Who can think of any two things that belong together more than kids and dogs? This is a perfectly natural pairing if there ever was one. Even as adults there is still a certain innocence in us that thrills at the joy of receiving the unconditional love of a canine companion. Many of us grew up with a dog in the family, and if you are like me in any way, a great deal of my fondest childhood memories are of time spent with a dog at my side. For those of us that found our first canine buddy during adulthood I believe it is a way to attain that special innocent bond and acceptance each of us desires deep down inside. Besides, how many of your human friends will fetch a ball in his mouth for you no matter how far you throw it, and think it perfectly normal when you baby talk them while you scratch their tummies?

Dogs are a super way to teach kids respect for others and responsibility. After everything else with our sons fails, we play the DOG CARD…..”Look son, your dog loves you no matter what you do. Your dog can not clean up after himself, and can’t open his can of food. He depends on you for all of that, or he gets very sick. You don’t want your doggie to be sick, so help your doggie and take care of him. “ Yeah, it works even with two young boys known by many as The Bungee Boys. Our sons are doing very well learning both the joys and responsibilities of having a Bully Buddy.

Seeing our boys romp and play with the dogs always brings a great deal of joy to us. I often stop whatever I am doing to just watch them together. It brings back all of the memories of running through the mountains with my boyhood buddy and bodyguard, who wrestled with me and fended off coyotes, snakes, and skunks. He was a 120 pound Doberman. Josh and Justin each have a Bulldog, that mostly fend off stray bits of food the kids leave in their wake. They both get along great with all of the dogs, but each has a special one that he is responsible for helping to take care of. They are learning how precious life is, and how to nurture it. Yes, the boys are a big part of our dog breeding. We don’t hide the miracle of life from them, but teach them how to understand what is happening in terms their young minds can understand. They are also learning puppies are very fragile. That is a gift that can not be purchased in a toy store.

Below are short stories that illustrate how we have worked to involve the boys in our canine adventure…………

Articles on Kids and Bulldogs...

Puppy Training for Kids/The Puppy Egg Theory

The Puppy-egg Theory……Revisited

Bully Buddies….(or should it be Bungee Wrangler?)

Bungee-atized Bullpuppies/ Kid Training For Dogs

Still Bullified Bungees (NEW!!!!)

Not long ago my wife and I decided to breed our first litter of Bulldog puppies. This brought some concerns to mind for us in regards to our two young sons, ages 3 and 4. Our good friend and mentor, Mike Brunk, has dubbed our sons as The Bungee Boys. I tell people who remark on their activeness and creativity that they have “an extreme love for life.” Kids being what they are, and boys being what they are, I am sure you can probably appreciate what I am trying to say. So my dilemma was how to teach the boys how delicate a newborn puppy is and how you are supposed to handle them. I know my boys, and know that no matter how hard I might try to keep them away from the pups it was going to be a losing battle right from the beginning.

So as I was sitting at the dinner table thinking of these things one night, it finally occurred to me as to what I should do. I got up from the table and acquired a raw egg from the refrigerator and a black marker. I then carefully drew a Bulldog face on the egg and showed it to my boys while carefully holding it in the palms of my hands. The whole time I am telling them to pretend the egg is a little puppy and about how delicate and special it is. I am really making a big deal out of it to them. Then I showed them how I wanted them to pet a puppy with just one finger, very carefully.

I also lectured the boys about the evils of poking at a puppy and I stabbed a finger at the egg and cracked it. They got upset with me for that!....I also went on to show them what happens if they pick up a puppy and drop it. At that point I took the puppy-egg and smashed it on the dinner table. Both of my sons jumped and screamed! Their eyes were as big as plates! Looking at them I quickly realized that my demonstration might actually have sunk into their overactive minds. Once the puppies arrived this proved to be true. I never had to do my puppy-egg demonstration again, just a gentle reminder, “remember the puppy-egg.”

Now the pups are older, and some of them are in their new homes, but I am facing another dilemma. The pups are out running in the back yard and are big enough that they can tackle the boys and knock them down. This also means that the boys also think it is okay for them to do likewise! So as I sit here I am wondering if I can modify my puppy-egg theory. If I get a watermelon, paint it like a puppy and put it in the middle of the yard, then get a running start and jump………….

