Stephanie wanted to adopt a pitbull because they can be discriminated against unjustly for having an “aggressive nature”. It was important to her give a dog that had been passed up by other adopters a chance. She then found Six on PetFinder and he was just the dog she was looking for as he had been at the shelter for almost a year. He had been found abandoned on the streets since he had an owner that had not been able to keep him.
At first, Six seemed almost disinterested in Stephanie and her husband. He calmly sniffed them but then headed back to his bed to sit. They gave him a walk around the back of the shelter and he obediently plodded along. Stephanie remembers he seemed very sad but sweet.
His aloofness continued at home, but he was very calm when Stephanie gave him a shower and finally allowed some pets when he settled down after sniffing their entire house. A breakthrough happy moment came at the end of the first week when Six rolled over on his back for the first time for belly rubs.
Now Six is a big time cuddler who squishes his body between Stephanie or her husband and the couch, and he’ll only go to sleep after an ear massage. He loves the park and the beach. Six also loves their family vacations to Yosemite, Santa Barbara and Joshua Tree where they spend all day wandering in nature. The family is careful not to overwhelm Six with too many doggy playmates at once because he does better with just one or two dogs around him. They admit that he still has some leash aggression, probably as a result of poor socialization as a young dog, but they work around it. They are respectful of his boundaries and Six rewards them every day by being a delightful, loving companion. “Every dog has its issues,” says Stephanie, “but Six has so many other great qualities.”
Six is the first dog Stephanie ever had, and she admits she was nervous at first about whether or not she could handle a dog. Now she is so happy that she and her husband brought Six into their family. “I am glad I took a leap of faith, even though I was hesitant at first," Stephanie says, “Amstaffs are sweet, serious, patient, polite, entertainingly sulky and cuddly dogs. They need understanding parents who are willing to advocate and protect them against brainless breed prejudice and discrimination. They are kind, wonderful dogs, who make a great addition to any home. Adopting Six was one of the best things we ever did.”