Alunday Bull Terriers

 

Becoming a Guardian for a Bull Terrier

 

We would like to welcome you to the wonderful world of Bull Terriers. They will capture your heart, Change your life and leave you wondering how you ever managed without them. Bull Terriers are known as a lot of things, but the personality trait that stands out the most is their sense of humor. Bull Terriers will bring joy into your life through their daily antics. Please keep in mind that Bull Terriers are not for everyone. Anyone considering adding a Bull Terrier to their family should research this breed carefully.

 

Deciding to become a Guardian for a Bull Terrier is a huge commitment. Bull Terriers can live for 10-15 years. Choosing the right puppy, and more importantly the right breeder, can help ensure future years of happiness for you and your new companion – man’s best friend – the dog. It is important to select your puppy from a responsible breeder. Responsible breeders are concerned with improving the breed, not just conformation but also more importantly improving the health of every puppy born by testing for hereditary diseases in their breeding stock.

 

Like many dogs Bull Terriers have certain needs. Starting with the normal care all dogs require including: annual veterinarian visits, puppy shots, heartworm preventative, proper shelter, balanced diet, fresh water and of course love. Training is extremely important for Bull Terriers. It can be done in either group class situation or trained privately. We recommend group lessons as they involve socialization. Socializing your Bull Terrier at a young age is extremely important to prevent aggression and rude behavior. You should be able to walk your dog on a leash along your street without him trying to fight every dog he passes. You both need to be able to enjoy your time together, not think of it as a chore because it’s no fun. After all, owning a Bull Terrier will supply you of the most of laughs you will ever have. Bull Terriers do require a clear definition of who is boss in the relationship.

 

Bull Terriers require a lot of patience, especially during puppy months. These times can be very trying for you and your dog. As you will learn their mouths are purpose built. There is little to persuade them not to destroy. It is a good idea to provide them with chew toys that can stand up to a young Bull Terrier’s teething phase. Dogs in general will chew for most of their life. It is the only way to clean their teeth short of taking them to the vet and paying for it to be done for them. Large bones are extremely great for teeth cleaning and are also good for teething. Bull Terriers are known for their ability not to be discriminatory in their eating habits. Please use caution in what items you may chose to give your Bull Terrier as a toy. They are very strong and can destroy and innocent toy very quickly. Large pieces can be broken off and obstruct their intestines. At this point is should be mentioned that you establish a professional relationship with your local veterinarian and keep a copy of their number of the fridge or somewhere clearly visible in case of emergency.

 

It is advisable to purchase a crate (most people use these for showing). A crate provides you and your dog a place that is safe when you are unable to supervise them. The crate is not to be used as a place for the dog to live when you are not playing with him. It is not a place of punishment either but rather a sanctuary of relief. Contrary to opinion, it is not cruel and dogs do like them if introduced properly.

 

When grooming you bully we advise the use of Fidos shampoo as it is not harsh on their skin and contains very little perfume. Bull Terriers generally have sensitive skin, please keep this in mind when using any products. Be sure to clean their ears well. Their ears seem to attract dirt. It is best to start clipping nails from the time you first bring puppy home. It is not fun to wrestle a fully grown Bull Terrier.

 

As with any purebred dog there are certain diseases that are known for the breed to be predisposed to. It is the responsibility for the Bull Terrier fancier to educate themselves about the issues of their dogs. Many funds from local to national clubs go to etiology and treatment of these diseases and hopefully in our best effort for prevention, treatment, and ultimately elimination. The very first point I would like to address for potential new owners of a Bull Terrier is to ask the breeders for copies of their testing papers. If they cannot provide you with these you have to ask yourself if they are hiding something, or are they really interested in improving the health of the breed? Some breeder will tell you that they had their dogs tested and they failed on a minor problem, but this wont stop them breeding for the dogs nor will it stop them selling puppies that may also have this trait. We test for one reason, To improve the health of Bull Terriers and house healthy dogs with the general public. A dog that fails, does just that; FAILS!! It should not be bred with no matter how minor the problem. A reputable breeder will provide a reasonable guarantee of some form on the health of your new puppy. We provide a contract stating the health of the puppy,  and we either replace of refund the puppy if a hereditary disease is diagnosed by a specialist veterinarian. Always feel free to question the results of the testing of both puppy and parents. A responsible breeder will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the results. Keep in mind this does not mean your puppy will be free of all health issues, but rather you have helped eliminate a certain percentage of the possibility. The diseases that are known and tested for include; Patella Luxation, Hereditary Heart Disease, Kidney Nephritis. Polycystic Kidney Disease, Hereditary Deafness, and Lens Luxation (in miniature Bull Terriers only after 3 years of age).

   

 

 

                                                                  

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