My Little Bb Is Growing Up

[morpheos]

Hi everyone,

It’s been a while since I was last on here although just wanted some opinions on some issues I have with my little one.

He is now 5 months old and wow has he grown.. he is now 15.5kg.. And such a good looking boy.

He did his 12 weeks of puppy school which he did so well at. It really did make a difference to who he is and they way he does things.

He does do everything on command is very well trained now. :D well..... Nearly everything I want.. That’s why I am writing this I am not sure if I am expecting too much off a 5 month old British Bulldog.

He understands the wait and leave it command except when it comes to his toys and playing fetch. He will return the toy although he won’t leave it. Any ideas?

Also I think he is getting bored at home on his own during the day... so I am looking for ideas on how to keep him occupied. Have a kong so was thinking of ways it could keep him occupied for more then 30min ?

I think the thing that I need help with the most is he is scared... of any big noises.. Now.. He isn’t scared of thunder storms or firecrackers although he is scared of a plastic bag noise or a pot that gets dropped on the floor. His biggest fear is the vacuum.. Any ideas on how I can get him out of all these fears that he has ? Any tricks people might be able to share?

Any help or opinions would be appreciated

Thanks in advance

[KOE]

Elka is also scared of plastic bags and the vaccumn cleaner, so I have spent months rubbing her down (like you do a horse) with plastic bags so she can hear the rustle it has taken awhile but doesnt shy away from them now, the Vaccumn is a complete different story :D

[Bubitty]

Hi morpheos,

What kind of reaction do you get when you use the vacuum cleaner?

Mine used to hide in another room and even on sweltering hot days he would sit in the hot hot kitchen because he was scared of the noise from the air conditioner. We had really shiny floors which you could see reflections from when the blinds were open and at some stage he was too scared to walk on the floor.

However we just ignored him and continued to vacuum, use the air con, like normal and over time (I could never pin point a specific time) he just got over it. He sleeps under the air con now and we can’t get rid of him when we vacuum because he follows us everywhere. Its almost as if he cant hear the noise or doesn’t even notice it anymore.

Maybe your boy is still growing up and getting used to the world. He could be fine over time and no longer fear these noises.

Im not very experienced so keep in mind this is just my 2 cents!

[♪♫LMBC♫♪]

My dog used to be scared of the noise from cars driving past when we were walking. Eventually, as he got older and got exposed to more and more cars driving past on a regular basis, he just got over it. Just make sure you don't accidentally reward his behaviour by giving him too much attention (good or bad) when he is being fearful.

Keeping him occupied through the day - kongs are great, but if he is getting through them too quickly maybe it is too small for him? I'm not sure exactly how big a BB is 5 months, so I can't really advise what size to use. Maybe someone with more breed experience could help here.

Apart from that, different food types are harder to get out from the kong. We put a few dry biscuits in the middle, then stuff it with chicken mince and seal the ends with peanut butter. It usually takes about an hour to get through for my BC. Others have also suggested in a different thread a frozen kong. I think it's basically filled with the same sort of stuff only frozen, but don't quote me on that.Do a search for kong fillings and you should find it.

Make sure he has lots of different toys for when you go out. I find that pups especially enjoy squeakers.

To keep him amused, try keeping some 'special' toys that you only give him when you go out. Have a few different ones and use them on a rotational basis, giving him a different one each day. This way, he's not just seeing the same toys all day and getting bored with them. To him it will be almost like having a new toy each day. If you find that he has a particular favourite though, maybe use it more regularly.

[Rebanne]

I put my dogs outside when I vacuum so it's no problem. If I do leave one in they just move from room to room away from me. As for the plastic bags, try putting his food in some. Tip from the bag to the bowl. All my dogs love the sound of plastic bags as that's where all their food comes from. They are downright embarrassing when out and about if someone rustles a bag!

[squirt80]

Hi morpheos,

My BB is 7 month and is also scared of loud noises, esspically the vacum cleaner and buses. She is starting to settle down now though as she has been exposed to the sounds more. As for the Kong it never occupies her for more that 45mins but you can try stuffing it with dry food and sealing it with peanut butter and putting it in the freezer so it takes longer for them to get the food out. we also rotate her toys as she tends to destroy them quite quickly and spend alot of time with her when we are home playing games and taking her out for walks to wear her out. She is a typical puppy loves to chew!!, My pup prefers to play tug of war rathre then droping a toy, but we are trying to get her to retrieve the toy and then when she brings it back giving her a food reward to entice her to drop it it works everytime, now we are just weeening her off the treats.