 This is Bulba, a UKC-registered purebred Rat Terrier.
|  Bulba is 10 years old and has lived with the family since puppihood.
|  He weighs 17 lbs.
|  Before the human babies (now a 4-yr old and a 10-month old) came alone, Bulba accompanied his parents on lots of fun excursions.
|  Hikes, outing, trips, adventures...
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 ...and sometimes just silly fun play time.
|  Now that Mom and Dad face a lot of new demands on their time and energies, Bulba spends more time alone.
|  His house manners are good, so he is ok taking care of himself, but it's not very fun.
|  But he sure misses regular one-on-one attention.
|  For Bulba, an escape from boredom is to get barky and agitated when confronted with anything out of the ordinary. Offering him controlled exposure to new people, places, and things should help him establish confidence and let familiarity diminish his nervousness.
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 Bulba does want to be an only dog. If he needs to share his space with another canine, he can probably eventually get used to that, but it will need to be a carefully controlled transition process.
|  Throwback: One of his puppy pictures from years gone by.
|  Another puppy picture.
|  Didn't he grow up into a handsome fellow?
|  Bulba's repertoire of obedience "commands"/tricks include: sit, lie down, wait, come, leave it, quiet, roll over, stay, dance/spin, and get in your crate.
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 Bulba is somewhat hand shy and can be mouthy, so unfamiliar people need to wait for his invitation to pat him.
|  He loves walks and hikes, and he rides well in the car.
|  He is patient being handled by his familiar people.
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 |  |  |  |  If you're looking for a fellow who is super charming and sweet (once he gets to know you)...
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 ... and smart and trainable...
|  Then you want this gorgeous dude to join your family!
|  |  He is patiently waiting for you.
|  He'll be the best gift you can give to yourself!
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