plz help me  !!!  my 8 month old american bulldog is the perfect house dog...hes great wiv the kids...he learnt all basic commands with not 1 problem n was house trained in 2 days.......i luv him 2 bits but as hes very big n very heavy walkin him is a bit of a struggle n now its gettin worse wiv the fact he hates evry other dog he comes across.....hes had numerous fights....hes pulled me ova just 2 get at the dogs......the worse thing is hes completly oblivious 2 me bein ther.....no mata wot command i shout he luks straight thru me n its upsettin tryin 2 prise sum other dogs head out of his mouth on evry walk....he'l ansa 2 evry command indoors and on the walk but as soon as anuva dog gets in his sightline then im forced 2 hide behind walls and cars in the hope he doesnt see it......a water pistol workd 4 a short time but now he dont care......all answers wud b apprieciated

nicky

xx

Was he socialised at all as a puppy?  If he hates other dogs at such a young age you really need to keep him muzzled and use a Head collar to get control when walking him.

Is he insured, if so does it cover Behavioural issues.  If so I would ask for your vet to refer you to a competent behaviourist.

Some breeds because historically they were used for fighting have a very low tolerance to others of their own kind, and this cross/breed is one such where there is a high proportion of this trait.

It sounds to me as if the best thing would be one to one sessions with a good trainer/behaviorist, was your puppy not socialized when he was younger is this where the problem comes from. Above all you need to get this problem sorted out (as your obviously aware) as quick as poss. In my opinion the best way would be to see a professional asap, I'm sure people on here could recommend someone from experience.

Cheers Martin.

he was born on a farm wiv 15 other american bulldogs, 2 german shepards, sheep..!! the list goes on.....the puppies from the same litter r fine...iv got anuva puppy from the farm whos younga n shes fine wiv other dogs......2 see him go so aggressive is horrible as hes so gud natured wiv people

I'm sorry, but please could you use English? I'd love to help if I could but I really can't understand what you're saying.

Text speak is not great on line as most of us cant understand the majority of it. I have a habit of using a bit of text speak but only a few words like Thro = through, but only being about 2 years older than you (looking at 79) I cant understand half of what you have put as it is hard to read. Please please please re type in English and npot text speak and I am sure you will get Loads more answers :) :) :)
Lea :) :) :)

i think theres a chance that it may just be lead aggression. one of my bitches goes mad at other dogs or cats when were out walking yet when we visit friends houses who have dogs or when dogs come here shes fine, a cat came in the house once and she ran away from it! lol

The dog has already had fights with other canines.  For safety he needs to be muzzled, as the owner could get themselves into trouble regarding the law, especially in the current climate re large dogs and the DDA.

Socialisation during the first weeks is important, but ratehr irrelevant once he was home, this has to be continued, especially with breeds/types that tend towards low tolerance of their own kind.  Pups learn to enjoy positive interactions with other canines before they grow up and theri natural less social tendencies take over.

He may never like other dogs, but training and control equipment will eman you can ensure he is safe and obedient.

right let me remember how writing normally goes.......its been a long time

please help me  !!!  my 8 month old american bulldog is the perfect house dog...hes great with the kids...he learnt all basic commands with not 1 problem and was house trained in 2 days.......i love him to bits but as hes very big and very heavy walkin him is a bit of a struggle and now its gettin worse with the fact he hates every other dog he comes across.....hes had numerous fights....hes pulled me over just to get at the dogs......the worse thing is hes completly oblivious to me bein there.....no matter what command i shout he looks straight through me and its upsettin tryin to prise sum other dogs head out of his mouth on every walk....he'l answer to every command indoors and on the walk but as soon as another dog gets in his sightline then im forced to hide behind walls and cars in the hope he doesnt see it......a water pistol workd for a short time but now he dont care......all answers would be apprieciated

he was born on a farm with 17 other dog and the other puppies from the litter are fine

Thanks, that's much better! :)

Okay - how old was he when you got him? What socialisation (taking him out and about to see dogs, traffic, shops, crowds, the sea, old people, children, horses, trains ...) has he had - especially before the age of 16 weeks? have you taken him to training classes?

ok.....got him at 14 wks and he was walked twice a day round different areas im in the middle of the country so i doubt he'l be seeing much of the sea !!! saying that hes fine with all people and loves stopping for lots of strokes unless someone is running which he doesnt like but he will just lean forward and watch them till they've gone past.

hes got demodex at the moment and the vet doesnt want to refer him to classes till thats cleared up.....when i first got him he was fine my friend used 2 bring round his staffy and they'd play in the garden for hours.......i doubt he would of left the farm before i got him

