Ralphie, a French bulldog, hasn’t always been the most well-behaved pup. Last year, when he was living at Niagara SPCA, the shelter workers described him in a Facebook post as “a terror” and a “fire-breathing demon.”

Because of his demanding personality, Ralphie was returned to the shelter twice. After the shelter’s Facebook post about him went viral, another family adopted him. The shelter workers crossed their fingers that this would really be Ralphie’s forever home.

Niagara SPCA

Unfortunately, though, Ralphie’s new family returned him after just two weeks. Everyone at Niagara SPCA was heartbroken. They knew that under Ralphie’s rough exterior, he had a lovable personality. He just needed the right person to coax it out of him.

One day, that perfect person finally walked through the doors of Niagara SPCA. Jason Lin, a dog trainer with over 15 years of experience, knew he and Ralphie would be a match.

As an expert trainer, Lin was finally able to give Ralphie the structure he’d desperately needed all along. Lin knew getting Ralphie to learn and grow would be a process, but he was in it for the long haul.

Bulldog looking up at cameraNiagara SPCA

“Trust takes time,” Lin wrote on Facebook.

Once Ralphie had mastered the basics, like sitting and walking on a leash, Lin decided it was time for him to take on some bigger challenges. Lin has five other dogs of his own, and he likes getting the whole pack involved in enriching activities. One such activity includes doggie skateboarding.

Lin started out by just having Ralphie place one paw on the board.

Once Ralphie got comfortable doing that, Lin had him stand on the board and guided him along with his leash.

Soon enough, Ralphie got the hang of doing it all by himself. You can tell by the look on his face that he loves the feeling of the wind in his fur.

Who would’ve thought that a dog once described as a “demon” would listen to his dad enough to learn a new skill and actually enjoy doing it?

Thanks to Lin’s patience and dedication, Ralphie no longer breathes fire, but he certainly leaves slowpokes behind in a cloud of smoke.