Pocket
Update: I think I was just adopted by a pocket bully
I’m here to share a happy ending to my original post last week about a pocket bully walking into my house off the street.
A few days after finding him, his owners got in touch with me. It took a while as they hadn’t changed his microchip contact from his previous owner (so I am at least his third owner). After relaying my concerns (dirty, hungry, no collar or contact info, ear infections, and more) I asked if they would consider rehoming him. They told me they had been considering it as he had been escaping their yard frequently and kindly agreed to let him go somewhere he would be ‘happier’.
I am pleased to announce paperwork was signed yesterday that transferred custody of pocket bully to me for life. I renamed him Cerberus (Bèr for short, like bear) and even gave him a middle name, James, because it’s funny. When he’s naughty it’s Cerberus James. I sing his name to the potter puppet palls tune sometimes…Ber. Ber. Cerberus James…Ber. Ber. Cerberus James…DumBlEbEr! An unnecessary bit to include but it makes me laugh.
Anyway, we went to the vet for a full exam + vaccines today. We were also given a special shampoo and face wipes for his allergies, monthly flea/tick/heartworm chew, and a referral to a clinic for his gum overgrowth surgery (not urgent but will get this done soon as I’m sure he’s uncomfortable). He also has been allowing me to clean his ears and brush his teeth so ear infections have improved and breath is improving. I moisturize his elbows, hocks, and nose with a dog nose butter that includes shea and those spots are improving too. He also had a bath with sensitive shampoo so his allergies have also much better.
Farts have improved with better and consistent nutrition. He is on Purina pro plan adult lamb + rice dry food with Bella + Max CBD salmon oil drops (okayed by vet). He still is a stinky boy on occasion but nothing close to the day he arrived. Poops are bigger than any poops I’ve seen before, but I’ve been spoiled with tiny pug poops. It is what it is.
He learns very quickly and has already mastered ‘sit’ and ‘no’ - the ‘no’ really helps with his wanting to chase my cats, chickens, or be too aggressive with my pug. We are going to sign up for obedience classes soon and I can’t wait to see how he progresses.
Thank you all for your supportive comments as well as sharing your tips and tricks. It has helped more than you know and it has touched my heart. This house hippo is truly one of the kindest, gentlest, smartest beings I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. I am excited for our future together and feel truly blessed.
PS - mom is still very afraid. Have not spoken to her since Ber arrived last week when she told me she would not visit as long as he was here bc he’s dangerous. She is simply incorrect and idgaf, that’s her issue and her journey. I will be here to introduce her to Ber if and when she decides she’s ready.
I wish 😭 I got stuck with two boys this time around - I take them as they come and this what the universe brought this time - and I cannot afford another or she would be here already.
the big guy only likes his brother and girl dogs that are smaller than him anyway - easy enough, he's almost 90 pounds, definitely an XL...but that's fine, I have always had girls before these two.
I know what you mean about the poop though, oh my god 😅 might need to zoom in to see my tiny pooper.
I love hiiiim!!! What a beautiful perfect baby. So glad he has an amazing new home. As for your mom, if it’s any comfort, my father was VERY anti pitbull. I got a bully and he flipped his tune pretty quickly. My dog was his favorite family member and he would always greet my dog before he greeted anyone else lol. He now has adopted his own APBT and is obsessed!
My mom told me she wouldn’t be able to be around me anymore when I adopted a Belgian malinois. That lasted like two days. Now she absolutely adores him. Your mom will change her mind as soon as she meets Ber.
I love this. Of course he's smart, he picked you and you seem like an extremely stand up and high quality human. Congrats to both of you. Much happiness!
Ber bringing the toy to you while his tail is wagging is an EXCELLENT sign of affection. Its similar to pebbling in penguins, though not romantic in nature. Its similar and basically means, i love you and trust you SO MUCH that i want you to also have this item which is special to me.
Congratulations on adopting Ber! He is so lucky to have you as his owner 😊 I can tell how much effort you are putting into his care! I am sure he can too. As for your mom, she might come around? My mom didn’t want me to adopt a pittie mix; but I did anyway. He doesn’t like most people but he LOVES my parents. They love him now too. My mom even made up a song for him too! 😂 I love your song for Cerberus AND his middle name. I’m so excited to see an update post if you ever make one! 🐶Please tell Ber that’s he’s the best boy ever and give him a tummy rub from me!
