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Aggresive English Bulldog
Bad bulldogs?
Found [49] Posts :: Page 1 of 3
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Posted: 12:50:45 PM 3/2/2005
Last month my wife and I (we also have 3 children 9 to 17) rescued an Engish Bulldog (approximatley 1 Y/O) from a shelter... He was neutered the day we brought him home and he seemed the perfect dog. He was housebroken and calm....The shelter said he was picked up as a stray, I stopped beleiving that a few weeks ago. Over the last month he has grown progressively more aggresive to the point of biting anyone through the door, or going out of the door. This is, or has been generally associated wih humping, however now it seems to be straight agression. This mostly manifests itself in our home, and hardly ever outside (although he does seem to have territorial issues with the german sheperd next door). We take him to Petsmart ona fairly regylar basis and he shows no aggresion to any person or animal (maybe he considers this nuetral ground?). We he bites, he latches on and it takes me prying him off to get himto et go. The coins in the can don't work, and me sayiny "Ouch" has no real effect.
I'm at my wits end... I don't want to take him back to he shelter, but I have to have a safe environment for my kids and wife. Has anyone ever seen ths behavior in this breed? Is it something that can be fixed?
HELP!
Posted: 12:54:27 PM 3/2/2005
Well, at a year old they should already have bite inhibition. Saying ouch wouldn't really reteach a dog that already has bad habits.

You may want a spray bottle with water in it to reinforce the no, spraying and saying no bite.

I really don't know what to say about the agression though.

ADD:

The pennies in a pop can - were you shaking them where you dog could see you doing it or behind your back?

***Edited By: mafiaprincess on 3/2/2005 12:55:19 PM***
Reason: add
Posted: 12:59:15 PM 3/2/2005
I think this dog needs obedience class, big time and a strong hand as far as knowing whos boss and where he stands in the pack order. The humping is dominance as well as the growling and biting. I don't know if it will work, you may have to rehome him if it doesn't work out. Read up on pack structure and alpha dog. Theres lots of info on the net. A good training method is NILF (nothing in life is free) It puts the dog in his place and should be practiced by every member inthe family. This means the dog gets nothing, no treats, petting or attention without following a command first.

You also mentioned he bites when people go in and out the door? Maybe he was used as a guard dog at one time. I would leash him at the door whenever anyone exits or enters, put him in a sit/stay and reward him for good behavior. This takes some time. It took me weeks to get my dog to stop barking and jumping at people at my door using the same method.

