I Am A Johnson Bully Breed

My mom has been telling every one that I am a Hybrid American Bulldog - that I am half Johnson type and half Scott type. Well, she found out today that is not true. She had someone look at my pedigree chart and I am fully Johnson Bully! I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but I am guessing it is a good thing. Mom seems happy about it. 

Note from Mom: I let someone lead me to believe that Opie was a Hybrid - not that it matters - that just means he would be half and half of the 2 main types of American Bulldogs - but to know for sure that he is all one type is good to know, too.

So here is a little history on the 2 main types of American Bulldog.

Johnson: is the classic and larger of the 2 bulldog types. They generally stand 23 - 27 inches at the withers and can weigh any where from 70 - 120 pounds. They have heavier bones, wider chests and resemble the English bulldog in the face with a boxier head. Actually they were crossed with the English Bulldog. They have an undershot bite but their teeth usually don't show. These are around today thanks to John Johnson - otherwise they would be extinct. He gets the credit for breeding and keeping this beautiful dog in existence.

Scott: is more the "standard" type. Smaller, more athletic. Typically weighing 60 - 100 pounds. Sometimes they are mistaken for the American Pit Bull Terrier. They usually have a reverse scissors bite - meaning their lower teeth touch the sides of the upper teeth on the outside. Alan Scott is the man responsible for this breed type. 

This picture is a better one of a Scott type - 

Another Christmas Picture

Mom took me to the Pet Resort and left me for group play and they took this photo of me while I was there. Mom says I should have smiled.

Note from Mom: He looks so sad. I guess he wasn't sure what they were wanting him to do since they were putting him up on that big chair. He still looks cute, though.

10 Months Old Today

I am 10 months old today and I weigh 69 pounds! I wear a size 7 in human boys shirts.
I still love to jump up on people - mom and dad say I have to stop doing that. I don't mean to knock people down but sometimes that happens. Especially little kids. I love them so much and want to play with them. 
My favorite human  foods are sardines and scrambled eggs.
My favorite treats are yogurt bites (mom buys Bil Jac) and I also love knuckle bones from Lucky Paws
I love to go to the park and the pet resort and sitting in the recliner with my mom.


Note from Mom: He just had another growth spurt. He gained 9 pounds this past month. He just gets cuter every day. I miss the little baby days already but he is so much fun at every age. 
He is still my lap dog - he likes to sit in the chair with me. He now sleeps in his own bed beside our bed. He just takes up way too much room in our queen size bed. I can't even turn over when he sleeps with us because he has to be right up against me. He literally takes up half the bed leaving me and Brad with the other half and that just doesn't work! lol

Pictures with Santa Claus

My mom and dad took me to see Santa! At first I was pretty scared. I didn't like Santa at all! Then when Santa started calling my name and offering me treats, I realized I knew Santa after all! I was fine then and I wanted to play. I kept pulling at Santa's beard and giving kisses. 

Note from Mom: Santa just happened to be Marilyn, his trainer at Petsmart and he loves her. Once he recognized her voice and scent - he was totally fine. The pictures turned out really cute. 

My First Thanksgiving

My mom and dad stayed home this Thanksgiving. They didn't want to leave me and I was so glad. My mom made me a special plate of boiled chicken, scrambled eggs and I even had some pumpkin! I love chicken!
 They were both home with me ALL week long! We went to the park, we went shopping at Petsmart and Petco. My mom and my trainer, Marilyn, and her dog, Khaleesi, went to the park one day, too. We had a blast! I taught her how to play in the mud! We know how to have fun!!

Note from Mom:
This was one of the best Thanksgiving breaks that I can remember. No pressure - no fuss - we just flew by the seat of our pants every day and on Turkey Day Brad and I went to Cracker Barrel and had an awesome meal. It was nice and relaxing. 
Marilyn and I met at the dog park and of course Opie found the mud hole right away. Khaleesi jumped right in with Opie. They were both covered in mud. They were so much fun to watch, tho. They really hit it off.

