Hi my name is ZiggyBoo. I have a big beautiful bobble head and I bounce a lot! I bounce off furniture like a gazelle. My foster mom always has to remind me to stop playing parkour in the house. I am redirected outside with my Husky sister to resume parkour in the backyard. I leap off the top step with the tenacity and athleticism of a yellow Lab at a dock diving competition, but I’m a big dorky, gangly, thick American Bulldog (or a mix of such). I have recently learned to jump over a four foot fence without a problem, so I will need to have at least a six foot fence and be kept on a tie out in addition to being supervised outside.
My original owner had me since I was a puppy. She said I was too high energy for her and that I was hard to control on the leash. She was going to let me go in the woods the night she messaged Save-A-Bull, but my foster mama came out to get me before that happened.
I am potty trained and kennel trained! At night I sleep in my kennel. Sometimes I fall asleep on the couch with my foster mama and sometimes they let me sleep in bed, which I love. I am working hard on learning how to walk a leash. I pull really hard and can be quite stubborn – especially if I see other dogs. I really mean well, but I was not taught proper doggie behavior as a baby. I do have leash reactivity and need proper management while walking. However, I have come a long way with walking and will continue to get better with continued training. I know how to “sit” and “stay” for just a little bit. I can also “shake”, “lay down”, catch treats, and “stay back” when my foster parents need to go into a room and don’t want me following. I am in continuous training! I have had a couple of trainers come to me to work on jumping, mouthing and better walking behaviors. I also work with a canine behaviorist to continue learning to be my best self – I am becoming more balanced with some medications prescribed by my behaviorist. I will need to continue training between a very skilled trainer and/or behaviorist. I would also benefit from “working” – like dock diving or barn hunts or even pulling competitions. I am very smart and need to use my brain and athleticism. I’m most motivated by human interaction and some treats.
In my past life, I lived with a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old. I have been around my foster pawrents nephews too. I am like a bull in a china shop though – I’m pretty good at barreling through people. Small kids are not recommended for me. I live with three cats and a rabbit right now, but we do not interact much. I should not live with other small animals as I do not know my own strength and like to chase cats. My foster mom has worked on this in order to live all together, but we manage it on a daily basis. I also live with two dogs – a female 7-year-old Husky and a male 4-year-old Beagle/Pittie mix – they are both about 40lbs. I sometimes have foster siblings (usually young puppies). We have slow introductions because I am dog selective/reactive.
I’m not a very confident boy – in fact my behaviorist said I’m fearful of other dogs and have a hard time reading body language, which is why I react sometimes. I wouldn’t say I’m submissive or dominant, however, with my foster doggo siblings I do back down when they tell me to knock off my obnoxious puppy behavior. My foster mom says that I do need manners when I see dogs while on walks however, and generally on leash. We are working on my leash reactivity currently, but I will need a strong (physically and mentally) and very confident handler to keep me in line that will work on confidence building with me every day.
I really love playing chase with my Husky sibling in the backyard. I also really like going on walks and spending some time sniffing around. I like hiking and swimming, but I need a lot of supervision and cannot do this off leash yet. My recall is not there and I get easily distracted. I also need to be under control in case I see another dog and get nervous.
I am on medication to help balance my emotions/anxiety and focus on the good things. This has helped me tremendously and I am calmer and able to process stimulating situations much better now that I’m on medication – this will need to be continued after adoption. I HAVE come a long way! I used to have terrible separation anxiety and would jump over gates and go through kennels to be with my foster mom. This anxiety has quelled within the last month with medication and I can manage my emotions better. I have learned how to walk much better on a leash! I tend to really like sniffing than doing super fast paced walks. My foster mom allows the walks to be about me and sniffing – this helps to get my energy out.
Here are some fun facts about me:
Why are you the very best dog in the whole world?
I am a really good boy and I mean well, but I didn’t receive the proper training and management as a baby. When I’m home and comfortable in my environment, I give the best cuddles and hugs.
Give me a description of your dream forever family.
My dream family would be a family that likes to spend time outdoors. I really like being outside and don’t get too cold like a lot of other pitties and bullies. I think I’d really like hiking and have lots of fun exploring in the woods, swimming and doing fun training and agility exercises.
What are some of your favorite toys?
I really like nylabones, antlers and stuffy toys. I’m pretty good at pulling out all the fluff and killing the squeaker!
Play all day or cuddles and snoozes?
50/50 – I will both play all day and cuddle.
What makes your body wiggle and your tail wag harder than anything?
When I see my favorite people (currently my foster pawrents), I wiggle and wag so much!
What would your dream day consist of?
My dream day would consist of waking up early to play in the backyard for a bit. Afterwards, I’d love some breakfast (maybe in a puzzle toy to occupy my brain for a bit) and go for a ½ hour to hour walk. I’ll probably grab my nylabone after my walk and sit on the couch for a little bit with it before napping for the rest of the afternoon. I’d love a walk or a hike later in the day followed by dinner and then crashing on the couch to watch some TV with my humans.
I would love to meet YOU!
ZiggyBoo is sponsored by Sarah S.
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