…….well, you can picture the rest. So go and love on your bullies and kids. Kids and Dogs! What is more wonderful than that?

So now the Bungee Boys are older, 4 ½ and 6 years old. They are growing like weeds, and still have a large love of life. We are talking about a great deal of unharnessed raw energy here folks! They are very bright and good boys though, with a desire to please and be helpful, though at times focused in a not so helpful direction.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Bungees, let me introduce you to them. They are mine and my wife, Mary’s, two young boys Josh and Justin. Josh is the oldest. They were given the nickname of The Bungee Boys by our mentor and good friend, Mike Brunk. If you ask most of the Bulldoggers in Colorado who the Bungees are, they can certainly point them out quickly enough. They have also been earning some form of fame with Bulldoggers from outside of the state as our circle of Bulldogger friends has grown, and we continue to expand the list of shows we are able to attend outside of our area.

In my first story, I described teaching my sons the correct way for them to act around newborn Bulldog puppies, and the evils of abusing the privileges of being around the puppies. To do this I used a raw egg and a black marker. I drew a Bulldog face on the egg and showed the boys how to cradle the egg, gently stroke it with one finger, and not smother it. I also showed them how badly injured the “puppy” would be if you poked, dropped, or threw it. These were all hands on demonstrations and were very, very effective, even for Bungees. Raising the pups with my two sons proved not to be as hard as I was anticipating. Of course there were a few instances that my heart thumped a little faster, and harder, but all in all it went well.

Now the boys are older, and try to be even more helpful. Sometimes they even are. They help me rotate dogs out to the yards, and bring them in. They eventually get around to bringing things such as a leash when I ask (of course the quickness depends upon the value of the cartoon on television at the time), and especially love to give all of the dogs treats and biscuits. I have to place the treats and biscuits up high, or threaten everyone shorter than me, because they will evenly distribute these items to all of the dogs until they are gone. Of course the dogs love it when the boys decide to parcel out the snacks and do not complain when there is a mountain of snacks in front of each one of them!

Josh and Justin are also very helpful at the pet store where we go to buy dog food. They are always making sure mom and dad buy plenty of replacement snacks for the dogs, and are extremely good at making sure the dogs get new toys to replace the old torn up ones. They seem to think it is the most helpful to do this when mom and dad are not looking. It’s always a great surprise to find an extra $100 worth of dog snacks and toys stuffed under the dog food bags when we reach the check-out. Their intentions are good. They just want to make sure that all of their dogs get all of the best stuff at all times.

We have been able to take the boys to more dog shows as they grow older. It has been a struggle in the past since Mary and I both show the dogs and on occasion have to be in the ring at the same time. During some of these times fellow Bulldoggers have stepped up and been very helpful by keeping an eye on the Bungees for us. For this we are very grateful. Other times we have left the boys home with a sitter while we were at the show. People always ask us why we didn’t bring them because they are not a bother to them. Honestly, sometimes it is just too much for us to juggle. Even when a trusted friend is riding herd over the boys, we can’t help but to keep one eye trained on them outside of the ring and one on the judge. Then there was the time when one of the boys went running into the ring so mommy could pull his underwear and pants up for him after he went potty. Yep, the judge put the class on pause so mom could take care of business! A friend was watching the boys that time, but he was just way too fast for her and shot right under her and straight to the ring to find mom.

Now days though they are fairly content to sit in their big, comfy chairs with drinks and snacks while mom and dad show the dogs. If you are ever ringside and one or even two blond headed boys are there munching away and giving a running commentary on the show, the dogs in general, their favorite cartoons, toys, superheroes, or life in general, then you have probably just met The Bungees! They definitely will converse with you as long as you are there.

Most folks are great at welcoming The Bungees ringside. If nothing else it is always fun to see what they will do next. However, on occasion we seem to run across somebody who not only does not seem to appreciate young people, but actually go out of their way to make life tough for them. It has happened. There was one lady who followed the boys for an hour, telling them they were rotten little kids and scaring them. That was until I saw what was going on, and she hasn’t come within a 100 yards of the boys since. What runs through a person’s head that does something like this? Why do some people seem so miserable that they have to try and make everyone else miserable too?