Our Christmas Pictures

Oh boy did we have fun! I bet we took 20 pictures and there were a lot of blurry ones! It is hard to sit still for the camera. Especially when mom and dad are acting all frantic and crazy trying to take pictures. But I think turned out pretty good. Mom is making Christmas cards with them, I think.

Note from Mom: Yes, it was quite an ordeal. We haven't even used our "real" camera in a long, long time. Seems all we use are our phones any more. But we got it out, charged it up and set up the tripod. We did take about 20 pictures. At first I sat on the hearth with Opie and Brad set the timer - every single picture was a blur with Opie - Brad and I were fine, tho - he either had his head back looking at one of us or just moving around. Once I decided to be the timer setter upper - then we got some decent pics. The top 2 were the best - the bottom 2 were just some set up photos.  
I am only getting a dozen cards since we really don't send out a lot of Christmas cards anyway. (the first one)  I am also ordering some to frame.

Guess Who's Sleeping in My Bed?

Nobody! Because I am sleeping in mom and dad's bed! That's right. My dad says I can and so mom says we can try it out and so now that is where I get to sleep! I have to stay on top of the covers but that is ok. I like it like that. I am getting a lot of cuddles. It is so much nicer than my bed. I have to be on my best behavior and so far they say I am being 100% perfect. I am trying really really hard because I love sleeping with them!


Note from Mom: Shocker - Brad, out of the blue says "lets try him out sleeping with us". I was like are you kidding me?? He just keeps surprising me. For a man who was not ever a "dog person" he sure has made a huge turnaround! Anyway - we did and he did great. No problems at all. I just put on old comforter on top of our bedding, but I am going to buy a king size quilt today and use it so it covers every thing (we have a queen). 
 I am all for him sleeping with us over the winter - but when it comes summer time - well, we will see. He may not even want to sleep in the bed by then if it is hot to him as well. 

I Did A Bad Bad Thing

Oops! I did it again. Mom let me have my pillow in my kennel and I just had a big time with it! It is just so much fun shredding and playing in the fluff and it tastes pretty good, too! Mom wasn't really too thrilled but I didn't get in trouble. She just got her camera out and took a picture. I really thought I was going to get scolded! I have the best  mom in the whole world.

Note from Mom: I had to try hard to keep from laughing - his expression says it all. I am sure he knew it wasn't the smartest thing to do - but obviously he is still not ready for blankets and pillows. I just hate that he has to stay on that hard tray but I have tried kennel pads, pillows, blankets, quilts, towels - and he does it every time. It doesn't matter if he has toys in with him or not - he is still going to do it. We will try again after he turns one. (maybe)

Me and My Mom

The top picture is my very first night at my new home May 7, 2014.

The bottom picture is me and mom today November 17, 2014.

Note from Mom: My baby boy has grown so much! He is now right at 65 pounds. He has lost a lot of his baby look. 

Lila, My New Girlfriend

This is Lila. She is my girlfriend. She is a lot of fun to play with. She is fast (way faster than me!) and she likes to play in the sandbox with me. My mom says she is a Ridgeback mix, but I think she is just beautiful. I wish we could meet at the dogpark every single day. Her mom and dad are college students and really nice. 

Note from Mom: Lila is very sweet. She is such a fast runner - I think she is part greyhound, too. Opie can't keep up with her. He has to rest and she will just play bite all around him while he is resting - just like a female taking advantage of their guy...LOL
Her parents are young 20 somethings and very good with her. You can tell they spend a lot of time with her and want to make sure she gets plenty of exercise since they live in an apartment.

My Daddy is a Pushover

My dad took this picture of me while I was sleeping in their bed and mom was at work. He said I was sleeping so good he didn't want to wake me up. I love Fridays. Dad stays home and he plays with me all day. Today he is taking me to the park and we might get some treats at our favorite store. 

