Argentine Dogo

Spotless was a dog that I thought I could handle easily enough. After all, I've owned my share of dogs before, and training them was easy. But Spotless has such a mind of his own that I now conclude he really would have done best with an experienced dog handler. It's not that he's a bad or unruly dog; it's just that he can be so strong tempered that my style of discipline seems to fall on deaf ears. Which, by the way, I found out later that about ten percent of this breed is born deaf.

But Spotless can hear just fine, albeit selectively. His strong will is probably closely tied to his high energy level, along with his frustration of not being able to work as he was really bred to do. Anyway, now I can see the value of professional training, for us both. I've learned that different breeds respond to different techniques. And though I wanted a unique breed and something different, I really should have learned more and then dealt directly with a reputable breeder.

I must say in his defense that he has mellowed quite a bit as he's matured. Now he'll acquiesce with a little less urging from me. In spite of his difficult nature, and what appears to be fits of anger at times, he has really grown on me. We have learned to stay busy and exercise daily and to find new things to do, which has helped me to mature and stay trim, too!