English Bull Terrier
Discussion
2thumbs said:
Thanks!
She is fawn, there's not many of them this colour. I believe it is undesirable at crufts :/
Not sure why, she's beautiful! She is fawn, there's not many of them this colour. I believe it is undesirable at crufts :/
I forgot about the hard head aspect. A mate of mine had a lab and occasionally they'd bump heads, and both owner and dog would sit back with a pained expression.
Not so bullies, I've cracked my head on Yoki, sat back and she's just gone "What?"
Tons of empathy though. Always tells if you've had a bad day, knows when not to mess about, etc.
taylor172 said:
Wow thanks for the helpful posts!
Does anyone leave them alone for any length of time. There will be 2 days a week where they will be alone for about 5 hours?
I can't wait for my own little toddler dog lol!
Ours can be left alone for 4 or 5 hours but rarely is. She just sleeps when we do go out Without her. Does anyone leave them alone for any length of time. There will be 2 days a week where they will be alone for about 5 hours?
I can't wait for my own little toddler dog lol!
Edited by 2thumbs on Tuesday 3rd March 19:20
cwis said:
Not sure why, she's beautiful!
I forgot about the hard head aspect. A mate of mine had a lab and occasionally they'd bump heads, and both owner and dog would sit back with a pained expression.
Not so bullies, I've cracked my head on Yoki, sat back and she's just gone "What?"
Tons of empathy though. Always tells if you've had a bad day, knows when not to mess about, etc.
Yes you have to expect the occasional head butt! I forgot about the hard head aspect. A mate of mine had a lab and occasionally they'd bump heads, and both owner and dog would sit back with a pained expression.
Not so bullies, I've cracked my head on Yoki, sat back and she's just gone "What?"
Tons of empathy though. Always tells if you've had a bad day, knows when not to mess about, etc.
I've had my fair share of split lips when she has been clumsy or boisterous
taylor172 said:
Wow thanks for the helpful posts!
Does anyone leave them alone for any length of time. There will be 2 days a week where they will be alone for about 5 hours?
I can't wait for my own little toddler dog lol!
Yoki gets left for up to 5 hours a couple of times a week. Mostly she sleeps, unless there is trouble to get into. This is when shoes are chewed, etc. A degree of dog proofing will be required for the house. Does anyone leave them alone for any length of time. There will be 2 days a week where they will be alone for about 5 hours?
I can't wait for my own little toddler dog lol!
If yours is active in the morning, a 20 minute walk or playtime should be sufficient to get him or her to snooze until lunch.
One thing - they are not outside dogs. I don't think most of them can grow the double coat to keep them warm in winter, so inside when you're not there.
I suppose we'd better discuss the other aspects of EBT's.
Most dogs are a pain as a puppy, after a brief obedient puppy stage, and then at about 18 months to 2 years they grow up, calm down and you get an idea of the true character of the dog.
With EBT's this can take up to 5 years. Think of it as an investment!
The health aspects have been touched upon:
They have "lion paws" where the claw is a thick open tube, usually not terminating in a point. This tube gets crushed while the nail is cut, which can be painful to the dog as the quick gets squashed. But then if you leave the nail long it is prone to cracking or splitting - more pain. A lot of EBT's are very sensitive about their feet. There are lots of folds and loose skin down there that can harbor fungal and other infections.
They are prone to put on weight - the appetite of a lab but without the work ethic.
White ones (mostly but other colours too) can have various allergies and skin problems and are prone to skin cancer due to sunburn.
EBT's are stubborn and wiley - you don't have to dominate them or hit them, but they need to know that no means NO. No negotiation - they'll just take advantage. They are not a Fisher Price "My First Dog". That would be a Labrador.
They generally have a hugely high pain threshold. This makes them good with kids (kids can't really hurt them and this is why smacking them is pointless too!) but they won't look ill unless they are REALLY ill. My first one died of bowel cancer (normally a very painful disease) and we couldn't tell until the stools started to come out bloody. Then she stopped eating.
Trancing and bully runs are harmless aspects of compulsive behaviour. EBT's are a little prone to this - they can lick a sore paw raw, or tail chase obsessively or scratch themselves down to the bone in extreme cases.
I actually heard of a dog put down due to tail chasing - he'd actually grown with deformed limbs and muscles because he did it so often and it got to the point when he did nothing else.
Other dogs can be funny with EBT's. It might be because they can't easily read their body language - not sure. But Bullies can quite often have a bad experience with other dogs while they are in the formative years and this will stay with them for life - they don't forget and will not like other dogs from then on.
They can also have a surprisingly high prey drive - the terrier side probably. If one grows up with cats they are normally fine, but be careful when introducing...
I'd not get a puppy as a first EBT personally. They are a pain (cute though) when small, and this can last for 5 years.