I am sorry you are having problems with your pup. I agree with what has been said. You should definitely be responsible knowing you have a dog you are unable to control by muzzling him until you have the situation under control. I would be furious if another dog attacked any of my dogs because the owner was unable to maintain control of their dog. In order to help him, you need to try and indentify the root cause. When did his aggression start and had anything happened to trigger this off? Also the socilisation he had, was it from older dogs or pups as dogs can benefit from both types of socialisation as older dogs know how to correct a young pup if it gets too unruly and pups can learn good doggy manners from calmer older dogs. Sometimes dogs will attack because they dont know how to read other dogs. They will attack out of fear. If he doesnt listen to you at this young age, you will have greater problems when he is older. I would suggest you work on attentiveness training with him. He needs to look up to you and to respect you as a pack leader and by him ignoring you is confirming that he isnt seeing you as pack leader currently. I would probably start by practicing all the basic commands with him- sit, stay etc, making sure he is looking at you and rewarding with a treat when he is doing what you have asked. I always ask my two to sit and "wait" when I put their meals in front of them and they will wait looking at me to give the command "free". They will also do the same with their treats. I can put a treat on the floor in front of them and ask them to wait and they wont touch the treat until i tell them "free". Its important not to get frustrated if your dog doesnt do as you ask or to raise your voice. It is a matter of being calm and consistent with them. Also in doorways, always make sure you are the person leading and your dog is following. This way, you are the leader and your dog is the follower. It will probably take a lot of repetion and correction with walking your pup back to its position and telling it to wait, but perseverance and patience is the key, making sure you reward when your dog is being good. When outside on the lead, you can train your dog to be attentive to you by walking a short distance and then sharply turning and practicing turning back and forth different ways. Remember to give your dog praise when they look at you and follow your turns. After a period of time you will find that you dog will be more attentive and will start accepting you as their pack leader and will want to please you automatically as they look up to you. Sometimes dogs will be aggressive as they have the flight or fight syndrome and they feel that they are the leader and can also sense tension on the lead from their owner. So by becoming the pack leader, gaining your dogs attention and not applying tension on the lead unduly- hopefully this should help the situation. But I certainly would also try to seek some help from a dog behaviouralist in your area. I hope the advice has helped. Fingers crossed for you

I really feel for dogs like this and to be honest, I don't have an answer apart from a good behaviourist to see whether you can break the cycle.

Do you have him on a good strong harness, not just a lead when walking?

Re: The puppy classes......

All I know is if I were in a puppy/dog class with a dog like this, I would want it taking out of the class, I know he needs socialising but classes should have been started at 12 weeks, at 8 months he is big and powerful already dog aggressive, already attacking other dogs, so like heck I would want your dog anywhere near mine at a training class. :-) Sorry, but I would be asking for your dog to be removed, otherwise it could impact on mine and other pups becoming afraid or also dog aggressive.  So I would steer clear of a class for now, unless you talk to the person running it who may have ideas of a small group where a dog aggressive dog can be handled well.

A good trick that many behaviourist use is to take your dog to a park or somewhere where dogs frequent, sit on a bench, but you will need at least another strong person with you though, (incase he breaks free)  get your dog to sit and both of you hold the lead/harness, take treats or something your dog likes and reward him if you can get him not to pull, strain to get to a dog, growl or snarl, he gets a good boy and a treat.  You'd have to do this for weeks! It is not very nice for other dogs to have to pass him though, I can't say I would enjoy it, but it may eventually help him to be calmer.

In the meantime look for a good referred behaviourist and protect other dogs, remember we all love our dogs and don't want them attacked!  So for now, you must muzzle, you must make sure you are strong enough to hold him, if not, you can not walk alone, or you take him at unsociable hours, i.e 6am to avoid other dogs, then park training as suggested above, then perhaps just a lot of garden play for the evening, once the 'park training' is getting results then perhaps you can try the odd walk where he will meet other dogs whilst not just sitting.