Note from Mom: At least he put a cover on top of my cream bedding first! I just got it back from the cleaners this week. I really don't mind him being on our bed as long as he is invited and he is clean. We have allowed dogs to sleep with us in the past but they were always little dogs. Opie takes up a lot of space and he is very heavy to move over. His head weighs more than my previous dogs. He does look sweet and sleeping comfortably. I love it when my husband sends me pictures from their Fridays together.
Brad just sent me this one from the park.

Blanket Privilege Revoked

Uh oh...I got in trouble. Mom let me have a blanket last night to sleep so I could be warm and cozy but I guess I got hungry during the night and I ate some of it. She says I won't get to sleep with a blanket for a long long time. 

Note from Mom: With the weather getting cooler - I thought maybe a blanket in his kennel would work out now. He is 9 months old and I thought maybe he was old enough to try again. The last time we tried he shredded it and that was his baby blanket! 
He sleeps in our room so every time I wake up I hear him snoring away. I don't know when he did this, but he did! As you can see, those 3 little pieces will not fit the big missing piece - that means some of it is inside his big belly (for now).
I just hope it all comes out uneventfully!!

9 Months Old!

I had my 9 month birthday yesterday and we spent some time at the park. My daddy got me a new toy and I only get to play with it with him. 
I still weigh 63 pounds. I haven't gained any weight in awhile. Mom says I will probably have a growth spurt soon. I keep hearing mom and dad say they hope I don't get any bigger, but I can't control that! 
I played with a pit bull puppy yesterday that was the same size as me. He kept biting my ear and mom didn't like that. He didn't hurt me, but she still worries. We played in the sandbox and that is my favorite thing. 

*Note from Mom: He has been 63 pounds for a few weeks now. I don't think he is finished growing but he could be. They usually grown in height up to 10 months and then start packing on the muscle. He already is very toned and his muscles are defined. We are fine with whatever size he gets but 63 pounds is a very good weight and size. 

**The new toy is a Kong tug toy 

Back At The Pet Resort

My mom made me take a break from the Pet Resort because I got hurt the last time I was there. I was playing with a Golden Retriever and things got a little out of hand so I ended up with some puncture wounds to my head and a sprained backleg. Mom and dad were not happy. 

BUT I went back yesterday and had a blast! They told mom that I was very good and that they were careful not to let any of the playing get too rough. I still had a couple of scratches on my belly but I get those at the dog park so she wasn't too upset about those.

I was really dirty when I got home so I had to take a bath and I was just worn out!

Note from Mom: I am so glad I can take him back again. I know he loves it there and I am sure they love him, too. I just wanted to make sure that he was watched more closely and that when ever the rough play gets too intense that they are removed from one another for a cool down.

He was ready for his bed after his bath but came alive again after Brad got home. We went for a walk about 8 p.m. to get rid of some left over energy.

My Picture Book

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My mom made this cool book from Shutterfly. Pictures from when I got adopted to 4 months old. Wasn't I just the cutest little baby!

Note from Mom: I think it is time for a new one. This one only goes to 4 months old. 

Party Time!

I went to my first dress up party. My mom made me into a Beanie Baby Love Puppy! We went to Petsmart and paraded around the store and had treats and got our pictures made. It was a lot of fun. Even some of the parents with kids wanted to take pictures of me with their kids. Mom and dad thought that was cool.

Note from Mom: such an easy costume. I thought about the kisses but my daughter came up with the beanie baby idea. I think that made for a great costume and he didn't mind it at all. It only cost 99 cents for the red lipstick. We are still airing for our photo tobe sent via email.  

I Am Not Allowed On the Bed

My mom and my dad say I am not allowed on the bed. My mom has all pretty quilted stuff and pretty soft pillows so she says I can't put my dirty paws on them. She says I might eat the pillows. She says I take up too much room. Dad says I snore too loud. He says there is only enough room for him and mom. I say they should buy a KING size bed!

