By Jon Bastian
At 175 lbs. and 28 inches at the shoulder at only 18 months old, Hulk is billed as the World’s Largest Pit Pull but his humans also describe him as a gentle giant. You can get a look at Hulk in action in this video, then read more of his story below.
Hulk is one (not so) small part of the pack at Dark Dynasty K9s, breeders and trainers located in New Hampshire, founded in 2004. Their mission is to help change people’s minds on the pit bull breed and get people to see them as what they truly are: heroes, saving lives all over the world.
When we spoke to Dark Dynasty owners Marlon and Lisa Grennan, they told us, “Our message is to show the world that with proper structure — or as Cesar would say, rules, boundaries and limitations — these dogs can live in peace and harmony together, showing the world by example that the key to a dog’s best existence is by proper structure.”
The Grennans also want to break down the common misconception that dogs should be treated like humans. As they put it, and Cesar would agree, “This way of thinking creates anxiety in a dog’s life and it’s important to respect them for what they are... Hulk was raised just like all of our other dogs. Strong leadership, rules, boundaries and limitations. These are the most important things a dog needs to be happy, balanced, calm and confident. He knows when it’s time to be relaxed and mellow and when it’s time to work.”
The Grennans also attribute the bad reputation of certain breeds to one thing. “It is always the owner’s fault,” they told us, “whether intentional or not. Most owners... have the best of intentions and truly love their dogs but they lack the knowledge on how to be the strong pack leader that a dog requires. This sounds like such a simple thing but so many of us were raised with bad habits around dogs that it doesn’t come naturally and it can be the difference between a happy stable dog and neurotic and anxious dog.”
It all comes down to letting a dog be a dog. “It is very important that people remember dogs are not humans and if you truly love your dog and want it to be happy you need to allow it to be a dog.”
On Dark Dynasty’s 150 acre grounds, Hulk and all of the other dogs get plenty of exercise and discipline, with two or three one-on-one walks a day, a group run/walk with the pack, and daily training sessions. Hulk does some light protection work, loves to play ball, tug-of-war, swim and run through the snow. In many ways, he’s still a puppy, albeit a very big one.
Of course, after all of that, Hulk gets plenty of affection, too. The Grennans and their three-year-old son Jordan consider him part of the family. “He lies with our son when he sleeps, sings along to the harmonica with him, takes baths with our ducks, takes photos with our mini horse, and plays a gentle game of tug-of-war with our five pound Chihuahua,” Lisa explained.
“He is an extremely well-balanced dog. In all the charity events we have been to and the swarms of people in New York City, he patiently stands there while people, kids, and dogs crowd him for photos,” she said.
While Hulk is trained as a protection dog, the Grennans have no worries about him around their son, family, or other dogs and animals. “He knows his place in the pack, he knows that we are the alpha dogs and he knows what is expected from him.”
This is very much the same as Daddy, Cesar’s beloved right-hand-pit bull for sixteen years. What many people may not know is that Daddy was also trained as a protection dog, although Cesar never used him that way and Junior has not received the same training. Despite Daddy’s training, Cesar always felt the same way about him, with never a worry about the dog not knowing what was expected from him.
Like Daddy and Junior, Hulk is serving as a breed ambassador for pit bulls, and so are the Grennans. “All different breeds are bred for different purposes and it is important that people do their research when choosing a breed and puppy to match their lifestyle and energy,” they explained. “Dogs are born perfect no matter what the breed and if the dog is not brought up with proper rules, boundaries and limitations it can result in behavioral issues.”
In talking to the Grennans, we can hear a lot of Cesar’s philosophy and even language, so we had to ask. What do they think of Cesar and his teachings? “We have always been big supporters of Cesar! The psychology of dogs is a science, there is no arguing with what he does and his work clearly speaks for itself. He promotes proper dog ownership and helps families all over the world. We love what he does and would absolutely love to meet him one of these days!”, Marlon said.
Like his namesake, you wouldn’t want to see this Hulk angry, but thanks to the strong leadership and clear rules the Grennans have given him, you probably never will.
Do you know of any “gentle giant” dogs? Tell us about them in the comments.
from dog training Dog Advice, Tips and Tutorials http://ift.tt/1cZ5pS6
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