I hope that you will be able to help  him, otherwise please keep other dogs safe from him. :-)

Hi Nicky- I was reading some other posts and I came across the one where you said that you owned Logan 8 months and Tia 4 months. How is he with Tia. I understand from wht you wrote in the other post that Logan was very dominant and guarded the toys and wouldnt allow Tia to have them until he had finished. I think the aggression you are speaking about is deriving from the fact he has become the top dog in the household and is becoming very dominant and is used to getting his own way and hasnt been put in his place and learnt good doggy manners from older dogs. If he was my dog I would not allow him to have all his own way with the toys and I would teach him to share. I have a GSD and a Spaniel and they share their toys, they will share their food and bed without any animosity to one another. I have owned 2 previous GSD and Spaniels previously and they would all share with one another. They would even share from each others bowls without any problems as it was something I wouldnt allow from pups as even an inkling of a misword and I would tell them no and naughty. So I think you need to start stepping in taking leadership and not allowing Logan to rule the roost and teaching him how to share with Tia as if you dont step in now, when Logan and Tia are adults you may have some problems. Good luck. I hope the advice helps. x

Hi Nicky

Im surprised your puppy is agressive at just 8mnths of age! he is still a baby.
You have quite a worrying situation here as if you dont sort it out now its just going to escalate and get worse where he's totally uncontrollable and possibly dangerous.

Im not very familiar with American Bulldogs but think one of the dog training programs on tv just recently featured one of those, where the family just couldnt cope with him, he was a big powerful dog and the family just  hadnt done their homework and were totally outdogged!
Why did you chose one of these?  Are they known to be agressive with other dogs?

Like many others have asked on here, Im wondering has he had much socialisation since you got him? How old was he when you got him? Was it a puppy farm you got him from? IE breeder breeding for money and not for the good of the breed?

Think you need to get him firstly on a headcollar of some type so you have proper control of him and take him out more, take some treats and distract him before he can go for the other dog, maybe take him to a training class with an experinced trainer and see what he makes of him, at this age I would have thought with hard work and effort you could turn him around, but you need to act quick before hes more mature and stronger

As the owner of a dog aggressive dog I can certainly sympathise with you, the most important thing is you have to ensure that other dogs are safe. After the first dog attack it should never have happened again. If you can't control him you can't take him out - it's as simple as that I'm afraid. My boy was very well socialised, never had a bad experience with another dog but just doesn't have a good temperment I'm afraid, well to clarify he is excellent with people and dogs he knows but has a very strong prey drive. He became intolerant of other dogs at a young age too and despite a couple of very good behaviourists I've never managed to 'cure' him. So, the most important thing is to keep other dogs safe. I think his breed and breeding play a huge part in this and suspect that could possibly be the same with your dog, although a very different breed.

If your dog is managing to bite other dogs while on the lead he must be muzzled, you need to go out today and buy one of the baskerville basket type muzzles that allows him to breath too, you can't take him out again until he's muzzled. Then secondly you need to be able to hold him back, thats more difficult as you can't use most headcollars with a muzzle. I would recommend the walkrite harness, or any of these no pull dog harrnesses. You need a good strong lead, clipped onto his harness and collar.

Do you drive? I would be driving him to out of the way places to walk, industrial estates are good for on lead walking as you don't normally see many dogs there. For off lead exercise you need to find very secure places like tennis courts, 5-a-side football pitches etc. You can generally use these out of hours, remember to clean up after him of course. Until you've sought the advice of a behaviourist you will need to exercise him in these areas.

You know your dog is aggressive, do you know you could be prosecuted under the dangerous dogs act if a person were to inadvertantly get bitten during one of these fights? I can't stress enough that until this problem is sorted you must make sure he can't get to any other dogs. I've managed to keep other dogs safe around my boy for the last 6 years so it is possible with careful planning. I had a scare quite recently when an offlead dog appeared and harrassed my boy but he didn't get to the dog. It's our responsibility as owners of such dogs to make absolutely sure they can't harm other dogs.

its not a puppy farm.....it just happens to be where the breeder lives....hes a dog trainer aswel but i got logan young and i done it all myself....i dont work and spend alot of time alone with my dogs , i reinforce all there commands into a routine twice daily, hes excellant at followin commands(i can even tell him when to go toilet) which is why its most upsetting when he sees a dog and he just looks straight through me....i would say it did get more severe after i got tia as i used to take him to dog shows when he was little and he was fine.....hes now over 90lbs in weight and iv just went a bought a muzzle and a halti head collar...i will add he doesnt bark,snarl or growl at any off these dog...he howls and yelps as if he wants to play yet i tend to think the sight of him heading towards them would make them go quite defensive..is this right

many thanks for all your replys

Are they a fighting breed? Or are they an old breed that was bred for fighting, but no more? Sorry if I sound ignorant:rolleyes:

Googling seems to suggest they are a primitive form of Bulldog bred in the Southern States for holding wild hogs and cattle, and for guarding. 

So we are talking a highly driven determined dog which won't back down. 

Temperament or lack of seems to be a big issue in the US and they are a breed like then APBT often involved with poor ownership and horrendous attacks on dogs an people are not uncommon.  they are not recognised by the AKC or the other show organisation the UKC in the states.

