Nigel is a 6 year old Old English Bulldog. He's around 70 lbs which is a great size for any household. Nigel found himself at the shelter after his family abandoned him when they got a new puppy. Nigel was shut down at the shelter and extremely sad so we gave him a second chance at life. He's in a foster home getting the love and care he deserves but he really needs a loving forever home. He loves people and will give you all the snuggles you can possibly need and he is a great companion animal. It's pretty hard to resist his smooshy bulldog face and he seems to know this by smiling up at you luring you in! Nigel is fun but moderate to low energy, making him ideal for someone who is not super active or just prefers to stay home. He's is neutered, microchipped, up to date on vaccinations, heart worm negative and house and crate trained.
Child appropriate? Nigel would do best with older children, probably 12 and up, who could enjoy playing with him. He can get excited when playing so smaller kids might be too much for him.
Other dog appropriate? Nigel needs to be the only dog in the home. While he can walk by them out on a walk and do ok, he cannot live with him. Unfortunately, he was not socialized in his original home and this lead to an inability to properly socialize now. We have worked on this with him but ultimately he just needs, and would prefer to be, the only furbaby.
Cat appropriate? No kitties for Nigel.
How is he with strangers? Nigel has done fine meeting strangers and seems happy to see people. Once bonded to his person he can be somewhat guarding of that person so he needs continued work around socializing so he learns that he does not need to protect his favorite person.
What is his play style? When playing with people he can get a little excited and jumpy or start to hump but other than that he likes to fetch a ball and play tug. He tires out fast so he does not need a lot of high energy play to wear him out.
Does he like toys? Nigel seems to enjoy nylabone toys for chewing and he likes tug toys. He will play with stuffy toys but loses interest more quickly with them. He has a giggle ball that rolls and makes noise and he really likes playing with that ball.
Does he like water? Nigel does not seem to be a fan of water. He seems afraid of the hose and will not go in the pool. He would not likely make a good lake dog!
Does he like car rides? Nigel loves car rides and he rides very well. He's calm and sits on the seat and enjoys looking out at his surroundings.
Exercise level needed? Nigel wears out pretty fast from activity so a neighborhood walk or some ball time in the yard is about all he needs. He can overheat easily during hot weather as bulldogs often can. He's an easy dog to have in terms of exercise because he doesn't need to be taken for a long run or anything to get his energy out.
Behavior issues? Nigel can be frightened by loud noises so he needs to be contained during thunder storms or when fire works occur. He can also be afraid of big trucks or fast moving objects such as bikes, skateboards or scooters. When he sees these objects on walks it can be stressful for him so he will need to be quickly walked away so he does not react. When stressed or overexcited he will hump, which is not an appealing behavior but he does respond to a firm "No" when redirected to stop. Sometimes he needs to hear it several times but will stop. We do believe that after being given enough time to adjust in a home, this behavior will minimize. Humping is usually a sign of stress in a dog and poor Nigel has had a lot of stress in his life and he needs stability.
Medical issues? Nigel has no known medical issues.
Skills? Nigel knows how to sit, lay down, shake and roll over. He's a smart cookie and learns fast!
Special/endearing things? Nigel is a very sweet, attentive boy. He enjoys back scratches and snuggles and being as close as possible. He is what we often call "velcro dogs" dogs who are just drawn to people and prefer being nearby at all times. He's curious and will follow you throughout the home so you'll never be lonely! Nigel's adorable underbite will melt your heart when he stairs up at you and offers you his paw. He's a super smarty and he learns quickly so if you're looking for a dog you can have fun with obedience skills, Nigel would be perfect! Nigel had a home for the first five years of his life that was not ideal for him. He did not receive the care he deserved and then he was dumped at the shelter. He was extremely sad and wondering where his family went so it would be great to get him back into a home where he can get and give the love he so very much wants and deserves.
Ideal home? The ideal home for Nigel would be one where he has a big back yard with a solid wood fence where he can run and play and be a dog. Nigel never had that growing up and was contained to a tiny yard or in the house and that is no life for a large dog. He likes to lay in the grass and relax and having a nice big back yard would be great for him. His home needs to be other pet free as he prefers to be the star of the show. A home where he can get a lot of love and be a true member of the family, being allowed to live inside, snuggle on the couch, sleep in his caregivers room, things like that. He loves people and loves being close and would really enjoy a family who includes him. A caregiver who works from home would be awesome for him as he doesn't love being alone. The ideal home would be one on the quieter side because Nigel can be scared of loud noises and activity. Lastly, he would prefer to stay home or go on car rides vs. going into public places and being taken everywhere. That kind of lifestyle would be too stressful for him so someone content to let Nigel kick it at home most of the time would be great :)
Child appropriate? Nigel would do best with older children, probably 12 and up, who could enjoy playing with him. He can get excited when playing so smaller kids might be too much for him.
