A Second Dog on the Homestead

Reader Contribution by Faithful Homesteader
Published on August 12, 2019

Last year it was a big adjustment for me to welcome a dog to our little homestead. I am a cat person, but my husband is a dog person. Besides being a dog lover, he wanted a dog on the homestead that could be a good watch and guard dog. We also wanted a dog to help protect our chickens. We brought home a bully pit (American bulldog/Pitbull mix) and he turned out to be way too friendly for a watch/guard dog, but he does keep predators away from the chickens. He still has a place in the family, but we decided he needed a friend.

Our Bullweiler Hadassah. Photo by Faithful Homesteader

After some discussion about what breed we wanted, and some research, my husband thought that a Bullweiler (American bulldog/Rottweiler mix) could fit the bill of what we were looking for in a dog. They are known to be good guard dogs and quite smart. I was reluctant to get a second dog, but I did like the idea of a playmate for our dog Nuddie. (Learn more about to choose the best farm dog for your homestead.)

I had so many growing pains with Nuddie, and I certainly lost my patience on many occasions. It has been my goal to do better with our new dog. We had a boy so we decided on a girl this time. We named her Hadassah. When we first brought her home she was a lot more laid back than Nuddie. He is what we call a velcro dog, but she is more independent. Right away we could tell she was going to be the boss of him. 


Hadassah and our bullypit Nuddie. 
Photo by Faithful Homesteader

When we first brought her home, we put Nuddie outside and let Hadassah meet our cat Abigail. We let them be around each other for a time and let them acknowledge each other in a calm settled environment, loving on both of them during this time. Then we brought Nuddie inside and let him meet her. He can be so excitable, so we did have to watch him closely. He was so infatuated with her right away. It didn’t take long for them to become playmates. 

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