- male
- 3 1/2
- Pitbull mix
- Dog
- 60 LBS
- Animal ID: 6790
About Dexter
Meet Dexter, a 3 yr old pitt mix, with a huge heart and loves to play! He’s motivated, smart, and full of energy—he thrives on both mental and physical exercise and will happily work for toys, treats, or his favorite ball. Dexter loves being outdoors, playing fetch, training, and showing off his tricks. After exercise, he’s all about car rides, chew toys, and cuddling for long naps. Once Dexter bonds with you, his loyalty and affection runs deep. He is highly food-motivated and eager to learn, making training a fun and rewarding experience. He has done phenomenally well with small children in my family, but because he needs time to bond and proper introductions, I recommend a home without young children unless they can meet him calmly and consistently.
Dexter will do best with an experienced dog owner who is active and committed to continued training and socialization. He is an avid fence jumper, working on his reactivity toward leashed dogs, and is wary of meeting strangers at first, but with patience and structure, he builds the strongest and trusting relationships.
🚫 Cat-free home preferred
✔️ Neutered & up to date on all vaccines
✔️ Crate, house, and muzzle trained
A meet-and-greet is required, and a trial night may be encouraged, as Dexter needs time to feel comfortable with new people. Once he trusts you, he is incredibly loving and devoted!
Animal Type: Dog
Background Information
Where did you get this animal: Family rescueWhy rehoming: Poses severe danger to my cat, jumps my fence, and I need to move into an apartment where there's multiple cats and strangers. :(
How long have you had this animal: 3 years
Current Rabies: Yes
Current vaccines: Yes
Spayed or Neutered: Yes
Heartworm tested: No
Good with dogs: Not Sure
Good with cats: No
Good with children: Not Sure
Good with strangers: No
House trained: Yes
Crate trained: Yes
Behavioral Concerns: Yes, a selective cat killer, has lived with a cat as puppy and was described as "played too rough". Has attacked my cat before, now is leashed indoors or separated completely. Doesn't even care about my friends cat (assuming because they aren't fearful cats). High prey drive, JUMPS FENCE (5-foot) and would probably jump a 6-foot. Had never bit anyone jumping fence, only growled at them but he feeds off fear and would probably snap at a fearful person. He has attacked neighbors dog with no injuries. He's always on a tie out or long line safety leash for that reason but they have failed before. He doesn't like strangers and needs time to bond with people. It's always amazing to see him bond with new ppl, his circle is still very small. He is muzzle trained and behaves at vet until they interact with him. My vet was able to give him enough time and treats to where she was able to pet him, but still requires more time and patience. He is okay with dogs that aren't fearful or overly domiant, usually best with female dogs but still needs a slow introduction with safety precautions. He has lived with 2 small dogs, never hurt them. Only would resource guard his food to the other dogs, they're fed separately. I constantly hand feed so he doesn't develop resource guarding to humans. He has resource guarded his bone/chews to me, therefore I make sure to utilize the drop it command and switch chews out for the correct behaviors. He has attacked fearful dogs before, whom he doesn't live with (there were no injuries because they were broken up quickly). Snapped at his second vet appointment and was muzzle trained afterwards with no snapping at vet so far.
Afraid of: Strangers, men, eye contact (from strangers) or hovering over him with sudden movements (mainly from strangers or less bonded people).
Games like to play: Fetch, chew ball, find it games where he has to sit and stay while I hide ball, then is released to "find it", any puzzle treat games, loves to jump up trees or anything agility alike with the ball as a reward.
If children, ages: Yes, ages 1-5.
Please call (540) 557-8729 or email animalover.oa@gmail.com