Can anyone please give me some advice as to what to do, Iv got a 1 year old English Bull Terrier, he has been a handful from day one.
Iv tried everything puppy training etc Iv even seen Dr Mugford.
The problem is he is very very aggressive sometimes, iv been bitten several times, it seems to stem around food and toy guarding, and not letting me in to the Kitchen.
Basically im not enjoying him anymore, bull terrier rescue cannot help me in view of his aggression. I see that im left with 2 options, would i be doing the right thing if i decided to euthanase?
Does anyone know anything about rage syndrome in Bull terriers? any help/ideas would be great thanks, and do you know anyone who could take on such a dog?

Hi swede boy, Im sorry to say this, and Im sure I will be shot down in flames from other posters, but if he is only a year old and still not sexually mature and he is biting you on a regular basis, I would have him pts. So sorry you have such problems :(

Sorry to hear of your trouble, no one should feel they must live with a dog that they are scared about and who is disrupting their life to the extent that your dog is. You do seem to have reached the end of the road. Try one more thing to see if it helps, ask the vet to give him a Tardec injection. If he improved by about 7 days after the jab enough for you to be able to resume some sort of training then it may well be worth you having him castrated. The injection will last 2 to 3 months so you will have time to think. If there is no improvement then I think I agree with Phillipa you have reached the end of the line, sooner of later someone other than you will get hurt and the matter will be taken out of your hands and you may find yourself in court. Very sorry to have to say this and if you knew me you would know that it is very against my normal stance to suggest that you castrate but I think that is all that is left to you. Take him to be given a Tardec injection which will mimic the effect of having him castrated and will let you know if this is going to help, hope it does. Jackie

i'm so sorry to hear you're having such an awful time with your dog :( i have no experience with EBTs, but did have a VERY dominant mastiff/shepherd cross once.
Firstly, has he been neutered? He sounds like a very dominant dog who does not look to you as the leader, hence the guarding food/toys and not letting you through doorways [trying to control where you can and cannot go is a typical sign of dominance]. If you haven't had him castrated already and want to know if it'd help at all there is an injection your vet can give him that duplicates the result [if any] castration would have on his dominance issue.
Secondly, have you heard of NILF??? It stands for Nothing In Life is Free - the idea is your dog has to earn everything. He has to sit before you give him his food, sit for a toy, sit for a fuss, sit before he gets into the car etc. You eat before him [i've been told that pretending to eat from the dogs bowl is also advisable], you go through doorways before him, he is not allowed on the furniture etc. If he is aggressive to the point of trying to take your hand off when you attempt to enforce the above, put a long trailing lead on him and *make* him do it. If for instance he refuses to get off the furniture, take the lead and pull him off it with the command "off" or whatever you'd like. Eventually he'll accept that when you say "off" he gets off.
Same goes for doorways - if he won't get out of your way move him out of the way and say "move". A few weeks of this treatment should have him back in his place, but you have to stick to it religiously!!!
If you have tried the above then i honestly don't see what else you can do - i don't think he is a lost cause though, perhaps you could contact some EBT rescues, let them know that his problems are dominance related? Did Dr. Mugford think he could be rehabilitated?

Hi & welcome :)
I noticed that you've contacted EBT rescue.
Have you asked them about any trainers who specialize in EBTs?
Have you discussed your problems with anyone involved long-term in the raising and handling of EBT's?
If you don't know where the nearest EBT club is, you can post your region and I"m sure that someone will get back with necessary information.

Seriously, I would consult with someone who knows the breed before you euthanize to ensure that you have done everything possible that could be done training wise.
He/she would also be able to provide a level of comparison with other EBTs. It would help you to realize if your dog is inherently out of control because of nature, or just needs certain behavioral guides for training.
hth,
good luck,
toodles

Thanks everyone for your replys and so quick.
Iv booked him in to the vet today for this Tardec injection.
I have tried all the things speedsmum suggests.
I called the English Bull Terrier Welfare and basically they could not help me they said they could not re-home an aggressive dog and would only euthanize.
Dr Mugford gave me advice in July after my visit to him and I put all the things into practise things improved for a short time but then Bradley went back to his old ways.
Dr Mugford did say he might be able to help re-home him but I would need another assesment done on Bradley and at £225 I feel I am throwing good money away, and there would be no guarantee that he could find a home for him or indeed if he was re-homable.
Im going to see if there is a Bull Terrier club near me today (west Sussex)to see if they can help, thanks everyone.
I think this is a great site, I only found it by chance .