This link: http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/americanbulldogs.html  makes worrying reading especially:

If you don't want to deal with...

A large dog who takes up a lot of space in your house and car
Vigorous exercise requirements
Rowdiness and exuberant jumping, especially when young
Providing enough socialization so their protectiveness doesn't become aggression
Aggression toward other animals
Strong-willed mind of his own, requiring a confident owner who can take charge
Shedding
Slobbering and drooling
Gassiness (flatulence)
Serious health problems
Legal liabilities (public perception, future breed bans, insurance problems, increased chance of lawsuits)
An American Bulldog may not be right for you

the serious health problems are bad hips and joints and lots of breeds have that, all dogs shed hair, my american bull dog didnt slobber or drool as she didnt have the jowl that some american bull dogs have. i didnt have any of the problems that are associated with the breed, like i said in an earlier post it could just be lead aggression.

These traits were primarily what worried me: Animal aggression. Many American Bulldogs will not tolerate another dog of the same sex. Some American Bulldogs have strong instincts to chase and seize cats and other fleeing creatures. If anything goes wrong in the breeding, socializing, training, handling, or management of this breed, it is capable of seriously injuring or killing other animals.

The strong temperament. American Bulldogs are not Golden Retrievers. The best American Bulldogs are versatile working dogs, capable of learning a great deal, but they have an independent mind of their own and are not pushovers to raise and train. Many are willful, obstinate, and dominant (they want to be the boss) and will make you prove that you can make them do things. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.

Not the breed for the average pet owner at all.

For soemone to get a second dog when they have such a young immature dog who is now showing problem behaviours was unfortunte.

they are not a fighting breed and have only been around 10 yrs or less. i owned an american bull dog and she was an absolute lolly pop my english bull terrier was was like some devil dog and would always attack my american bull dog. my american bull dog was probably the most laid back breed ive owned and i would jump at the chance to own one again

>they are not a fighting breed and have only been around 10 yrs or less<

Are talking about how long they've been in the UK? American Bulldogs have existed in some form in the US since the countries early history; 17th-18th century. Even if you only consider the Johnson types true American Bulldogs they started their breeding program in the 40s. They are working dogs bred to control and bait bulls, bears, even American bisons and for guarding farms and property. In their guarding role they would be expected to dispatch any feral dogs that were a threat to their property; something they have a reputation for being very good at. The breed also has a tendency to go for faces when it does attack so they can inflict serious damage.

yes i meant thats how long theyve been in the uk and theyve not been around since the 17th to 18th century all they are are apbt x mastiffs the american bull dog all stemed from 3 families Johnson, Billy Heins and Scott the reason they arent recognised by the AKC is because there is too much varity in the breed

Two articles with information about the American Bulldog.

yes the english bull dog was aorund in the 17th and 18th century but thats not the american bull dog is it

Read about the history of the American bulldog, given in those links, Hayley. The 'type' (as you say, it's not a recognised breed) had been around for a long time (a couple of centuries) before the various people started developing their own strains - even the 'Johnson' strain is about 70 years old, according to the date you gave.

The breen in question wasnt even known as the American Bulldog until about 1991. The breed we know as the American Bulldog was originally known by many different names before the American Bulldog became the standard. In different parts of the south he was known as the "Engish White" or "white English" because he was a primarily white dog. He was also called the "Alabama" or "Southern Bulldog" but most commonly just "bulldog". The breed was not called a Bulldog because of a cetain look but because he did real bulldog work

They could and did catch and hold for their owners rough cattle includingbad brahma bulls, and did double as a farm protector against feral dogs and two legged bad guys.

The American Bulldog bacame noticed by the public in the late 1980's and began to increase in popularity. A good all round family pet and guard dog was a thing to be desired. As the breed started to increase in popularity, it started to catch the eye of some greedy fast buck artists. Most of the scam artists, flimflam men and assorted con men had left the breed for greener pastures when they found out the American Bulldog fanciers were starting to educate themselves. But there are still puppy pedlars out there, mostly preying on uninformed individuals through all the breed magazines like Dog World and Dog Fancy.

But why would anyone want/need to own one here in the UK?
It's obvious that a breed like this needs not only an experienced owner, but also suitable exercise for his mind and body. We don't have the room in this crowded island to offer these facilities to such a dog, so IMHO it is cruelty to keep one.

