I lost my Love, my beloved Bulldog Miss Bean. My heart is broken, I miss my best Friend. I adopted her when she was 3 years old and she died yesterday at the age of 9 after a 2nd stomach dilation. No words can describe how much I Loved her and how much I miss her right now.
When I got her she had a lot of behavioural problems, she was aggressive towards other dogs, would attack vets or me when I tried to clean her wrinkles or give her a bath.
When she came to live with me it took almost a year to really accept rules and my other Bulldog James. James was my other Bulldog who died last year at the age of 10. The Bulldog breed is known to be stubborn, strong willed and very determined and Miss Bean was no exception, stubborn would be a huge understatement. After a year of intensive training she finally fully accepted James and me.
She became best friends with James, the rescue Bulldogs that came to visit, played with the dogs at the park and learned to enjoy her spa treatments. She was such a special dog.
I named her after the famous TV persona Mr Bean and changed it to Miss Bean for the obvious reasons. Just her face and expression made people laugh and she was a comedian and clown at heart.
She was such a happy dog who would brighten up the lives of everyone and everything around her especially mine. Just saying her name or looking at her would make her tail wag like a little high speed propeller and she would give you her most beautiful smile. She lived for attention and hugs and followed me wherever I went.
In a way she acted like a kitty, whatever I was doing she would block me from doing it to demand her cuddles and attention, if she could have jumped up on my table or desk, she would have definitely sat on my keyboard or papers to demand attention and she loved boxes.
There are so many things I will have to miss about her; her beautiful smile, her crooked teeth, her propeller tail, her funny ways of acting out or demanding cuddles or food and her never ending appetite, her rolling around and sunbathing in the garden, her tongue which I called her sleep’o’meter (you could tell how long she was sleeping by the length of tongue sticking out) her bunny runs, our days at the beach, our train rides together, her being the cutest mascotte for the Dutch soccer team.
Whenever I tried to read a book on the couch or do crunches on the floor Bean would just sit on top of me to demand attention, when I got phone calls she would immediately get her squeaky toy and would start squeaking away so everyone who would call me got her ‘squeaky song’ as background music and yes even her daily nuclear gas bombs will be missed. She was the Cutest Stalker with the worst Ninja skills ever.
She was ALL Character, a Dog with a Big Heart and a Big Smile.
I will never forget your silly ways and will always miss you ♥
Thank you for being my Best Friend, for all those intense cuddles and all the times you made me laugh, for being my rock when life was hard, for sharing your never ending love and happiness with the me. Goodbye my love, the Cutest Clown, my Precious Pretty Pirate you will never ever be forgotten.
My Love, My Little Wiggly Man, My Bully Hero and my Best Friend: James Hond 007, is no more 🙁
Last saturday night James died at the age of 10. James was the first and only dog I got as a puppy (all other dogs I’ve had, I adopted at an older age).
James gave me 10 beautiful years full of Love and Laughter.
When I saw you for the 1st time, you were just a few days old, and those 9 weeks I had to wait to take you Home, seemed like ages. When that day finally came, you changed my life. You were the cutest little thing with such a huge personality. A little man that would change my world.
Dozer, an older female Bulldog that was used for breeding, that I adopted, became James his Mommy and playmate. Dozer helped James following commands and James helped Dozer to be a Dog again. From the moment I got James, he was one big bouncy ball of energy. Since James was my 1st Puppy, I thought it was just his puppy phase and that he would grow out of that, but after a few years, I learned this was just James. James never changed his overexcited, happy, joyful and playful ways. You could say James was a Bulldog with ADD and a Forever Puppy 😉
Just like Baggy you were a Bulldog that completely crushed some people’s prejudice that they might have had about bulldogs. You were all energy, all play and you could run and swim with the best.
James would choose a Ball or a stick over Food everytime. When Dozer past away,Twister (a rescue) became his Girlfriend. The bond those two dogs had, was very special. Where Dozer was his Mom, Twister was his Girl. They would follow eachother everywhere, they were like two magnets always connected, either playing together, snoring together or exploring together.
James was a friend to all the adoptees and rescues who came in and always knew how to help. He would be really gentle to dogs who were fearful and he would bring his toys over to them and just lay besides them pushing the toys against them. James always knew what to do. When Twister was sick he was caring, gentle and never left her side. James and I saw a lot of Dogs come and go and he always gave his best to them. What Daddy the Pitbull was for Cesar Milan, James was to me. He was my little helper.
Till the age of 9,5 James was full of energy and only visited the vet for his shots. But the last 6 months he was getting a little bit slower, he started having skin and ear infections and his cheeks were turning grey. He suddenly went from a very active and energetic dog to an old dog. This saturday while on a walk, he suffererd an internal bleeding, I rushed him to the vet but there was nothing there could be done for him. At about 8 in the evening James died in my arms.
Even though my heart is broken, my eyes are still swollen and I still can’t believe that you are really gone, I am trying to find comfort in all the lovely memories we made together.
I will never forget your silly ways and will always miss you.
