Nikkos   

Breed:  Olde English Bulldog

Sex: Male

Age: 3 years old

Weight: 50 lbs.

 

 

1/8/2018 Update: 

Nikkos was ADOPTED!!!!  It is with great pleasure we announce Nikkos has found his forever family.

Nikkos joined the No Borders Bulldog Rescue family 5 months ago.  His life was happy until his former owners divorced and things started to change. He was shuffled around from family member to family member and ultimately found himself being kept outside and unwanted. He even found himself on Craigslist being sold to the highest bidder.  Luckily for Nikkos, his high bidder only wanted the best for him and surrendered him to NBBR to help find him a new forever home.  In early December, Nikkos thought he had found his forever home. Everything was great EXCEPT his adopter did not realize he was allergic to dogs.  Nikkos was crushed and he moped around his foster home for days. 

Nikkos’ forever family applied to adopt with NBBR several months ago. Their approval process took longer than most, not because of them but because of schedules, lost emails, and the holidays.  Finally they completed the process and were approved. They were more than ready to start looking for their one special Bulldog. After much discussion and time on our website reading about each dog, they narrowed it down to two lucky Bulldogs.  When the family met with both of the “finalists” it was apparent from the initial meeting Nikkos was in love.  He was all wiggles and kisses. He turned up the charm and his new family felt the same way.  At his adoption, he jumped into the truck, starting kissing his new Dad and never looked back.

Nikkos will be the only dog and will be the center of attention for both of his new parents.  2018 is starting off great for Mr. Nikkos. Congratulations to the entire family. 

1/2/2018 Update: 

Nikkos has enormous empathy.  When everyone was sick this week he was such a sweet gentle companion.  He was much more subdued than usual and would just lay beside us.   The cold weather has kept him inside a lot this week. He will go out to do his business and then come right back in looking for a good head rub to warm him up. 
Once everyone was feeling better then he was ready for play!   We have been working with him trying to get him to “drop” the tennis ball so we can throw it for him.  He absolutely loves to retrieve!  
Nikkos does love ham.  Not healthy for him, so he just got a few pieces sprinkled on his kibbles, but he loved it!
Nikkos looks forward to finding his forever home in 2018!

12/24/2017 Update:  Nikkos had a wonderful Christmas and was happy with all the additional attention he received.   He had a couple of run ins with a visiting family dog but they did fine as long as they weren’t in a confined space at the same time. Sorry for the short report but the flu has hit. Nikkos seemed to know and was a very sweet companion today

12/17/2017 Update:  Nikkos is laying under the Christmas tree dreaming of his forever family!  He has sniffed them all just to make sure there wasn’t a treat hiding in there some where.  He continues to be a delight with wonderful house manners.

Nikkos does like to play for a short spell in the morning with a longer play period in the evening.  He will pick a toy and bring it up to people or another dog until someone will play with him. He does like walks and does very well on the leash. He will pull some, but pretty easy to walk over all.  

Nikkos is a big snuggle bug for the most part with lots of love to give.  He loves all people, but needs a slow introduction to other dogs.  Some dogs he has no issue with at all, but other dogs can be a problem.  When he does get along with a dog it is great because he loves to play.   He has been successfully introduced to dogs in the home, but when he is more excited at meet and greets it doesn’t always go well.  He is definitely more open to female dogs if they are interested in return.  

12/10/2017 Update:  Merry Christmas to all!  Nikkos knows his family is out there ready to bring him home for the new year!  You could not ask for a more loving pup to join your family.  He really enjoyed meeting everyone at the event Saturday.  He certainly loves the attention.  He also enjoyed chasing the reflection off someone’s watch!  Nikkos is definitely a playful boy and is ready for any kind of game. Once again, he isn’t his best with other dogs at these events, but I have found in the home environment he is willing to make friends as long as the other dogs are willing. Nikkos is never shy about getting attention.  He loves to be near people and will snuggle any time you want.  He does think he is a lap dog from time to time and fits himself in beside/on us on the chair or couch.  

So NIkkos wishes you a Merry Christmas and hopes to see you soon!

11/27/2017 Update:  Nikkos had a ball over Thanksgiving and flat wore himself out!  There were lots of people and 7 dogs at our house for Thanksgiving this year. 😂🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶‼️ He made sure his tail end was available for scratches at all times.  We have discovered that Nikkos purrs.  Yes….Purrss!  When he is getting a good snuggle he immediately does a snore/purr sound.  Hilarious!   Here he is catching up on his rest after the holiday fun.  He thought I couldn’t see him if he kept his head behind the pillow.  Such a character!  If we stay up too late, he will take himself to bed.  We do have to make sure he goes outside before bedtime or he will be too tired and lazy in the middle of the night and leave us a present…..We literally have to prod him to get up and walk with him outside, but once there he takes care of business.  

