Mom and Dad think he's about 65 lbs. - and still growing! He's about a foot taller than me, and weighs almost twice what I do. He's bigger than all of us, actually - when he stands on his back legs, he's almost as tall as Mom!
He's learned to share toys now, and isn't such a jerk about the water bucket. As far as food goes, he sits and waits for his meals, lets Mom take his bowl away, and even has a new trick - he will take a cookie right out of her mouth. Amazingly, he'll leave her lips attached to her face! He doesn't growl anymore, and he'll drop anything for Mom and dad - bones, treats, toys, food, and stuff he's not supposed to have, like socks. He'll let Mom take things out of his mouth, too. He knows sit, shake, touch, stay, wait, come, leave it, drop it, and down. He also gives hugs and kisses. He's really uncoordinated sometimes, though, and still can't catch cookies. Most of the time, he hits them with his nose and sends them flying. Not so bad for Bear and me, though - we just wait to see where they go, and then swoop in!
Mom says she's going to post some information on what steps she went through to teach him how to behave at mealtimes. She says that the most important thing when working with a dog that has issues like his is to remember to be patient - don't rush things, and don't get discouraged if things don't change immediately. She says that if your doggie friend has the same problem, you can always email us for information on what you can do to work with him or her. She says that you should always consult a trainer when you have a dog that is displaying aggression, especially if your dog has actually bitten. There are a whole lot of different reasons for aggression - from medical to behavioral, and consulting a professional is always a good idea in aggression cases.
Simba was what some people refer to as a "red zone" case - he was going to be put to sleep because his behavior was potentially dangerous to people and other dogs. Thankfully, he loves people and gets along great with other dogs in almost all situations - food and especially neat toys were his triggers. Mom says he's what behaviorist trainers call a "resource guarder."
Even though he was aggressive in only certain situations, which were fairly predictable, Mom and Dad say he is not a dog that could have gone into most homes, and the people that had him before us made a good decision when they decided they couldn't keep him. With a little boy and an older dog in the house, he just wasn't a good fit for that family. Mom and Dad, though, figured we could give him the home - and the training - he needed. Mom says he's not perfect, and she still does exercises with him every day at mealtimes, but he's come a long, long way. He loves to play with Bear and me, and keeps trying to show off for Zoe. She's not impressed with him much, though, and pretty much ignores him.
Oh, and he's a ham, too - that smile in his picture? That's all his - it isn't drawn on or anything. Pretty funny, eh?
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