***Edited By: lalayla on 3/2/2005 1:03:19 PM***
Reason: add
Posted: 1:07:38 PM 3/2/2005
The pennies in the pop can were shaken in his face..Is that the wrong way? Also, last night I used 2 pots (banged them together) ...That worked very well.
Posted: 1:16:54 PM 3/2/2005
It's supposed to be 'an act of god'. The dog is supposed to think, oh if i do (whatever behaviour) this happens, (which is supposed to be scary) although some dogs don't mind loud noises. If it sees you shaking the can, it knows that you did it.
Posted: 1:22:06 PM 3/2/2005
Well, if you want to spend the rest of your life with pots in your hand.....sorry, not to be impertinent, but you need to get a good dog training manual or go to an obedience class or both. These things you are doing might work for the short term but will not help with your bigger problem and that is your dog thinks he runs the place.
Posted: 1:23:27 PM 3/2/2005
Oh, I totally agree that obedience school is the way to fix it, just pots and pans with your dog watching you probably doesn't do anything.
Posted: 1:40:07 PM 3/2/2005
Thanks to all.... He starts a basic class at Petsmart on Saturday, and we're looking for a behavioralist to help with the aggression. My thought (now) is to crate him when he shows agression...?
Posted: 2:54:33 PM 3/2/2005
I'm so glad you are starting him this Saturday in obedience! Please don't put him in the crate as punishment. The crate should never be used as punishment. Have you tried taking him out more for exercise till he is just plain tuckered out like a dog park, or just anyplace interesting where he can do some agility type stuff like jumping over logs etc? It is possible that he is just flat board & needs the extra exercise to get him tired. I am finding out that is the problem with my Kerry Blue female. She's my little mental case too! LOL! Good luck!
Posted: 4:59:55 PM 3/2/2005
Yes, bulldogs can be aggressive just like any other breed. I don't want to run down a long story but I could give you at least 5 examples of bulldogs I know of that are aggressive and have needed to be isolated or rehomed, including my own female. Also, Daisy Fuentes just did a session on the dog whisperer because her bulldog is aggressive in her home. The coins in the can only worked for a couple weeks for me.
Posted: 1:08:35 PM 3/3/2005
The Daisy Fuentes Bulldog program... Is there info on-line? Did she have any luck with her dog?
Homer (our bd) starts obedience school on Saturday, and we have an appointment next week to have him evaluated by a Animal Behavioral counsler. Not sure if this will all help however at the end of the day, if he has to be re-homed, I want to make sure I gave him the best chance for success. I'm heart broken at the thought of giving him up, but I can't get past the fact that I have to keep my kids as well as visitors safe.....
Posted: 8:06:12 PM 3/3/2005
Brianbulldog, Daisy was on an episode of the dog whisperer. He is an EXCELLENT dog trainer. He is located here in the los angeles area. I hope you don't have to return your dog to the shelter, but in the event that it does come to that: I contacted the bulldog rescue organization. Their link is on the akc website. They have pre-screened homes already lined up for these fantastic dogs. Is yours a purebred bulldog? People sign applications and then they do drive bys to make sure they live in nice neighborhoods. They only let people adopt them who have previous bulldog experience and who understand the breed's special needs. My female was viciously attacking my male and would have killed him eventually. I had to make a choice and I decided that we can't let the quality of life be compromised for all of us. My other dog deserves to be free of that and we can't live under constant stress waiting for that next ugly fight. In my case, Gretta was attacking my other dog. In your case, your dog is going after people. That can definitely be more serious. Where do you live? If you can find a really good professional trainer and you really set your mind to it, you can help your young bulldog learn to behave. If that cannot be accomplished, contact the bulldog rescue. They have people all over the nation and in my case, they came and got her in a matter of days. She's very happy in her new home. They will work hard to rehabilitate the dogs they receive. Putting a very aggressive dog to sleep is their last resort. Keep me posted.
Posted: 9:39:52 AM 3/4/2005
Mollysmom,
Thanks you for your encouraging note. Yes, Homer is a purebred English Bulldog. We're trying very hard to get and support the training he needs. We're looking forward to our appointment with a canine behavior counseler next week. Whether or not the basic obedience class he starts tomorrow will help is anyones guess. I looked up the Daisy Fuentes program on the internet and found out it airs again on the National Geographic channel, March 11, and March 18 at 9:30 A.M. I'm hopeing to get some tips....
We live in a suburb of Chicago and I hope (if it comes to it) I can contact a Bulldog Rescue through the akc that will give him a new start in a home without little ones coming and going. Our problem now is that his aggression has caused our household to be shut down...Friends of our children stay away and we have canceled some entertaining.
The behaivior is puzzeling....he seems to know that what he is doing is wrong, I can feel him shakeing as I have him in a sit position, and after he shows agression he has his head down, and continues to shake (you can feel it when you have your hands on him). I can always tell in his eyes when he's ready to go after someone. He gets very alert...it's very wierd. We've stopped all rough play, no tug of war, no rough houseing of any kind. Thank you again for your words of encouragement. I gratefull for any helpful information I can get.
Thanks again,
Brian
Posted: 10:53:12 AM 3/4/2005
