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Barbie was found as a stray running around a local neighborhood. This sweet outgoing dog is so cute and precious! Barbie has a ton of energy and needs a home with a strong pack leader as she can be a bit energetic. She loves being outside and playing ball. She does not do well with other dogs.

Foster Update 10/12:

Foster Update 9/29:

Barbie is a beautiful dog with a sweet personality! I don’t think she had much experience in a home because she came to me not knowing many commands or house boundaries. However, she is a quick learner and is shaping up to be quite the lady!

Leash Manners- Barbie walks on a prong collar. She is quite strong and pulled frequently at first. After a few days of consistently showing her she could not pull, she happily trots next to me. She is fine walking or jogging with you. She can walk past cars, people, bikes, and dogs and remain focused on her walk. She does have a very high prey drive, and will chase after any lizard, squirrel, frog, she sees.

House Training- Barbie is currently crate trained. She does not seem to have separation anxiety. She goes calmly into her crate and when I come back she waits patiently and quietly to be let out. I have confidence that in a few weeks once more training is done she will be fine outside the crate when I’m gone. She does not have accidents, but has a lot of puppy chewing tendencies. So until we get that completely taken care of, we stick to the crate.

Socialization- Barbie loves people. I had 6 people over for football one Sunday and she enjoyed everyone! She tends to be an excessive licker, which we are working on. Other than that she did well both in and out of her crate when company was around. 

 

Energy- Barbie is energetic. I take her on a minimum of 3 decent walks of about 20-30 minutes each. She also loves chew toys. When properly directed she uses her energy appropriately on walks, play, or chewing the toys for her. I bet she would be amazing at agility competitions if someone had the time to enroll her and train her for that. She likes treat balls, strong Nylabones, and Kong toys that keep her mentally stimulated and release her energy through chewing. She calms down quite quickly after a few romps in the house or her walks. She is also great in the car. She calmly sits or lays down in the back. She recently discovered she could stick her head OUT of the window and sniff around!

Daily Schedule- Barbie gets up around 6:00 am. We go for a long walk and then she eats breakfast. Her stomach has been upset due to all the recent changes, so right now she is eating some kibble with rice and yogurt or chicken broth. She also enjoys chicken, bananas. I was told she eats about 2 cups of regular kibble/wet food mix when she is eating normally. She gets crated when I am away at work with no issue. She has blankets and toys in her crate. She does not rip or destroy anything. She does not mess in her crate. She gets another 30 minute walk when I get home and then dinner. I sometimes give her a peanut butter filled Kong or treat ball. She is content following me around or handing out by my feet with her chew toys. She takes a snooze and then wakes up for our last evening walk around 9 or 10 pm. She goes to bed around10:30 pm.

Temperament- Barbie was a bit stressed out at first. She is sensitive to changes in her environment. She was high strung. The routine and calmness of foster has done wonders for her nerves. She has significantly calmed down in under a week’s time in a home. She wants to please you but is unsure at times what to do due to her lack of experience I think. She has been making steady progress learning commands and rules of the house. She needs a calm and confident owner to taper her excited personality.

Obedience- Barbie knows sit the best. She is doing well with the “follow me” command on walks. She is learning stay, off, come, and down. She knows she has to earn EVERYTHING. She sits and waits while I put down her food bowl. She sits before she gets petted. She sits and waits with the front door open until I tell her it’s okay to follow me. She sits and waits before being allowed in the car for a ride. So I know she will learn any command with some time and patience.

Behaviors/Personality Quirks- She was amazed by the TV when I first brought her home. She stares at it and tilts her head. She does NOT like the vacuum cleaner. She will bark at it out of fear. I crate her when I vacuum so she feels more secure.  

Ideal Home- Barbie would love a yard. I don’t have one, so we do our best by taking long walks/jogs, and playing in the house. We also visit friends sometimes with yards and she loves to chase after a tennis ball. She has a decent amount of energy and would benefit from some space. An active single person, couple or family would be best. I would recommend older children since her energy could be a bit much for small ones. Barbie needs an owner or owners that are consistent in their training. She needs a calm environment. She has to trust that her owner is confident and will take care of things, otherwise she acts out. You need to be a pack leader, or she will be a lot to handle. She’s so sweet and really needs a structured environment to have her awesome personality show!

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, early Bulldogs were used in the bloody sport of bull bating. Some of these dogs emigrated with their masters from England to America. Eventually the English Bulldog was bred down in size and his personality was softened, but the American version remained a larger, fiercer dog. The American version has longer legs and more speed and agility than the English show dog. Thanks to the efforts of John D. Johnson of Summerville, Georgia the American Bulldog exists today. After he returned from WW II he was disappointed to find that, like the English Mastiff, they were almost completely extinct. He then decided to gather the best he could find from all across the rural south and bring them back from the brink of extinction. He has been breeding these dogs longer than anyone else in the world and his father bred them before him. He is an old man now (in his 80's) and these dogs have always existed in his family. He is the sole reason why they exist today. If it were not for his efforts they surely would be gone. He has been breeding them non-stop since then. The American Bulldog has also been used as a guard and in hunting bear, wild boar, squirrel and raccoon. They have even been trained to drive cattle and guard stock from predators. Farmers prize these dogs for their stamina, protectiveness, intelligence and working abilities. Some of the American Bulldogs talents are hunting, watchdogging, tracking, weight pulling, and guarding. An American Bulldog should never be confused with uniquely different breeds such as the American Staffordshire Terrier or the American Pit Bull Terrier. The American Bulldog is a brave and determined, but not hostile dog. Alert and self-confident, this breed genuinely loves children. It is known for its acts of heroism towards its master. These dogs have fought wild dogs, bulls and even fire. It is said "fighting off one of these dogs is like fighting an animal that possesses an alligator's head and a python's body." Yet when called off by their handler, they immediately obey. No wonder they are said to have "true grit, true devotion and true love." Because of its strong protective instincts, the American Bulldog should be well-socialized and obedience trained at an early age. Some may be aggressive with other dogs and reserved with strangers. They need to be around people to be truly happy. This breed tends to drool and slobber. They have a life expectancy of up to 16 years.

Good with Dogs, Not Good with Cats, Good with Kids