Show me your "bully" breeds!

[redfaerythinker]

There was a recent thread in the FH&H section that blew up over a debate about the suitablility of so-called bully breeds for family pets and it seems that a lot of PSers love them. So I really want to see your puppies and to hear what makes them great. This thread is not for arguing, just for shameless bragging about our furry babies!

I'll start. FI and I will be picking up this little girl on Sunday! Her name is Uno Grande Vital Force, aka Hera, and she's nine weeks old. She's an English Mastiff which doesn't technically fall under the bully breeds but they tend to get lumped in there anyways because they're the size of small ponies!

 

[yssie]

There was a recent thread in the FH&H section that blew up over a debate about the suitablility of so-called bully breeds for family pets and it seems that a lot of PSers love them. So I really want to see your puppies and to hear what makes them great. This thread is not for arguing, just for shameless bragging about our furry babies!

I'll start. FI and I will be picking up this little girl on Sunday! Her name is Uno Grande Vital Force, aka Hera, and she's nine weeks old. She's an English Mastiff which doesn't technically fall under the bully breeds but they tend to get lumped in there anyways because they're the size of small ponies!

Oh my goodness, what an adorable little creature Are you going to keep calling her Hera?

I'll be watching this thread with interest

 

[packrat]

Aww what a cutie pie! I LOVE the name Hera! It suits her very well.

We had 4 so..I've got several pics!

Sadie Ann is the red brindle. JD got her in '96 and she passed away 2 years ago. She lost one of her rear legs after getting hung up in the kennel fence. This dog..she just was an amazing animal. Her greatest goal in life was tormenting me, and she was by far the smartest animal I've ever come across. The day of the fence, she'd been hanging by her leg for who knows how long before I found her when I came home for lunch. It was middle of summer, about 100 degrees out. I ran out to her and tried to lift her but the leg was just..there was no possible way for me to get her unwound from the fence. I kissed her a few times and told her I would get daddy and we'd get her to the vet. JD was on overnights, so in bed sleeping and I ran in to get him up. We had no kids at that time, had only been married about 7 months, and Sadie was his special girl. The vet adored our dogs and did everything he could to keep the leg but it was completely mangled. She bounced back like nobodies business tho-the vet was just dumbfounded by her recovery.

The black one is Tuffy Sue (The girls got middle names when JD and I hooked up b/c I felt their first names were too plain and now I am the official namer of the animals). She is Sadie's daughter. Sweetest dog. Liked to cuddle and didn't like to be in trouble. She would hang her head really low and look up at you with her eyebrows raised. Stinky dog tho..she'd be sitting there all regal like and then fweeeet..and she'd turn her head away and then look back at you out of the corner of her eyes. She passed away last year.

The blue and white is Sly Alexander. JD got him in 2000 from a breeder in Kentucky. The 1 on the back of his head was pretty cool I thought. The other picture isn't a very good one at all but I can't get the scanner to work for a better one. Big boy..he was funny in that he reminded me of the Crocodile Hunter-he always would look at you and the look on his face was like if he could talk he'd yell "Crikey!" all the time. Sly was rehomed before Trapper was born.

ETA, looks like JD's missing part of his finger-he's got it curled under haha!

 

[packrat]

This blue and white is Tuffy and Sly's girl. In February of 2003 we went to Vegas w/my parents, and had a friend stay here to watch the house. Tuffy was in heat and we specified not to let them out together..but didn't think about the fence between the kennels. Oops. I can't remember how many pups she had..9? They were just beautiful..two in particular. One was red and white and she had a very striking face, 1/2 and 1/2. And then this one. I could not bear to see her go, so we kept her. She was the one that I always gravitated towards when we'd play with them, and I'd sneak her in the house. We gave each of the puppies a simple name to keep track of them but I just always would say "Go get my special puppy" "hand me my special one", so she became Special. Her full name was Special Takhisis NoNo. Takhisis b/c I dig Dragonlance and NoNo b/c of the cartoon (Far Side?) that I'd seen that had 2 dogs talking to each other and one says "My name is No No Bad Dog, what's yours?"

