'Spent 2 years looking through the window' Cute spaniel Buster is searching for a new home

Norway: British Bulldogs and King Charles Spaniels banned

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Reduce Stress. Dr. Becker notes, “The key is to reduce anxiety triggers.” If you have a vet visit, “don’t get the carrier out the night before,” give them a few days to get prepared. If they’re nervous alone or travelling, play soothing music, or draw the shades. The less stimulus pets receive from the outside world, the less anxiety they’ll have about events outside their control.

"She said he had been kept outside for two years and she felt sorry for him as he spent his days looking through the window into the home. Once I heard this, I couldn't not help."

The lady's son would walk Buster when he could, but the 11-year-old spaniel has difficulty with mobility.

Remove pet hair from carpet with a squeegee.

According to SEDR, Buster is quite anxious and guarded about making new pals, though he is learning to trust staff.

He enjoys playing ball, but the team are wary of Buster overdoing it as they try to discover what is causing his mobility issue.

Once Buster has been checked by a vet, X-rayed and given treatment, SEDR staff will start looking for his next home.

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Kymm said: "He will need a quiet retirement home where he can still enjoy his walks and home comforts once again."

A study has found English bulldogs are less healthy compared to other breeds and that many of the conditions they suffer from are linked to traits they have been bred for.

Be Diligent about Vet Visits. “Don’t wait for the signs,” Dr. Becker stresses. Focus on “prevention first.” Pets age fast, and when it comes to illness they are programmed to mask weakness, “they’re naturally secretive.” One to two visits a year is ideal, but if you suspect a problem, don’t hesitate, and don’t self-diagnose. “In the last two years I’ve seen four or five cases where people went to the internet for help, and by the time they get to the vet it’s too late,” says Dr. Becker.

They showed predispositions for 24 out of 43 specific disorders and were many times more at risk of breathing, eye and skin conditions, according to the study.

Only 9.7 percent of English bulldogs in the study were more than eight years old, compared with 25.4 percent of other breeds.

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This supports the view a shorter lifespan for the dogs is linked to their poorer health, the report authors said.

English bulldogs were originally developed as a muscular and athletic dog for bull-fighting.

They were later bred as show animals and pets with exaggerated features, including a short skull, protruding lower jaw, skin folds and a squat, heavy build.

The breed has risen sharply in popularity over the past 10 years in the UK and remains popular despite the dogs' physical features making them prone to serious health conditions.

Help your pet be as active as nature intended. Exercise and play time are necessary for your pet’s mental and physical well-being. If you don’t give your dog opportunities to be physically active, or if you don’t encourage exercise for your kitty and find ways to make it happen, you may well end up with a bored, destructive, overweight pet whose health will spiral downward throughout her lifetime.

The experts behind the study called for English bulldog breed standards to be redefined towards more moderate characteristics to enable the UK to avoid following the lead of other countries in banning the breed on welfare grounds.

"However, what is most concerning is that so many of the health conditions English bulldogs suffer from - such as skin fold dermatitis and breathing problems - are directly linked to the extreme structure of their bodies that has been selectively bred for.

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"Given the continued popularity of the breed, the body shape of the typical pet English bulldogs should be redefined towards more moderate physical characteristics.

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