With the winter approaching I have realized that he looks like a snowman with a nose of coal.  He is so white that he seems to glow at night.  At least we never have to worry about tripping over him like we have with black dogs in the past. 🙂  Seriously, his coat is such a beautiful white and his head is like white velvet.  It makes it easy to pet him when he feels like a big warm plush toy!

The tennis ball continues to be a top pick in the toy department.  He will fetch, but getting the ball back from him is still a trick.  He loves teasing you and making you think you can get the ball from him and then he jumps back.  He thinks he is funny.  Eventually he “lets” you get the ball and the fun starts all over again.  Who could say no to such a fun, precious dog???

11/19/2017 Update:  Did someone say Turkey??? Nikkos is in!  Family time and food are two of his favorite things!  I mean he seriously loves food.  Not sure if he even tastes it as he inhales it.  

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and especially my forever family that I know is out there ready for my handsome snowman face with the nose made out of coal !

11/12/2017 Update: 

11/5/2017 Update:  Nikko is definitely in this a bid for BEST DOG EVER!!  He continues to be a joy.  He enjoyed meeting everyone at the Truck Stop, but was a bit grumpy with a couple of the other dogs.  He has been a perfect Angel at the last two events so not sure what made him grumpy this time.  He definitely wasn’t grumpy with any people and used his typical move of getting someones attention and then swinging his rear end around so he could get good scratch.  Thank you to all the wonderful people that took a moment to give him some love.  So what else can I tell you about this sweetheart?

Nikko is a healthy fellow.  Now that he is on good grain free food with some coconut oil added once a day, he has had zero issues.  His eyes, ears,  and skin are beautiful and clear with no other effort than good food and regular bathing.  
Nikko resists getting in the shower, but once there he sure does love the rub down.  The towel rub down after is a bit of a run around as he gets very excited, so I have to make sure I have the bathroom door closed or he will run a race all over the house.  Once I lay the towel on the floor, he will throw himself down and rub all over it.  He especially loves when the towel is used to rub down inside his ears. Then his pink skin glows!  I don’t really notice much shedding until he gets in the car.  I think the excitement makes him throw off more hair then.

 
Nikko loves attention for sure and will typical lay within reach of someones hand so they can scratch and rub him.  If he thinks you might not remember you are there, he will give you “big sad eyes” and a pathetic whine.  He will also give “big sad eyes” when you are eating at the table, but waits patiently in case there is anything left over for him at the end.  He will follow you around the house and will even wait for you in the bathroom as you are getting ready.😂.  
So for anyone ready for a big strong snuggle bug who also loves to play, then Nikkos is the dog for you!  He is a three year old dog until it is play time and then he thinks he is a puppy!  

He knows how to sit, but is highly motivated by food, so it would be easy to teach him pretty much anything.  He knows what “No” means for sure and will hang his head if he thinks he is in trouble.
Once again, Nikkos is the best dog ever!

10/30/2017 Update:  Nikkos continues to wait patiently for his forever home.  Any family that is looking for fun and love in a white furry package will find all that and more in this precious pup named Nikkos.  Nikkos comes equipped with big beautiful eyes that will melt your heart and a head as soft as velvet.  But wait, there’s more!  Nikkos also has a playful side that will entertain you morning and night.  His activities range from zooming around the house, to tug of war, to quieter moments with a bone ( or antler ).  He does love meal time and can down his food in seconds flat.  Monitoring of other dog bowls is required or he will nudge his way in for a second helping.  Treats will trigger an instant sit position until he gently takes the treat from your hand. 
Additional features:
Gets along with other dogs. 
Loves people.  
Fully house trained. 
Great snuggle bug
Loves car rides 
Caution label:
He will steal your heart.
Plays rowdy at times so small children might not be the best fit. 
Will bolt out a door and then think it is a game of chase when you try to get him back inside. 
Sometimes just can’t get enough love and will think he is a lap dog.  

10/23/2017 Update:  Nikkos has decided he LOVES breweries!  Everyone is so nice and of course now he thinks all breweries come with bulldog friends!  He handles these events like a champ now.  If anyone makes eye contact he will swing his tail end around to they can have the privilege of scratching his back.  He got along with all the other dogs as well.  The only thing that would have made him happier is if someone would have shared their beer 😂Nikkos rides in the car great.  I put the seat belt through his harness and it doesn’t bother him at all!  He just happy to be along for the ride!  If he gets in the garage he will stand by the car in hopes you will take him somewhere. 

