Sugar Plum and her one pup (Candy Cane) were rescued from a high kill shelter. Her puppy was adopted many months ago but Sugar Plum is still looking for her forever home! She is such a happy dog and she absolutely ADORES people. She gets along with some dogs, but not all of them, and will do best being an only dog or living with a subissive male dog that is very even tempered, maybe even a little older than she is.

 

Foster update 1/2/2011

I took Sugar Plum to Oviedo today to our store in the mall - WOW! What a GOOD DOG! Sugar LOVES people and was SO GREAT with kids!!! She couldn't get enough attention, but stayed calm and let people pet her. She rolled on her back for belly rubs and showed how obedient she is! She knows sit and down and shake and was just happy to be the center of attention. She is so gentle with children. She just layed there and let them pet her. She will be a wonderful family dog. She takes treats gently and was fine with everyone she met - she isn't afraid of men or anything like that. She loves everyone!

 

Sugar is most definitely crate trained and will go right in for you no problem. She is also VERY quiet in the crate - doesn't whine or bark AT ALL. I do leave her out sometimes when I leave the house, I tested her with short time periods and she did great - no chewing anything and she is fully housebroken. I do let her sleep with me some nights and she often gets off the bed and goes and lays on the dog bed. She sleeps through the night and hasn't had ANY accidents.

 

Sugar Plum LOVES to cuddle and give little kisses. She gets cold in this weather so I got her PJs and a doggy coat - she will shake when she's cold! She is good about letting you hold her paws and trim her toenails. She barks when she hears someone/something outside but then quiets down when you tell her to - she doesn't jump up on people or counters or anything. She is such a good girl! I also took her through a basic obedience class so she knows sit and down and is working on wait and come. She walks wonderfully on the leash - absolutely no pulling!

 

She is also pretty low maintenance and not super high energy - she goes potty 2x a day regularly and does her business fairly promptly. She likes walks but doesn't require a ton of exercise. She will even jog with you and isn't one of those annoying dogs that stops every 3 feet to sniff stuff - she will only stop when she needs to potty most of the time. She loves squeaky toys and loves to play and would LOVE kids to play with.

 

Sugar now spends lots of time with my other foster, Dillinger. She plays with him and sleeps on my bed with him. She is NOT dog aggressive, just fearful of other dogs. Once she knows they don't want to hurt her she can relax or even play with them. She and Dilly lick each other's lips - it's SO good to see her relax around other dogs.

 

Sugar is SUCH a sweet dog. She looks up at you with those brown eyes SO full of love. She is SO eager to please! Come meet this sweet girl and fall in love for yourself!

 

 

Foster Update 11/28/2010

I started bringing Sugar Plum to the basic obedience class offered by dog trainer Victoria (Tori) Collins who works out of Wekiva Forest Animal Hospital on SR 46 in Sanford. I am so happy to say that Sugar Plum is doing fabulous in the class! She walks beautifully on the leash, staying right next to you where she should be. She is so eager to please and is very treat motivated. She picks everything up very quickly and has not really shown any interest in the other dogs there.

 

I took Sugar Plum home after class last week and have had her ever since. At first she was a little growly at the other dogs, but day by day she has settled in more and more. I truly believe she is just afraid, and now that she sees my other dogs passing by her with no interest or aggression, she seems to not be so interested in them either. When we go for walks, even though we're on the sidewalk, the noise of cars driving by scares her, and she was scared of a big black garbage bag sitting on the curb. I get the feeling this sweet little girl has never been someone's pet. She probably lived outside before being picked up and taken to the kill shelter with her one little baby.

 

Sugar plum wants nothing but to love and be loved. She is so affectionate with people and has no toy or food aggression. She just needs a loving home with strong pack leaders who will let her know they are in charge so she can relax and feel secure. In return, she will give an endless supply of love and affection. She absolutely loves people and lives for affection, and when she feels safe she is the happiest dog you will ever meet. Sugar Plum has had such a rough life up until now. Please meet this sweet girl for yourself and give her a chance to show what a good dog she is!

 

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, early bulldogs were used in the bloody sport of bull bating. Some of these dogs emigrated with their masters from England to America. Eventually the English Bulldog was bred down in size and his personality was softened, but the American version remained a larger, fiercer dog. The American version has longer legs and more speed and agility than the English show dog. Thanks to the efforts of John D. Johnson of Summerville, Georgia the American Bulldog exists today. After he returned from WW II he was disappointed to find that, like the English Mastiff, they were almost completely extinct. He then decided to gather the best he could find from all across the rural south and bring them back from the brink of extinction. He has been breeding these dogs longer than anyone else in the world and his father bred them before him. He is an old man now (in his 80's) and these dogs have always existed in his family. He is the sole reason why they exist today. If it were not for his efforts they surely would be gone. He has been breeding them non-stop since then. The American Bulldog has also been used as a guard and in hunting bear, wild boar, squirrel and raccoon. They have even been trained to drive cattle and guard stock from predators. Farmers prize these dogs for their stamina, protectiveness, intelligence and working abilities. Some of the American Bulldogs talents are hunting, watchdogging, tracking, weight pulling, and guarding. An American Bulldog should never be confused with uniquely different breeds such as the American Staffordshire Terrier or the American Pit Bull Terrier. The American Bulldog is a brave and determined, but not hostile dog. Alert and self-confident, this breed genuinely loves children. It is known for its acts of heroism towards its master. These dogs have fought wild dogs, bulls and even fire. It is said "fighting off one of these dogs is like fighting an animal that possesses an alligator's head and a python's body." Yet when called off by their handler, they immediately obey. No wonder they are said to have "true grit, true devotion and true love." Because of its strong protective instincts, the American Bulldog should be well-socialized and obedience trained at an early age. Some may be aggressive with other dogs and reserved with strangers. They need to be around people to be truly happy. This breed tends to drool and slobber. They have a life expectancy of up to 16 years.