Zoey came to us from a young man who had to go to training in the Coast Guard. He wasn't able to come back for her, so now we are trying to find her a new home.

 

2/26/10 - FOSTER UPDATE - I have to admit, when I signed on to foster an 8 month old large breed puppy, I had my concerns. I have 3 dogs and 2 cats of my own, so a high energy, untrained puppy would be a challenge to say the least. But Zoey has really been a pleasant surprise. She is sweet and adorable and is a pleasure to live with. A typical day in the life of Zoey: She sleeps on a dog bed next to our bed and is good about sleeping through the night, though she likes to get up 15 minutes or so before my alarm (I swear she does it on purpose! LOL). In the morning, she gets her breakfast and she's quickly learned that she doesn't eat until she sits and stays until the food bowl is on the floor and I tell her to go ahead. When she goes outside, you have to watch her because she wants to be where you are so sometimes she runs right back to the door without doing her business. She hangs out with me while I get ready for my day (even lays on the bathmat while I shower). Then she gets in her crate. While she won't run to her crate automatically, if you gently tug her collar in the general direction while telling her she's a good girl, she goes right in. She might cry for a minute or two, but that's about it. When I get home from work, as you'd expect from a puppy, she's pretty wired. The first day, my dogs all looked at me like she's nuts and we don't know what to do with her. So I took her outside after her dinner and played with her for about 10-15 minutes (til it started pouring). To my surprise, when she went back in the house, she went to her favorite dog bed and relaxed. From then on, she has those 10-15 minutes of really high energy and then she's pretty much calm for the rest of the night. Don't get me wrong, she LOVES to play and will play whenever you want to, but she's not bouncing off the walls if she doesn't get hours of play time every day. She's actually quite the snuggler on the couch. When it comes time for bedtime, I call her into our room and she goes to her dog bed (yes I have dog beds all over my house). She hasn't chewed anything and she hasn't had any accidents in the house so far. As you can see from the picture, she's good with my cats. She wants to play, but they just stare at her and she backs down.

 

 

One thing I do want to make clear is that she is a bully breed (defined as a mix of bulldog and terrier, also known as American Pit Bull Terrier). She will need an owner that understands or is willing to learn about this breed. They are wonderful, loving dogs that are very loyal and want nothing more than to make you happy. You can see it in Zoey already. Once she figures out what I want her to do, she rushes to do it. One of my own dogs is the same breed and I wouldn't trade him for the world. BUT..they need to be socialized as much as possible. Fortunately, Zoey is already great with other dogs and with cats, so anyone that adopts her will just need to maintain it. Bully breeds typically cannot be sequestered in a house/apartment away from dogs/cats/kids for a long time and then suddenly introduced to them. This may be the case with most dog breeds, but even more so with Zoey's type. She is very submissive to other dogs and to people right now and she's likely to stay that way if she's given regular contact with them. She would be great to take regularly to dog parks, dog-related events, etc. where she can interact with new dogs. It's not generally enough that she just get along with other dogs living in the house. This is what the United Kennel Club has to say about the breed:

 

 

"The essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life. This breed is eager to please and brimming over with enthusiasm. APBTs make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children. Because most APBTs exhibit some level of dog aggression and because of its powerful physique, the APBT requires an owner who will carefully socialize and obedience train the dog. The breed’s natural agility makes it one of the most capable canine climbers so good fencing is a must for this breed. The APBT is not the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremely friendly, even with strangers. Aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable. This breed does very well in performance events because of its high level of intelligence and its willingness to work."

 

3/11 - FOSTER UPDATE - I'm pretty sure that this little girl has gotten even cuter since she first moved in.  Have you ever seen a dog pout?  The other night, she jumped up on the couch while we were eating and my husband corrected her.  She's learning that she's allowed on the couch when we say it's ok, but occasionally she still tries, just in case we might not notice.  :)  Anyway, after he corrected her, she went into her crate and pouted.  Up until then, she had NEVER gone in her crate other than when we put her in it.  How funny she is!  My husband, who raised our other pit bull for years before we met, said this is typical of the breed.  They are sensitive dogs and hate it when they think you're mad at them. For reference, when training her with commands, she responds well to positive reinforcement.  You never want to yell at her or physically force her to do anything.  She will just shut down and crouch on the floor.  But if you teach her something while praising her and/or giving her treats, she picks up on it fast.  When we first brought her home, we had to gently guide her by the collar while praising her to get her into her crate in the morning.  Now, I just say 'go to your crate' and she runs right in.  No whining, no fussing.  And she is such a lap dog.  Honestly, if you want a dog that will be aloof, this is not the one for you.  She likes to lay squarely on my lap and will stay there for as long as I do.  And of course, there's the occasional snoring.  :)  She still has not chewed anything, even at night when she has unsupervised run of the house.  As for her time on-leash, she is getting better at it.  When walked by someone willing to take control and correct her, she calms down and walks pretty well.  If you let her pull you, she'll do just that.  Once she realizes you're in control, she goes with the flow.  She's still young too, which means this'll only get better with time and practice.