At home I have discovered he likes helping in the yard.  If I put down a mulch bag he will open it up for me and then inspect to make sure it all smells as wonderful as he thought it did.  His coat continues to improve to the point that this head feels like velvet now and his bald spots on his back (from prior to rescue) have almost completely filled in.  He is more loving than ever.  He does use his beautiful eyes to full advantage and if I don’t fall for that he will give his sweet little whine until I break down and rub his head or back.

He is still a great sleeper and the l last one up every day. After breakfast and a bit of morning play, he typically heads right back to bed. Evening is his big play time.  He can get pretty wound up sometimes but the most energetic moments come in spurts.  He sometimes gets so excited he will zoom around the house, out the dog door, around the yard, back through the dog door, a lap around the house and then do it all over again!  After about 2 laps he is usually done with that.  We think it is hilarious but anyone with a small child might not agree.  It is almost like he is so happy he just can’t contain his joy.  We just make sure we stay out of the path of his “joy run”.  Pretty much every night he likes to play with the french bull dog and chew on bones.  He will typically chew on bones and play from after dinner until around 9pm.  After that he is out for the count and it is usually difficult to even get him up to go out for last pee of the night.  Pretending there was a kitty in the back yard fooled him for a while, but he has caught on to that trick now. Ha!  So it takes a bit of prodding and then he obliges.

Nikkos is one special dog and will bring joy and love to his forever family

10/15/2017 Update:  Nikkos had a great week!  He got to go to the dog park and he let me know we could go back any time!  He couldn’t believe a place like that existed! So many smells! So many nice people! So many dogs to watch!  The dogs playing in water fascinated him and scared him at the same time.  He finally got hot enough ( and brave enough) to walk in and cool off as long as I was close by.  He got along great with everyone.  He didn’t really engage with other dogs but had a ball watching them all.  He is a “dog watcher” kind of dog 😂 After about 40 minutes he was heated up enough that it was time to head home and cool off.   He crashed in the back seat with the ac full blast!

At home he continues to be the perfect house guest but can be high energy when in play mode.   He likes to run a race around the house when really happy.   If someone will play “Keep away” with him he will play until you give out.  

He  will give the sweetest whine, fold back his ears and melt you with his big beautiful eyes when he wants your attention.  Who could deny this face?

10/1/2017 Update:  Nikkos continues to be a loving, playful guy.  With the cooler weather we have discovered he likes to sunbathe some in the morning.  His skin looks better and better with hair starting to grown in nicely. We have also discovered he thinks he is a lap dog when he is looking for attention 😂.

He loves visitors but like any dog needs to be supervised when introduced to new children. He gets very excited when meeting new people so children need to be calm and be introduced carefully.  

Bones are a favorite but anything that can be turned into tug of war are high on the list.  Nikkos is a a sweet loving boy and ready for his forever home!

9/25/2017 Update:  Nikkos had a great time being a cowboy fan this week!  He loves playing with a tennis ball but thinks a football would be great to play with too!  He does love his play time and is definitely more energetic that the average bull dog.  He loves to wrestle with the humans and really loves a good game of keep away.  He plays for hours a day with his fur sibling and would certainly enjoy a house with other dogs.  He is just a happy fellow and all in for play or a good scratch.  By the time bedtime rolls around, he is ready to snuggle up for a good nights sleep.  

Nikkos has had a couple of set backs int he potty training department.  For some reason he won’t use the dog door in the middle of the night.  He doesn’t seem to like to go out at night and because of that has left a couple of presents for us.  Now I am going out with him for “last call” to make sure he has the time he needs before bed.  Hopefully that will take care of it.  He knows it is wrong and hangs his head, so trying to figure out why it is happening and help him be successful in his potty location selection process. 🤣

We have learned that he loves chase so much that he thinks it is a great game to bolt out of the door if given half a chance.  We have some work to do on the “come” command.  Nikkos is very smart and definitely likes his food, so treats are a great motivator in training.  

Nikkos is anxiously awaiting his forever home!

9/18/2017 Update:   I am such a happy dog!  I have this magic toy basket that has a bunch of different toys and bones that I can pull out

and play with and then I wake up in the morning and they are all back in the basket again!  Crazy right?I have a pretty busy schedule.  I wake up at 8:00am for breakfast. Then I have playtime until about 9-10am.  My fur sister is awesome!  She loves to play and wrestle with me.  I lay down on my back to let her “win” because she doesn’t let me “win” very often.  After that it it is time to get on my foster parents bed where I can watch over the walking paths behind the house and nap.  Sometimes I have to check on my foster Dad during the day to make sure he is ok.

