Marley

Marley is approximately 16month old female spayed American Staffodshire Terrier. She is up to date on her vaccinations and in excellent health. A good samaritan found her after she was abandoned by her owner. Marley was keenly aware of being left by her family. Her sadness was palpable. She stayed in the location where she was left for over 24 hours without moving from it. She was not tied up, she was free to roam, she chose not to. Despite the sad circumstances surrounding her rescue she has always maintained her zest for life, people and doggy companions. She was instantly loveable, affectionate and playful once engaged. Marley is an absolute joy of a dog. Her energy is nothing but love and she deserves the right forever home. Marley is currently being housed and cared for at a doggy day care/ boarding facility North of Pittsburgh, PA. The staff have spent several months caring for her and watching her interact with other dogs and all sorts of humans. The trainer at the facility works diligently with Marley to teach her manners....if you know bully breeds, especially females then you know it's nothing but love, whip tails and sloppy kisses. Even your parents have taught you nice greetings time and time again. Marley is excellent with people and loves other dogs both male and female. However not all dogs love Marley. She has an intense play style which can be overwhelming for most dogs. Marley has never shown aggression but will not back down if confronted. Marley will likely be best in a home with no dogs OR with a specific type of dog/ mate. You can read on for a more detailed account of her behavior and current training. If you think Marley may be your girl or if you would like to talk more about her current progress do not hesitate to reach out via email or phone call. Please know that Marley has a team of people behind her including a veterinarian, her current trainer, lots of friends at boarding and the PACC's crew. We will not allow for Marley to ever feel unloved, abandoned or unwanted ever again. Her team will become your team and we will support both you and Marley on your new journey together. Further detail can be discussed in the future. ---------- Trainers Report: People Marley is extremely social with people, she has not met a person she doesn’t like. Her greeting manners could use some work but she has never shown any shyness or aggression. She enjoys playing tug and will chase a ball if she’s feeling frisky. She goes nuts chasing the hose, which seems to be her favorite activity. Dogs Marley loves dogs but not all dogs like her. She is extremely energetic and very physical. She has a dominating play style that involves jumping on the other dogs, body slamming and mouthing. She has not shown any active aggression towards dogs but will not back down when confronted. She doesn’t always read cues from the other dogs when they don’t want to play or when they need a break. She needs to be called away or leashed and held until the other dog is ready again. Training Marley understands the basic commands (come, sit, heel, kennel, place) at a base level but will need continued training to solidify her obedience. She is very intelligent and a willing/fast learner. Marley has been working on her obedience commands with an e-collar while with us. If the adopter would like to continue with that, we are willing to donate her e-collar and educate the owner on how she has been trained with it so far with a few private lessons. She doesn’t mind its use in the way we’ve been working (not punishment based) and I would highly recommend it for walking on leash with her. She is a biddable gal and I don’t think she would thrive with a punishment based method of e-collar use. General Manners Marley has the ability to settle in a room or crate when needed. She also has the ability to be destructive if she gets bored. Once her needs are met, she’s content to eat a snack or go to sleep for a bit. She will occasionally potty in the kennel if she’s drinking water excessively. Marley’s leash manners are much improved but she can still be impulsive around food, other dogs and people who want to give her attention. If you stay on top of her she can get around these distractions pretty well. She gets really excited and may jump/paw a lot when greeting. She’s working on it! Placement In my opinion, Marley would be best placed in a single dog home, especially if they are very active or looking to do some fun dog sports with her. I think she would thoroughly enjoy being a weight pull competitor but I haven’t had the chance to take her to a class yet. I would only place her with another dog on the stipulation that the potential owner has experience with a dog of her caliber and the current dog is most likely another highly active bully breed, a sturdy/physical lab or mastiff type. Not many other breeds are going to appreciate her play style. She got along well with males and a female while with us but I doubt an overly dominant female will like what Marley has to offer. Applications can be found at www.pacc-rescue.org