If you're not sure but you've had dogs before, why not foster an adult? Either you can gain some direct EBT experience, help a dog in need and then get a puppy, or the one you foster might become the one, and you're handily placed to enjoy the adult EBT experience... Win win!
Most dogs are a pain as a puppy, after a brief obedient puppy stage, and then at about 18 months to 2 years they grow up, calm down and you get an idea of the true character of the dog.
With EBT's this can take up to 5 years. Think of it as an investment!
The health aspects have been touched upon:
They have "lion paws" where the claw is a thick open tube, usually not terminating in a point. This tube gets crushed while the nail is cut, which can be painful to the dog as the quick gets squashed. But then if you leave the nail long it is prone to cracking or splitting - more pain. A lot of EBT's are very sensitive about their feet. There are lots of folds and loose skin down there that can harbor fungal and other infections.
They are prone to put on weight - the appetite of a lab but without the work ethic.
White ones (mostly but other colours too) can have various allergies and skin problems and are prone to skin cancer due to sunburn.
EBT's are stubborn and wiley - you don't have to dominate them or hit them, but they need to know that no means NO. No negotiation - they'll just take advantage. They are not a Fisher Price "My First Dog". That would be a Labrador.
They generally have a hugely high pain threshold. This makes them good with kids (kids can't really hurt them and this is why smacking them is pointless too!) but they won't look ill unless they are REALLY ill. My first one died of bowel cancer (normally a very painful disease) and we couldn't tell until the stools started to come out bloody. Then she stopped eating.
Trancing and bully runs are harmless aspects of compulsive behaviour. EBT's are a little prone to this - they can lick a sore paw raw, or tail chase obsessively or scratch themselves down to the bone in extreme cases.
I actually heard of a dog put down due to tail chasing - he'd actually grown with deformed limbs and muscles because he did it so often and it got to the point when he did nothing else.
Other dogs can be funny with EBT's. It might be because they can't easily read their body language - not sure. But Bullies can quite often have a bad experience with other dogs while they are in the formative years and this will stay with them for life - they don't forget and will not like other dogs from then on.
They can also have a surprisingly high prey drive - the terrier side probably. If one grows up with cats they are normally fine, but be careful when introducing...
I'd not get a puppy as a first EBT personally. They are a pain (cute though) when small, and this can last for 5 years.
If you're not sure but you've had dogs before, why not foster an adult? Either you can gain some direct EBT experience, help a dog in need and then get a puppy, or the one you foster might become the one, and you're handily placed to enjoy the adult EBT experience... Win win!
Thanks for taking the time to write such an in depth post.
Very helpful!!
I've had a few dogs and my parents used to run a kennels. We were always brought up understanding that dogs had rules and boundaries.
My concern with adopted Adult dogs is having a new rule book put on them and not understanding not jumping on sofas etc.
Very helpful!!
I've had a few dogs and my parents used to run a kennels. We were always brought up understanding that dogs had rules and boundaries.
My concern with adopted Adult dogs is having a new rule book put on them and not understanding not jumping on sofas etc.
taylor172 said:
Thanks for taking the time to write such an in depth post.
Very helpful!!
I've had a few dogs and my parents used to run a kennels. We were always brought up understanding that dogs had rules and boundaries.
My concern with adopted Adult dogs is having a new rule book put on them and not understanding not jumping on sofas etc.
Well you appear to be exactly the sort of person to get on well with them as you ask questions and don't know it all. So it's a pleasure to help. Very helpful!!
I've had a few dogs and my parents used to run a kennels. We were always brought up understanding that dogs had rules and boundaries.
My concern with adopted Adult dogs is having a new rule book put on them and not understanding not jumping on sofas etc.
But I'm not sure how you're going to stop a pup jumping on sofas etc...
Adult dogs may not know the rules but at least they will be generally aware that there Are rules!
In my fairly limited experience foster dogs are on their best behaviour for about 3 months, the so called honeymoon period.
That is the time to go through the rule book with your new recruit. Spoil them then, ruin the rest of your relationship with them.
One the hp is over, you can be looser and the dog relaxes into the pack, knowing the rules.
Yoki hadn't lived inside before. The first night she didn't really know where to sleep and she'd always been caged, but we found her curled up in her basket in the morning. The first time I lit the fire her eyes nearly popped out of her head and she studied me intently for the rest of the evening in case I did any other clever stuff. She was disappointed...
Now she pokes the fire grill with her nose to make it rattle if she thinks it's a bit cold...
cwis said:
The first time I lit the fire her eyes nearly popped out of her head and she studied me intently for the rest of the evening in case I did any other clever stuff. She was disappointed...
Now she pokes the fire grill with her nose to make it rattle if she thinks it's a bit cold...
Now she pokes the fire grill with her nose to make it rattle if she thinks it's a bit cold...
We've had to pull our Staffy back because her nose was inside a lit log burner before, dogs & fire is rather funny isn't it?Tango13 said:
cwis said:
bexVN said:
OP wants to keep a Bullie off the sofa, good luck with that 
The Bully run thing seems familiar too, is there any breed link between EBTs & Staffys?