Note from Mom: Well, obviously that rule has been broken a time or two. On Fridays when I leave for work, Brad is still in bed since he is off on Fridays. I take Opie outside before I leave and Brad has gotten where he lets Opie get up on the bed with him while he has his coffee and watches TV. One of these days I won't be a bit surprised if we do decide to get a KING size bed just so he can sleep with us. We already bought extra large recliners so he can sit with us. LOL

My Mom is Back!

My mom had to fly to Arkansas and I couldn't go with her. She

was gone 4 whole LONG days! I missed her so much. Dad and I had a good time together, tho. He took me to the park twice and I played with a Mastiff puppy one day. We had a fun time. Dad bought me some new bones and they were so good. I got in trouble a couple of times for digging. I was just missing my mom, tho. I am so glad she is back!!!!

Note from Mom:

Opie was so excited to see me. I sat in the recliner when we got home and Brad went to let him out and he wouldn’t come out because that is how he generally does – it takes him awhile to wake up – so I have to call him and he came running and jumped into the recliner and just kissed me all over my face and head. LOL he literally had tears. That went on for at least 5 full minutes. Good thing I took my glasses off because he had my hair all over my head and I could hardly breathe. I wish we had video’d it. It was priceless. I kept him up 30 minutes and everywhere I walked I could feel him touching my leg. He really missed me. It was sweet.

Mommy is Making A's

My mommy is already on Unit 5 of her online courses for Dog Trainer/Instructor through Penn Foster. She is moving right along!
She is going to be so smart!

Note from Mom: I have made 100% on every test with the exception of one and I made a 99% on that one by missing one question. :-( 
I am waiting on my score for a BIG exam - it was 4 Case Study Plans - and choosing the right breed for each case study. I had to give the breed, the reasons for my choice and then I had to choose a breed that would not be right for  each case study and give the reasons. I was given 5 - 6 choices of breeds to choose from. Can't wait to see my score! This one will be human graded, not computer generated. 

So far we have covered: 
Parts of the Dog
Sensory Abilities
Social Behavior
Applied Dog Behavior
Conditioning
How Dogs Learn
Dog Selection
Housetraining and Crate training
Canine Equipment 

Now I am ready to start on Commands. I am really enjoying these courses!

I have also submitted my Volunteer application for a local rescue/shelter. I want to start spending time helping and learning more with some hands - on. Several of my lessons coming up will require working with dogs - and of course I have Opie - but it will be fun working with a variety of dogs.

I Graduated Intermediate Classes!

Today I graduated again! I have been in my 2nd round of obedience classes. I can now walk on loose leash, heel, go to my bed on command, stay with lots of distractions and just for kicks, spin.

This time there have only been 2 of us in class. Apollo the  Lab, and me! It has been a lot of fun and we get a lot of attention from the trainer. She really likes me. 

Note from Mom: He did so good! He was the only one - the other dog that is usually in class didn't show up. Once again he would not wear the cap and gown. Little stinker! We start Advanced classes in 2 weeks.

8 Months Old!

I am 8 months old and I weigh a whoppin' 60 pounds on the dot!

Mom says I am losing my babyface. 

Note from Mom:

He still has all the marks on his head - right now they are scabs - I think they will leave scars. I hate that. He is still very handsome, tho.

Yummies For My Tummy

My mom wants me to have nice skin and a pretty coat. She makes up a concoction that is really yummy! I don't have rashes like I did before! 
She puts apple cider vinegar in my water, too. It is supposed to have a lot of good things in it. It is all yummy to me. 
I used to have tummy troubles but not any more. Mom finally found a good grainfree dog food for me that doesn't make me feel bad.  It is tiny bites and I really like it. 

Note from Mom:

The "concoction" :
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 T. coconut oil
1 T. peanut butter 
1 tiny scoop of probiotics (scoop comes with the jar)

It really seems to be helping him a lot. He used to get rashes under his arms really bad and they have completely disappeared. 

First Major Boo Boos

My Buddy and I play a lot at daycare! We play hard! We play rough! 

