Dog adoption in Winston Salem, NC, 27101 Staffie-Boxer Mix Dog "Billy"

Billy is a sweet, lovable cuddle bug who is incredibly curious about the world. He arrived at the shelter with a giant gash on his side; so while he's endured physical and emotional trauma, he doesn't show many signs of it. He's upbeat, warm, and his coping mechanism is play. If he's anxious, he'll try to play his way through it. He's a one-year-old and given how long he's spent in the shelter, he's still learning everything from scratch. How to play. How to do fetch. How to be around other dogs. He had zero dog interaction at the shelter, so every interaction is a lesson. He loves walks — the sights, the sounds, the chance of running into a new friend. He's still learning what all of it means, but he's a fast learner. We do daily or every other daily visits to the dog park and he needs that exposure to release some of his energy because he gets joy out of playing with others. His interactions with other intact males are hormonally charged and I would advise against it until he has training! He gets along fine with most every other dog, but he can be a little handsy, so some dogs do not enjoy being sniffed up and down and avoid him. That will change with training. He especially has a wonderful bond with any strong female pups! He actually made a new friend, whom he is already very attached to--her name is Lexi and she goes to dog parks in both Winston and High Point. It would be so wonderful for him to continue seeing his lady-friend, since they seemed to know each other in another lifetime (even if once a year!) ;) He knows his basic commands and does "sit" quite well. He craves to understand and help, so if you persist, he will figure it out. We've come a long way in a few weeks. But he does need professional training for several reasons: the combination of young age, hormones and anxiety. When he's bored and wants to get his attention needs met, he will start trying to play-chomp. He will also mark his territory with other animals around. He has a bit of separation anxiety, so it's best to build a relationship with a reputable sitter he can spend time with so he's never left feeling abandoned. The shelter lead me to believe he was fixed, but this is something the family will need to talk about -- I've heard both arguments. Regardless of whether you do it or not, he will need training to handle He's house trained. He tried to mark once at PetSmart, and that's the first I'd seen him do that inside. After going to a few daycares, it is apparent that's just intact male energy and the fact that he's brand new out of a shelter, so he still has his defensive survival instinct at play. He's not neutered yet — I wanted to give him time to decompress and feel safe before surgery and the long two-week recovery. I've also talked to so many different professionals in the field who've given me different options on how/when this should be done, so I ultimately want to leave it up to the future family. He gets anxious sometimes, but talking to him, hugging him, pulling him out of the situation, makes a world of difference. He has such a deep, expressive look that shows he understands what's going on around him. He thinks he's a lap dog and while he needs constant companionship, he won't always be Velcro--he just needs to know he won't be abandoned and he'll relax into his own space. He craves community and the socialization that comes with it--both four-legged and human. He always wants to stop and visit with any family we see. Once he met and played with a 9 y.o. friend for a day and he cried for a whole night when we left them. He does well with older kids around the 7-12 age who would love to love on him and spend one on one time with him. He is curious about babies and his puppy concentration locks-in when he hears one cry, like he understands the distress and wants to help. He would do well with a family who has a strong friend group who they visit with every week. That consistent social time would create a feeling of safety for him that would help a lot of his anxious behaviors to dissipate. I know his people are out there. I want to find a family for this family man!