Hi everybody, I'm new to this forum. I'm David and my big boy is Toro (An American Bulldog, he'll be two this January). It's nice to have stumbled upon this forum and Leerburg.com. I am training Toro for a BST I or WST I and a WPD I. We still have a long way to go. Had I not found this site it would have been even more difficult (almost impossible). Where I live it's hard to find good training for this type of thing, so I've had to do most of the work myself. The videos I've purchased from Leerburg have not only made a great improvement towards these efforts they have given me piece of mind because I have better direction. Toro is an extremely high prey and food drive dog, but he's soft when it comes to me. Early in his training I almost ruined him because I was to strict in his training. I had to step back more than a few times. But these past 4 weeks since using what I have learned from Building drive and focus, and Preparing your dog for the handler, it's almost like Toro is a different dog and our relationship has flourished.

I'm a father of seven (six girls one boy, ages 15yrs. to 3 months). I'm an Artist/Illustrator by profession who love's working with big dogs. Toro is my first American Bulldog, I've have pit mixes in the past and even owned a German Short hair Pointer (may they rest in peace). I wanted to do something with this one, and I want him to help me protect my family. His looks alone can intimidate, but I want to know he will know what to do should he, God forbid, ever have to. He's the best dog I've ever owned.

Thank you Leerburg and all of you who have welcomed me so far...



Some videos of Toro:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5ZnWB02A8s&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcUdcx6DhwU&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBNOVgAhrFI&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0Rl-RIr99U&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dPoYfJWIHk

Again, Welcome David. Nice intro!
You are definitely in a great place here.
Just from the looks of your boy and seeing how agile he is.....WOW, impressive and I sincerely doubt anyone would try and mess with your family.

Welcome David! Great looking dog. You will learn a lot on the forums. We have some good Bully people here.

Thank you Alex... I've been looking over the forums and I've already had a number of my questions answered (great forum). Beautiful boxer by the way, love the white socks.

Welcome David. Toros a very impressive boy. Seven kids!! It's amazing you find time to teach him anything. Lol..

Six girls -- maybe one reason for a dog with looks to intimidate...

Seriously, welcome David! LOVE the free-spirited, flying American Bulldog Toro!

Katie

"Flying American Bulldog"

I like that, I'll have to use that some day...
BTW, definitely a reason for an intimidating dog! LOL

Welkom (dutch for welcome)David. Nice dog you have there, wow, I did not know that american bulldogs could be so agile.
And btw I have also been building Drive, Focus and Grip in my dog with BDFG (1 yr!)and I am now busy with Preparing your dog for the helper. It really improves the bond between handler and dog, doesn't it?

Glad to have ya. He looks like a lot of fun!

 Quote: rosalinda van den ham

Welkom (dutch for welcome)David. Nice dog you have there, wow, I did not know that american bulldogs could be so agile.
And btw I have also been building Drive, Focus and Grip in my dog with BDFG (1 yr!)and I am now busy with Preparing your dog for the helper. It really improves the bond between handler and dog, doesn't it?

American bulldogs usually fall under two categories, the larger (Johnson) bully type and the smaller performance (Scott) type. Toro is actually a hybrid with a larger dose of performance blood but he's big. performance American bulldogs can do very amazing things like scaling 7'+ walls. Toro is my supper dog!

I just ordered "the first steps of bite training" today. Which is supposed to follow "preparing your dog for the helper." I can't wait! The videos are great, Toro and I have never been closer. I can see a big difference in him, I feel like he really trust me now. I've been doing bite work with him since he was a pup. He loves it. Even while teething Toro wanted to do bite work, it didn't bother him that teeth were falling out. Bulldogs are hard like that...

But when we would play, and I would give him the win, he would take off like a bat out of hell. He's fast... He'd run and run and run some more , shaking the heck out of the prey item. He would then run past me as fast as he could because he knew at any moment I would reach out and catch it, and he'd hold on flying in the air and then the tugging would continue. But it was always him taking the item from me that was the fun for him.

Now I feel like he's playing with me. He doesn't run away and play keep away like before. We had some problems in the beginning when I would take him into my arms but that's all good now.