She was blocky like her daddy, and rammy like him too. She was also rehomed before Trapper came. Tore us up to do it, but it was the best decision for them.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

My 20 month old English Bull Terrier (Target dog or Spuds Mackenzie). Everyone always thinks he's a pitbull though. However, my Miniature Pinscher (6 lbs) is way more ferocious than this 55 lb scaredy cat.


Here he is sleeping on the car ride home from the Santa Monica Pier (yes, that is his seat belt and harness)

 

[Trekkie]

Oh, they're all so precious! I want! I want! I want!

Red, yours is a beauty! Was she named after the Battlestar Galactica character? Please post more photos when she gets home!

Packrat, you are definitely much better at naming your dogs than your DH! They're so cute and placid looking. And yes, there is definitely something regal about their bearing. Don't you miss them terribly?

Resonance.of.life, I just LOVE yours! He looks so similar to those I had while growing up. Here in South Africa people call them 'vark honde' meaning pig dogs, but they're just so loving. When they look at you with their teensy little triangle eyes, don't they just make you feel like you're the most special person in their existence? I love his seat belt!

 

[Tuckins1]

This blue and white is Tuffy and Sly's girl. In February of 2003 we went to Vegas w/my parents, and had a friend stay here to watch the house. Tuffy was in heat and we specified not to let them out together..but didn't think about the fence between the kennels. Oops. I can't remember how many pups she had..9? They were just beautiful..two in particular. One was red and white and she had a very striking face, 1/2 and 1/2. And then this one. I could not bear to see her go, so we kept her. She was the one that I always gravitated towards when we'd play with them, and I'd sneak her in the house. We gave each of the puppies a simple name to keep track of them but I just always would say "Go get my special puppy" "hand me my special one", so she became Special. Her full name was Special Takhisis NoNo. Takhisis b/c I dig Dragonlance and NoNo b/c of the cartoon (Far Side?) that I'd seen that had 2 dogs talking to each other and one says "My name is No No Bad Dog, what's yours?"

She was blocky like her daddy, and rammy like him too. She was also rehomed before Trapper came. Tore us up to do it, but it was the best decision for them.

Packrat- Love the Dragonlance nod!!! Your pups are adorable!

ETA- so sorry to hear about your doggie's mishap. I know how devastating it is when your pet has a serious injury. You feel so sad for them and take all the blame on yourself.... Glad she bounced back so well!

 

[waterlilly]

My 20 month old English Bull Terrier (Target dog or Spuds Mackenzie). Everyone always thinks he's a pitbull though. However, my Miniature Pinscher (6 lbs) is way more ferocious than this 55 lb scaredy cat.


Here he is sleeping on the car ride home from the Santa Monica Pier (yes, that is his seat belt and harness)

Ooooh, I love him! I fostered a 6mo EBT for a couple months - most headstrong little brat I've ever tried to train! He had some sort of magic about him though, anyone who met him was under a spell

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

This is D.O.G., my chow chow. I don't know if he's really considered a bully breed, but he's an aggressive breed. This guy is a total love bug wuss though...

 

[packrat]

Thanks Trekkie and Tuckins! They really are such a special breed! The facial expressions they do make them very people like, I think! We had a lot of different dogs growing up and never one that did expressions like these dogs did. And ohhhh the stories! Something will trigger a memory and then it's "Do you remember how Sadie..." "Remember the time the dogs were.."

ROL-your EBT is a handsome boy! I wish there were breeders in the area, I'd like to interact w/them-we'd talked about getting a miniature at one point, but the closest breeder is hours away.

Tuckins-I had cats named Silvanesti and Qualinesti years ago too haha!

HH, ohhh it looks like you could just bury your face in all that chest fur!

 

[violet3]

Out of curiousity, what is a bully breed?

 

[Haven]

Out of curiousity, what is a bully breed?

Bulldog breeds, I believe--American Bulldogs, English Bulldogs, Bull Terriers (aka Bullies), Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Boxers, French Bulldogs, AmStaffs, Boston Terriers, Bull Mastiffs . . . I'm sure there are more but I don't know their names off the top of my head!

