Dog Breed: American Staffordshire Terrier (medium coat).
This oddly handsome specimen is Cheese Stick! He is a 1 year old male Bull Terrier/Plott Hound or maybe coonhound or possibly Mountain Cur mix. He's a mish mash! Currently weighing in at 45 pounds, we think he will have some filling out to do but is essentially pretty much all grown up. Coming to us straight out of the hills and valleys of Southern Virginia, this dude will inspire conversations with complete strangers every single time you take him out and about.
Cheese is a happy, bouncy, affectionate, goofy, flamboyant, always sees the bright side kind of boy. He' down for a good time ALL of the time. Cheese is largely a diamond in the rough. He improves day by day on his basic training and leash walking skills. Filled with anticipation and joy when first leashed up, he quickly realizes he can walk like a gentleman and sometimes he does! Food motivated and a quick learner, we believe Cheese will be more than a little fun to work with and train up.
He has not shown any reactivity towards other dogs but would probably do best with a sister rather than a brother. He's probably going to be a little too Tigger like for small children but would love some older kiddos to romp with. Meet and greet would be required for both resident canines AND resident kids. Cheese probably won't do terribly well with cats. We have a feeling that he can be overbearing but wouldn't count out his ability to learn to live with them if they are added later on into the home, once his puppy antics are more controlled and he has a little more training under his belt. He is very responsive even if he has a little bit of ADHD - sometimes he just needs a second to realize you are requesting his full attention is all!
Cheesy has one issue that seems to be his achilles heel. He is not completely comfortable with men. He isn't aggressive to them in any way, doesn't want to beat them up take em to the woodshed, but they do make him afraid and uncomfortable when he has to share a home with them. At the shelter, he is walked by several different people of the male persuasion, and does well with them. On the surface he seems to love being friends and getting all the attention that he believes is his due (and it is). The problem comes when he has to share an actual house with a guy. This boy shuts down and goes from a flamboyant brilliant hunk of dog to an uneasy bundle of nerves who may just pee himself if a man pays too much attention to him. Cheesy did spend a couple of weeks in a home with a married couple. We are told that while home with his new mom, things were amazing. He house trained quickly, learned all sorts of manners and even some commands. He was even worked with off lead and did SO WELL! He is one smart cookie! The issues started when his new dad would come home and Cheesy felt like his safe space was no longer safe. We don't know what happened to this boy in his previous life to mete out this sort of PTSD with men, but it couldn't have been good. What is sort of amazing is that whatever it was HAD to have been traumatic, but this kid STILL trusts, still will accept affection from male 'friends', will greet them and walk with them and play with them - he just cannot share a home with them. This means we are looking for a place that has no permanent male residents. Can they come visit? Absolutely - it will be up to his new mom/moms to decide where his comfort level is and to act accordingly. It would be as easy as seeing him get a little distressed and giving him some quiet crate time while male visitors are around. Not a big deal in the least! Honestly part of us thinks that this suave handsome man just wants his best girl ALL to himself - who needs a dang husband ANYway?
From his previous adoption, we know that Cheesy is great in the house. He learns quickly and retains that knowledge well. He will work for food and, more than that, is eager to learn new behaviors and tricks. He loves walks, loves toys and loves his mama. He was pretty well house trained while with his mom and his only 'accidents' were submissive peeing episodes when his previous trauma, coupled with the presence of a male, made him nervous enough to leak. Cheesy even learned to sit out on the deck with his mom and wait for permission to go out into the yard! He was sitting and shaking hands and had almost learned how to spin! He is BRILLIANT we tell you! Infinitely trainable, this boy will settle in a crate without a problem, and was an outstanding companion for the female in the home. He also loves to snuggle and will get right up on the couch with you to do so!
Cheesy might need a relatively specific type home, but, in reality, it is barely a problem if his new mom doesn't let it be. Over time, Cheese may very well relax and be able to share living space with a dude, but for now, we prefer he live in a mostly female dominated world.
Cheesy is available at the shelter. If you are specifically interested in him, give us a call or fill out the application for adoption!
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