Training your Sunduza Bull Terrier puppy
Bull Terriers are wonderful, affectionate, energetic and playful family members. Please note the family members phrase. A Bull Terrier that is relegated to the kitchen courtyard feels himself outcast and is indeed a sad and sorry dog. Modern Bull Terriers were bred first and foremost as Gentlemen’s companions. They take the companion part to extremes. No more alone time if you own a Bull Terrier or two or three. They are loyal pets that will guard the family and inner circle vigilantly. Due to the boisterous nature of a happy Bull Terrier, children should be taught to deal firmly but kindly with your Bull Terrier. Younger children should not be left unsupervised at playtime both for the sake of the Bull Terrier and the child. Children from around 8 to 10 onwards will have a best friend ready to take part in any activity from soccer to tree climbing at a moment’s notice. Early socialisation and discipline towards other family pets is essential.
If you find your Bull Terrier is becoming destructive there will always be a reason.
Loneliness, boredom, lack of suitable toys, lack of exercise or lack of Human companionship. Remember you are number one in your Bull Terriers life. He needs you and looks up to you, don’t let him or her down.
Bull Terriers must learn basic obedience and commands, fortunately as they are incredibly intelligent dogs and very sensitive to nuances in your tone this is fairly easy. The secret is talk, talk, talk to your bully. Tell him happily if he does something desirable. Tell him sternly if you are not happy. The odd smack with your hand on his bum will not come amiss and will have far more effect for being so rare.
House training your puppy depends more on you then the puppy. Owners that are consistent achieve this much faster. Your Bull Terrier needs to be taken out onto the lawn immediately after meal times, waking up from a nap and anytime they wander around in circles sniffing. Always use one word to encourage them when you go out and praise them effusively when they comply. I find a simple what have you done in a disappointed tone when they have an accident works wonders. This also applies to chewing plants and anything other than their designated toys. Give them a correctly sized crate next to your bed as their sleeping area. At bed time shut them in the comfy crate and if they cry you can take them out to the toilet. This crate will prove invaluable for transport, time out, safety if you are not available for short periods and security and house training.
Your Sunduza Bull Terrier puppy will arrive already socialised with cats other dogs, parrots and people. We will have begun his house training and you will be given instructions on how to continue this. Socialization requires frequent supervised exposure to other people and animals. Take your puppy with you wherever possible, A bully puppy in a shopping cart will get all the socialisation necessary from fellow shoppers fussing over him.
English Bull Terriers have friendly and loving natures and their unusual profiles are a guaranteed talking point.
If you are considering a Bull Terrier to join your family please consider the following.
- Do I have time to spend with my Bull Terrier?
- Will I allow my Bull Terrier into the house and spend time house training him?
- Do I have a lawn area where my Bull Terrier can play and spend outdoor time. Bull Terriers cannot be shut up in a concrete yard or run for long periods of time. You will land up with an unhappy destructive dog that will most likely develop swollen feet from allergies to the concrete.
- Can I afford to take my Bull Terrier to the vet if necessary. Bull Terriers are generally health dogs but things can go wrong and there are yearly vaccinations and de-worming to consider.
If your answer to any of these questions is no please do not buy a Bull Terrier puppy.
If you feel that one of these superb dogs is the companion for you go ahead, but always buy from a reputable breeder. That way you will have constant back up for any problem that may arise as well as knowing the lineage and character traits of your puppy. If any unforeseen problem occurs it also means that if you can no longer keep your Bull Terrier you can also be confident that he will have a home to return to.
Bull Terriers are descended from amongst others the now Extinct White English Terrier bred to hunt vermin, the Old English Bulldog bred unfortunately for dog fights and a variety of blood sports and the Dalmatian used to introduce the white coat. Over the generations, Bull Terriers became very strong dogs, known for their bravery and tenacity
Early in the Bull Terrier history they became popular as Gentlemen’s companions and the wonderful intelligence and affectionate personality of the modern day English Bull Terrier was developed.
The English Bull Terrier breed is very much a family dog and can be very protective towards his people. They need to be socialised from a young age to associate with other dogs. Let your puppy play with other puppies and older non aggressive dogs so they can learn dog manners. Isolated Bull Terriers will find it difficult to relate to other dogs later on. Early positive socialization cannot be emphasised enough.
A word of caution, Bull terriers should be kept on a leash in public. Although most well socialised Bull Terriers will usually not instigate a fight they will certainly try to finish it.