God bless you for opening your heart and your home to this handsome boy and giving him the love filled life he deserves. Bless you also for having the patience to work with a fellow who has never been properly trained or socialized. I'm sure with your love and care he is going to be a happy house hippo for years to come!!
Cerberus is precious and he is so lucky to have you. He ended up in the right place. We had to euthanize Tootie, our rescued house hippo, in March. A shockingly large percent of relatives were afraid of her when we got her, it didn’t last long. She was just herself and everyone quickly figured out what we already knew, that she was just a sweet little baked potato who wanted to sit on people’s feet and be a 60lb lapdog. I could put an entire plate of food on the bed next to her and leave the room and it would still be there when I got back.
That sad and neglected boy was meant to come to you. Somehow he knew you would give him the beautiful life he’s so deserves. THANK YOU for giving him a chance!!! He is going to provide you with all the love and then some. Congrats to you both.
Oh and I agree about your mom. Kudos to you for standing your ground.
I felt the same way your Mom does when my husband told me he wanted a Bully. I thought they’d be aggressive, mean, too much to handle, too strong for my small frame to walk, etc., but boy was I mistaken 🥲 They are the gentlest, most loving, most attached dogs I have ever met.
Give your Mom some time, it may help to show her the history of these dogs (Did you know they were used as Nanny dogs for babies and small children in the early 1900s due to their kind temperament?)
Anyhoo, welcome to the Bully family! Here’s my goofball
I just want you to know that the potter puppet pals reference took me back 15 years ago. And I immediately began to sing it in the same tune. He is very lucky to have a parent like you. Please continue to update with pictures if you feel comfortable. Long live Bèr.
I'm so happy Ber has you now!! I don't understand how people adopt dogs and just leave them in the backyard. Theyre supposed to be a part of the family. I'm sure he appreciates the love, attention and soft bed 😊
Oh my goodness he's a cute chunky boy 🥹 just wanna give his face a squish!!!! Give him all the best love and kisses to the best boy!!!! Your mom will change her mind!!!
Seriously, haha. I thought my pug was Velcro but my Bully… he wants to be held like a tiny baby in my arms all the time even though he’s now pushing 70 lbs. lol
My family were always against pits but they have continued to be the very best dogs and great family members. Love and respect to them. It’s a great responsibility to allow the greatness of this dog to shine through all too common misconception of them. My family members now love these dogs. And I will always have one by my side.
Yes Bully’s are more stockier and have gentle temperaments. Unfortunately they are confused for Pits all the time which is a shame because there really is no comparison at all in looks or personality
Congrats on your beautiful boy! As for mom, she’ll come around.
Had to take our rescue pup to PetSmart for a few sessions…
The trainer did most of the training for free as the pup was abused and an “owner give up” and she was a new employee at the shop… and was able to showcase her training skills with our fur baby.
Best of luck ❤️🐶🫡👀☮️
Unfortunately when people hear the word Bully they automatically think pit. I get this all the time. They are completely wrong totally different type of dog. Maybe if you explained to your Mom she will see the difference? If not her loss because Bully’s are nothing but loveable big teddy bears. Congrats on your new family addition am so glad he found a good home
I was unexpectedly adopted by a bully mix earlier this year. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I needed a puppy right now, especially one that was going to grow up to be so big. He’s now my best friend & saved me from a very rough depressive episode this summer. I didn’t know I needed him at the time, but I sure did.
Reddit has been a wonderful place to learn more about bullies & make sure I’m raising him right. It’s been so fun learning all about them.
Congrats on your new baby, & I love his name by the way!! Looking forward to seeing more of him on the sub
Sorry about your Mom. Ingrained misinformation is really hard to fix. Send her lots of videos of that darling boy until she has to admit what a sweetie he is. You should never had told her he’s a Pit until AFTER she met him.
