The puppy was given to me and was very quiet. He is now out of control and only 8 weeks old. Is this normal for a bull dog? They eat everything, chew on anything and he has now decided to take on my two 7 year old dogs, one of which is a pitbull/sharpei mix and not so happy about it. Also, bites everyone and everything. What do I do with this dog? Is this something he will grow out of or not?
2007-01-22 17:40:17 · 11 answers · asked by sherry m 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Um, you have a puppy here, not unusual. This isn't going to change unless you do something about it. You need to enroll in some dog training classes, preferrably with a trainer who is experienced and understands dog/puppy behaviors. A good trainer will help you address issues with your puppy and give you help in the right direction.
2007-01-23 05:43:28 · answer #1 · answered by Shadow's Melon 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We got our bulldog pup at 8 weeks old. For a couple months all we did was follow him around outside, removing pebbles and bark and everything else from his mouth with its razer sharp teeth. We were lucky he was not much of a chewer on furniture inside, but still tried to get into everything else he could reach. We got little sleep, little affection from the pup (he was just excited, but not necessarily excited to see *us*), and wondered if we had made a $2000 mistake.
However, he is now 9 months old. He is the sweetest guy you could imagine. He is very affectionate, loves chewing on his toys, wants to be in whatever room we are in, usually snoring at our feet. I would say his behavior started to change at around 7 months.
So yes, it does get better, and it's a combination of him growing up and you using consistent training. The pain you go through now will pay off in the end. A couple things we did...
Puppy-proof and remove temptation. If you can puppy proof a whole room that you can keep him in, that's great. Or set up an exercise pen inside to keep him from getting into trouble. Also, when he does something bad, like chewing at your pants leg... we quickly learned that yelling "NO" or using a shaker with coins in it to startle him, it just did not work. It got him more worked up. We found the most effective was to start ignoring him and get him to a confined "time-out" area. Instead of him learning "hey, if I chew on the pants, I get this great reaction with lots of exciting noise", he learned, "Hmm, when I chew on the pants I don't get to see them and I get no attention". For other problem chewing areas we also used one of the "bitter" sprays, like Sour Apple. And the very very best advice... A tired puppy is a good puppy. Make sure he gets enough exercise, because a sleeping puppy can't misbehave.
This is pretty long winded, and of course your dog's personality may be different and having other dogs adds another twist, but it seems you might be able to use these tips since most bulldogs are notoriously stubborn and can be difficult to train. As hard as it is, calm energy and removing temptation worked best for us over the long run. Hopefully you'll realize one day that your bully hasn't chewed on your shoes today, and is content laying on the kitchen floor with his Nylabone. Good luck!
2007-01-23 05:18:42 · answer #2 · answered by Robert G 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It can be a common phase, and the bossiness is just Bully nature. I have yet to meet any Bully that does not get bossy sometimes. I would enroll him in some good training and socialization classes, and he probably will grow out of it. In my experience, Bullies are most active at about 8 weeks until they hit about 9 months, then they start to slow down and get the normal laid back Bully personality.
2007-01-22 18:47:53 · answer #3 · answered by iluvmyfrenchbulldogs 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Puppies are alot of work! Take a puppy class with a good dog trainer and fix the problems now or they will be much worse later.
2007-01-22 17:50:56 · answer #4 · answered by connecticutk9 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its only going to get worse as the dog gets bigger. Bulldogs exert a lot of energy doing something as simple as walking 4 to 5 blocks. As they get older, they are inclined to be lazy. Don't let that happen. They don't need to be strenuously exercised but a moderate walk/jog should suffice. The water intake, however, doesn't sound like a problem especially if its hot outside. But if you're worried take her to the vet to ease your worries.
2016-03-28 22:16:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi, welcome to having a puppy. All this behavior is normal, but certainly not acceptable. You need to start with training right now or you'll be dealing with this is whole life. Be firm and consistent.
There are lots of good websites and books that can explain different training techniques, but I'd also recommend and obedience class.
2007-01-22 17:46:30 · answer #6 · answered by cs 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He's a puppy. Yes, it is normal for him to get into everything.
2007-01-22 19:51:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He's a pup...it sounds normal. Get him a baby Kong and some toys he can tear up...
2007-01-22 17:47:41 · answer #8 · answered by been_there_done_that 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, somewhat but all bulldog types (boston terrier, french bull,english bull) are stubborn and a little more agressive. be patient and good luck!
2007-01-22 18:18:51 · answer #9 · answered by lilkismet73 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
he's the boss of u and the others he needs disapline and training and good things to chew on get a trainer to help.or do or self before he gets aggessive. and u have big problems..u are leader
2007-01-22 17:50:15 · answer #10 · answered by dragonwolf 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