Note from Mom: See what happens when you rough house? This happened at the daycare - playing too rough with a Golden Retriever. Not only did he get these puncture wounds, he also strained muscles in his front and back left legs. :(
BUT - he would probably think it was worth it after all the attention he has gotten - full body massages, lots of lovin' and getting to lay on our bed. No day care for awhile and no running at the park. We even missed a session of obedience training.

SandBox Fun - Danger? UPDATE

You see that horrible iron rod sticking up in the corner of that sandbox? When we went to play at the dog park, my dad fixed it for the time we were there, but my mom and dad both e-mailed the city Parks & Recreation about the danger and they are fixing it this week. Mom took this picture so she could send it to them. They sent someone right out to check it and they called my mom and let her know it would be fixed ASAP. 

Not only that - my mom is trying to get some other things done for the park so it will make it a happier place to visit. The man over the budget told my mom that they would see what they could do to get new park benches and maybe even a concrete water pond like the one at my favorite park! 

Note from Mom: We love taking Opie to the dog park, but our local park is just not up to standards in my opinion. Not after visiting other city dog parks and seeing what is available. Our city has money for many things and the upgrades for the dog park is just as important as some of the things the money is spent on. This squeaky wheel is going to squeak until she is happy with the progress of our city park!

Here is the NEW and IMPROVED Sandbox! Parks & Recreation were on it right after we talked to them. Despite all the rain this week - it still was taken care of!

My Mom is in Doggy School!

My mom loves working and training me so much that she would like to train lots of dogs and breeds. She is taking online classes now. I am so proud of her!

Note from Mom: it's true ! I am taking online classes for Dog Trainer/Instructor. I have one year to complete the courses through Penn Foster Career College. I am pretty excited about it! Opie is my inspiration. However, besides working with him, I hope to volunteer at one of the shelters and do some hands on training as I go and hopefully help make a dog or 2 more adoptable. That would be awesome!

Very Scary !

I went to group play today and I got way too hot! I scared mom and dad really bad. I am ok now! 

Note from Mom: We had a scare with Opie last night. I picked him up at group play and I knew he didn’t seem that excited but I thought that was a good thing because he is a little calmer each time I pick him up. On the way home I noticed he was panting really, really hard, like I have never seen him do. It was loud, too. When we got home and I got him in the house, I tried to get him to drink but he wouldn’t – he just collapsed on the floor in the kitchen completely spread out and his heart was beating so fast and he was just not right. His eyes didn’t look right and he had thick drool. His face and eyes were as red as they could be and since he has a pink body under the white, it was much brighter pink. I got a wet dish towel and put it over the bottom half of him and he didn’t flinch. Brad came in right then and he got another wet towel and I just kept wiping his face and covered the rest of his body. He started to cool down enough then that he would drink some water and we just kept giving him a little bit at a time. I know he was on the verge of heat stroke. I seriously don’t think he would have made it much longer if I hadn’t picked him up when I did. After about an hour he was back to normal, but he didn’t move from that spot for 30 minutes and then when he did he went right to his bed. When he was back to normal he ate and was like nothing happened.

I am thinking that every time he goes to the pet resort it has ended up raining part of the afternoon or at least thundering and lightening and they go indoors to play. Yesterday was 91 and pretty sunny the whole time. I am wondering if they never went in. When I picked him up they said he was good like he always is and went on about how they just love having him there.

I am going to call in a while and let them know what happened. Bulldogs just cannot be out in the heat for a solid 4 hours if that is what they did. I want him to go but I just want them to make sure he is drinking plenty and getting to go in occasionally.

That was just too scary. I am glad I already knew the signs of heatstroke and what to do!

What A Difference

My mom was quite surprised when she put these 2 pictures side by side. I weighed 54 pounds on the day I turned 7 months. 

Note from Mom:
He is losing his baby features! I don't want him to grow up yet! I know he is still a puppy but  not in the looks department. He is so personable and  people constantly tell me how beautiful he is and want to talk to him and pet him. He is learning he has to sit before any one can touch him and by taking him out to pet friendly stores, he is doing pretty good.

