Dog problem

[veggiechicken]

If you have the dog, Bill, at least you won't be worrying about it with the baby. Peace of mind is priceless

[Bill HH]

If you have the dog, Bill, at least you won't be worrying about it with the baby. Peace of mind is priceless

Unless he eats my poly tunnel, garden furniture, wife, my other dogs and the postman then yes you're quite right

[veggiechicken]

He'd probably start with you, so don't worry about the rest...........

[Scarlet]

Unless he eats my poly tunnel, garden furniture, wife, my other dogs and the postman then yes you're quite right

They are usually softies!! They are just very active dogs.

[Bill HH]

They are usually softies!! They are just very active dogs.

So does that mean he will eat me but be licking my face and smiling as he does it.

[veggiechicken]

Depends on how sweet you taste..............

[Potstubsdustbins]

Bill,

I hate to say this but English Bull Terriers do not usually get on with other dogs, folks yes dogs no.

Colin

[Sheneval]

I had a workmate who had always had Doberman dogs - despite this he said he would never trust them - there are certain dogs that should always be under licence and kept muzzled in public.

My own dogs, one a German Shepherd, have always been soft mutts and kids could jump all over them without retaliation - the cats always ruled the roost even though they were brought into the house as kittens after the dogs.

[Feral007]

My daughters dog is the same - a people dog, not a dog dog. She also had a bad experience with someone's aggressive dog when she was young, so I would never take her near other dogs.

She loves the people from the gas, the electricity, the horse chiro, anyone and everyone. Her personality has suffered since we took in this small dog who has to live inside overnight tho, which is a shame. Wish I'd realised before I took it.

Enough of ours tho. If you are taking on the dog - and it sounds like it might be the best thing for the dog if it can get on with your other dogs, there are a few things you could look at.

Firstly, don't agree to anything until you can see how the dogs get on.
I'd also look at handling the dog first at it's own home, before getting dogs to meet at a random safe place (no ones home) and then at your home.
With horses (large animals obviously, you need to work with them so they realise that altho smaller you are indeed the boss, so that they will obey you.) and that would be good to do with the dog at his home. I'd work with him in the yard first and then take him for walks, so that he looked on you as a boss person but also someone who will give him what he needs.

A safe random place would mean that none of the dogs were trying to push their own dominance on home ground. But you'd need a few people to help.

And if it all works out, then I'd make an agreement (written preferably) like you do when leasing horses.
It states that you'll look after the animal, feed, exercise, train, worm, etc. Who is the owner, who is the leasee, who will pay vet bills. In your case, I would also want to see that if the dog stayed a certain period of time, then it needed to be neutered or sold on to a breeding home.
Otherwise, you could get stuck with an aggressive male dog who makes your home and your neighbours homes a battleground, with no way of fixing it.

I suspect your son in law will lose interest once he's got a sprog to worry about, and realises how difficult it would be to manage a stud dog in suburbia. Are there no rules about undesexed dogs in the UK? The yearly fee on an undesexed dog here would force him to get a second job to pay for it!

[Bill HH]

Are there no rules about undesexed dogs in the UK? The yearly fee on an undesexed dog here would force him to get a second job to pay for it!

No rules, no fees, I do know a stud farm owner who's dogs got leprosy, he complained that business kept dropping off!

Sound advice, me taking him on would be the very last resort, its not fair to the other two and theres no room left on our bed anyway.

[Two_Sheds]

this thing is a nutter and eats its way through walls and electric cables all the time.

It sounds like his lack of exercise is bringing out destructive behaviours. A walk, once or even twice a day, might not be enough for a high-energy dog.

I'd try jogging with it, or tieing it to a bicycle and running with it alongside. Seriously. I do it with our mental staffy

Once he's tired from exercise, you can start retraining him away from chewing cables.

Also try keeping his mind more active, with interactive toys (eg. Kongs stuffed with cream cheese, raw meaty butcher bones etc).

[Glutton4...]

Many many dogs are re-homed during their first two years - all manner of reasons are given, but mainly it's the owner's inability to give the animal the required amount of attention and exercise. Sadly, once the dog grows out of the 'teenage' years, they usually turn into the dog the original person had wanted.

My 'pup' will be three in ten days' time (yes, I know, doesn't time fly) and already he's quieter and more laid-back. My 'rescue' who is a year older, however, is currently going through a 'teenage' phase, as I don't think she'd been allowed to in her previous homes.

If the dog can't be trusted when left, he should be crate-trained - it's not cruel - but I can't help thinking it's due to lack of exercise and interaction. They're very intelligent creatures.

*Gets off soap-box

[Two_Sheds]

Move over, I'm on the soap box too y'know.



Dogs are "designed" to walk/run for long distances in search of food. They need walks, for exercise, but also for social interaction, and for sniffs. My little toy dog spends longer sniffing (bins, lampposts) than she does walking, but she needs to do it, so I let her (she's checking the Wee-Mail).

So many people don't even let their dogs socialise, either with other animals or with other humans. They give reasons such as "he doesn't like little dogs", "he doesn't like big dogs" etc, but it's usually the human that doesn't like the social aspect: dogs are naturally inquisitive, and naturally friendly/social

[Bill HH]

My little JR is so social its embarrasing, where I walk him we get a lot of very posh people with pink poodles called montmarency or Mr Goodrington. Danny just runs up to them and plugs his nose into their fiddly bits. (The dogs not the owners) Sometimes I pretend he's not my dog.

[Feral007]

I think we're all preaching to the converted (HH) while it's his daughter and her fella who have the undesexed over energetic pup.

Best of luck HH. I'm sure it will all work out in the end if you're all up for it. Just a pity so many people buy first, think later.