For all of you who have come before, and others starting out in the dog fancy with your kids at your side, and all who welcome children and encourage them, I salute you! Believe me, I know how rough it is trying to participate in the sport and be a parent at the same time. It has been done by others, and can be done by the rest of us.

The great thing about doing this is both of my boys have been developing a growing interest in the dog fancy. I have tried to be careful not to be pushy with the boys about dogs. I don’t want them to become bitter towards the whole thing. What I do try to do is teach them simple things about our chosen breed and others as well. The more I teach them, the more interested they seem to become. Both boys have told me they want to show dogs when they are old enough. I tell them they certainly can if they still want to when they reach the proper age. My youngest already has a Bulldog that is his and loves her dearly. My oldest has picked another breed as his favorite, even though I am slightly abashed. I tell him that is great though, and that there is a breed of dog suitable for everybody. We are working on getting a dog of that “other breed” for him as a pet for now. We don’t want to discourage either of them.

Back to the egg. In case you were wondering, yes, the boys still remember the puppy-egg demonstrations. I only showed it to them once, but it was so visual and participatory that they have not forgotten. Now whenever they are around delicate pups I only admonish them slightly to remember the puppy-egg, and they respond by saying that is right and we don’t want to hurt any puppies. I love my boys and I am proud of them.

So go give your kids a kiss, and hug your dogs. Kids and dogs,….it just doesn’t get any better than that!

Aw! Autumn is finally here, and the kids are in school! That means there are a couple less Bungees in the house part of the day. I have decided that because of a Bulldog’s sense of humor, they are all Bungees too. I am outnumbered here! Sometimes I call my wife a Bungee,….and I get in trouble for it.

Once again The Bungees are older yet (funny how that happens), and another litter of pups has arrived again. Mini-Bungees. At least these are quieter and calmer,…for now. The pups arrived a couple of days ago, and Josh and Justin got to go in the back at the vet’s office when Mary and I were rubbing puppies. They were really good, and fascinated. When they came in back I had them put their hands in their pants pockets. Naturally they complained somewhat, but complied to Dad’s Will without too much of a struggle.

The boys are getting used to being at the veterinarian for breedings and such. Of course now they have their own routine when we get there. They walk in with that special Bungee Swagger like they own the place (or at least run it), check in with the techs to see what is new in their lives and describe their newest and most awesome toy or something, hit the water cooler, and then ravage the vet’s toy bin. After a while they make it to the dog toys to inspect them to see if any are good enough for their dogs, and back to the reception area to greet all “newcomers” and tell them how superior the Bulldog is. They also will eventually decide to take an inventory of all of the cats in the office. We don’t have cats at home so they are fascinated by how they get to wander all over and sit on counters. At least they no longer get in a boxing match over the broken yellow crayon and the coloring book with most of the pages ripped out. It’s also easier to conduct business with the vet now, rather than having to always manage a boxing match. They are brothers, and all boys.

We get the pups home, and Justin decides he is Feeding Supervisor. He had asked me why we have to feed the puppies so often, and I explained to him because they need good food just like him so they can grow healthy and strong. So now if I am trying to get a nap in because I was up all night with the pups he violently shakes me awake and yells in my ear that I should be feeding puppies. He is very adamant that all of the dogs should be waited on hand and foot, day and night, ….by me.

Josh and Justin wanted to help name the pups, as usual, and as usual they always try to talk us into names that we will not use, like Stinky, Poopy, Crabby, and Pee Face. Yep, like I said, all boys. They of course griped at us for not using their names, and looked at us like we had two heads each when we told them we would consider their ideas when they chose some that were not so yucky. I told Mary that we could relent and use Crabby just as a litter nickname, but she told me no. She is such a girl sometimes. Oh well.

Justin is absolutely in love with his dog, Rosie, still. He is finally realizing that when dad says no more dog treats for her he means it. I have finally gotten him to realize that when he feeds her so many treats dad has to put her on a diet. He and Rosie are the best of buddies and like to go on walks, run together, and sit on the floor to watch cartoons.

Josh has decided that he doesn’t want the “other breed” now after being around them some more. He says he still likes them and asked me if it was okay to like more than one breed of dog. I told him it sure is okay, and that dad likes a lot of different breeds and you don’t have to own one to like it. He still loves his girl Bubbles as much as he ever has. He hasn’t gotten to play with her like usual because she is the one that just had the pups. Josh did a super job of making sure Bubbles stayed calm all through the pregnancy. We are not “dog poor” though, and he always has dogs to play with.