He can now: (On Command)
sit
shake 
high five
lay down
roll over
fetch or "get it"
bring it
stay 
wait
get in your bed
leave it

We are working on:
*come when called with distractions - this one is a tough one for him!
*heel when on leash - doing really well 
*waiting with distractions
*sitting/staying with distractions
*leave it with distractions

I am very proud of how far he has come in the 4 months that we have had him. I can't imagine him not being in our lives now. 

I Won! Dog Day at the Wave Pool

We went to the wave pool this weekend! I was in a contest and I won a ribbon for  "most obedient" and then I won  a big ribbon Grand Prize Overall Best in Show! My mom and dad were so proud of me. They kept telling me how smart I am and how good I was the whole time. 

I even got in the wave pool by myself! I just walked right in there with all the other dogs. There were all kinds of dogs there, too. We didn't see any that look like me, tho. There was one that mom said was a little like me. He had the same colors, but he was an English Bulldog. I liked him. 

There was a couple of mud puddles that were big enough for me to jump in and I rolled and got mud all over me. I just love to get muddy!

Note from Mom: It was so fun! We had a blast. It was good to see Opie enjoying himself, playing with all the other dogs, running and jumping in the water. There were several people in the pool that had balls or frisbees and a few times Opie would fetch it for them. He thought they were doing it for him. They didn't seem to mind.

We were surprised when Opie won his ribbons, especially Grand Prize. For Most Obedient - we went through several of his tricks and since he did them on command, they considered that obedient. The little rascal would not come when I called him while he was out in the water or running. He was just having too much fun. Oh, the mud puddles - - - yes, there certainly were and not only did he jump and roll - he sloshed mud ALL OVER 2 ladies who were sitting in chairs at their vendors booth! lol they were very nice about it. It had rained right before it started so every one was a little wet anyway, but Opie just made sure they were a little muddy, too. He is such a character.

Intermediate Classes Have Begun

I am back in school! I have had 2 lessons so far. The first lesson was one on one because no one else signed up but for the second lesson I had a friend. He is a Lab and they let us play since it was just the two of us. 

Here is what we are working on so far:

Coming when called with distractions
Heel
Leave it, with distractions


It was a lot of fun. The trainer bounced a ball all around the room while mom and dad took turns calling me back and forth. I got lots of treats for just running back and forth. Easy as pie. 
We walked all around the store at a slow pace and a fast pace and mom would say "heel" and I had to stop right then and sit down. I did that pretty good. It was hard because there were an awful lot of kids around and I wanted to play with them really bad. 

Note from Mom:
We enjoyed having a one on one class but are glad to have someone else in class, too. I was very happy with how well he did, but of course this was an enclosed area. When we go to the park and call him, he doesn't always listen very well. 

He will be 7 months this week and is 52 pounds.

I LOVE MUD!

Our neighbor across the street is gone on a 2 week trip to Alaska and my Lab friend, Luke, stayed behind and mom and dad are taking care of him. He stays in their backyard and we either go over there and play in the backyard with him or we bring him to our backyard to play. The first day we went to his backyard and I found a big mud puddle behind the storage building and boy, did I have a fun time! Mom and dad laughed so hard! They didn't know it was back there until I found it. Luke didn't seem to excited about it. I guess he has played in it already so it wasn't a big deal to him. 
They have a pool like we do and I like their's better. It has a wide step across it and I can get in it by myself and lay down. I still don't want to get all the way in like Luke does. He can swim back and forth across. I just watch him but I don't want to try it. We will have a lot of fun over the next 2 weeks playing every night. It wears Luke out fast because he is a lot older than me.

Note from Mom:
That boy LOVES mud! thank goodness for the wading pool. It is an easy bathtub! He gets right in and lays down and rolls over just like in the mud so he was clean just as fast as he got muddy. Little pig.
Having Luke to play with for a couple of hours each evening will be good for Opie. Luke is 6 years old. He will put up with a lot from Opie but he doesn't mind putting him in his place if Opie gets too rough.