The Academy

Adoptable Dog of the Week

Newt

#A060610 all american mix male neutered 3 years green life of the party Newt’s Field Trip for Hydrotherapy My counselor took me for my first swim ever today! I was excited and talked a lot, but I never barked at all.  Look at my video to see how I did.  My counselor says all dogs are scared the first time, but the more I swim the better I will be.  It has really helped my elbow a lot.  I love riding in the car and even that is good too for my elbow.  The best part is I will be up for adoption in about a week!! Things to know about me: Food motivated Smart boys, knows sit, down and shake Goofy boy that is full of energy Newt is at the Animal Refuge League so stop by and meet this handsome boy.

Academy Owners In Sun Journal For Work With Dog Rescue

When they began interviewing me, we all thought it was a standard story about The Academy and what it does for people. But..... The journalist was so intrigued by Milo (one of our mascots) and our side activity of dog rescue, that the story kind of changed focus. Check it out- Jay

Fighting for a cause; Poland man rescues pit bulls

By Amber Waterman, Staff Photographer

Jay Jack, center, warms up kickboxing students at The Academy, a gym he co-owns with his wife, Amanda Buckner, in Portland recently. Jack spent many years involved with mixed martial arts professionally, before moving to Poland and getting involved in rescuing pit bulls.

Jay Jack's journey has taken him many places.

Starting in Louisiana, he grew up surrounded by fighting. There was fish fighting, human fighting and, worst of all, dogfighting.

"If they could put money on it, they would fight it," Jack, 38, of Poland said.

He turned into a fighter himself.

Since age 5, he has been involved in every form of mixed martial arts, but in his 20s he found his niche. Living in Colorado, he discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

The judo studio he attended was closed on Saturdays, so he decided to try a new style. He was amazed to be defeated quickly by a man who weighed 100 pounds less than him and used only one arm.

"I was like 230 pounds and had already won many judo titles, so I thought nothing of this 135 pound surfer dude. He said his arm was bothering him, so he wasn't going to use it. He literately submitted me 3 to 4 times in a row in a 5-minute round. And he wasn't even trying!  He was talking to somebody else when he was doing it.  It was amazing. I just fell in love. It was what I was looking for all of my life. Jiu-Jitsu humbled me tremendously," he said.

READ MORE

Adoptable Dog(s) of the Week: Popeye and Sage

These guys are probably going to have a tough road to adoption.  They need to go as a pair and they are black.  For those not familiar with BDS, or Black Dog Syndrome, check out this site.

Even if you may not be able to give these guys a home please dig deep into your list of friends for somebody that can. 

Popeye

Sage

profile
Sage and Popeye were surrendered by their owner because of a move. They are a bonded pair, and are looking for a new home where they can stay together.

UPDATE: Sage and Popeye have been attending our weekly clicker training class. They are both focused on their handlers and doing very well. They will make wonderful additions to most any family. They have been at the shelter for some time now and we are truly hoping their special angel comes forward. Their adoption fee is two for one! How could you pass that up...two wonderful dogs for the price of one.

SAGE is a very shy girl, 5 years old, who is said to be part Weimaraner, although at just 49 pounds she is on the small side for such a mix. She’s highly anxious when left alone, even with Popeye to keep her company. Much of her anxiety can be traced back to being kicked by a stranger when she was a baby. Several years ago she was put on Clomicalm, a mild tranquillizer, and she should continue with this medication in her new home. Without it, her panic when left alone leads to destructive chewing. She’s a loving and affectionate girl. She has lived with cats, and has been good with visiting children. Until she settles into her new home it would be ideal if someone could be home with her most of the time.

POPEYE was known as Pup Pup in his former home, and will answer to either name. He is a 1-1/2 year old American pit bull terrier mix, and weighs 59 pounds. He has lived with Sage his whole life. Although he is slightly more confident than Sage, Popeye is still a fearful dog, especially when meeting new people. He has a real aversion to having his feet touched, so if his new home has children we recommend that they be over 10 and that introductions take place in our play yard.

Sage and Popeye are dogs for experienced owners only. They need socialization and positive training, exercise, and in Sage’s case medication. If you are up for the challenge of convincing two promising dogs that the world is a happy place, come in to meet them any time.