Here's my bully baby, Bailee Faye. We rescued her from a shelter, and our vet was curious enough to do a blood test on her to get her DNA results. Now, I don't put much faith in those, but the results came back:
- French Bulldog
- English Bulldog
- AmStaff
- Affenpinscher (!)

Whatever she is, she's ours and we love her. We tell people she's a Pit Bull mix, because that's what she looks like. People often believe she's a boxer, too.

 

[redfaerythinker]

Yssie, Packrat, and Trekkie - Thank you so much! We think she's awful cute ourselves. Her name, Hera, comes from Greek mythology. Hera was the last wife of Zeus and his sister. And the name also means vital force, hence her registered name. And yep, FI came up with the name so that's the one we'll be using.

You guys have some gorgeous dogs! Keep 'em coming!

 

[Haven]

Red--Hera is a BEAUTY! That face is to die for!

Packie--Your pack is amazing. I am a sucker for that strong build, they're all so gorgeous!

Resonance--We wanted a Bully for a LOOOONG time! I love those sweet faces that they have. Yours is such a handsome guy! His eyes are so sweet, I just want to cuddle with him!

HH--I will never tire of seeing pictures of D.O.G. He looks like such a smushface!

This is turning into one of my favorite threads of all time.

 

[dragonfly411]

I'll have to find some of the ones I've been around. Recent SO still has one of them. I love bullies.

 

[MagsyMay]

Love love love all these pictures! DH and I badly want a little blue pit puppy but think it'll have to wait for a little bit. Keep the pictures coming!

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

There was a recent thread in the FH&H section that blew up over a debate about the suitablility of so-called bully breeds for family pets and it seems that a lot of PSers love them. So I really want to see your puppies and to hear what makes them great. This thread is not for arguing, just for shameless bragging about our furry babies!

I'll start. FI and I will be picking up this little girl on Sunday! Her name is Uno Grande Vital Force, aka Hera, and she's nine weeks old. She's an English Mastiff which doesn't technically fall under the bully breeds but they tend to get lumped in there anyways because they're the size of small ponies!

Red- She's PERFECT!!! Oh my goodness! I can't wait till she's home with you and your FI- I expect total picture overload! What's the average size of female Mastiffs? Ever mastiff I've meet has been a total gentle giant and love bug, though they certainly look intimidating!

HH, Haven: I always love seeing picks of D.O.G. and Bailee. What cuties.

Resonance: You dog is gorgeous. I recently read a dog training book 'When Pigs Fly' and the author/trainer owns a bunch of English Bull Terriers. The book was focused on training Bully Breeds & the challenges they (and other terriers) sometimes present- how has training been going with your little lovebug?

Packrat: WOW. What was it like having that many pups at once?! I'm pining for #2, but it most likely won't happen- sometimes I feel we don't have enough time for Zoey. So sorry to hear about your babes leg Seeing an animal companion in pain is very difficult & there's no real way to soothe them. How wonderful that she had a great recovery!

 

[redfaerythinker]

Red- She's PERFECT!!! Oh my goodness! I can't wait till she's home with you and your FI- I expect total picture overload! What's the average size of female Mastiffs? Ever mastiff I've meet has been a total gentle giant and love bug, though they certainly look intimidating!

Thanks! We can't wait either. Hera comes from a long line of giants. Her father weighs in at 240 lbs! So we expect her to be about 180-190 lbs as an adult, and she is such a sweetheart. And she will definitely have her own thread when she gets home, be prepared for total picture overload!

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

@ Trekkie: He's such a big baby and he always has a puppy look or that he has a goofy smile. Yeah, I've heard of the "pig dog" nickname before.. some people have come up to me and said he's the cutest ugly dog they've ever seen haha.

@ Waterlily: The majority of people are really afraid of him (I bring him to outdoor malls and the like so he gets used to listening to commands even in a busy environment and I've socialized him this way since he was 4 months old to get used to loud noises and random people coming up to him as a pup)... but then you get your "OH I want that dog" sort.. and just come up and love on him. I just absolutely love this breed.

