Bull Arab Adoption in Newcastle

What a Bull Arab is

The Bull Arab was developed in Australia from the 1970s as a pig-hunting dog, by crossing bull breeds with mastiff or Great Dane types and pointers or other hounds. The result is a large, athletic, short-coated dog with stamina, a good nose and a strong urge to chase. It is a working type rather than a standardised show breed, so two Bull Arabs can look quite different.

At home, a well-raised Bull Arab is usually calm and affectionate with its own people and bonds closely with them. It is not an easy first dog, but in the right hands it is a steady, devoted one.

Why so many Bull Arabs are in Hunter rescue

Across the NSW rescues we aggregate, Bull Arabs and Bull Arab crosses are listed year-round, often mixed with Staffy, Mastiff or Kelpie. Regional breeding for hunting and working produces more pups than there are suitable homes, and some owners cannot cope once a cute pup grows into a large, strong adult. Because the breed is not fashionable, these dogs are often passed over for smaller or fluffier ones, and that is the real reason they wait. It has little to do with the dogs, which are usually sound and loving.

Bull Arabs are not restricted in NSW

Because of its size and bull-breed heritage, the Bull Arab is sometimes assumed to be restricted. It is not. Under section 55 of the NSW Companion Animals Act 1998, only five breeds are restricted: the American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Japanese Tosa, Fila Brasileiro and Perro de Presa Canario. A restricted-breed dog cannot be sold or given away in NSW, which is why none appear on rescue lists. A Bull Arab is microchipped, registered and rehomed like any other dog.

What can still catch you out is bias rather than law. Some landlords, strata schemes and insurers are wary of large dogs, so sort out approval before you apply.

Where to look in Newcastle and the Hunter

• Hunter Animal Rescue. A foster-based, volunteer-run charity covering Newcastle, the Hunter Valley and the Central Coast. There is no shelter to visit; dogs live in foster homes, so the carer can tell you how a dog handles children, cats and time alone. See hunteranimalrescue.com.au.
• Dog Rescue Newcastle. Another foster-based, volunteer-run charity in Newcastle. Despite the name, it rehomes cats as well as dogs. See dogrescuenewcastle.com.au.
• RSPCA NSW Hunter Shelter. The RSPCA's Hunter shelter is at Rutherford, near Maitland, rather than in Newcastle itself. It adopts dogs, cats and other animals; bring photo ID showing your current address. See the Hunter Shelter page.
• The council pound is not an adoption centre. The City of Newcastle Animal Facility at Tighes Hill holds lost and impounded animals. Unclaimed animals go to rehoming organisations, and if you want to adopt or foster one, use the council's Animal Rescue Enquiry form on its Lost Pets in Ranger Care page.

Our guide to the best dog rescues in Newcastle compares these options, the Newcastle Bull Arab listings pull current dogs into one place, and the large dogs page shows every big rescue dog in the Hunter.

What adoption costs

Rescue fees in the Hunter cover desexing, microchipping, vaccination and a vet check. As a guide, Hunter Animal Rescue lists $380 for an adult dog, $580 for a young dog and $200 for a senior, and RSPCA NSW lists $500 for an adult and $620 for a puppy. Always check the fee on the individual listing.

Big dogs cost more to feed and medicate, so ask what the rescue's vet check found and consider pet insurance while the dog is young. Registration details are in our Newcastle dog registration guide, and desexing costs for a dog that is not yet desexed are in the Newcastle desexing cost guide.

Prey drive, kids and other dogs

Prey drive is the part to take most seriously. Many Bull Arabs see cats, chickens and small animals as something to chase, and some are not safe with them at all. With children, a well-socialised Bull Arab is often gentle with its own family, but a large, strong dog can knock over a toddler in play, so supervise. With other dogs, many are sociable, and the individual dog matters. A foster carer who has lived with the dog can tell you how it has gone with children, dogs and cats.

Space, fencing and exercise

A Bull Arab suits a house with a secure, high fence and an owner who enjoys being outdoors. Plan on an hour or more of activity a day for an adult, plus training and things to chew and sniff. A bored, under-exercised large dog becomes hard to manage. Units are rarely a good match.

Off-lead time belongs in designated leash-free areas, and only once recall is reliable. The fenced Speers Point Dog Park and Thomas H Halton Dog Park at Eleebana in Lake Macquarie are leash free at all times, and our Newcastle dog parks guide lists the City of Newcastle areas and hours. With a strong-prey-drive dog, a long line in an open area is often safer than full off-lead running.

Adult or puppy?

Adopt an adult if you can. With a large working breed, seeing the grown dog's size, energy and prey drive before you commit is a real advantage, and adults wait far longer than puppies. A Bull Arab puppy grows big and strong fast and needs consistent training from day one.

Settling a rescue Bull Arab into a Newcastle home

• Check the yard. Make sure fences are high and solid before the dog arrives, and that gates latch.
• Heat. Large, muscular dogs overheat on humid Newcastle summer days. Exercise early or late, give shade and water, and never leave a dog in a parked car.
• Tick country. The paralysis tick lives along coastal and bushland NSW. Check your dog after every bushy walk and ask your vet about year-round prevention.
• Reward-based training. Bull Arabs respond to calm, consistent, reward-based handling. A good trainer who works with large dogs is money well spent.
• Emergencies. For after-hours emergencies, the Animal Referral and Emergency Centre at Broadmeadow is Newcastle's 24/7 emergency vet hospital.

Many rescues use the 3-3-3 rule as a rough guide: three days to decompress, three weeks to start showing personality, three months to feel fully at home.

Avoiding scams

In NSW a dog must be microchipped before it is sold or given away, so ask to see the chip details before any money moves, and treat a seller who cannot show them as a red flag. Be wary of a cheap or free pup with an interstate story, a deposit or a transport fee, which is the setup Scamwatch warns about. A rescue Bull Arab comes desexed, chipped, vet checked and, often, already assessed by a foster carer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Keep reading

Ready to look beyond one breed? Start at the Newcastle dog adoption page for every dog currently listed by Hunter rescues.