Activities For American Bully Staffy Bull Terriers
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Prepare for unexpected vet bills
Introduction
Now we've heard of some pretty wild and out there dog names over the years so you can bet that we're not exaggerating when we say that this has got to be the longest name for a dog that we've ever heard of - the American Bully Staffy Bull Terrier. This robust mix of the American Bulldog and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a dog with a very strong build that helps them participate in all kinds of strength and endurance based activities. Though theĀ American Bully Staffy Bull Terrier's name isn't short, the actual dog is about medium sized and has a fairly short attention span - meaning that you'll need to mix things up to keep this dog from getting bored too soon.
Spring Poles
Popular
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Any Day
Cheap
Easy
25 - 30 min
Items needed
Spring Pole
Sturdy Tree or Pole
Activity description
Spring poles are these nifty little devices that you attach to a tree branch or a sturdy pole of some kind so that your dog can hop up, bite down, and then tug away to their heart's content. Spring poles are absolutely vital for helping a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (one of theĀ American Bully Staffy Bull Terrier's parent dogs) strengthen their muscles and they're also a great way to help these energetic dogs blow off a lot of steam. You can hook one of these spring poles up in your backyard or at the local park if you want; so long as there's a sturdy object to anchor the spring pole to, you'll be good to go.
Step
1
What are spring poles?
Spring poles tend to resemble long pieces of rope that are made out of an elastic material that your dog can safely bite on. Spring poles are attached to a belt-like mechanism on the back that you can use to fasten to the trunk of a tree or around a tree's branches, if you want your dog to work on their vertical jumping ability. The tools are pretty cheap too, costing anywhere between $20 to $50 by themselves and around $60 to $100 when sold in bundles.
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How do you use them?
They're really pretty simple to use in the grand scheme of things; all you'll really need to do is walk over to a sturdy tree and buckle the belt-like portion of the spring pole around the tree's trunk or branches. You'll next need to coax your American Bully Staffy Bull Terrier into biting onto the rope end of the pole and then encourage them to pull and tug at the pole to the best of their ability.
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3
Play safely
Your American Bully Staffy Bull Terrier will likely get so wrapped up pulling at their spring pole that they won't exercise any restraint on their own. If you notice that your dog is playing too roughly with their spring pole, then gently relax them and tell them not to play too roughly. You'll likely have to do this multiple times throughout any given session, so always keep your eyes peeled while your pet is playing with a spring pole.
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Flirt Poles
Popular
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Any Day
Cheap
Normal
30 min
Items needed
Flirt Pole
Dog Treats
Activity description
Flirt poles are tools that often are used to train American Bulldogs, the other half of theĀ American Bully Staffy Bull Terrier's ancestry, to help them become more agile and light on their paws. Flirt poles look like someone took a selfie stick, broke off the part that'd hold your phone, and then tied a lure to that end - they look like rubber Medieval flails with plushie dolls attached to one end. Regardless of how funny these tools look, they are great for getting dogs into shape and helping them improve their already impressive natural abilities. Like spring poles, flirt poles are pretty cheap too; most will only cost about $20 while a well made flirt pole will cost about $50.
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1
What's the point of flirt poles?
There's this activity called lure coursing; it's an intense activity that involves your dog doing a lot of running and turning on a dime as they try to catch up to a lure that's being pulled on a rope at very high speeds. Lure coursing is pretty difficult and takes a lot of practice for a dog to even have a chance at successfully catching the lure. Letting your do play with flirt poles can help them get some of the training they need to get in shape for lure coursing.
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2
How to use a flirt pole
Again, flirt poles don't take too much effort to use; since flirt poles are handheld devices, you don't really have to worry about finding a suitable environment in the same way that you needed to worry about when using a spring pole. You can use a flirt pole to play with your dog at home, at the park, at the beach - anywhere with enough open space.
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3
How to make progress
Flirt poles can have the length of their ropes adjusted to be shorter or longer. This, in turn, determines how easy it will be for your American Bully Staffy Bull Terrier to bite the lure that's attached to the flirt pole - longer lengths are easier while shorter lengths are much harder. If you want your dog to gradually get better at this activity, start by letting them chase longer lengths of rope and then gradually reel it in over multiple sessions.
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Weighted Sled Pulling
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Any Day
Moderate
Hard
20 - 30 min
Items needed
Dog Weight Sled
Weight Plates
Bungee Cables
Dog Harness
Activity description
Well, we'd feel wrong if we tried to sugar coat things; this activity is really, really tough and isn't exactly for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, dogs with strong and muscular builds like theĀ American Bully Staffy Bull TerrierĀ tend to excel at weighted sled pulling once they get enough practice in. To give you an idea of how hardcore this activity is, weighted sled pulling contests and tournaments are held all over the world year round. Dog trainers and caretakers who are serious about teaching their dogs how to properly perform this activity without getting hurt ought to pay special attention to the steps below.
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1
Why get involved?
As tough as this activity is, there are a lot of benefits that your dog can reap if you let them try it out; dogs who participate in weighted sled pulling have increased strength and endurance and are overall, much healthier as a result of training with weighted sleds. These dogs also benefit from feeling more confident than before, as the praise that their owners shower them with, as well as having actually managed to pull the weighted sled, provides them with a sense of accomplishment.
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2
How to train
Weighted sleds are a lot like free weight machines at a gym; all you really need to do is get a hold of some weight plates, place them on the machine, and then exercise slowly and in a controlled manner. What really matters is helping your American Bully Staffy Bull Terrier train safely; don't start them off with super heavy weight early on. Instead, start them off low and work up to the heavier weight.
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3
Know the limit
The goal here is to find out when, not if, your dog will be unable to pull the sled after a certain amount of weight has been added to it; if your dog is unable to pull the weighted sled after more than 20 pounds have been added to it, then you'll know that 20 pounds is their limit. Keep training with 20 pound weights for about a week's time and then add about a half pound's worth of weight to the sled. Your dog will now be training with 20.5 pounds and will be on their way towards improving their overall strength.
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More Fun Ideas...
Obedience Training
It's never a bad idea to complete a few obedience training courses with your dog as the two of you will grow closer as a result. Moreover, your dog will learn how to understand your commands and figure out the do's and don'ts of living with you by the end of the course.
Agility Training
Many people may assume that the American Bully Staffy Bull TerrierĀ can't learn to become a fairly agile dog but, in their own right with practice, that couldn't be further from the truth! These eager dogs can definitely benefit from agility training as they can learn to become more coordinated and less clumsy - two boons that we think all dog owners can appreciate.
Conclusion
Well that was quite a mouthful, wasn't it? We guess it only makes sense that a dog with such a long and unorthodox name would need a long and unconventional list of activities to try out. Most of the activities we've listed are physical becauseĀ American Bully Staffy Bull Terriers are dogs of action - if they aren't able to use up the immense amounts of energy they were born with, these dogs tend to get restless and anxious. So while you can introduce yourĀ furry buddy to activities that will train their brains and test their memories, we suggest you always find the time to let your dog get physical as well.