Every time I get a new foster dog, I always think I can't possibly fall in love with another new dog, and yet here I am, smitten with this boy!
Bear loves people, giving kisses and getting butt scratches. He is super playful! Loves toys, he will tear apart teddies, chew rubber rings and play fetch with balls. He knows his name, sit and paw, and he is house trained. He loves treats so this should help with any other training. He is a sweet smiley boy, who is always happy to see you, shown with excellent tail wags and slobbery kisses.
Walking
Bear doesn't really care for walks, he can be quite stubborn and refuse to walk a lot of the time. I've found he can sometimes be bribed with treats, or acting like we are going for a run, and once I've turned gotten him past the end of our road he is generally ok from that point, or if I drive him somewhere he is fine. He can be strong when he finds something he wants to smell, but mainly just plods along with you. I do think he would benefit from being in a house with a garden attached so he just be let out and can go outside and play in the garden when he likes and this would be his main source for burning off energy.
Home
He is house trained, and well behaved around human food. He stares (and drools!) but doesn't ever attempt to eat our food, and doesn't jump up at the kitchen counters. We have left him on his own for about an hour and he was fine. We have cameras to check on him and he just slept on the sofa. He quite likes picking things up that he isn't allowed (slippers, tissue boxes, paint rollers..) and refuses to give them back. He can get a bit growly when you try to take them from him so we are trying to teach him the drop command. He only seems to do this when he is bored. I leave my slippers lying around all the time and he has only stolen one once, but I would say we very quickly tidied away anything important within reach!
Public
He loves meeting people when we are out, and they love meeting him too! We haven't met lots of dogs out, but he doesn't seem too bothered by them. He will try and chase wildlife. We have taken him to the pub a few times, and he is well behaved, but doesn't really settle. He would lie down for a bit but then will get distracted by someone new coming in and want to try and go to say hi.
Skin
He currently has some bald patches. I've read over his vet notes from his previous life and it sounds like he just has a little bit of a skin allergy, which was managed with regular baths in hypoallergenic shampoo, and the bald spots are from where he has been rubbing himself against something in kennels. He had his first bath yesterday so I'm hoping this helps him. You can definitely tell it bothers him, as when he finds a rough surface he throws his body at it to scratch himself. I've got a brush too to help remove dead skin and fur and give him a good scratch!
Bedtime
Bear sleeps in the living room in a dog bed. He is allowed in the bedroom in an evening when we are winding down, reading before bed, but he is quite insistent on staying so we have to trick him to leave. But once out, he huffs and puffs and paws at the door for a few minutes, then realises what is going on and goes to settle on the sofa or in his bed. He doesn't bother us at all in the night, and stays in bed until we get up (which can sometimes be as late as 9am). I thought he would be a loud snorer, but he is actually surprisingly quiet for a bulldog!
Barking
Bear has a voice and isn't afraid to use it! He only barks when he wants something, and it is taking us time to figure out what he wants when, as he isn't helpful in giving any more information. For example, yesterday he was barking at the kitchen door when he actually wanted to go out to toilet, and then later barked at the front door when he wanted dinner! He is a silly boy..
I'm hoping after a few more days and some soothing baths he will settle down more, and I will plan some lovely days out for us!