We have a rescue EBT-Staffy cross which doesn't look much like an EBT but exhibits the same behaviour as Yoki, with the exception of walking. She can walk all day and even when she is tired she won't pass on up going back out. You will need to satisfy their love of chewing and playing though and they will chew their way through most toys in anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of hours. Playing tug for half an hour a day helps, but be prepared for armache as they won't quit, these breeds are incredibly tenacious and will just hang on and you'll stop before they do. Plus they have this tendency to go from flat out lazy to OMGOMGOMG JUMP ON THE HUMANS HEAD in the space of around a nanosecond. But don't be put off by it, it's all part of the fun. Interestingly it only really happens with me as Cindy is more calm around my girlfriend, as somebody said earlier they can read people very well and she knows I can handle rough play. Even though Cindy is deaf, if you are upset in anyway she will be there trying to sit on your head to try and help you as this is her way of making humans feel happier. If you happen to be sitting on the sofa at the time, all the better. Oh and if you're on the sofa, they will be on the sofa. It's comical watching the way Cindy will try to sneak on by doing the one paw at a time method coupled with some fake yawning and not looking at you. But it's inevitable, they will want to sit with you, next to you, on you....
Somebody on here mentioned that you can buy dog specific suncream last year so we use that as I wasn't sure if the normal stuff would be harmful to dogs. But there's a lot of pink skin on Bull breeds and they like to sunbathe.
Mine likes to run too, especially before having a poo where she will do a couple of laps of the garden at top speed before engaging in some sort of dance ritual before deciding on the perfect spot. Even at at night in the pitch dark she will run flat out, she demolished a bird table with her head doing it once, she didn't even stop. All the running (and skidding) means I don't need to trim her claws although do have to keep an eye on the dew claws as these can get long.
Somebody on here mentioned that you can buy dog specific suncream last year so we use that as I wasn't sure if the normal stuff would be harmful to dogs. But there's a lot of pink skin on Bull breeds and they like to sunbathe.
Mine likes to run too, especially before having a poo where she will do a couple of laps of the garden at top speed before engaging in some sort of dance ritual before deciding on the perfect spot. Even at at night in the pitch dark she will run flat out, she demolished a bird table with her head doing it once, she didn't even stop. All the running (and skidding) means I don't need to trim her claws although do have to keep an eye on the dew claws as these can get long.
Hooli said:
The Bully run thing seems familiar too, is there any breed link between EBTs & Staffys?
This was then bred with various other dogs to create a few different breeds.
the ebt is bull and terrier crossed with white English terrier, dalmatian and possibly others.
The staffie is bull and terrier crossed with various working dogs I believe.
so there is a link
2thumbs said:
I think ebts and staffies both originally came from the bull and terrier fighting dog, a bulldog and white terrier cross from the 1800s.
This was then bred with various other dogs to create a few different breeds.
the ebt is bull and terrier crossed with white English terrier, dalmatian and possibly others.
The staffie is bull and terrier crossed with various working dogs I believe.
so there is a link
Definitely Dalmatian in an EBT. This is what we discovered when Her Royal Yokiness had an allergy spot test:This was then bred with various other dogs to create a few different breeds.
the ebt is bull and terrier crossed with white English terrier, dalmatian and possibly others.
The staffie is bull and terrier crossed with various working dogs I believe.
so there is a link
White terriers are extinct now - shame - they must have been excellent dogs if you look at the modern breeds that have come from their bloodline.
I always wondered why Cindy had dark spots on her skin, you just about see them on this picture (excuse the coy pose), but up close her skin is very similar to Yoki's. Never knew there was Dalmatian in the EBT breeding.
We were also told that the fact there is pigment in her skin but not her hair in a lot of places maybe the reason for her deafness, as this can affect the tiny hairs in the inner ear which convert sound to nerve impulses. No idea if that is the case or not, but the fact that Dalmatians are prone to deafness maybe a reason for her condition as nobody knows whether she was born deaf or lost her hearing as a pup.
We were also told that the fact there is pigment in her skin but not her hair in a lot of places maybe the reason for her deafness, as this can affect the tiny hairs in the inner ear which convert sound to nerve impulses. No idea if that is the case or not, but the fact that Dalmatians are prone to deafness maybe a reason for her condition as nobody knows whether she was born deaf or lost her hearing as a pup.
Edited by Fugazi on Wednesday 4th March 17:18
Hooli said:
We've had to pull our Staffy back because her nose was inside a lit log burner before, dogs & fire is rather funny isn't it?Until failry recently I've never been keen on the EBT; they just have this look about them that has never sat well with me, however after reading on here about them and my friend has had one for a year or so from a puppy and from what I hear about what she gets up to, they seem to have such fantastic and loveable characters and my view on them has changed significantly.
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