For more information contact the Animal Refuge League at 854-9771 or visit their site here.

 

Adoptable Dog!

Athena is a one-year-old pit bull mix who was found as a stray. She weighs 53 pounds. When she first came to us she had a litter of puppies, none of which survived. Athena has been lovingly cared for in a foster home since then (see her foster home photos above), and is now healthy and happy and ready for a forever home. She’s an enthusiastic, high-energy girl who adores toys, can catch treats in midair, and is highly responsive to positive training. Be sure to watch our on-line video of Athena dancing on an icy puddle …READ MORE

Always wanted a Pit but worried if you can handle it.....

Contact SoME Pit (Southern Maine Pit Bulls) for free Pit Bull education/classes/training. Great group!

Beautiful Pup Needs Home

One of our students has come to us trying to find a home for Ellie.  Her original owner went through a bad breakup and can no longer be around to care for her.  The place she's staying right now can't watch her for much longer so we need to find her a home or at the very least someone that can foster her while we look for her forever home.  She's a 1.5 years old, is a blue pit and is between 35-45lbs.  Jay met her last night and says she is extremely friendly with people and from what we know she is friendly with animals but we'd have to see her in some more situations to confirm that.  She is extremely high energy right now but that is obviously due to a complete lack of exercise.  For those of you that know Milo and Mable picture them if they were not run every day, not a pretty picture.  In addition to that she is not spayed which does not help.  Anyone intersted in adopting her would have to commit to spaying her and The Academy will pay to have this done.  She needs to go to someone with knowledge of the breed (or the willingness to hook up with a group like SOMEpit to learn) and ideally to a home with room to run.  At the very least she needs to go to someone that is committed to exercising this girl every day.  Contact us at theacademymaine@gmail.com if you think you could be the home for her.  This kind of goes without saying but if you are looking to own a pitbull because you feel like it makes you seem tough or are remotely interested in dog fighting please do not contact us.....for anything.....ever.

Adoptable Dog Update!

The Academy Come meet Lucy. You've probably read all about the puppy we're fostering. She will be at The Academy from 5-7 tonight (Wednesday 1/26). If you have a serious interest in talking about adopting her feel free to come by and meet her. Requirements for adopting her are 1. A stay at home/work from home person or a job... in which you can bring her (in other words no creating for 8-10 hours a day), 2.commitment to daily exercise, 3.contact information for current vet (if you have another pet), 4.willingness to undergo the stress and strain that come with come with not only a puppy but one that was taken from her mom to soon on top of going through the trauma she experienced (though she doesn't seem to notice it much). She needs love, consistent training, patience, and lots of attention. Between The Academy family and the extended Academy family I know we can find the perfect home for her.

Adoptable dog of the week

This beautiful guy can be found at The Animal Refuge League.  If you're interested in pit bulls but feel like you'd like more information or that you're not quite as educated about the breed as you'd like to be visit the SOME Pit website (Southern Maine Pit Bull).  This is a great local organization that both Jay and Mandy are involved in.  They do a lot of education as well as holding free training classes for Pits. 

#A055503
pit bull mix
male neutered
5 years

Profile:
UPDATE:
We recently received more information about Boss' past. He was once a beloved pet and accompanied his former owner to his job site on a regular basis. After some upheavel in his family, he sadly was pushed to the side and lost the attention of his special companion. Boss is a great dog and looking forward to the day when he can once again be a beloved pet.

Big brindle Boss, weighing in at 60 pounds, seems much younger than his 5 years. Boss likes people a lot, and will be fun to train since he responds very well to food lures and games of tug, both highly effective rewards in positive training. At this point, Boss has no manners to speak of and doesn’t know any of the common obedience commands. However, Boss does seem to be housebroken. He’s a bit of a Nervous Nelson, as if he’s stressed by a lifetime of trying to guess what people want and often guessing wrong. His ideal new home will be with active people who will take him out for aerobic activity at least once a day, and take him through at least the basic series of our manners classes. It’s doubtful Boss has ever lived in a house or been a beloved family member, and that is a real shame. This bright, affectionate guy has waited long enough for a great home. He has the potential to be the dog of a lifetime for the lucky person willing to put in the effort to make Boss the best he can be.