Other dog appropriate? Nigel needs to be the only dog in the home. While he can walk by them out on a walk and do ok, he cannot live with him. Unfortunately, he was not socialized in his original home and this lead to an inability to properly socialize now. We have worked on this with him but ultimately he just needs, and would prefer to be, the only furbaby.
Cat appropriate? No kitties for Nigel.
How is he with strangers? Nigel has done fine meeting strangers and seems happy to see people. Once bonded to his person he can be somewhat guarding of that person so he needs continued work around socializing so he learns that he does not need to protect his favorite person.
What is his play style? When playing with people he can get a little excited and jumpy or start to hump but other than that he likes to fetch a ball and play tug. He tires out fast so he does not need a lot of high energy play to wear him out.
Does he like toys? Nigel seems to enjoy nylabone toys for chewing and he likes tug toys. He will play with stuffy toys but loses interest more quickly with them. He has a giggle ball that rolls and makes noise and he really likes playing with that ball.
Does he like water? Nigel does not seem to be a fan of water. He seems afraid of the hose and will not go in the pool. He would not likely make a good lake dog!
Does he like car rides? Nigel loves car rides and he rides very well. He's calm and sits on the seat and enjoys looking out at his surroundings.
Exercise level needed? Nigel wears out pretty fast from activity so a neighborhood walk or some ball time in the yard is about all he needs. He can overheat easily during hot weather as bulldogs often can. He's an easy dog to have in terms of exercise because he doesn't need to be taken for a long run or anything to get his energy out.
Behavior issues? Nigel can be frightened by loud noises so he needs to be contained during thunder storms or when fire works occur. He can also be afraid of big trucks or fast moving objects such as bikes, skateboards or scooters. When he sees these objects on walks it can be stressful for him so he will need to be quickly walked away so he does not react. When stressed or overexcited he will hump, which is not an appealing behavior but he does respond to a firm "No" when redirected to stop. Sometimes he needs to hear it several times but will stop. We do believe that after being given enough time to adjust in a home, this behavior will minimize. Humping is usually a sign of stress in a dog and poor Nigel has had a lot of stress in his life and he needs stability.
Medical issues? Nigel has no known medical issues.
Skills? Nigel knows how to sit, lay down, shake and roll over. He's a smart cookie and learns fast!
Special/endearing things? Nigel is a very sweet, attentive boy. He enjoys back scratches and snuggles and being as close as possible. He is what we often call "velcro dogs" dogs who are just drawn to people and prefer being nearby at all times. He's curious and will follow you throughout the home so you'll never be lonely! Nigel's adorable underbite will melt your heart when he stairs up at you and offers you his paw. He's a super smarty and he learns quickly so if you're looking for a dog you can have fun with obedience skills, Nigel would be perfect! Nigel had a home for the first five years of his life that was not ideal for him. He did not receive the care he deserved and then he was dumped at the shelter. He was extremely sad and wondering where his family went so it would be great to get him back into a home where he can get and give the love he so very much wants and deserves.
Ideal home? The ideal home for Nigel would be one where he has a big back yard with a solid wood fence where he can run and play and be a dog. Nigel never had that growing up and was contained to a tiny yard or in the house and that is no life for a large dog. He likes to lay in the grass and relax and having a nice big back yard would be great for him. His home needs to be other pet free as he prefers to be the star of the show. A home where he can get a lot of love and be a true member of the family, being allowed to live inside, snuggle on the couch, sleep in his caregivers room, things like that. He loves people and loves being close and would really enjoy a family who includes him. A caregiver who works from home would be awesome for him as he doesn't love being alone. The ideal home would be one on the quieter side because Nigel can be scared of loud noises and activity. Lastly, he would prefer to stay home or go on car rides vs. going into public places and being taken everywhere. That kind of lifestyle would be too stressful for him so someone content to let Nigel kick it at home most of the time would be great :)
