Not all ferocious dogs like to bite. If its bunch of hair on the back cheek area is already touched, don’t hesitate to shake it, then okay to see the dog’s teeth, dog’s savage instinct will melt. It needs time to approach it. My record was with a bull terrier of my North American friend. It looked scary and full of suspicion at first. Offering food or drink to make a friendship didn’t work for a fighting dog like the bull terrier.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, bull terrier is a breed of dog developed in 19th century England from the bulldog, the white English terrier (a breed now extinct), and the Dalmatian. The bull terrier is active, loyal, and playful-even clownish-and is considered for its weight one of the strongest of all dogs. The bull terrier was developed for the dog-fighting pits as a courageous fighter but not an aggressive fight provoker.
I asked my friend what his dog’s hobby was. My friend said: “Bull very much likes playing with his master or Boss using a special thick and heavy ball that is like a baseball, a little bigger”. Boss also said: “Unfortunately, I haven’t played for a while with Bull”. I told him while looking at Bull: Can I play with Bull? Boss with a grinning face answered shortly: “Sure, if you want”.
Boss called the fierce Bull, took the ball, and threw it there. Bull ran, caught it, brought the ball closer to his Boss, crouched for a while, and the ball was then placed slowly in the hand of his master. After several times then I was told to try to play with Bull that had a special fixed long chain hanging on his neck.
When for the first time I threw the ball, Bull didn’t want to catch it, he didn’t even look at the ball, let alone at me. Boss shouted: “Come on! Bull takes the ball”. Shocked, after the master gave a command, Bull hesitated to take it, still smelled first the ball then he was too lazy to bite. Might be he smelled my dirty and smelly hand or might be it’s an expression of his introduction to me.
I threw the ball again. Bull glanced at the master first and was still reluctant to take the ball. I tried to ask Bull for the ball, he just glanced not at me but always at his Boss. Boss shocked again: “Bull come on!”. I was waiting for Bull to place the ball in my hand, but instead the ball was rather lazily placed in the master’s hand. As if Bull protested to his master: ”Why didn’t you, Boss, throw the ball for me”.
After a few rounds of playing chain ball: I threw the ball, Bull took it, then gave the ball to his Boss, Boss grinning and the ball given to me, I threw the ball etc. etc. It seemed Bull started to be excited to play with me.
After Boss felt okay and secure, he said: “Excuse me, I have something to do inside”. What.. would I be playing alone with Bull? As Bull was already excited, I didn’t have the heart to walk out.
Bull was still suspicious and cheated on me by playing a ball. After I threw it and he took it, he didn’t give the ball to me. Bull crouched the ball a meter distance in front of me, with the ball still bitten tightly. I offered my hands out, just a glance cool, and didn’t hesitate to report to the Boss, if necessary, even though he often looked out of the window. “Bull, do you still want to play ball with me or not?”.
Boss shouted from inside the house: “Hooi… just take the ball from his mouth!! It will be okay; I give you my words “100% warranty”. Boss knew my problem in receiving the ball, but he only played with words. I realized the command was very complicated from inside the house, saying that Bull won’t cheat, attack me, and he would put the ball in my hand.
From the behavior and style of play, I suspected Bull wanted to play more and more with me. I am also curious. While Bull crouched, I put my hand in front of his mouth to receive the ball, just like his Boss who received the ball from Bull’s mouth directly. But I couldn’t manage it.
“Harder! Harder! take the ball from his mouth. he is excited, it will be okay”. With easy words Boss screaming from inside his house. This time, if I got the ball from Bull’s mouth with a harder power, it’s crazy, it’s also scary if Bull would let go of the ball and instead bite my hand. Why should I fight for the ball with the famous fierce and stubborn dog?
It was common sense. It’s my turn to slack off as if I want to go. That’s right, Bull released the ball and put it on the grass. Okay, let’s play again. I took the ball, threw it, and Bull ran fast to pick it up. I repeated several times to the four corners.
We just needed more time when sharing the ball. Bull crouched with the ball in his mouth a meter in front of me and looked at each other. I was forced to go forward to take the ball, he kept the ball tightly in his mouth. I showed him that I didn’t want to play ball with him, as if I wanted to go away. Bull released the ball on the grass, I took the ball and threw it etc. etc.
When we were together quietly, I knelt and Bull crouched with his nose closest to the ball, I touched his hair behind his cheek with two hands and I shaked it a bit hard. Good pig… uh… dog. Bull remained indifferent and didn’t care, he was just excited playing with the ball, even though I picked and threw the ball for him.
The peace and friendship were lit. “Chain may be released” my friend said then, so that the ball was thrown further away, and Bull was getting more excited. Instead, I tried to cheat as if the ball was thrown far but not, in different directions. Bull felt foolish several times, and never got angry. So, even though I felt free to do so, I worried too if it offended his true instinct as a reliable attacker and ferocious dog.
I was tired, Bull was like a diesel engine, getting hotter just becoming more agile. Okay stop, I was slowly going out of the arena. Bull’s gaze followed me, somehow, I didn’t look at his eyes. Instead, I glanced at the Boss in the house, asking for help if necessary.
How could it be that my human feeling wasn’t in purity to a new friend? I stopped playing ball with Bull and was afraid of being attacked. Later I was sure that Bull wouldn’t attack me.
Until the game ended, what I didn’t make it was to receive the ball pass directly from his mouth to my hand. Boss got it, I didn’t.
I don’t know when I can play with the Bull again there. I received the latest news that Bull had a malignant tumor in one of his testicles that had been castrated. The verdict doctor is waiting to die or is put to death by injection. So the last score doesn’t matter.
-Bintoro Gunadi
burnabyredwigglers 