Tuesday 1 April 2014

A to Z challenge, day 1, American Bulldog x

So today is the first day of the A to Z challenge. My theme started as dog breeds but kind of developed into a dog fest of mixed breeds and feature dogs who were matched to the days letter by their name, we've even got some Charities and rescue doggies, who are looking for homes too. How great is that?

As a result of this I have to say a big thank you to all the friends and a few friends of friends who offered up there lovely doggies for this challenge, as well as the rescues that have been so helpful. The result of which is a month long awww fest :) 

So we're starting off the Awwww factor, with a dog that is so cute you can't help but want to hug him. 

Prepare to melt as I let Karen Amanda Hooper introduce you to her beautiful American Bulldog x Shar Pei, Squishy.



Squish (aka Squishy Von Valentine) was adopted from American Bulldog Rescue on Valentines Day 2014.
I've had two other American bulldogs (my gentle giants, Rooney and Baloo--RIP sweet boys) who were between 90-120 lbs, but Squish is a miniature AB. He's fully grown at 55 lbs, so we think he might be ABR with a mix of Shar-pei (look at that squishy face!) Or, and I mean this in the nicest way, he might be the runt of a litter. But a super cute runt!

I first saw his photo on the ABR Facebook page and I instantly fell in love. He had the cone of shame on his head and he had just been picked up from the animal shelter. He had a severe eye infection and ulcers on his corneas due to neglect. Someone tied him to a pole outside of the shelter and the staff found him hiding in the bushes when they opened in the morning.

They knew next to nothing about him. Being the risk taker that I am, I didn't care. I applied for him before he was even officially listed for adoption.


We've only been together for over a month, and we've had LOTS of training to do, and sadly, some health issues to battle. Even though the shelter did surgery on his eyes and helped his condition temporarily, Squish needs another eye surgery to fix the issues that are still irritating his eyes, so he'll be wearing his cone collar again very soon (and he's not too excited about it).
American Bulldogs are such a loving and fun breed. Yes, they can be bullies (it's in their nature) but with a little bit of training and a lot of love, they can be obedient, loyal, and fun-loving dogs. Not to mention, very entertaining. One of the trademark AB moves is the "helicopter." They leap into the air while spinning. Squish does it all the time. He also does what we call "The Bucking Bronco" dance. That one speaks for itself. He "talks" to me when he wants to play or go out. And he's such a cuddler. I call him my teddy bear. 

American Bulldogs are strong and powerful, so if you are considering adopting one (rescue if you can!) please do your research and make sure they are a good match for your personality and lifestyle.
If you'd like to be friends with Squishy, he has his own FB page. Stop by and say hello. https://www.facebook.com/SquishyVonValentine

You can watch Squishy having fun in this vidio:




So let's look at the different aspects of Squishy's breeds. 

First for his American bulldog ancestry, check out the video below.



watch the video to learn more about Squishy's Shar Pei heritage.








23 comments:

  1. This is definitely Awwwww! Great start to the A-Z challenge :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awww thank you Catherine. I'm glad you liked it. :)

      Delete
  2. What sweet pooches. This is a great idea for A to Z. Those lampshade collars make dogs so sad but they're also kind of sadly amusing when they're wearing them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They do, but they are very funny. My Rottie had to wear them sometimes as he got bad flea allergies and would chew himself rotten. We were constantly having to replace his has he would charge his way through doors without care smashing it to pieces on the frames lol. Gotta love puppy dogs :)

      Delete
  3. I'm so pleased that A to Z has come up with this scheme s I could learn about Squishy. My own dog complained all the time when he had to were his collar. Nice to connect
    http://aimingforapublishingdeal.blogspot.co.uk/
    Twitter: WriterBizWoman

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too it has been so fun getting to know all my friends dogs and making some new friends along the way also.

      Delete
  4. Sooooo adorable. And his name is Fantabulous!!! Great AtoZ challenge theme!

    I'm the former mom of two rescued pound pups, (RIP Sox and Sadie). So I know the rescue bug of wanting to take them all home.:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is very hard not to take them all home we have some rescue dogs coming up in the A to Z challenge on my blog and learning and writing about them all has made me want to rescue everyone. Sadly I can't but I am hoping by featuring some of them on the blog they will find their forever home, especially as we have dogs featuring from all over the world.

      Delete
  5. American Bullies are my favorite only second to Boxers!!!

    I hope to get another dog in the future - currently, we aren't allowed to have them in the home that we're renting. There is a really beautiful boxer, named, Milo that I visit when the weather is nice. Nothing like a sweet dog to come home to!

    Cristina from Filling my Prayer Closet

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true. I love boxers and American Bulldogs. My friend had two boxers while we were growing up and they were lovely. I hope you find yourself back in a position to have a dog again soon :)

      Delete
  6. I love dogs so I'm super excited about your theme. Can't wait to meet all the cuties you will be sharing! My nephew has a bulldog and he is such a fun and entertaining little cutie. Squish is adorable. <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have lots of great dogs that will be coming up on the blog some in loving homes and some who are looking for their forever homes, so it should be and exciting blog hop. :)

      Delete
  7. What a sweet story; I love happy endings like this. Glad Squishy found his forever home and person :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a great story and squishy has a brilliant home now. He really couldn't have asked for better, bless him.

      Delete
  8. Awww, so cute! And Squishy - a very appropriate name!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes absolutely, You just want to hug him. He is adorable.

      Delete
  9. I am PRAYING that C is for Corgi! And the name Squishy would also rock for a mastiff. :)
    Dara the Writer

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You may be a little disappointed I'm afraid; however, Corgi's are represented later in the blog hop as one of the breeds in one of the other dogs. So they do get a mention. :)

      Delete
  10. That's my boy! <3 Sorry I'm so late to the challenge but Squish says he's honored to be included. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love the Shar-Pei's most of all. A friend of mine raised one from a puppy and I thought it was the cutest thing I had ever seen. Way out of my price range, however. Anyway, I wanted to stop by for Post A to Z Road Trip!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Paw Soother is the best all natural dog pad moisturizer to treat dry, chapped, rough dog paw pads. Organic, vegan and 100% natural. dog pad moisturizer

    ReplyDelete
  13. At Toy House Frenchies! We breed Fluffy French Bulldog Puppies and standard short coats in all colors. We breed for health, temperament, and structure. We are a small program that provides the best care to all of our dogs and puppies. We strive to produce the best quality for the best price. We raise our puppies to be ready to transition to their new homes.

    Contact Us:
    Business Email: Toyhousefrenchies@gmail.com
    Contact No: 503-400-2670
    Address: Salem, Oregon, United States

    ReplyDelete