brian, have you tried to use NILF at all? I found it to work extremely well with my bully. He was really mouthy and somewhat aggressive when he was young and I found that using NILF he responded quickly and stopped the aggressive behavior. Also the Soda can with coins worked quite well for us, then again our bully is scared of his own shadow :)
Posted: 1:45:21 PM 3/4/2005
Ash,
We are pretty much trying the NILF method now. The problem is that 90% of the time he's being good, so it's difficult getting the kids to not pet and show him affection. I'm trying things like, not allowing him through a doorway ahead of me. Making him perform a command for a treat.... Homer's trouble is that he's not afraid of much, and the usual things haven't worked so far... I really appreciate any thoughts on helping to make this better...
Posted: 2:05:00 PM 3/4/2005
It really sounds like you are doing everything you should be. Another good thing on top of the NILF that helped us was time out. We only did this for lengths of time of about 5-10 minutes after negative behavior. This helped as well. I hope everything works out for you but as others have said sometimes it just won't. Keep in there and have patience and perhaps it will all work out for you. Good luck and don't give up just yet.
Posted: 2:33:57 PM 3/4/2005
From what you have said, I gather that Homer can definitely learn his manners with some stern training.
I think somebody may have treated Homer badly in the past. If he is shaking after his episodes, then that seems like he is attacking out of fear. For now, maybe you can keep him isolated to a dog run or gated into a specific area of the house while you have other people around. That way you don't all have to go into seclusion in your home.
Posted: 8:13:18 PM 3/19/2005
Hi my name is Rick,
I have seen alot of this in my own Bulldog Tasha,she was alittle over 2 years old,I bought her from a Russian breeder,who wasa puppy mill,I didnt know,I also have a wife and 2 kids ,Ricky is 14 and Alexis is 7,Tasha started about 1 yrs old to get very aggressive to the point where no-one could drive by my house,never mind come in,,without her going NUTS,,now there where afew that she knew that she would love to death,and then alot she knew ,it didnt matter,we sheltered her from most people,about amonth ago she attacted my son,she bite him in the leg,,she too showed remorse and we punished her,let me also say Tasha is/was a big part of our lives ,she ate with us,slepted w/us she did everything with us,2 weeks ago she did it agian,,I contacted our Vet,we spoke to trainers,and we spoke to bulldog rescue,who where very helpful in this whole process,
We came to the conclusion that she was taken from her mother at a very early age,I had her at 6 weeks so she came from Russia maybe around 3-4 weeks,she was never weened from her mother and she was never tought social skills,and none of these things can be given to her at this age,
she couild never be trusted and rescue couldnt take her they said becouse she broke skin,
so after many attacks on different people we had no choice but to bring her to our vet and have her put down,,
This all happen 1 week ago,today I picked up her ashes,let me say i am wriy=ting this in tears,I have not stoped crying for her,she was my baby and we/I loved her so much,Tasha will never be forgottin,she will be in our hearts and memories for a lifetime,
For all of you who are thinking of getting a bulldog ,please do,BUT research your bullie,becareful,there are money hunrgy a__holes out there,[SORRY}but its true,This breed is like none other,they are the most lovable breeds out there,we want to get another one ,and if we can afford one we will reserch very well,
Tasha we love you and you will be missed greatly
Rick
rbrandano@gmail.com
Posted: 12:39:42 AM 4/1/2005
We have two Bullies and we love them both a bunch. We have raised them both in a loving home and have spoiled them rotten. My female is 4.5 yrs. and my male is 2.5yrs. Tomorrow my husband will be putting him down and our hearts are breaking. It is one of the hardest decisions we've made ever. He has increasingly gotten more aggressive over the years. He is most often sweet and gentle, but when he bites it's awful. I fear constantly for my children, husband, friends and relatives. At my vets advice I have decided to go through with it as he says it will only get worse, and he is right, how would I live with myself if he really hurts one of our kids, or anyone else. My heart goes out to you Rick-God bless. I know I am making the right decision and so did you ( although I keep second guessing myself). Adoption to another fam. is not an option as he is very aggressive with strangers, especially children. Remember when it comes to an issue of safety --don't wait as long as I have. Marge
Also my Bully would shake all over and hold his head low when he was getting ready to bite or thinking about it, it is almost as if he is trying to restrain himself. Please be careful.
Posted: 3:08:04 PM 6/2/2007
We bought a EB, male, who was in training, for aggression, he attacked certain people. He bit my husband twice. 27 stitches in the wrist, 2nd bite worse. Then he attacked my 18 yr old daughter whom he loved and she loved him. We did everything we could for him, everyone stopped coming over, which we didnt blame them. He wasnt even 2 yrs old and our EB vet said to put him down and our neighbors said put him down, for we were on our way to being sued. After he tore into my daughter, we put him down. He gave no warning at all. No growling. He was nuetered, had several trainers, spoiled, loved, never crated, nor chained. had the life a dog should have. Some people pointed the finger at me for spoiling him too much. so he was loved. Other friends say he had a tumor or to much inbreeding. We did get him from a breeder. He was in excellent health, beautiful handsome EB. Any thots out there? I will never get over the loss of my dog.
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