Due to an overwhelming number of people who claim to understand what I'm writing about here but actually don't, I have no choice to do this a little differently. What you are about to read is the bluntest, most unflattering way that I know of to get through to you who DuPont is.
So I'm actually going to turn this page ass backwards so that you're forced to read the ugly stuff first. If you manage to make it all the way through the ugly and the bad and read the good, then maybe you've got some potential. So let's get this party started.
THE UGLY
* DuPont has no social skills in regards to meeting other dogs. He never learned appropriate canine greeting etiquette and as a result, his actions cause dog fights. DuPont has not aggressed outright towards a strange dog, however his overwhelmingly challenge-ready approach is threatening to other dogs and their first thought is not to greet, but to defend themselves from the big red brute coming at them. You will encounter this with DuPont, which is why it's important to keep him under control at all times. The outcome of these situations will largely depend on how you react to them.
* DuPont is mouthy, and that shit hurts. If you are consistent in not allowing him to get away with it, then the behavior will pretty much vanish. Unfortunately, a great majority of people (possibly you) have no consistency and will only exacerbate the problem by unintentionally reinforcing it.
* DuPont sucks on a leash. I mean it. Plus he's strong as an ox. Taking him outside to potty is probably one of the most dreaded, frustrating parts of my day. If you don't have a fenced yard (I don't) then it is going to be one of the most dreaded, frustrating parts of your day as well. I promise.
* DuPont might attack and/or injure your cat. He does not, nor has he ever, bothered my cat in the least. One swat from my 12yo declawed Tabby sends Pont in the opposite direction. However, reports from others suggest that is not the case with their cats. Don't ask me what the difference is, I don't know. Maybe my cat has magical powers.
* DuPont is built like a brick shit house, and a bag full of shitty bricks is exactly what it feels like when he gets the zoomies and body slams your legs, or your other dogs, or your unassuming guests. And sometimes a mug of coffee or your favorite vase might get knocked off it's rocker and break. He's not large, but he feels large, and until he grows out of this 3yo puppy stage and gets a grip on adulthood, you're going to have to prepare for it. He's very overwhelming in both strength and personality. Take my word for it please.
THE BAD
* DuPont gets gassy pretty frequently. And boy, it stinks. Open the windows, quick! I swear he only does it when he's cozied up next to you on the couch, too.
* DuPont will never be an off-leash dog. Face it and move on. He cannot be bought with food when you are outside in an open environment. He's what those in the dog training world would call an 'Environment Junkie' and pretty much anything that moves in his outdoor environment is his crack. Getting his attention will be next to impossible unless you show up prepared.
*DuPont can be possessive of certain toys. This applies to both dogs and humans. I have not seen him lash out, but I have witnessed him growl when a dog passes by the toy he's chewing on or if I reach in to take something from him. His normal ploy to get you or a dog to play includes a lot of growling also, so it may just be that. When he does not wish to play, he chooses to get up and move away, which is a good sign to me. But it's something that you need to be aware of and monitor.
* When you're on the couch with Pont, he's going to elbow you. He digs the sharpest point of his elbow into your leg or your ribs and he puts all of his 55lbs into it. Sometimes a brief wrestling match must ensue to get the 'good snuggler' side of Pont. Our wrestling matches usually consist of me shoving at Pont to get him to shift his weight, meanwhile Pont fakes 'deadweight' and heaves back against me. I'd almost swear he's grinning every time we do this.
Eventually we both give up and get on with our TV show.
THE GOOD
* First, the obvious quickies. DuPont is housebroken, crate trained, fully vetted, not a chewer of inappropriate things and he very rarely barks. When he does bark, he sounds like a duck quacking.
For realz.
* DuPont is the best couch companion. Once you've gotten past the elbowing and wrestling match, he will curl up next to you with his head in your lap, or he'll sprawl out and lean against you. If you don't want dogs on the furniture, please don't adopt DuPont. He deserves to have his own spot on the couch forever.
* Indoors, Pont is really incredibly easy to train. He's focused, he's motivated enough to work for food and he does it quietly. He doesn't even blink if other dogs are around him or not. If I have him long enough, I'm shooting for a legit trick title with him!
* DuPont is great with other dogs. I realize this is in direct conflict with the very first 'ugly', but that deals with meeting other dogs. Once he's been introduced and the other dog has accepted him for the fruit loop that he is, he gets on swimmingly with them. If there are problems, it will probably stem from the other dog. A lot of dogs just don't like Pont because they can see that he's not very well balanced and he doesn't 'speak dog' quite as fluently as the rest.
* He's loyal and he's devoted. The dogs can all be playing and having a grand ole time in the living room, and Pont is more than happy to join in the fun. But if I'm in the kitchen doing dishes or some other chore, he will leave them to come and sit or lay quietly in the doorway and watch me while the fun goes on behind him.
* The leash thing is easily resolved with one additional cheap piece of humane training equipment. I don't use it when I take him out to potty because I'm lazy. But he needs to be walked like every other dog, and these few scraps of nylon sewn together will make the experience an enjoyable one.
IN SUMMARY
It's tough to see it when you're overwhelmed with information and confronted with the big personality that is DuPont, but he really is a very simple creature. He's had a shitty life so far, yet people continue to let him down.
DuPont is not a ready made, push button dog. If that's what you're looking for, you won't find it here. But if you can give him a little bit of your time every day, you'll see the progress and the dog underneath the spaz and you'll like him, I swear. He's a sweetheart.
He thrives under strong leadership and guidance, and he is most comfortable when he knows what is expected of him. He doesn't know what he's supposed to do, so you have to show him. If you won't take the time to guide him, then don't be shocked or angry when he tries to figure it out for himself.
