Date Available for Adoption: 05-18-2023
I am a 2 year old, Neutered Male, Cane Corso Mix.
**ADOPTION FEE PAID! Thank you so much to The Law Firm of Shaw & Crowson, P.A.!**
*Dog-savvy owner needed for a very special and smart boy!*
Big Boy Bentley.. don’t let his looks fool you – his heart is just as big as his body! This sweet boy is so loving and just wants to give you all of the hugs and kisses. He doesn’t even know how big he is, because he’d be a lap dog all day if you let him!
Bentley is extremely smart, and highly treat motivated, so training should be a breeze for him. (Brains AND beauty?! Wow, this handsome boy really has it all!)
He does not react to cats, dogs or cars driving by. He can be very calm but responds best to people that will be firm with him and show him how he should act, so he would do best with a dog savvy owner. He sadly hasn’t been given much human guidance being stuck in a kennel used only for breeding, and because of that, he still has a lot to learn to be a perfect gentleman. Bentley says he really just wants a family to take him on a nice walk (with direction and guidance throughout, ensuring you’re setting him up for success) and then curl up for cuddles after he’s gotten all of his energy out, telling him how much of a good boy he is!
Bentley can be a bit of a resource guarder with his food (he’s still learning to dog, after all) so he needs a special adopter that understands how to work with this behavior. Until he gets better at this, he should not go in a home with small children who haven’t learned about personal space yet. Otherwise, he is a goofy people pleaser! Bentley is 70 pounds of love and he can’t wait to give all of that love to his forever family. Come meet him and let him steal your heart!
One of our dedicated volunteers, Terza, has written up “Tips for Success for Bentley” – if you’re interested in adopting this big lovable boy, please read through this to ensure you know what comes with adopting Bentley and what it will take to allow him to succeed.
After observation and training with Bentley, we feel his prior outdoor lifestyle provided a very limited amount of interaction with people. He responds well to the “Sit” command. Instructing him to sit will start the activity off well. He has lived a bachelor’s life for a while and can be set in his ways. Being kept in a kennel 24/7 prior to his time at HSWC he did not have the opportunity to make decisions about appropriate behavior, much like a puppy. He is not used to being around humans for long periods of time so he will need his person to realize when he is getting overwhelmed (tired or overstimulated) and end the activity, socializing or training before that point and let him go to his crate for some quiet time. He loves attention, but can be fearful of people approaching him because this is so new to him. Slow introductions and correction will be necessary for him to feel secure. He is very affectionate but is unaware of his size. He needs his Human’s help to remind him what to do.
Training tips:1.Patience. Don’t allow him to pull. U turns and change direction at the beginning of the walk will send the message -we will not progress until you walk correctly.2. Mouth. He tends to want to use his mouth when getting started on walks. He needs his person to firmly tell him no and make him sit. He really wants the attention, so remaining calm and uninvolved will discourage his mouthy behavior. Tugging on the leash as he grabs it will indicate play time to him.🦴We don’t recommend tossing treats to Bentley. This will only make him jump and lunge to get the treats possibly snapping some fingers. Holding treat flat or moving toward his mouth will ease his action.3. Petting in his head in a playful or rigorous manner will overstimulate him and he will begin to throw his body around in play.Slow even strokes on his sides are more effective to keep him calm and enjoying the interaction.4. Basic obedience commands Bentley is working on:Sit, place, down, give paw, wait, watch me, leave it, sit before going through all doors And “wait” to open and go through. These are the commands we are working on to make him a well mannered companion and help him to use his big brain.5.Tools:The leash and the crate will be valuable tools necessary to shape the desired behavior.6. Meeting New People: Meeting strangers that come to visit will be successful if they meet outside, with Bentley on leash in Sit position. Even better, have new people join him on a short walk and then go into the house.*We would like any potential adopters to meet with Bentley and Volunteer Terza so the training can continue and Bentley can learn to be his best self. He will be a wonderful companion once he has learned a few skills and polished up his manners.
