Thinking of getting an English Bull Terrier? One of the main things to be aware of, particularly with the white English Bull Terrier, is his delicate skin. The slightest little thing is likely to make him sore and itchy. And that in turn leads to a lengthy licking session.
The itchy English Bull Terrier will lick his paws continually. He’s liable to lick other parts of his anatomy too, so mustn’t be allowed to turn the licking into a habit. Long-term licking can result in serious problems which may need medication, injections and even surgery.
The thing to do with a dog that keeps licking, say vets, is to distract him. Clap your hands, drop a book on the floor, make a sudden noise… anything to take his attention away from the area in question.
But just because he’s licking himself doesn’t make him a bad dog. There are no bad dogs, only bad owners, maintains one school of psychology. From the smallest terrier to the biggest dog at home in his large dog kennel, all occupants are angels.
Dog training has changed much over the years. The one-time leader of the pack of trainers, Barbara Woodhouse, became a household name in the 1980s with her controversial UK TV series Training Dogs the Woodhouse Way. The lady’s methods were seen as harsh, however.
More recently, Victoria Stilwell has achieved fame with her reward-based training technique. The style of this wafer-thin leather-clad dog trainer is diametrically opposed to that of the late Mrs Woodhouse. Animals come bouncing out of their K9 dog kennels for Victoria on her series, “It’s Me or the Dog”, which is a very popular shw on UK television.
Increasingly now we are also seeing “dog whisperers”. Cesar Mullan is a well-known dog whisperer who trains owners to be pack leaders, a technique which works well, whether you are training Doberman puppies to guard your house or any other type of large dog.