. During this crate & rotate phase be sure your new dog is allowed to explore & get acclimated with every room in the house. Once your dog feels comfortable around you, trusts you, feels safe in your home, is used to all of the new smells/sounds in your home, has gotten to know all other humans/kids in your home & has settled into the new daily routine you can now move onto a slow introduction with your resident dog. It is very important for your new adoptive dog to feel safe/welcome inside your home before moving onto introducing them to another pet. If you introduce your adoptive dog to your resident dog BEFORE they feel safe in your home they may react outside of their true personality out of fear from you putting them in a situation they were not ready for. So again GO SLOW with introductions. Rushing an introduction could ruin the success of your adoption.
2. WALKING ONLY PHASE:
The first thing you should do when preparing for your adoptive dog to meet your resident dog is to determine a neutral ground OUTSIDE of the home or yard for the dogs to initially meet on. This can be outside on a nearby sidewalk on the next street of your neighborhood. Make sure to have 2 strong adults to do these walks that are each able to handle the dog they are walking. The next step is to make sure you have each dog outfitted with well fitted proper martingale collars & each dog on their own 4 ft sturdy leash. It is important each adult has control of the dog they are walking & that the dogs are not able to slip out of their collar should the initial meeting not go well. We suggest each adult to start out by walking each dog on either sides of the street (large gap between the 2 dogs) then slowly walk closer to close the gap in between the dogs (as long as their body language & interactions seem ok) until they are eventually walking together. If one or both dogs begin barking aggressively, have stiff tails, stiff muscled staring at each other head on, or hair raising do not advance closer to the other dog & discontinue the walk. Do not force a meeting if one or both dogs are uncomfortable just try again the next day. During this walk phase, look for good body language amongst each dog such as tail wagging, butt sniffing, side eyes and relaxed or playful stances. If you notice good body language from each dog, as you walk get closer. The goal is to have the 2 dogs calmly walking side by side one another. If you have achieved this GOOD JOB!!!!! Now keep doing walks just like these several times a day over the next week so the dogs get use to each other. Walking dogs together is a way for them to get to know each other, familiarize themselves & bond as a pack in a neutral territory. This also bonds you with the dogs as one big pack & is a great way to exercise your dog so they are happy, stress free & not destructive once back inside from boredom. After each walk continue to separate each dog once back inside the home in their respective areas during this time. We can’t stress enough how important SLOW introductions are. The slower the better! Do not rush introductions between dogs, especially bull terriers.
3. WALKING + GATE PHASE:
If a week of walks together goes well you can move onto the last step which is to do another week of walks together but once it is time to return to the inside the home you can now utilize the use of gates & crates for the dogs to interact safely while inside the home. Using tall sturdy metal gates to introduce dogs is a safe non threatening way for the 2 dogs to get used to each other’s presence in the same space or “territory”. This allows both dogs to see, smell & hear one another yet still remain safe & in a controlled environment. Through gates/crates we are able to observe their interactions & body language all while keeping them safe.
4. SLOW SUPERVISED PLAYTIME:
If the gate/crate step goes well for 1 week you can move onto the last phase which is the one we have all been waiting for! You can slowly, calmly open the gate & allow the two dogs to interact inside the home or yard. BEFORE allowing them to interact loose together in the home or yard be sure ALL TOYS & TREATS are PICKED UP & not out. Also be sure to close all dog crate doors. You don’t want anything present one dog could become possessive over that could cause a fight. Also, be sure to have each dog leashed or harnessed in the beginning so if they get too rowdy in play you still have control & are able to separate them. They may want to play 24/7 when they are first together & that is normal when getting a new playmate so you may need to separate them to rest/sleep/take breaks. This initial phase of excitement & constant play will wear off after a week or so once they get used to each other. If their play gets too rowdy coach them & guide them to have healthy, friendly interactions. Be VERY cautious with feeding, treats & toys. 99% of fights amongst fur-siblings happen over toys or food/treats so be EXTREMELY careful giving treats, be sure food bowls are separated & that toys are picked up off the floor. Some dogs should not be allowed to have toys unless they are alone & if you want to own 2 bull terriers you may have to accept that they will never have toys/balls out together. Do not leave the 2 dogs alone in the home unattended for the first 1-2 months of them meeting. Never EVER leave the 2 dogs alone in the home with toys/bones/balls out. We DO NOT recommend or condone taking either of your dogs to dog parks EVER.
If you observe negative behavior at any step slow down discontinue the exercise for that day. Do not ever try to force dogs to get along, just like us humans. Go back to step one of separating the dogs and try again the next day. If you get stuck in a phase and cannot advance onto the next phase give us a call and we can direct you further or suggest a trainer sometimes a session with a professional trainer is all it takes to get through a phase. Here at BTRCF we put safety first because we truly want our dogs to succeed & thrive in their new homes! Our goal is to provide long lasting relationships between dogs & FOREVER homes. If you truly want your dogs to succeed & get along for life, then take their first few weeks together slow. It will be worth the wait & worth a lifetime of happiness together!
HEARTWORM DISEASE & PREVENTION
So many of the dogs we rescue come to us with flea infestations causing painful raw itchy, red skin infections, many are underweight from intestinal worms such as hookworms & roundworms and several come to us with life threatening heartworms inside their hearts killing them. These parasite infections cost hundreds of dollars to treat & take a toll on your pet’s health, often times shortening their life. All of these parasites are easy for your pet to get from being outside. These parasites cause your pet pain & often times can lead to death if untreated. All of these parasites are VERY easy to prevent by giving your dog monthly chewable tablets of Heartgard Plus & Nexgard which you can get from your vet. Heartgard Plus & Nexgard protect your pets from deadly heartworms, as well as hookworms, roundworms, fleas & ticks! Here at BTRCF we proudly protect all of our dogs with Heartgard Plus & Nexgard. If you love your bull terrier be sure to mark your calendar all year long to never miss a dose! DON’T FORGET TO PROTECT YOUR PETS THIS SUMMER!!
RESCUE VS. SHELTER
BTRCF is a rescue. What is the difference between a shelter & a rescue?
There are two main differences between shelters and animal rescue groups. Shelters are usually run and funded by local government so the staff is paid. Rescue groups are nonprofit groups funded mainly by donations and most of the staff are volunteers. Shelters have on-site kennels which are often times not air conditioned. When shelters get full they are sometimes forced to euthanize animals simply based on the fact that they run out of space to keep taking in unwanted & stray animals. Rescue groups often times step up & pull animals from shelters to save their lives before they are euthanized then find them good homes. Rescue groups usually do not have kennels or facilities to house/keep the animals they save so they often times rely on foster homes to house the animals in their program until they are adopted. Foster homes are families who volunteer their homes for a rescue animal to live until they are adopted & found a permanent home by the rescue group. While in foster homes the rescue group pays for the veterinary care, food & needs of the animal. Foster homes donate their space, time & love. Fostering an animal for a rescue group is a very rewarding way to give back & support animal rescue groups.