Sometimes it gets a little chaotic when I get Reggie out and the boys decide to play with him. Right now Reggie is still a pubescent male and also alpha in nature. The boys can get him going pretty good at times and Reggie can give as good as he gets. One of Reggie’s favorite games is to pretend he is a middle linebacker and the boys are runningbacks with the ball. Right now he weighs more than Justin and almost as much as Josh. You can imagine the train wreck that is! I have had the boys watching the Dog Whisperer on television (one of their favorite shows besides Monster Garage) and talking to them about helping me train Reggie to be calmer. They are actually understanding that everybody has to be calm with a dog, and not just one person. It is working nicely so far.

All in all, life with ALL of my Bungees is good, and worth every minute of it! If you don’t have a Bungee in your life I suggest you find one to have and love. Kids and dogs, and wives….they are GREAT!

By Ryan Betz

Well, its time for another installment of the saga that is our life with the Bungee kids, and Bungee Bulldogs. Some of our close friends have told me that another story is long overdue. Sorry, but sometimes it can be difficult to get myself to sit down and write. I have to be in a certain mood to do it, and lately my mind has been wrapped up in improving our dog contracts and writing educational material when I do decide to write.

So, you are probably asking yourselves what in the world a Bungee-atized bullpuppy is. Is it some lunatics crazy invention?.....Well, maybe. What I am referring to in actuality though, is the way Josh and Justin (our Bungee Boys) have been helping more and more with each new litter of Bulldog puppies we have. Bullpuppy then is obviously my shortened version of Bulldog puppy. When they are smelling up the joint and it is time to clean the puppy pen I often refer to the little buggers as bullpooppies. I bet you are all catching on and up to speed with me now. Or maybe its “down to speed” with me. I’ll let you decide which.

To my way of thinking a Bungee-atized bullpuppy has been tested and proofed by the Bungee Boys each and every day of their young lives up until the bullpuppies leave our home for their new homes. Kid socialization for dogs. As both Josh and Justin have been getting older they are proving themselves more trustworthy and helpful with all of our dogs. This is especially true when it comes to the bullpuppies. What kid doesn’t love to mess around with a puppy? The boys have always been involved in our Bulldog adventure to at least some point, but that role has drastically expanded for them.

Now Josh and Justin are both at the age where they definitely see the difference in behavior between different dogs. They are understanding now that although a biting puppy seems cute at first, a biting dog is no laughing matter. Therefore, they are understanding that a biting puppy is not so cute as first thought. (they actually learned this lesson from other people’s dogs, not ours thankfully) I know adults that seem never to have learned this lesson, so I am very happy that Josh and Justin have, and without getting hurt in the process.

What is Josh and Justin’s role in this beyond just playing with cute little puppies, you ask? Very simple, actually, but a very, very important one. Their role is that when a puppy uses it’s brand spanking new razor sharp teeth to try and separate your skin from the rest of your body one chunk at a time, you do not let the puppy get away with it. I don’t mean by giving the pup a roundhouse and sending it through the wall either!!! No, no, no, very bad! I also do not mean by hitting the pup with a rolled up newspaper or magazine. Too many people seem to think this is how you are supposed to train a dog. Well, in my opinion I would like to hit those people in such a way as to match the scale. Since this means people are bigger than the dog, I would like to lay these people out flat and see how they like “being trained.” I bet some of them would be angry enough to try and retaliate against me. “Ding!” (light bulb going off) What makes a dog different? Aggression meets aggression until one becomes dominant over the other and the aggression is out of control. Hence, a cute puppy is being trained to become a vicious dog, and a major problem. In case somebody blinked just now and missed it, I will state it again. Aggression meets aggression.

Josh and Justin have both learned that to stop a pup from biting, you first stop the current behavior by saying “NO” in a commanding voice and removing the teeth from your flesh by controlling the head in a non-harmful manner. It takes time for a puppy to learn to curb this behavior, and Josh and Justin have both been learning to be patient in their training. The boys have learned that over time a puppy learns to modify it’s behavior without anyone getting hurt or angry. The pups are then learning their first bit of obedience training. WALAH! Happy calm Bungee kids, and happy calm Bullpuppies! Makes for happy and calm mom and dad too.

