'Demon' Dog Ralphie Excels at Agility Training After Adoption: 'He's Going to Do Amazing Things'

"He's like Seabiscuit, but he's the shape of a pig," Ralphie's pet parent tells PEOPLE about the competitive and athletic French bulldog

Ralphie is more imp than demon these days.

The French Bulldog rocketed to fame in January when Niagara SPCA shared a Facebook post seeking a home for the 26-Lb. "demon," who they described as "fire-breathing" and "a whole jerk- not even half."

After the post and Ralphie went viral, the black-and-white canine found a home in February but was brought back to the shelter two weeks later when the Frenchie "proved to be more than she [the owner] could handle," Niagara SPCA shared on social media.

Before seeking a new home for Ralphie, Niagara SPCA placed the pooch in a six-week training program with Chris Fiels at YourEveryDayK9.

"I first noticed a lot of confidence and curiosity. He walked in, looked right past me, and just wanted to check everything out. Which, in my eyes, is a very good sign," the trainer told PEOPLE in March.

During his time with Ralphie, Fiels helped the dog develop his attention span, socialization, boundaries, and engagement skills. By the time training was through, Fiels felt confident that the dog was ready for his new home.

Related:Ralphie the 'Demon' Dog Finds 'Perfect Adopter' and Is a 'Reformed Terror' After Training

"Ralphie's new family will help him by just simply providing the proper structure and making sure he meets his physical and mental needs," the trainer said. "He is a strong-willed dog, like most bulldogs, but under the proper guidance, he will thrive and live a very fulfilling life."

Fiels predicted the future because Ralphie is fulfilled and thriving today.

After the French bulldog completed training, he was adopted by Jason, who Niagara SPCA called Ralphie's "perfect adopter" on Facebook.

"He'll live with another Frenchie, a Daschund, and a German shepherd. Jason is uniquely qualified because both his Frenchie and Daschund had bite histories before living with him," the shelter added on social media.

It was Jason's French bulldog Cookie that inspired him to adopt Ralphie.

"I first heard about him like everybody else when he went viral in January," Jason tells PEOPLE.

He says he was "struck by the similarity" between Cookie and Ralphie, both French bulldogs with bite records from northern New York.

Related:Extremely Emaciated Great Dane Puppy Makes Remarkable Recovery at Arizona Shelter

Knoxville-based Jason contacted Niagara SPCA when Ralphie was first available for adoption but was told the shelter was looking for a local adopter. Once Ralphie was returned to the rescue after getting adopted, Jason decided to try again.

"I sat down and wrote out a resume of everything I've done work-wise with dogs and also my own dogs," says Jason, an experienced dog trainer who has worked with detection and tracking canines and coached dog athletes for obedience competitions.

Out of the over 700 emails Niagara SPCA received about adopting Ralphie after he was returned, Jason's stood out to the shelter and Fiels.

"I got a call three or four weeks after I sent the email from his trainer in Buffalo, and the trainer says, 'I think you are our guy if you're still interested.' And I said, 'Yes, I'm definitely still interested,'" Jason recalls.

So Jason adopted Ralphie, who took a car trip from New York to Tennessee to move into his new home. Waiting for the French bulldog when he arrived was Jason and his pack of pooches: 13-year-old retired tracking Dog Lery, rescue Jack Russell terrier Tizzy, Cookie the French Bulldog, and Arthur the dachshund, who also came with a bite record. The dog trainer also has two Bengal cats, who are unbothered and"not impressed" by the canines in their home.

Ralphie immediately got along with Jason's other dogs, showing off his "innate social skills" and evolving understanding of boundaries.

RELATED VIDEO: New York Animal Shelter Seeking Forever Home for 'Fire-Breathing Demon' Dog Called 'Ralphie'

"For a dog that probably didn't have a lot of experience dealing with other dogs, he has very good social skills. He knows when to push, but he also knows when to back away," Jason says of Ralphie.

Jason focused his attention on Ralphie's interactions with humans.

"Those first four days, he definitely had his moments," Jason says. "I had to be pretty careful with him — just trying to figure out what are his triggers because he was definitely a bite risk.

After observing Ralphie in those early days, Jason concluded that the Frenchie had lost his "bite inhibition."

"My suspicion was, because he has gotten away with biting people for so long, it didn't feel weird to him anymore," the pet parent says.

"He was just a very bratty kid. He would only try to bite me when I tried to do things that he didn't want to be done to him," Jason adds, citing an occasion where Ralphie snapped at him "because I tried to wipe something off his face the first day."

After learning more about Ralphie's triggers, Jason used the dog's training and his own expertise to let Ralphie know "that kind of lashing out is not okay."

Now, a month after his adoption, Ralphie is on his best behavior and no longer lashing out.

"He trusts me now. There's a lot of trust. I gave him a bath the other day. I clean his eyes every day now. So I can move him, I can squeeze him, I can roughhouse with him. He's completely normal with me now. A lot of it is just giving him time and understanding that his biting behavior was a remnant from his past," Jason says.

Over the past few weeks in his new home, Ralphie has shown that he is a confident and athletic canine.

"He's like Seabiscuit, but he's the shape of a pig," his owner says.

Jason is encouraging Ralphie to explore his competitive side by introducing him to new tricks — like skateboarding — and agility training.

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"I think he's going to win some competitions in a couple of years. He is one of the most talented dogs I've seen," Jason says.

Ralphie's dog dad plans to enroll the French bulldog in private agility lessons to develop his skills and give the pet a place to enjoy his competitive side.

"He's just a very competitive dog. When you're running with him, he wants to be ahead of you. He wants to win. I jokingly tell my friends," Ralphie's owner says.

"I think we're going to hear a lot more from Ralphie. He's going to do some amazing things," Jason adds.

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