But them foster mom comes home and it is dinner time!!!  I love dinner time!  I sit very quiet and watch every thing she does to make sure I don’t miss a thing.  It is torture when she puts my fur buddies food down first, but I wait patiently and I am ready to dive in the minute it is my turn.  Then we all have to sit  and be extra good, because if we do then we get a TREAT!!!!  

After treat then it is game on!  I play with my fur sister for a couple of hours and then settle in with a good bone until I just can’t hold my eyes open any longer.  My foster mom laughs when I get tired because I can hardly hold my head up to make it to bed.

I love bedtime and like to snuggle some during the night.  Sometimes I even put my head right by my foster mom to make sure she knows I am there.

Then it is breakfast time again before I know it! Time to play!

9/9/2017 Update:     Nikkos continues to be one of the most affectionate dogs.  He just wants to be close to people and fellow fur siblings. He isn’t pushy but does stay close and offers his back for a scratch just in case you are interested.  His sweet big eyes will melt you and make it hard not to kiss his wrinkled face.  When someone new comes in he makes himself available but has not been pushy or jumpy.  He is just very happy to be with people.   He is 100% house trained and can be left unsupervised in the house.  

Nikkos has discovered the toy basket (dog toys) and loves to sift through it until one tickles his fancy.  He especially enjoyed the tennis balls this week, but tug of war with sibling french bull dog is high on his list.  He is definitely still young enough to have some of that puppy playfulness but old enough that it isn’t out of control.  He is considerate of the older dogs. He has tried to initiate play with one of the older dogs but when rebuffed he moved on to something else with no drama. Of course nap time spans most of the day with play in the first part of the day and after dinner.

 
Nikkos does take his sleep seriously and when bedtime comes he has no issues going to bed and is always the last one up in the morning.  It is actually pretty funny if we stay up past his bedtime because he can hardly hold his head up walking to bed.  

Meal time is always a happy event. Nikkos waits patiently for his food bowl and then dives in with gusto. He finishes so fast that monitoring is necessary to make sure he doesn’t take over the bowls of the slower eaters.  If monitored he will listen when told to stay away from the other bowls.  As mentioned in other updates he takes food from a hand very gently.  

Nikkos continues to have a happy even tempered personality with all dogs and all people.  His mild hair loss is still present along the folds near his tail end.  It is hard to tell if there is much new hair growth yet but there is no skin irritation.  Hopefully with time and grain free food it will improve.

8/27/2017 Update:  What a huge difference a week makes.  Nikkos is completely house broken.  He finally figured out how to go out the dog door and let’s himself in and out.   He definitely prefers to be indoors but will play outside with the other dogs once it cools down in the evening.  His humping has also gone away.  He can be left unattended in the house with no accidents or destructive behavior.  He actually likes the kennel, and will takes naps in it, but haven’t needed to lock him in now that he is house trained.  

He continues to be great with the other dogs in the home.  He did show some aggression with some of the other dogs at the Hollywood feed event yesterday. However, he has been introduced to 8 other dogs in the home ( 3 in the home permanently, 3 visitors and 1 other foster) with no aggression, so it could have been the over stimulation of the day and / or being on a leash?  He really enjoys his playtime with the resident French bulldog, so he would probably love it if his new home had a playmate for him. Of course play time with his humans is thoroughly enjoyed as well.  

Nikkos loves all people.  We have had friends and workers over with no issues. He is extremely affectionate but not pushy.  If offered a treat, he continues to be a complete gentleman and takes it gently from your hand.    His eye contact and response to praise and correction continues to be exceptional.  Verbal commands and just showing him the water spray bottle 💦 are enough to correct a behavior.  He really hasn’t needed much correction this week, but just continuing to reinforce house rules.

His skin near his tail end continues to heal.  He has been put on one more round of antibiotics as insurance and he is getting a medicated bath a couple times a week to eliminate possibility of a yeast infection.  He doesn’t mind the shower and loves when the towel is rubbed deep in his ears to dry them.  

Over all Nikkos is a joyous, sweet dog who takes everything in stride.  