The boys have also learned dominance training with the bullpuppies, as well. They have learned that an overexcited pup that is not behaving can gently be rolled onto its back and made to lay there until it is calm and submits to you. The pup’s reward for submitting is to be let up and given a little love. This particular tact has proven to be a specialty for Josh and Justin. They are a lot more patient, gentle, persistent, and consistent in using this method than most people would be willing to give them credit for. This has been a very effective training method with the bullpuppies. Both boys have also been very instrumental in showing our puppy buyers this method, and just how effective it truly is. When two young boys can use this tact so well, why shouldn’t an adult also be able to be just as effective in using it?

Of course, new bullpuppies with new shiny and sharp teeth need something to chew on, and the boys have learned that when a pup just will not quit biting no matter how persistent and patient they have been with the bullpuppies, a new tact is needed. So now they have learned to distract the pups with approved puppy chew toys, and I do not mean dad’s shoes. Shoes are not approved bullpuppy chew toys in our house, and never should be in yours either, or you won’t have any shoes left.

In distracting the bullpups with approved toys, the Bungee boys have discovered how to teach the bullpups to fetch. I remember watching the boys the day they discovered this all on their own. Their little faces were grinning from ear to ear, and their chests were puffed up like little banti-roosters! They were so proud of themselves for discovering how to teach the pups something, and not just teaching them NOT to do something. I believe that up until that moment the boys thought that all dogs came pre-programmed with the game of fetch inside. I swear that when a dog would not fetch for them, the boys believed the dog to be severely defective and a waste of time to play with.

So once the Bungees were receptive to teaching the bullpuppies TO DO something, it was time to move forward. We decided the next thing to teach Josh and Justin to teach the pups was walking on a leash. The blind leading the blind, so to speak? Sometimes. All in all though, that has been going well, under close supervision. Josh and Justin are excited about learning to train the bullpups, and I have explained to them that they need to start with these things if they are going to be able to show dogs in the future in the Jr Handling classes. Especially when they are in a show ring and somebody else’s dog is out of control, which does happen way too often. Josh and Justin seem to be grasping the concept just fine so far.

What is all of this doing to benefit the bullpuppies, you ask? Well, good behavior and patience. It is just as important, no actually, more important for a dog to be kid friendly. I do not just mean a dog loves to play with kids either. I have seen a lot of kids be hurt by an overexcited dog when playing. I mean a dog that is loving, patient, and obedient with children, and not just with adults. Most dogs love kids, but a good many of those same dogs try to be dominant over kids. That is not usually an immediate and obvious problem, but a problem definitely waiting to happen. Of course the obvious problems are dogs that strongly dislike children, or are afraid of children. This is usually caused by children teasing, harassing, and even abusing the dog. Trust me, we have had this happen to us with three dogs we once had, by children that were once our neighbors. One was a male Corgi, one a bitch Border Collie, and one a two hundred pound, in tact male Rottweiler.

I even tried discussing the problem with the children’s parents, especially in regards to my Rottweiler, and the subject was met quite unfavorably. The parents thought it was funny! Funny? I see nothing funny about a two hundred pound dog finally getting fed up with some brat teasing it and deciding to do something about it. Funny? I find it scary!!!!! These people even ran an in-home daycare, besides the four children of their own. You would think they would know better! Would they think it funny if a child was injured or even killed by an angry dog? Apparently these particular people would have. Some people should not be allowed to have children in the first place.

I kept the situation under my control the best I could, but it was my dog’s quality of life that was severely inconvenienced by it. This same dog was very protective of our own kids, and would lay his life down for them in less than a heartbeat, but was scared of other children. When other children were near him he would shake and shiver at the same time he was looking for escape routes. Luckily for all of us, no unfavorable incidents actually occurred while the dog was still alive. We lost him two years ago to a disease, and miss him still. He was a valued friend, protector of the family, and bodyguard to all of the Bulldogs, even though the Bulldogs were not too keen about him. No neighbor kid was able to get close enough to one of our Bulldogs to mistreat them with Harley on the job, and dog thieves would have quivered at the thought of going through him to steel one of our precious bullies.