There are a bunch of beautful pits at the shelter right now that need homes so if you think you can be that home please head to the shelter or their web site and take one of these amazine dogs home.

Kali - Adoptable dog of the week

This pretty girl came to us via long time student Bob Bettencourt who received the information from his vet.  If you think you can give this girl a home contact Beth at dogaddiction@hotmail.com

Kali is a 6mo. old female pitbull who is looking for a loving forever home with someone active and pitbull savvy. She was taken out of a situation where she was getting no attention or training, spending most of her day being scolded and tied to a tree, not being allowed inside until after dark.
 
She is now being fostered with 5 other dogs who range in breed, size and ages whom she gets along with no problem. There are also two cats in the house, one which doesn't like her much (it sometimes takes Kali more than one swat on the nose to leave him alone)the other one will sometimes play with her- but she can be a bit too much for him due to size. She still occasionally sniffs to see what's on the counter tops or in the trash, but she is a sweet girl who loves to cuddle and really does want to please, she just doesn't always know how. Even though she is 6 mo. old some of her behavior is more 'puppyish' than it should be due to lack of training the first 5mo. of her life. She already knows sit, down, wait, and come and of course "Kali, eh eh! NO!" (ha ha). House training is going well when she has access to a 'doggy door' or if she is brought out regularly, but she does tend to go to the bathroom in her crate if she is left alone.
 
She is generally quite calm and behaved on walks with the right collar and has greeted many other dogs and people on leash. She has never been 'aggressive' though did exibit some dominant behavoirs with a huge wacky lab who was trying to initiate a wrestling match with her. She adores people and wants to be pet by everyone. When there are other dogs around she has trouble focusing on commands, but that is because she is so excited- she needs more one-on-one training than her foster mom can give her with 5 other dogs in the house. Kali has not been kid tested, but the home she came from had an infant, and while unattended in her previous owners' yard she ran up to anyone who walked by for attention, including kids.
 
Kali has been seen by Dr. Kate and has had her Rabies, distemper and bordetella vaccinations. She also has been on Revolution flea and heartworm preventative and has also had Iverhart. Her foster mom is currently looking into a low cost spay/neuter clinic to get Kali spayed. There will be an adoption fee for Kali based solely on the cost for spay. More info can be provided once the appt has been made.
 
Ideally Kali should go to a home with someone with the time to train her and keep her active and well-socialized. If the home has NO or only ONE other dog, this may help her better bond and listen to her humans. (Currently she pays more attention to her 4-legged housemates than the foster mom trying to teach her things!) Dog-tolerant cats are OK, but keep in mind if Kali does not have any dog playmates it may cause her to play with (or "harass") the cats more. She is not a crazy 'high energy' dog so she doesn't demand a 10-mile marathon run every day. She does not at all object to spending a rainy day indoors spawled across your lap on the couch! But too many days on the couch will cause her (like any dog) to get stir crazy and to act out in naughty ways. Mostly she needs some simple basic kind but stern training and to be kept active enough to tucker her out and keep her mind stimulated.

Again, if you can give this girl a home contact Beth at dogaddiction@hotmail.com
 

Adoptable Dog Update!

I recently posted about Batman, a beutiful Pit up for adoption at the ARL. This was recently posted. Thought if anybody was on the fence about wether or not to go for it, this might just tip the scales! -Jay

Adoptable Dog!

This Beauty is at the ARL in Portland. -Jay

profile Batman is a pit bull who was found as a stray. His age is estimated to be about five years old. This handsome gray and white guy is big, strong, and impressive. He’s a busy boy, but will listen to people if they can make a good case for his doing so. Batman is a high-energy dog who will not merely appreciate, but NEED, daily hard exercise. On leash he’s a puller, but at the same time he knows a lot of obedience commands, including shaking hands with both paws, and we’ve found him to be focused and responsive to food lures. His assessor noted “Very smart!” on his evaluation form. New owners are encouraged to take advantage of the free training classes offered by Southern Maine Pit Bulls (SOME Pit), where they’ll gain the skills necessary to get off to the very best start with their new best friend. Batman won’t be available until after his upcoming vet appointment for neutering, but will be receiving visitors in our play yard until then. Come in for an introduction any time.