Ralphie the ‘Reformed Demon Dog’ Is a Skateboarding Influencer

Ralphie, the viral rescue pup first introduced to the world as “a terror in a somewhat small package,” has not only found a forever home — he’s also found an impressive new hobby!

After garnering national attention for the colorful description given to him by the Niagara County SPCA — the organization called him a “fire-breathing demon” in a Facebook post — the former shelter dog found a home with Jason Lin, an experienced dog trainer living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Now, the duo, along with Lin’s other pups, spend their time skateboarding and posting about the French bulldog’s adorable escapades on Facebook.

Lin began training the pup to ride skateboards shortly after adopting Ralphie in March 2023 and soon started noticing immense emotional growth from the dog.

“He’s much more trusting of people now,” Lin told the Knoxville News Sentinel. “He’ll give people the benefit of the doubt. Deep down, he’s always been a social dog. He wants to interact with people, he wants to interact with dogs, he wants to be friends with everybody, he just kinda didn’t know how to.”

Lin — who had over 15 years of dog training experience before applying to adopt Ralphie — brought him home after the canine’s third failed adoption attempt.

Shortly after the Niagara SPCA’s post and Ralphie went viral in early 2023, he was adopted, only to be returned to the shelter after two weeks.

After a six-week training program — which helped the dog develop his attention span, socialization, and more — and a more extensive vetting process for adoption applicants, the organization paired Lin with Ralphie.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Lin has worked extensively with the “demon dog,” starting with socialization, using his philosophy that every dog is different and that training should reflect that. 

“You always want to go at his pace,” the owner said. “You can’t really rush that trust process.”

Next came folding the Frenchie into his existing pack of pups, which went swimmingly. “Basically, none of the dogs were that impressed with him,” Lin told the outlet. “He fits in really well … they kind of treat him like a little brother.”

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Lin told the Knoxville News Sentinel that the Frenchie’s confidence means he isn’t afraid of falling off the board or showing off his skateboarding skills in epic videos on social media. This confidence also makes him the perfect candidate for his new role as a brand ambassador for Chem-Dry, a carpet-cleaning company.

Or perhaps role isn’t the right word. In the brand’s new “Real Talk with Ralphie” videos, the canine isn’t exactly acting. “He’s not really a doggy actor,” Lin said of the pup. “He’s just Ralphie.”

No matter what he’s getting in front of the camera for, the impressive pup has a loyal following eager to see what the “reformed demon dog” is up to next.

“He’s a very resilient dog. He’s been through a lot … it hasn’t really damaged his view on life,” Lin told the Knoxville News Sentinel of the pup. “He’s just a super positive dog.”

“Every day, he’s just up for whatever adventure,” he added.