So you see, I am bound and determined that every pup that walks out of our door, eventually, will be kid socialized as much as I can possibly manage. Josh and Justin are the key to starting the bullpups off on the right path. (after, of course, breeding for good temperament to begin with) I talk with each of our puppy buyers at great length about how to keep the pups on that path. This is a topic that I am very passionate about, and Mary no less than I. We are also just as passionate about our Bungees being dog socialized.

Recently Josh and Justin were invited to attend a French Bulldog play day by some friends of ours in that breed. So Mary took them, and I stayed home to mow the weeds in the pasture or something. I think mainly I was just enjoying some time at home without the three of my biggest Bungees. (Still love you, honey. Don’t hurt me.) When Mary got home she said the boys had a blast, but Josh got in trouble one time until she understood what he was doing. It seems there were some other children there, and they were throwing a ball around and chasing it in the yard. Josh took the ball away from them and threw it over the fence. That is what got him in trouble. Josh explained to his mom though that the kids were running over the dogs when they chased the ball and the dogs were all scared. So he took the ball away from them and got rid of it. He was worried about the dogs. Mary then explained she was proud of his reasons, but did not approve of his actions. He promised to do his best to handle the situation in a better manner the next time. Do you think our boys have become dog oriented at all?

Another example involves Justin. Not long ago a friend of his from pre-school came over to see the pups and play. We were all sitting on the floor with the pups, and the boy was at first a little scared of the pups, but then started playing a little rough with them. Justin grabbed his friend’s hands and pulled them back from the pups. Justin looked his friend in the eyes with a very serious expression and asked, “Don’t you know about the puppy-egg?” I had to look away and chuckle. You see, the Puppy-egg Theory is still viable and effective! I haven’t said a word about the puppy-egg for quite some time, but even Justin strongly remembers my little demonstration with the chicken egg and black marker. This just proves to me that I actually had at least one really good idea.

So now I am going to bring this segment of the Bungees and bullpups to a close. So until next time, go love your own Bungees and bullpups. Take care until the next time my friends………….!

Still Bullified Bungees
By Ryan Betz

   I know, I know, it has been a while since I have written any installments to the Tales of the Bungees. Or should it be The Tails Of Bulldog Bungees? Hmmm? I’ll have to give that some thought. Maybe take a poll since those are popular these days.

   Time passes by, the seasons come anew and pass into memory, new pups are born with some finding great new homes while others fill our daily lives with joy and chaos, and the Bungees grow. Oh boy, do they ever grow! Sometimes it seems like they just took their first breath of life yesterday, and other times I can not remember what life was like for Mary and I before Josh and Justin came into our lives. If you happen to be a parent yourself, I know you know what I mean.

   They are not babies, or even little kids any more. Now they are young boys, full of life, energy, and dreams of their own. At this stage though they are even more involved with the Bulldogs than ever before. They work with the dogs and care for them in one way or another each and every day, and do it with joy in their hearts. It fills me with pride to see them care for other living creatures so much. It would be very hard for Mary and I to pursue our dreams and goals in this Bulldog laden adventure of ours if the boys did not put so much of themselves into it. Actually, it would be pretty near impossible without all they do and the support they give!

   No, dogs are not their entire lives. They lead pretty healthy kid lives. They have their friends, toys, video games, favorite TV shows, and sports. They both are pretty darn good students at school too. They each take their studies pretty seriously. It seems more seriously than I can remember myself taking it anyways, which has got to be an improvement. Maybe that’s not saying as much as I intended it to.

   Oh, and by the way………they get mad at me for calling them Bungees. SSSHHHH, don’t tell them I still do! Let it be our little secret, okay? For myself, Mary, and many others that have played a big role in their lives they will always be Bungees. Probably even after they are bigger than me and have families of their own. Luckily those days are still a ways off, and I’m still the biggest bear in our household. I always warn them too, do not poke at the bear.

   So anyways, Josh has begun his career in the dog fancy with a bang, as you may have noticed from his Junior Handling page and pictures. Garth WAS my dog, and now he belongs to Josh. Yep, I created a little “dog thief” just like me. Mary calls me a dog thief because I tend to take over on all of the dogs around here. If the rest of the family is lucky I might share one now and again with them, but Garth did jump ship and follows Josh as his captain now. The mutiness little hairy beast! The dog, not Josh.

