MARLON: Hulk is probably about 181 pounds.
MARLON: Mami is 5 pounds.
MARLON: So, got about 176 pounds difference.
MARLON: We breed and train protection dogs.
We’ve been doing this for 15 years. Our most famous dog is The Hulk. He is 180 pounds.
He is the poster boy for everything, worldwide.
LISA: Not all of our dogs are pit bulls though.
One of our dogs is a little bit different than the others.
MARLON: Mami comes from Springfield, Massachusetts.
I’d seen a video of this other dog doing protection work, a little chihuahua. So I
was intrigued, I wanted to have a go at it. So, I went on Craigslist and I actually had
Lisa look for chihuahuas and I got her, I think I had her the next day. Like, maybe
like 20 minutes from my house, went and picked her up, little thing, put her in my jacket,
I got her in the winter, and I got her home started to do basic, just basic stuff with
her. And about a month later I found out she had a very, you know, significant birthday.
She was actually born on the anniversary of my father’s death, you know, so she became
a pretty special piece in the house.
LISA: She’s got a really good drive. Yeah,
she thinks she is a big dog. She is tough. She holds her own in the house. Mami’s got
a pit bull attitude.
MARLON: And it’s going to take a lot of
attitude, if you’re gonna hold your own with one of the biggest pit bulls in the world.
LISA: Hulk, come here.
MARLON: It could be unusual for some people,
but it’s not unusual for me to have a chihuahua amongst my dogs. I mean, they are dogs to
me, so I don’t look at dogs as, you know, races or anything like that. Chihuahua,
she is just, she is just part of our family.
LISA: I don’t think Mami’s really in danger
playing with Hulk. He is very aware of her size, he is very gentle with her.
MARLON: Oh, you stepped on her toe!
LISA: They play really well together.
MARLON: Hulk and Mami have a great relationship.
You know, I mean they spend a lot of time together. She comes on group walks with us.
LISA: I’ve seen them curled up sleeping together. They’re really cute. I’ve come
in the kitchen before and seen Hulk lying on the ground with a tug toy and Mami at the
other end of the tug toy and them just playing together, him rolling around on his side and
her pulling as hard as she could. MARLON: It’s pretty remarkable to watch,
you know, such a small dog and such a big dog.
MARLON: She grew up with Hulk, they are about
the same age actually. They are very close, about a month and a half apart.
LISA: We’re here at one of our waterfalls
that we do walks to, and we’ve never seen Mami swim before so we figure because her
and Hulk are best friends that if he can, we’ll see if he can help her swim.
MARLON: I think having another dog around will
be helpful for her to see if she wants to give us a paddle. You know, show you the bond
between two dogs, you know, show you that, you know, pairs of dogs can accomplish more
together than alone, I guess. So little dog would follow big dog.
LISA: Mami did really good for her first time
swimming. Hulk was right there beside her the whole time and helped her right to shore.
MARLON: Felt like he was a little bit more
pushy than I would have wanted him to be so…Didn’t go as I thought it would go but, you know,
it happens, man, I’m not always right.
MARLON: So, these two don’t just play together,
they have their meals together too. Although their appetites are little bit different you could say.
LISA: Hulk’s food size could probably feed
her for the year.
LISA: That’s funny. I’ll walk in my room
sometimes and they are both eating out of the bowl the same time.
MARLON: Something else that they do together,
but I’m not sure that you could say that either one particularly likes it.
MARLON: So here our friend Wilma comes over
and she grooms them and something else that she does is she cleans their teeth. Wilma
has no fear at all, sticking her hands right in giant Hulk’s mouth.
WILMA: No, stop licking.
WILMA: And these are dangerous weapons here.
My weapons, not yours. We have five dogs of our own. One’s a Rottweiler and we have
three little Yorkshire terriers and a three-pound Yorkshire terrier who rules the roost.
WILMA: That’s my finger in there, son.
WILMA: And I’ve met this guy before. His are really good, but he can sit here while we do this
one. Come here there, Matilda. INTERVIEWER: You’re not afraid he’ll take
your hand off then? WILMA: No, got them. This one might, this
is the… these little ones. I know, life. Are a little more sensitive.
LISA: Cleaning Hulk’s teeth was one thing,
but Mami was a little bit of struggle, but she got through it and she is really a good
girl. WILMA: Don’t lie. Stop lying. And I’m
actually a licensed dental hygienist for people. I know, I know.
MARLON: Your foot is the size of her head.
These two dogs are great together. They spend as much time together as they can.
MARLON: But sometimes we have to keep them
apart for both their sakes.
LISA: When Mami goes into heat, we do need
to keep them separated, just for his sanity, ‘cause he’ll go crazy.
LISA: She will too with him trying to get
to her own, and being nosy, and we do keep them separated, just to be fair to them both.
MARLON: Well, they are so comfortable in each
other’s company because of the way that they are raised, they’re raised with rules,
boundaries, limits, balance. When you insert balance into a dog’s life, you know, anything
is possible. It’s all a matter of how they live together, and the order in which we live,
you know, we’re always leading the way and as long as you lead, dogs follow you. You
lead with a calm, firm energy, dogs follow you. Dogs, they don’t follow anger, dogs don’t
follow weakness, you know, they follow calm, balance. That’s how we’re able to have
the relationship with them and the relationship with all the dogs.