@ Packrat: The problem with the mini ebts is that they have luxating patellas and a cornea issue (genetically some of them actually have their corneas lift away from the rest of their eye at around 2-3 and require yearly check ups), and major heart issues. I considered a mini, but the health risks were too great for me. I would suggest checking the AKC bull terrier website, they have rescues all over the country and would be better if you have kids and small animals to see if they would get along. With EBT puppies, there is no guarantee they won't have prey drive or be aggressive towards other animals (common in the breed and common for why people put them up for adoption).

@ Haven: Why thank you. He is such a good dog! I highly recommend the breed for those who can be dominant over them. He is the goofiest, most intelligent, and loving dog I've ever had.

@PilsnPinkysMom: I'm not going to lie, training him was hard. The typical petsmart and petco training does not work for him. I sent him to a 3 week board and train facility in Socal and he got training every day. Since then he's been a gem (not perfect of course). He walks well on a leash, listens to commands 97% of the time (darn that terrier in him), and is a doll around kids. He needs constant training we do 15-20 minutes each day off leash and he really wants to please me so he does them with the first try usually. He gets the positive reinforcement of playing with the ball (oh gosh, terriers and tennis balls) and he is very eager to please. With my ex (he was rather harsh in his wording and his "punishment" with the chain collar with him)... Nitro would not listen and would in fact run away from him. Gentle and positive reinforcement (hugs, pets, playtime) really made a big difference in how he reacts to me compared to my ex.

 

[lyra]

Here's my rare teacup pitbull. Okay, okay, so he's not a true pitbull type. He's a bit of a bully in other respects though, although at 5.9 lbs he lacks credibility.

 

[packrat]

ohhh how cute is he??? he could be the little dog that jumps around the big bulldog on the Bugs Bunny cartoon.

 

[ChloeTheGreat]

My little princess is a Lab/Pitbull mix. (She passes for a lab, so I usually end up calling her a "lab mix" mostly because I live in an apartment and "aggressive breeds" are not allowed.)

I think the pit bull type breeds are beautiful creatures and I'm sorry they get such a bad wrap.
I also volunteer with a local animal shelter and am disappointed at how many pit bull type dogs come into the shelter and never leave.

 

[deja_entendu]

Here's my rare teacup pitbull.

That made me laugh...he's very cute.

Haven, your girl is beautiful! All of the dogs on this thread are, actually.

 

[junebug17]

I love every dog in this thread! They are all so sweet!

 

[tigian]

Good call, redfaerythinker! Love pictures of pets. Our pittie is the sweetest dog ever and lets her brother, a Vizsla, get away with everything. Despite the horrible pitbull reputation she has, kids always gravitate towards wherever we are.

 

[AGBF]

Thanks! We can't wait either. Hera comes from a long line of giants. Her father weighs in at 240 lbs! So we expect her to be about 180-190 lbs as an adult, and she is such a sweetheart. And she will definitely have her own thread when she gets home, be prepared for total picture overload!

I can't wait for the thread! She is so cuddly-looking! I want to leap into the photo with her! She will keep your arms full for many years!!!

Hugs,
Deb

 

[dragonfly411]

Good call, redfaerythinker! Love pictures of pets. Our pittie is the sweetest dog ever and lets her brother, a Vizsla, get away with everything. Despite the horrible pitbull reputation she has, kids always gravitate towards wherever we are.

Oh my god, these two are adorable!!! She looks like a little ham I bet!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

All your gals dogs are adorable.

Wondering if anyone here on PS has a rotweiler... We went to a state park and a guy had his running loose rather than following the leash law, and it horrified me... soon after, one of the park rangers began driving around patrolling the area where the guy was walking. My kids were very disturbed by it!

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

@ MC: No, but my co-worker has one. She always has her dog on a leash despite being the sweetest scaredy cat ever. The fact is they are animals and they have instincts. I trust Nitro alone with my min-pin only because they've grown up together and she bosses him around.. with other dogs I would not trust alone with Nitro even though he's never done anything to even hint at an aggressive nature (he's been attacked at dog parks before by known aggressive dogs at the park and all he does is get in a submissive position ..and unfortunately those owners keep coming back to the park to our dismay).

 

[Amber St. Clare]

I know IT'S ME, but I woulkd be terrified to pass any of these dogs on the street. I honestly would.....