Bull Terrier Breed Council or The Coloured Bull Terrier Club should be able to help you to locate someone near you.
good luck with the Tardac :)
toodles :Cool:

Hiya
I don't know much about bull terriers -my friend has one and untill she was 15 months old she was a fiesty thing ( the dog not my friend ! )
have you spoken to any breeders ?
I had a problem with my dog and I couldn't get in touch with my breeder so I looked at the list of breeders on this site and rang one ! She had no connection with me or my dog but was more than happy to give me advice .
hope you get things sorted
Liz :)

After you followed Dr. Mugford's advice and Bradley improved, did you keep doing all the things suggested? Some dogs need approaches like NILF used for the rest of their lives - don't think of it as a course, more as a way of doing things in general with your dog. Also, if he did show improvement then the cause of his slide back to his old ways *might* be down to hormones - his has, in essence just hit puberty, and even if you were religiously following the advice given he may have just decided to take another shot at the leader's role?
i can't see what else you could do other than keep at it!! Be completely consistent and it may turn out that this is a teenage phase, or that he might eventually realise you're not budging as the dominant party. Do contact EBT breeders, as they'll have a lot more experience with dominance issues in the breed.
i really hope you can work this out - i think with time it's possible he will become more well adjusted. Good luck :)

Dear Swede Boy,

In addition to just about everyone else who posted, I'm not very knowledgeable with your breed. However, I have a deep understanding of dog behavior and pack theory.

Dogs behave aggressively for a variety of reasons. Here are some of the main reasons:

1) They are genetically predisposed to aggression due to agressive ancestors. (the longer the chain of aggression, the more aggressive the dog). Where did you get your dog from?

2) Dogs live under a strict hierarchy. According to pack theory, whoever controls the resources (e.g. food, water, toys, access to outdoors, etc.) is the alpha model. Dogs need guidance and a competent leader. If lacking either one, dogs usually tend to take things into their own hands. Thus, causing mistaken identity under which the dog feels he is the alpha and the leader because he/she controls it's owner, whether it be through whining to get it's way or through intimidation.

3) Hormones. If your dog is a year old, then that would mean he's going through hormone changes of a 16 year old boy. If you've raised a child then you know what i'm talking about....Blatant rebellion. Dogs are not the exception to the rule. Have him neutered....it will help.

4) Physical Abuse. Dogs learn 3 different ways. Association, Trial and error, and EXAMPLE! If you hit your dog, he will respond by defending himself. If you become afraid, they can sense that. Guess what? Now he's got the upper hand because he knows how to intimidate you now. Avoid towering over your dog or staring him in the eyes at all costs.

These are the main causes of aggression in my opinion. I have a Pit Bull Mastiff that is somewhat aggressive and everytime he growls at me i make him go in his cage for quiet time. He HATES IT!! I only let him out when he's quiet for 5-10 minutes. If not, then he stays in. It helps ALOT.

It sounds to me like your dog has a combination of all three factors listed above. The fact that he will not let you into the kitchen proposes that he's suffering from a mistaken identity. From now on, if doggy wants something, doggy has to do something to get it. Make him earn everything he gets. However, you must be persistent. If he sees that he can get over on you from time to time, then he will make your efforts practically futile. PERSISTENCE is the KEY!!

Also, invest in a "gentle leader." Read the directions and follow them perfectly. Make him wear it at all times until you see progress. If he growls or snaps, drag him into his cage until he is quiet. If he guards food, drag to cage...take away food...try again later.

One very important thing though....when dealing with aggressive dogs you must remember never to become frustrated or angry. Keep it positive. End training sessions on a positive note. Give him treats whenever he does something right. If you only punish him for what he does wrong, how is he going to know what is acceptable? Dogs do learn through trial and error, but it takes much longer than if you just guide him by showing him what's acceptable behavior and what's not. If he does something good, then you must praise him lavishly. Allow him to trust you. Try these tactics for a little while and keep me posted on the results. Good luck!

Rob