People in the uk want/need to own one for various reasons. To make themselves look good, to breed and make money etc etc etc. Just because you own a working breed doesnt mean you have to use it for the purpose it was originally bred for. Plenty of people own working breeds, but wouldnt dream of using them for the correct purpose. My partner was interested in the breed 20 yrs ago and started researcing the breed in America but was put off the breed about 7 yrs ago when people who owned the breed told him that they really arent what they are made out to be. The APBT is a million times the breed the American Bulldog is and ever was.

To make themselves look good, to breed and make money etc etc etc.
The APBT is a million times the breed the American Bulldog is and ever was.

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

>People in the uk want/need to own one for various reasons. To make themselves look good, to breed and make money etc etc etc.

Yes, but what would be the valid reasons for wanting one?

I dont know what you mean by valid reasons, there is no valid reason. They arent a recoginised breed so you wouldnt buy one for showing, people who want a cattle dog use collies, we have no bears or bison, so other than trying to make your self look good or make money what else is there

Which is exactly why there is no valid reason for owning one in the UK. Oh yes, I forgot - breeding puppies to make money.

I'd add legal to that too.

It has been postulated that So called American Bulldogs are just another alternative cover for Fighting dog enthusiasts. 

This is the stance of some authorities so this kind of dog acting badly could really find itself faced with the Dangerous Dogs Act, and some may consider them of Pit bull type.

In the current climate a great deal of care needs to be taken by the Original Poster in order that the dog does not come to the notice of authorities, as under the DDA the burden of proof is to prove the dog isn't of 'The Type' which substantially and American bulldog could easily be argued that it is.

i can see why some may consider them as APBT type but they are so far away from that breed, ive never heard of them being used as fighting dogs and cant see why they would be used for that considering there are loads of APBT's still in the uk

its not bad dogs, just bad owners.

And Bad breeders.  I don't think much of a breeder of any bred, but especially as strong willed guarding type that would allow an owner to have another puppy when their current one has yet to reach puberty and really show what it's made of.

I always advise a good two or three years (in a sociable easy going breed) to get any dog to the stage of training and maturity that will allow one to take full concentration off that one before starting training with the next.

i completely agree with you. how ever im guilty on the last part as i just got an 8 week old pup when i already have a 1yr old and 2 and a half yr old :rolleyes:

Are you a Novice owner though? 

Your braver than me I would never consider owning another pup without at least the younger reachign two years, as I find one to concentrate on at that age, bearing in mind I have older dogs to consider too.

My pup will push through my others and leap up at people to get attention first if I don't watch her like a hawk.  She thinks once she has obeyed 'off' she can do it again :D  She is 12 month now and won't be fully civilised for another 6 months to a year.  She is still at the stage where good manners ahve to be insisted on, not second nature :rolleyes:  Youngsters are just so full of the joys, and well meaning enthusiasm.

They were considered as going on the banned types list when the act was drawn up, but following one being seized and found by a court to be a Pit bull type they were not included! 

why was the American Bulldog considered to go on the ban list? the APBT wasnt put on there to protect people like they made out it was to stop dog fighting. theyre on about rotweilers now but who in their right mind would leave a small child alone with any breed of dog for any amount of time?

why was the American Bulldog considered to go on the ban list? the APBT wasnt put on there to protect people like they made out it was to stop dog fighting.

LOL, no it wasn't. It was as a direct result of the attacks on Frank Tempest, and in particular Rucksana Khan. It was easy for the government to add any breed that wasn't KC recognised hence the solitary Japanese Tosa ended up on the list of proscribed breeds along with Dogo Argentinos and Fila Brasilieros that weren't here at all. Had they tried to add a KC recognised breed they would have met far more resistance than they did, as there would have been reputable breeders around in large numbers.

if you believe that then that is your choice, and there were and still are large numbers of breeders around even though they are/were not uk kc recoginised, look at the russel there were tonnes of them aroung before that became kc recognised/registered

They didnt end up on the list as the legislation showed that they could be considered as Pit Bulls as proved by a case that went though the courts. 

this is only information I have from a police dog handler that was around the time of the legislation being drawn up and the subsequent amended legislation

oh i see

the Johnson strain was started by John D Johnson's father around 1938 and then carried on by John D Johnson himself i have a letter here form him dated september 1997

What does his breeder have to say?

Thanks for that link Barbara, wasn't really sure what they were like.

I think if I remember rightly, an American Bulldog was used in the Disney film  "Homeward Bound", portraying a jolly, bumbling, friendly family dog. Which is all very well and some of them may well be, but I do think that these film/TV companies are sometimes irresponsible in their choice of breeds.  Because they surely  know that WHATEVER breed they show will, briefly, become  "Flavour of the moment".