So I'm actually going to turn this page ass backwards so that you're forced to read the ugly stuff first. If you manage to make it all the way through the ugly and the bad and read the good, then maybe you've got some potential. So let's get this party started.
THE UGLY
* DuPont has no social skills in regards to meeting other dogs. He never learned appropriate canine greeting etiquette and as a result, his actions cause dog fights. DuPont has not aggressed outright towards a strange dog, however his overwhelmingly challenge-ready approach is threatening to other dogs and their first thought is not to greet, but to defend themselves from the big red brute coming at them. You will encounter this with DuPont, which is why it's important to keep him under control at all times. The outcome of these situations will largely depend on how you react to them.
* DuPont is mouthy, and that shit hurts. If you are consistent in not allowing him to get away with it, then the behavior will pretty much vanish. Unfortunately, a great majority of people (possibly you) have no consistency and will only exacerbate the problem by unintentionally reinforcing it.
* DuPont sucks on a leash. I mean it. Plus he's strong as an ox. Taking him outside to potty is probably one of the most dreaded, frustrating parts of my day. If you don't have a fenced yard (I don't) then it is going to be one of the most dreaded, frustrating parts of your day as well. I promise.
* DuPont might attack and/or injure your cat. He does not, nor has he ever, bothered my cat in the least. One swat from my 12yo declawed Tabby sends Pont in the opposite direction. However, reports from others suggest that is not the case with their cats. Don't ask me what the difference is, I don't know. Maybe my cat has magical powers.
* DuPont is built like a brick shit house, and a bag full of shitty bricks is exactly what it feels like when he gets the zoomies and body slams your legs, or your other dogs, or your unassuming guests. And sometimes a mug of coffee or your favorite vase might get knocked off it's rocker and break. He's not large, but he feels large, and until he grows out of this 3yo puppy stage and gets a grip on adulthood, you're going to have to prepare for it. He's very overwhelming in both strength and personality. Take my word for it please.
THE BAD
* DuPont gets gassy pretty frequently. And boy, it stinks. Open the windows, quick! I swear he only does it when he's cozied up next to you on the couch, too.
* DuPont will never be an off-leash dog. Face it and move on. He cannot be bought with food when you are outside in an open environment. He's what those in the dog training world would call an 'Environment Junkie' and pretty much anything that moves in his outdoor environment is his crack. Getting his attention will be next to impossible unless you show up prepared.
*DuPont can be possessive of certain toys. This applies to both dogs and humans. I have not seen him lash out, but I have witnessed him growl when a dog passes by the toy he's chewing on or if I reach in to take something from him. His normal ploy to get you or a dog to play includes a lot of growling also, so it may just be that. When he does not wish to play, he chooses to get up and move away, which is a good sign to me. But it's something that you need to be aware of and monitor.
* When you're on the couch with Pont, he's going to elbow you. He digs the sharpest point of his elbow into your leg or your ribs and he puts all of his 55lbs into it. Sometimes a brief wrestling match must ensue to get the 'good snuggler' side of Pont. Our wrestling matches usually consist of me shoving at Pont to get him to shift his weight, meanwhile Pont fakes 'deadweight' and heaves back against me. I'd almost swear he's grinning every time we do this.
Eventually we both give up and get on with our TV show.
THE GOOD
* First, the obvious quickies. DuPont is housebroken, crate trained, fully vetted, not a chewer of inappropriate things and he very rarely barks. When he does bark, he sounds like a duck quacking.
For realz.
* DuPont is the best couch companion. Once you've gotten past the elbowing and wrestling match, he will curl up next to you with his head in your lap, or he'll sprawl out and lean against you. If you don't want dogs on the furniture, please don't adopt DuPont. He deserves to have his own spot on the couch forever.
* Indoors, Pont is really incredibly easy to train. He's focused, he's motivated enough to work for food and he does it quietly. He doesn't even blink if other dogs are around him or not. If I have him long enough, I'm shooting for a legit trick title with him!
* DuPont is great with other dogs. I realize this is in direct conflict with the very first 'ugly', but that deals with meeting other dogs. Once he's been introduced and the other dog has accepted him for the fruit loop that he is, he gets on swimmingly with them. If there are problems, it will probably stem from the other dog. A lot of dogs just don't like Pont because they can see that he's not very well balanced and he doesn't 'speak dog' quite as fluently as the rest.
* He's loyal and he's devoted. The dogs can all be playing and having a grand ole time in the living room, and Pont is more than happy to join in the fun. But if I'm in the kitchen doing dishes or some other chore, he will leave them to come and sit or lay quietly in the doorway and watch me while the fun goes on behind him.
* The leash thing is easily resolved with one additional cheap piece of humane training equipment. I don't use it when I take him out to potty because I'm lazy. But he needs to be walked like every other dog, and these few scraps of nylon sewn together will make the experience an enjoyable one.
IN SUMMARY
It's tough to see it when you're overwhelmed with information and confronted with the big personality that is DuPont, but he really is a very simple creature. He's had a shitty life so far, yet people continue to let him down.
DuPont is not a ready made, push button dog. If that's what you're looking for, you won't find it here. But if you can give him a little bit of your time every day, you'll see the progress and the dog underneath the spaz and you'll like him, I swear. He's a sweetheart.
He thrives under strong leadership and guidance, and he is most comfortable when he knows what is expected of him. He doesn't know what he's supposed to do, so you have to show him. If you won't take the time to guide him, then don't be shocked or angry when he tries to figure it out for himself.
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