Arlington Pet of the Week: Oliver

This week’s Arlington Pet of the Week is Oliver, a 10-year-old bulldog with a face that breaks hearts.

Here’s what his owner, Justin, had to say about him:

This is Oliver but his friends call him Gus. He’s a 10 yr old American Bulldog, weighing in at 110lbs now, but he came to us as a puppy from Arizona. This breed’s agility, intelligence, and loyalty made them very helpful for handling cattle. Their strong jaws and muscular build was perfect for hunting wild pigs in American south where they had no natural predators. But by the end of World War II, the American Bulldog was almost extinct until a few breeders scoured the south for specimens to revive the breed. Today, the American Bulldog is in no danger of extinction and is mostly a family-friendly companion.

Oliver is a perfect gentleman who watches the neighborhood closely and when we have a visitor he lets us know with a few barks. But, that usually wears him out and he heads back to his bed for a siesta. At the dinner table he is very well behaved and never begs, but he does watch intently and after a while his sad face makes it impossible to not give him at least one little table treat. During the dog days of summer he especially loves watermelon, and he can eat it right out of your hand so gently you would think he was a puppy.Everyone in the neighborhood knows and loves him and he enjoys playing with kids and other dogs.

Ollie enjoys resting just about anywhere. He is a gentle giant who loves to snuggle close and his soothing snores help humans fall asleep like listening to the sounds of the ocean. But, it could also means he needs a CPAP machine for dogs.  At the end of the day he likes his family time where he can rest with his rawhide and relieve the stress of living in northern VA. He’s a great buddy!

Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos, they don’t fit in our photo galleries!

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care is the winner of six consecutive Angie’s List Super Service Awards, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year and a proud supporter of the Arlington County Pawsitively Prepared Campaign.

Becky’s Pet Care provides professional dog walking and pet sitting in Arlington and all of Northern Virginia, as well as PetPrep training courses for Pet Care, CPR and emergency preparedness.