Thank you my Friend, for all those times you made me laugh, for being my rock when life was hard, for sharing your never ending love and happiness with the me and the world.
Rest in Peace my Friend,
James Hond 007
2 may 2004 – 14 june 2014
Dozer was my second Bulldog. After my first Bulldog, Baggy died I was devastated. Allthough my house felt empty and I missed having a dog, I didn’t feel ready for a new dog. After some time my mom called me and said she called some people from shelters and adoptioncenters and said it was time for me to get a new dog. Still a little hesitant I called some numbers and heard about a dog that was looking for a home. I lost Baggy way too soon, she was only three years old when she died. So when thinking about adopting another dog, health was really important. I could not bear the thought of losing another dog so soon. When I went to see Dozer all I got was an adress and phonenumber. I did not know what she looked like, her history or anything about her, all I knew she was looking for a home.
When I arrived I immediately got a bad feeling. When I rang the door I heard no dogs barking, I was led to the back of the house where outside they had big kennels. Big metal cages, nothing on the floors, no shelter from rain or cold, not even a crate to lay on. The waterbowls were green, the whole place was filthy. There were about 6-8 dogs from which 2 puppies about 6months old. Dozer was all the way in the back. Desribing my first look at her; A dog with her head down, almost no hair on the sides of her body, her skin turned it to what seemed to be a leatherish black crocodile skin, she had infections at her paws and belly, her nipples almost touched the ground, she was scared and was obviously not used to human contact.
The man opened the cage like it was a lion’s den, really carefull with his legs pushing the dog away, like he was afraid of his own dogs. When he grabbed a leash to get her out, I saw she went into panicmode and said it was not necessary to put her on a leash, I would go in. I went in and sat down, I wasn’t afraid of this dog at all, she was scared but not agressive at all. I could not give her a hug, but she would let me pet her head and scratch her back. At that moment, when I first looked at her, I knew she would not spend one more day in those horrible conditions and that she would be my dog.
Allthough I had the intention of adopting a young and healthy dog,.. I came back with an older dog, with almost no hair, several infections and health issues, very bad condition (she could only walk a few minutes) not used to human contact or with other dogs or animals, not used to walking on a leash, not housebroken and scared of everything. The first days were hard, she was still afraid of everything including me. She was not housebroken and scared of me and the leash, what made it really hard to find a way to housetrain her. She was afraid of every sound around her, a door opening, cars passing, the washing machine, they all made her shiffer from fear. The only way I could get close to her was by sitting on the ground and feeding her from my hands. The first days were hard but after one week she was already a different dog. Allthough she was five years and still needed to learn all the basics ,she was housetrained and learned to walk on a leash in one week! That scared dog turned into a loving dog that wanted to cuddle all day. After a week I washed her for the first time. After two shampoo scrubbings and about 20 minutes of showering the water coming of her was still black. After about two months the medication and shampoo cured all of her infections and the hair was growing back. This photo was taken after about three months. You can still see some of the infections, skin irritations but most of the hair has already grown back and she is looking way better than when I first saw her.
Already looking much Better
After most infections were gone and she was feeling better I started to work with her on her conditioning and her anxiety issues. She learned more commands and after a few months of slowly building up condition she could walk on the beach for hours. As her condition improved I started taking her everywhere with me, to get her used to normal things like taking her to work, on public transport, family and friendsvisits. By doing this she got used to all the different places, people and sounds and learned to enjoy new things. When I first met her, the whole world was frightening to her but after only a short time she became a dog again, just like baggy, Loving the whole World; people, kids, dogs other animals,.. she Loved them all. Her character is best described as, loving, calm (she rarely barked), stubborn (even in Bulldog terms) and always hungry;) One time when I was planning the eat some curry chicken and I went back to the kitchen to get a drink and when I came back the whole curry was gone, 1 chicken curry devoured in less than 30 seconds..an indication of how hungry she always was;)
Dozer died of kidney failure just before her 10th birthday. In the years we shared, she showed me how a little love and effort can change a dog in no time. Baggy was the Bulldog that made me fall in love with the Bulldog Breed. Dozer was the Bulldog that showed me the terrible conditions of a lot of breeding dogs and she therefor inspired me to put my time and energy in rescuing more dogs. Not only me, but a lot of people and dogs got Life Lessons from Dozer. Where she was a scared and unsocialized at first she became the perfect example of a well balanced and social dog. A lot of dogs learned from her behaviour including James and a lot of dogs at the dog park. Just by being calm and cool about everything she had what I call “the Zen effect” everyone and every dog became calm as well.
A poem about Dozer, it is in Dutch so I put a translation underneath.
Lieve Dozer,
Ik weet nog heel goed dat we je naar je gingen kijken, Toen ik je zag wist ik dat ik voor je zou bezwijken. Ik zag gelijk dat je daar weg moest en ik kwam je halen, Ik kon je niet laten zitten bij die dierenvandalen.
Vijf jaar lang opgesloten in een vies hok, Gebruikt, mishandeld en alleen maar voor de Fok. Drie nestjes heb je gehad maar al je pups zag je weer gaan, Waarna jij weer alleen in je hok bleef staan.