   All kidding aside, I couldn’t be more proud of how quickly and thoroughly Josh and Garth have become a team. They aren’t just partners in the show ring, but they really are buddies. From the very first day Josh started training, Garth started teaching him instead of the other way around, and that is exactly how we had it planned. Garth was already trained to be a push-button show dog. It was Josh who needed the training, and yes, Garth did help a lot. When trying to stack the dog Josh would put the feet in the wrong place, and Garth would patiently correct himself over and over again. When Josh didn’t quite know where to stop or stand, Garth did. So Josh started in his very first shows placing more often than not. I think one of the hardest things for him to learn was not to jabber at the judge, and try to negotiate doing a different pattern that he wanted to show off because he just learned how to do it, or tell the judge what ribbon the last judge awarded him. But then with just a mere handful of shows as experience he stepped into the ring at the 2007 BCA Nationals. It was a sight to behold! Suddenly it all seemed to come together for him. He was now leading the dog, and stacking the dog, and in command of the dog. His posture suddenly correct. His attention where it should be when it should be there. Suddenly he looked much older than his nine years of age. And he won. He won big. He not only won big, but won big three days in a row over competition that was high school aged! And won soundly. Plus one day he put on this huge and cheesy grin that I know many people won’t forget. He had most all of us bursting at the seams, including the judge. Just as poised and correct as Josh was, so was Garth. Side by side, working together the way any team should. And sitting outside the ring being Josh’s biggest fan of all was his younger brother, Justin. Cheering him on, clapping, and congratulating, all three days. You would have thought Justin was cheering for his favorite hockey team. But alas, no. The cheering was for his older brother. The same guy that throws him to the ground and gives him wedgies. Justin had tears of pride and joy in his eyes, and so did Mary and I.

   Since that week at Nationals there have been several more shows. Not every day was a win, but that is okay, and that is life. Josh has been very consistent though, and very determined, and yes, has done some winning too. You see, he doesn’t show dogs because mom and dad want him to, or make him. He does it because he is self motivated to do so. He wants it. He works at it. He pushes himself, and sets his own goals. He goes to practice every week and works very hard, all because he wants to. It is an uncommon day around here when josh does not suddenly and unexpectedly burst out with, “I love dogs!” He asks at least twice a week when the next show is, and how many times he’s entered. He always wants to see the show calendar. He also tries to snatch away the show premium lists and judging programs first when they come in the mail. Then I have to smack the back of his hand and tell him to put them back, because if I don’t I will never see them again.

   Then there is Justin. Sweet little innocent looking Justin. He’s the real dog thief of the household. (poor Mary doesn’t stand a chance with her three guys all being dog thieves) I have to really keep my eye on him. He wants ALL of the dogs for himself. As good as Josh is with the dogs, Justin is better at the day to day of it. Just younger. He is very diligent with his dog care. He is the real caretaker. Constantly checking their wellbeing and health. Constantly giving me detailed reports if there is any change in any dog, without my asking. And for heaven sakes, if Josh misses something or doesn’t do a food pan or water bowl right Justin will unload on him and tell him all about it! That is when mom or dad have to step in and break it up. You see, Josh knows how to take care of dogs just as well as Justin, but maybe just not the exact way Justin wants it. I think Justin gets that particular trait from me, unfortunately.

   Justin also has a very good eye for dogs, and not just Bulldogs. He studies a lot of different breeds. He likes to discuss what makes a quality dog all of the time with me. At a dog show he’ll suddenly go from having his face buried in his Nintendo game to quizzing me about a dog that caught his eye from across the room, even when I could swear he was so tuned into his game that I didn’t think he even knew we were at a dog show. At those times he will stow his game away completely out of site and switch completely over to studying dogs. I’ve witnessed him picking the breed winning dogs from various breeds that day by just watching them walk by on their way outside to the grass, when he hasn’t even seen their competition. He’ll say, “Hey dad, did you see that dog? I really like that one. I bet he’ll win breed today.” Then later out of curiosity I’ll check, and sure enough, there goes that dog to the Group ring because it did in fact win Best of Breed that day. The boy has a gift. Hmmm? I wonder if Mary would get mad at me if I snuck him off to Vegas for some horse betting?