 8/20/2017 Update:  What a great dog Nikkos is.  He has a great temperament and gets along with all dogs and all people.  He has amazing eye contact and loves his back and belly rubbed.  He isn’t a barker except when he wants in the door, but will “talk” to you if he thinks he needs some more back or belly rubbing.   He definitely doesn’t like being outside without people, so when I let him out I stand by the door to let him in as soon as he is done.  If I go out with him he does enjoy exploring briefly, but if we are out more than 5 minutes he just hangs out with me.  We have a dog door and he has figured out how to come in the door but won’t go out that way.  Probably due to his never wanting to leave people.  Even though he wants to be with people at all times I haven’t seen any signs of separation anxiety

He did go in a crate easily and didn’t seem distressed when I came home.  He was in a crate up to 2 hours and seemed to handle that well.  I also had to crate him when the cleaning lady came because he wanted to hump her. She was not interested in helping me train him. Lol! Go figure! There are just two things we have had to work on this week.  Humping and house training.  Nikkos started this week with uncontrollable humping, but by day two it had diminished to a few episodes a day.  The first day a spray bottle and firm reprimands wouldn’t deter him, but now just a verbal command and direct eye contact is getting the point across.  It still shows up some when new people come over and we have to remind him that it isn’t acceptable.  He continues to improve.  I am so impressed with him that I don’t doubt this behavior is a temporary thing once the hormones are all out of his system.  

His house training is something else we have worked on.  He seems to know he isn’t supposed to go inside, but won’t ask to go out.   He didn’t have his first accident until day 2 when someone new came in the house and he marked. Day 3 and 4 he had a poop accident 1 time each day, but showed great remorse.   He had one other marking incident but just like the humping I expect that will all resolve with consistent training and his neutering kicking in.   Nikkos definitely wants to please, so verbal praise for appropriate behavior seems to work well.  

Nikkos will make a great dog for an individual or a family. We don’t have cats but when he saw one at the vet he was very interested.  Whether it was interest to play or hurt is unknown.  He hasn’t been aggressive in any way with dogs or people (unless the humping could be called aggressive). He has not growled once.  

There are no issues with food. If allowed he would eat another dogs food, but won’t persist if the other dog lets him know to back off.  He takes treats very gently.  He waits very patiently while we eat dinner but definitely lets you know with his eyes that it wouldn’t hurt his feelings if you shared a scrap or two after dinner.

He isn’t big on plush toys but loves bones. If given the choice he will take the beef knuckle over antler or any man made bones.  

His energy level is good. Not too much and not too little.   He was more energetic the first day when everything was new, but now that he has settled in to the pack, he plays some and naps some.  Not overly hyper for sure but not too much of a couch potato either.  He sleeps great at night and perfectly happy to sleep in until the other dogs (and the humans) decide to is time to get up.  He is sleeping in the bed as that seems to be what he was used to. He is a very considerate bed fellow and not a bed hog.  I am sure he could be acclimated to sleeping on a dog bed but it would need to be very near his people.   

His skin has cleared up beautifully after the round of antibiotics. The skin looks healthy.  He does have a pronounced tail fold so that should be watched.  He loves attention, so it is never a problem to check him😂  

Nikkos is looking forward to seeing everyone at Hollywood feed next Saturday! 

8/16/2017 Update:  Please welcome Nikkos to the No Borders Bulldog Rescue family.  Nikkos is a 3 year old male Olde English Bulldog that weighs approximately 50 lbs.

Nikkos joined the NBBR family as an owner surrender.  Nikkos was a happy healthy Bulldog until his previous family got a divorce. Unfortunately, for Nikkos no one in the family wanted him. Nikkos was shuffled around to various family members that said they could take great care of him.  Nikkos’ original owner found out he was not being well taken care of and he was spending most of his time outside in the Texas heat.  She took Nikkos back and began to try to find him a new home.  And Nikkos ended up for sale on Craigslist.  A guardian angel saw him and knew from his photos he needed to be rescued. The guardian angel was able to get Nikkos and asked if we would ensure he finds the perfect forever home.

Nikkos made a quick stop at the clinic and was neutered. In addition to his surgery he has some skin issues (typical Bulldog) that are being treated with antibiotics.  When he joins his foster family he will be put on a good diet to help with what appears to be food based allergies.

After all the mistreatment Nikkos has received at the hands of humans, he is a very loving Bulldog.  When our volunteer picked up Mr. Nikkos we were told it would take awhile for him to calm down. Well, Nikkos got himself into the car, settled into the back seat and the next thing the volunteer knew, Nikkos was fast asleep on his back with all four feet straight up in the air. Nikkos has a very BIG and happy personality.  He gets along well with other dogs and seems to like humans of all sizes.  Stay tuned as we learn more about this happy go lucky guy as he begins his search for his forever home.