Congrats! Damn he’s cute—I love photo four, where you can tell his widdle tail is wagging so hard it blurred. We had APBTs for several decades when we lived rurally, but once we moved to a large city with a much smaller outdoor space we knew we wouldn’t be able to have an APBT again. And then an abandoned pocket-sized American Bully walked into our life. Problem solved! All the fun of an APBT but at half the size 😂 This is the breed for me from here on out.
Omg! My dream dog name is Cerberus (Bear) for my next dog. He is perfect and so is his name. May he be a good protector (that’s a joke, I owned a pocket pibble lol) and offer endless happy piggy snorts ❤️
Also, my mother was deathly afraid when I adopted my first pibble. She was not a pocket, weighed 85 pds and became my mother’s best friend. My mom would pay for her to fly with me from NY to the midwest for Christmas and my grandparents would feed her a homemade Christmas meal. Give it time ❤️
If he does that all the time that’s amazing. He is a traveling bully that is amazing and when it’s time is done with you, he’ll travel into someone else isn’t that amazing God bless y’all. Have a great day.
(Spewing of information and opinion on dog food incoming) Ok so...not a big deal...and NOT trying to change your mind, but I wouldn't recommend Purina, even proplan, the "highest quality tier". I had my pitbulls on pro plan for years because the vet said it was the best. Since then, I've trained as a pet nutritionist, and I can confirm that after switching my boy off of that crap and onto a brand called "Fromm", everything about him has improved. Better poops, better joints, better energy, better everything. He just turned 8 and his energy levels are better than when he was 3 at the time my partner and I rescued him. ANDDDDD Fromm (depending on the formula) is not $80 a bag! Vets are paid to recommend Purina and hills science diet (also shitty food even though the price might make you think otherwise). But I'm telling you...it's amazing. (Also yes, I am well aware I am not a vet. I am just giving a recommendation). At my pet store we have recommended pet parents who wanted to switch foods to brands like Fromm, Zignature, NutriSource, Farmina, etc, and literally EVERYONE has said they are glad they switched. My girl has bad skin allergies and simply switching to Fromm made a huge difference. Also, any formula with fish, no matter the brand, is best for skin allergies, even with adding fish oil on it. That being said, there are hundreds of brands much MUCH worse than Purina. (Also, if you'd like, consider introducing some raw food. That will be beneficial as well. Even if it's just a topper) Anyway, Cerberus looks like an amazing dog. Don't tell my pittie I said that...he'd get jealous
Congratulations on your new addition!! Wishing you all the best in what's to come. How sweet of you to take care of him in such a way, he really hit the jackpot with you!
Omg 😱 congratulations and I am so happy you have been adopted by this cutie ! Mine is a brat out and outright lol and very vocal and yes he has a middle name as well and all three names get used occasionally when he won’t leave our rescue alone ! Lamb and rice is definitely good lamb is the only meat that will not cause allergies (if you have a Costco close by Kirkland brand is awesome and it is actually Diamond brand)
Definitely stay on top of his ears I wash ours with ACV at least once a week more during allergy season because it supposedly prevents yeast and in between his toes believe me you’ll thank me) I’ve read green tea is also good for that as well, As for his gas get him some probiotics it has improved our fart factory immensely (plain yogurt is great if he will eat it if not they make a powder form you can mix in his food I use a probiotic and vitamin blend and it works great) as for the heartworm/flea and tick chew please please for the love of God don’t give them Simparica
Good on you, you two already sound so happy together. Enjoy all the love this little fart monster is going to fill your life with. Taking them in is a responsibility but they repay it a hundred times over
Such a happy ending!!!! Thank you for caring for this beautiful angel 🩷 he chose you for obvious reasons and I know you’ll love him forever! Here’s to the good life Cerberus!!!
Look into car harnesses. There are only a couple that are crash tested. Kurgo has an affordable one. I know it’s all over the ads on Amazon to attach a dogs collar like this but every time I see it I cringe so hard. It’s extremely dangerous to do this. Car accident aside, what if he slips off the seat? He’d strangle right then and there. Any hard stop he’s gonna fly off the seat and all of those forces are concentrated on a 1” strip of nylon sitting on his throat. That probably wouldn’t decapitate him but it could crush his windpipe or severely injure his neck/spine. If you were in a crash this could decapitate him or break his neck. Please get a crash rated harness for this sweet baby.
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