   A little over a month ago Justin approached me with a serious proposition. He was very serious, and his expression demanded my full attention. You see, he had decided it is getting close to the time when we should breed his Bulldog girl that he owns. She is his girl completely, except on paper where legally he has no choice but to share her with mom and dad. Since I have a young male, Maverick, that I own and won’t let anyone shorter than me touch, lest they try to steal him away from me as the theme around here seems to be going these days, and Justin wants to use him as the stud dog. He had thoroughly studied his plan, and laid it all out to me in a precise manner. He informed me of the traits his girl lacked, and explained to me that those particular traits Maverick happens to abound in. He discussed the obvious good health of both dogs. He even discussed the flashiness of the possible color combinations that would result from such a pairing. Then he asked me for permission to use Maverick at stud for his girl. I was dumbfounded, purely amazed, and proud as could be all at the same time. You see, all of his reasoning to my way of thinking was completely sound and correct. In fact, Mary and I already had that exact breeding planned for his girl, but just hadn’t said anything to him about it, and for all of the same reasons he said to me! Justin is just eight years old. I know dog breeders personally, adults, that breed dogs all the time without any apparent clue for what they are doing, and here is our eight year old son planning dog breedings for very specific reasons. By the way, none of those reasons included anything about him loving both of those dogs and the puppies would be cute. You know, what you would typically attribute as kid reasons for such things. However, I have heard adults say that was their reasons for breeding over and over again. Really makes one sit back and ponder on things a bit now, doesn’t it?

   Don’t be sad for Justin not getting to show dogs though. He is about to go into extensive training here very shortly, so that by the time he gets to step into the Junior Handling ring at nine years old he will hopefully be well prepared for competition. Yes, he is self motivated to do it too, and is itching to start. He just needs dad to actually get busy and make time to start the training with him. Then after he gets some basics he will be joining Josh at his weekly class with the professional trainer. Yep, Justin will be thieving another one of my dogs. Nope, not Maverick either, even though he tries again and again. This time it will be one of Maverick’s sisters, Janie. She’s not completely push button as a show dog yet, but she is very sweet and calm, and has done very well in the puppy ring at shows as she has not placed any lower than 1st place yet at the time of this writing and multiple show weekends under her belt. She’s daddy’s girl, but she also loves Justin very much. So I do believe she should respond very well to Justin in the show ring. I can imagine the two of them becoming quite the team very similar to Josh and Garth.

   Once Josh gets a bit more handling experience under his belt we hope to have him start helping out with showing the girls in the breed ring. Hopefully by the end of the summer. Then eventually Justin too, if it all works out well for him. However, I am putting my foot down. The male dogs are mine to show. I am just going to have to be selfish about it, except on those periodic occasions when I have two males in the ring at the same time. In those instances Mary will be stepping in the ring to handle one or the other of the males for me. But during those times the dog is just a loaner and must be returned immediately upon the completion of competition. “Hey lady, put the leash down and carefully step away from the Bulldog!”  The Bungees & Bungee Mama may pout about it, but there are plenty of the girl dogs to go around and share. Besides, the  boys still need to have time to just be kids and do kid things.

Oh, I almost left without referring back to the Puppy Egg! Yes, those lessons are still in effect, but much improved. Why you ask? Improved because the boys are now passing it along in their own way to other youngsters. You see, when we sell pups to anybody we first conduct interviews with the potential buyers in our home. Quite often these buyers also have their own version of Bungees with them. Quite often these young children do not know how to act around, treat, or handle even dogs, let alone vulnerable little puppies with a full set of sharp and shiny teeth in their mouths. In these instances Mary and I most often turn the instructing over to our bigger, fully adapted and trained Bungees. The boys really enjoy teaching other kids the proper way to interact with dogs and puppies without being frightened. Josh and Justin have their own techniques on how to teach these kids, but more often than not they are very successful. Dad is on deck as standby though just in case the need arises for some additional help in tutoring. And mom is waiting in the wings watching to make sure dad gets it right too.

So until next time my friends, take good care, hug on those Bulldogs, and if you are lucky enough to have your own Bungee in your life…..best of luck to you too!