Stubbs - Mastiff cross

Oh good boy Stubbs.
Glad you see that you are keeping your masters busy and making sure that they are doing everything right and not skipping over things

Who needs to pay help woth a Boy like that. Fine Job stubbs.

We're just back from the inaugural session of a new socialisation class at the dog training group where we take Stubbs and Uno. We've been very lucky finding this particular group as they're very big dog friendly (the couple who run it have akitas themselves) and they're very inclusive with dogs like Stubbs that might not meet such a warm welcome elsewhere.

Today's session was an interesting mix: two young malamute brothers, a ridgeback, Stubbs and Uno and an SBT. First we all went for an on-leash walk while Shaun, the trainer, watched the dynamics between the dogs. After that there were three dogs - Stubbs, Odin (the more dominant of the two Malamutes) and Bonnie the SBT - that he felt it would be wisest to have muzzles on at least initially when they went off leash. It seems he has a good eye for things as the only fight that broke out was between Odin and Bonnie. Stubbs unfortunately destroyed the muzzle we had bought for him and then the one we borrowed from the trainer, in a matter of seconds each, so didn't get off the lead in the end but he did get to meet the others and mix a bit and we're going to get a muzzle made for him before the next session so he can join in more fully (the main problem with the ones we tried today was that they really weren't big enough).

It was still a really useful session though and, in a strange way, reassuring to find that other people were also coping with dogs that weren't perfect and also needed to learn how to play without escalating things.

Sounds like a good class, need something like that closer to me although my girl at least socialises at agility and people are accepting of her. Nice to know mine isn't the only on to wreck muzzles. You might try to find a wire and leather one they make the dog look like hanibal lector, but are more difficult to distroy.

Had a fantastic day at training, the weather for once was great and there were only 3 of the normal 8 turn up so we all had lots of one to one with Shaun the trainer who is really helping. As its half term my daughter came along and took a few pictures inbetween chatting to Shauns wife and eating the biscuits. The lesson was an hour long then we all sat around in the sun for another 45 minutes chatting about dogs, drinking coffee and eating any biscuits my daughter had left us

Looks like he is doing really well Mick well done to you both, it is nice to see people working with their dogs


Hope you got some biscuits

Well done Mick & just look at Stubbs happy face, he really looks like he's enjoying it

Oh gosh, Stubbs is looking great and from the photo's he seems to be doing good at the training... your daughter has done a fab job taking pictures.

Oh Stubbs your looking more and more handsome evrytime we see you. It is great to see him training. Well done Mick. I love the pic of him laying on his side as if to say
"I'M HAVING A SNOOZE"

Just got back from training and there are good days and bad days well today was a fantastic day, Stubbs has always been a bit too keen to "see" some of the other dogs especially any males who have not been done well I took the small water spray Tina left us when she visited and as soon as he lunged at one of the other dogs he got a squirt and I only had to do it twice and he stopped and because he was not lunging every one felt a lot more confident and he was able to mingle with the other dogs still not perfect but a giant step forward and everyone agreed he was like a different dog

He is now having a well earnt rest in the sun. Please note the remains of my lovely grass in the background

Well done Stubbs you will have such a fantastic time with other dogs if you don't lunge, we know you can learn this

He may still be a work in progress but with every update you post we can see how far he has come

Well done Stubbs, you enjoy your rest ..... as far as grass goes .. I once had a lawn, now I have a Neo!!!

They are always teaching us how to be better owners and you guys are going a great job with him and he is worth it.

Well done Stubbs, and well earned rest in the sun....

Oh your not alone on the grass front... after all the wet weather it turned in to mini marsh pit... now its dried out to a dusty mud patches... Cooper loves this, he even rearranges the flower beds so he can sit and sun himself

Today was another red letter day at training officially the star pupil not a single growl or murmur at any of the other dogs and when a staffie went for him all he did was back off and when they came round and tried to get him to jump up he just sat and look up as if to say


Its so nice when you are not the one who the teacher has to give extra help too

Now he is sitting by my office chair like an angel, I think he will find a little something special in his dinner tonight

I am soooooooooooo proud of the boy


Well done Mick excellent job you are doing with him

Here is a short clip of Joe ans Stubbs playing together in and around a pool

Great clips, really funny how Joe gets so close but won't go in

Stubbs is looking great

lovely to see him enjoying himself and Stubbs too

Where's Uno?

Looking good, I'm surprised the pool survived being Stubbs'd

Just brilliant. Great to see Stubb's and Joe getting on famously. Love the way Stubbs takes a leap of faith over the pool and Joe runs around it.
Billiant idea of putting a sheet in the pool to stop claws going through it.
OH and Yes what have you done with Uno.?

Angie wrote:

Just brilliant. Great to see Stubb's and Joe getting on famously. Love the way Stubbs takes a leap of faith over the pool and Joe runs around it.
Billiant idea of putting a sheet in the pool to stop claws going through it.
OH and Yes what have you done with Uno.?

I almost had a heart attack when he took that leap - the long drawn out swear word that accompanies it was me waiting to see if he made the landing without damaging himself. We had them stop and calm down a bit after that!

The sheet would have been slightly more brilliant if we'd thought of it before Stubbs put his feet straight through the bottom of the pool (about 5 minutes after we started filling it) Still it saved the day and is still going strong today. Joe still hasn't been in though although he stays as close to Stubbs as possible without getting in so he ends up almost as wet.

Uno took one look at proceedings and retired indoors in disgust. She hates the heat so I'd hoped she might venture in but she just stuck to her usual pattern of lying down in the coolest part of the house until tea time.