Ox up for adoption
As someone who shares her life with an American Staffordshire Terrier, it excites me silly to share Ox with you this week!
As much as I love cats, and as many as there are in need of homes, it really is pawesome to be able to reach out to dog people.
The first thing we need to do is get the conversation about his ears over with. His ears are always as you see them- one up, one down. The funny thing is that according to breed standards, neither of those ears is acceptable for showing...or breeding. (Which is fine because he’s been neutered.) Personally, I think these are some of the best ears ever to grace a head! I am not sure how sensitive he is about those listening devices, but probably best to get to know him first so his feelings are not hurt.
Now that that is out of the way, tell me your eyes are not drawn to those deep, soulful eyes of his – there is such a gentleness and intelligence in them – which matches his actual self perfectly. He has been temp tested, and is very dog friendly ... doing awesome with dogs who are like-minded. Car rides, long walks and treats reign supreme in this lad’s world. Ox is not interested in cats at all.
Ox is an owner surrender, not because of anything he did, or even what his people did. They just could not look after him any more. While there has been no abuse in his life, he has been bounced around from place to place, which has caused some minor trust issues. He is initially leery of men in caps and who have facial hair.
I cannot showcase Ox without discussing AmStaffs in general, because he is typical of the breed. It goes without saying there is a lot of stigma attached to AmStaffs, as with any breed of dog with a massive muffin shaped head (Pit Bull type dogs). They are (in my opinion) the most in tune to humans, and are extremely intelligent. This makes them so easy to train for nefarious purposes (like dog fighting), and even easier to train to work (like service jobs).
They are, as a breed, incredibly eager to learn. In the right homes (loving, consistent and fun) these dogs do extremely well. One thing to always be careful of with these dogs is the force behind them. I have almost lost teeth, gotten a bloody noses and been knocked over many times, so older kids are a better fit for this dude.
These dogs are strong, and can withstand a lot, but that does not mean this is what it takes to make them understand or obey. They are so quick mentally, and so curious, merely showing them and repeating... and rewarding the desired action is all it takes to have the best, and most amusing dog friend you will ever know.
I have heard people say so often that it is not the dog, it is the owner ... no truer words have been spoken. And that is for all dogs. Give a call to SPCA Pictou for more info or a meeting with Ox, or any of the many cats also needing families at 902-396-3595.
Nikhi Cormier is an animal lover and employee of The News.