Toen ik je kreeg was je kaal, onzindelijk en schichtig, Maar al snel leerde je liefde kennen al was het heel voorzichtig. Pas toen je vijf jaar was kreeg ik jou, En al die jaren erna was jij me trouw.
Lieve DozieDoos ik mis je zo onwijs,… Ik hoop dat je nu ligt te rollen in het Bullen Paradijs. Ik mis je in huis en je gebruiken en denk aan onze momenten; Aan je nooit eindigende eetlust, het samen knuffelen en je schattige chanteertalenten..
Lieve Doos, ik zal je nooit vergeten lieve dikke schuddekont, Je blijft mijn bullie en je was en blijft mijn Grootste Hond!
Translation:
Dear Dozer,
I remember it very well the day we went to have a look at you, When I saw you, you touched my heart I saw right away that you needed to get out of there and I came to get you, I could not leave you there with those animals abusers.
Five years you were locked up in a dirty cage, Used and abused only to make money. Three litters you had and every time you had to see your puppies go To be left alone again in that ugly cage
When I got you, you almost had no hair, were unhealty and scared. But in notime you learned to love even when it was very careful. I got you, when you were five years old And after all those years after that you were faithful and loyal to me.
Dear DozieDoos I miss you so much, … I hope you are now rolling and snoring in Bulldog Paradise I miss you at home, thinking about all the good times; Your never ending appetite, cuddling together and your cute blackmail talents ..
Dear Dozer, I will never forget you, fat wiggly bully butt.. You will always be my Bully, you were and will always stay my Big Dog!
Some more photos and old videos of Dozer to keep her memory alive.
Rest in Peace Big Girl, Miss You ♥
It has been years but it still seems like yesterday, the day I got my first bulldog Baggy. Baggy was two years old when I adopted her. I always wanted an English Bulldog ever since I could remember. I knew that when I was ready to be a dogowner myself, I would get an English Bulldog and was dreaming of that moment since I was a little girl. That moment finally arrived when I adopted Baggy. Her former owners got her as a puppy unfortunately they had to give her up for adoption.
I went to meet Baggy and fell in Love straight away. Baggy (she was called Bagheera back then) was a small but strong female with a very cute face and an even better character. Baggy came straight at me wagging her tail and gave me a greeting full of kisses and enthousiasm. I knew she would be my dog the moment when I looked into her loving eyes.
Baggy was not only what I already expected a bulldog to be like, sweet, loyal and cuddly, more than that she was perfectly trained. I could easily leave her off the leash and I never had to correct her. She loved the World and was a friend to all dogs, kids and people in the neighborhood. In a very short period she had her own fanclub at the dogpark and was almost a dogcelebrity here in the neighbourhood. Going with me to work and demanding hugs and kisses from everyone, stopping by on the local supermarket to get treats from the owner, everywhere she went she made friends for life. When walking her through the “Haagsche Bos” (forest/park in The Hague) she could practice her favorite hobby: dragging logs. If you threw a branch she always came back with an entire tree (she probably thought the branch I threw was insignificant and she would bring me something better).
Her character was very playful, she loved to play but not alone she would always invite dogs or people to her playing parties. Before I adopted Baggy I read every book on Bulldogs I could find, searched the internet on information and when I got Baggy she showed me that most, of what I assumed was fact, was in fact not true at all. Bulldogs can’t swim, bulldog are low energy dogs, bulldogs are not protectors and bulldogs are stubborn and not really smart. Baggy loved to swim, was full of energy, guarded me and the house with her life and was a very intelligent dog.
Unfortunately I only had Baggy for a few months, after a couple of months she became ill. The veterinarian diagnosed a probable infected uterus and advised it was best to remove the uterus. Baggy would need surgery. During the operation, the veterinarian made several medical mistakes, it appeared that the uterus was not infected but that is was a twisted spleen. The vet had not only misdiagnosed but also decided not to operate the spleen. Baggy was very weak after the operation and could no longer handle a second operation. After laying besides her for two nights she died. I learned it were medical mistakes after consulting several veterinarians. The veterinarian has admitted to his mistakes therefore I did not have to pay the costs of surgery. But what did that help…? I lost my Dog and my Best Friend. I was very sad losing her as in the short period we were together she had stolen my heart. From that moment on I knew that because of Baggy, there would always be an English Bulldog by my side.
Baggy showed me what a beautiful dog an English Bulldog really is, from the outside but even more so on the inside. This is why I dedicated the blog to this special bulldog named Baggy.
Ode to Baggy Baggy, even though you were gone too soon, I am more than grateful for the time we spent together. You were my first dog and exceeded all my expectations. You were a small but very tough bulldog with a heart of gold.
A Bulldog that completely crushed some people’s prejudice that they might have had about bulldogs. You were all energy, you could run and swim with the best and was more obedient than Lassie.
This blog, the bulldog beach walks, the rescues..
It’s all in honor of you, my 1st Bulldog ♥ Baggy.
Baggy, Rest in Peace, you are Forever in my heart ♥.
Goodbye Pretty Pirate
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