*This is Max the day I brought him home...looks worried doesn't he?I needed another big dog after losing Stan last year so I eventually forced myself to go looking; there were some self imposed rules: No huge dogs, No long haired dogs, No small dogs, No stupid dogs (three out of fours not bad eh?).
So it was that a beautiful bright white puppy came to join our little pack….Meet Max!
He joins two English Fox Terriers, Narla is a Standard and Roxy is a miniature and they rule the house, I needed a slightly submissive dog to avoid bloodshed.
Max is an American Bull Terrier, my Vet insists he's an American Pit Bull which is a problem here in Australia. We have a Dangerous Dogs Register and the American Pit Bull is on that register. That means more cost to register, higher fences and security gates are required and if they get out the fine is just short of the national debt. I'm negotiating to have him listed as a Bull Terrier which is how he was listed by the breeder who sold him to me.
*Pardon me while save Max, he's jammed himself between the long couch and wall.
*A week later and he seems to be settling in quite well dont you think?
None the less the soft white puppy came into the house at just seven weeks of age and started making it his by peeing on and chewing everything in sight. (I hate training puppies and my winging has burned the ears of my family and friends)
At fourteen weeks he had an appointment at the vet to have his manhood trimmed, micro chipping and vaccinations. As we walked out the front door of my house he promptly ran head long into the aluminum screen door striking it right on its edge, he was delivered to the vet split from nose to the top of his head and dripping with blood… what a start!
Now at eighteen weeks of age he's lived up to that start by being the most clumsy dog I've ever known.
*Pardon me while I go and stop Max chewing up my spindle full of Back Up discs wont you….
Up until this time I'd noticed that American Bull Terriers are always covered in scars and assumed the owners must have been terrible people, I smiled at the thought as it dawned on me..
*He was soon doing jobs around the house...like emptying the bin
Regular visits to the Grand kids and the other dogs in the family has helped to keep him friendly and playful. Although he's still only knee high at his shoulders he is already a very heavy dog and has no trouble bowling over the kids and unwary adults as he careers around like an unguided missile.
Although I've owned an English Staffordshire Bull Terrier, I've had no experience with the American version and I have to say, the American Bull Terrier is much more ugly than it's English equivalent.
What was going through the minds of breeders?
They've increased the height of the Staffy (from which the American Bull Terrier is derived) and bred for a heavier body but why on earth did they breed them that ugly? *Note to self: Might be best not to actually say this bit.
* Apparently he's never heard that you should not bite the hand that feeds you ..or maybe he's just trying out for a job as a body piercer?
*Pardon me while I drag Max away from the Fox Terriers dog treat or Max will be attacked for about the 500th time…
There will be many …. Oh bother, excuse me while I sort out WW3…
Clearly Max is an ongoing project…stay tuned.
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13 comments:
Hi Tempo,
He is gorgeous, and all puppies can be a hand full, some more than others I admit.
Looks like he needs a lot of chew toys to "help" to keep him away from whatever he decides to put in his mouth. LOL.
I wish you luck getting him Registered as a Bull Terrier, it will save you a heap of money down the track. Oh and I love the name Max it does seem to suit him. :)
Puppies are great but they can be a pain in the butt sometimes.
Lovely pup!
Looking forward to your updates.
Think you've got your hands full now, just wait until Max grows up, more mayhem than you can shake a stick at :-).
A handsome young chap! Have fun training him. A dog is truly man's best friend. I walk my beagle Audrey each afternoon and have met many people that I would otherwise not know, as they come up to pet the dog, ask her name and tell me a beagle story of their own. Cheers.
I love the look of him, the white fur and his cute little face. I hope he isn't a pit bull. My sister got a dog from a shelter and they said he was a pit bull, it turned out he was a mastiff so you never know I guess. People can be wrong. We had a vet who thought our dog Maggie was a fox and was mad we brought a wild animal into his place!
Hi Mags, he sure chews a lot, more recent pics show just how much power there in in those jaws. Max was my fathers middle name and I've avoided using it but since he died in the 1970's I guess it's time I got over it.
Hey Cal, dogs sure can be a pain, even my well trained Foxies are a pain sometimes...but the puppy is a pain most of the time.
Hi Symdaddy, He is a handsome dog but I wish he weren't white. In Australias hot climate I have to Zinc cream his nose every hot day. Unusually the entire litter (8 Pups) were all white.
I think you may well be right Windsmoke, I'm hoping the training will make a good dog of him. Right now though he has four left feet...
Hi Malcfifty, when I walk the Foxies people always stop to pat them which is great for their socializing but when they see a Bull Terrier people walk away; even at the crowded beach I haven't had one person ever stop to pat him.
Hi Belle, I bought him from a breeder so I know his bloodline but there seems to be a grey line between Bull Terriers and Pit Bulls. From his bloodline he will be short for a Bull Terrier but very heavy at between 75 and 90 KG
What a cutie!
I have a soft spot for bully breeds, my mom adopted an American Staffordshire Terrier a few years ago and while he's a handful, George is one of the sweetest dogs on earth.
Pit bulls, AmStaffs, Bull Terriers, Boxers, they often get a bad rap that's not their fault so I'm always happy to see someone taking on a tough bully breed.
They may chew, get into things, and have faces only a mother could love, but their loyalty, smarts, and enthusiasm for life can't be beat.
Completely jealous of your new puppy!
Hi Sarah, Yeah he's a sweety, right now he's trying to climb onto my lap (which makes typing a tiny bit difficult) He's stubborn but has a great personality.
One helluva cute pup :)
Hey Joe, I didn't want a Bull Terrier but sometimes you have to take what comes along...I'll make the best of it and so will Max.
I have loved the pictures I have gotten to see of him and following his exploits!
I've owned several dogs, (not all at once though), and they've all been named Max, which is actually short for Mad Max...they've all been great dogs except the last one. He was "wrong" when we got him as a puppy and just didn't take to training. He was always fearful and became a biter, so I had him put down the day after he had a go at me. The street was full of little kids and I just didn't want to take any chances.
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