AJ Urgent: 11/9/11	Breed: Pitbull Terrier {mix}
	Age/Sex: 3 yrs 3 mo/Male
	AJ was adopted but returned; because if the other dog would come up behind him; AJ would get startled and snap at him. I'm AJ! I was adopted and returned because my owner are moving and cannot keep me. At night I slept in my owner beds. While my owner was away I was kenneled. I do well with baths. I love Kong toys and enjoy biscuits! With stranger I'm very social, will lick. I love affection and belly rubs. In car rides I do great. On the leash I pull and had a fenced yard to run. I would respond to my owner stomping on the floor and "come" gesture with your arm. Upon further examination we determined that AJ was completely deaf. He has some severe scarring inside one of his ears and is missing a piece of his ear drum. You can see that his left ear looks a little wacky in his photo. We believe that he could hear at one time. We believe he was beaten, kicked or thrown into something, and that caused him to be deaf. His foster home has a sense that, AJ may be able to hear some high pitched sounds-but that hasn't been confirmed. His barking at other dogs was not aggression but his attempt to communicate with them. Once he meets the other dog, he does great but he will need to go to a home with people only no other pets. We believe he was probably chained outside and had little chance to meet other dogs which added to his frustration. Fortunately, we found an experienced foster home to work with AJ (Thanks to Pit Rescue of the Great Plains!). He got along great with the other deaf dog in the home, as well as the adult female pit bull in the home. It was very clear that he had never lived in the house, but each day he became more confident and got used to living with people. He also has learned some basic hand signals such as come and good boy. He's learning sit. AJ loves to play fetch and he's pretty good about giving the ball back. He does great on a leash and loves to go for walks. On his walks, he's attentive to his handler and he ignores bikes, joggers and other distractions. To expose AJ to a variety of situations, AJ went to another foster home. He was shy and very submissive with the cat and he learned how to overcome his fear of steps, in minutes he was going up and down the 10 deck steps like an old pro. He's still having a little trouble with the steps inside the house-but he'll get there. He seems to be more afraid of the 20 year old, diabetic cat, who sits at the top of the steps, than he is of the actual steps. AJ is very affectionate and he LOVES to be around people. He never barks when he's outside or around his family. He's 99% house trained he may have an accident as he adjusts to a new home, but after a day to two; no problem. AJ takes treats gently. He does tend to wolf down his dog food-he's very skinny and he'll need some extra calories in his new home. In his first foster home, he did bark for 2 hours when he was first crated, probably because he was scared. After that he didn't bark again. In the second foster, he did the same thing but for not as long, so be aware that it may take him a little longer to adjust to a new home. He would rather just be in the room with you, than be crated by himself. He was crated at night, while his foster parents worked, with no problems once he adjusted. In his first foster home, he did (eventually) get to sleep in the bedroom at night with his foster parents and he was very happy. In his second foster home, we went on several long walks the first night, when I put AJ in his kennel (at almost midnight) he made some sad whining sounds for about 20 minutes, then was quiet followed by more whining-then he fell asleep. A tired dog is a happy dog! He does best in large, hard sided crates and not as well in the wire ones, even though the crate was covered with a blanket. He really wants to be with "his people." Owning a deaf dog can be a rewarding experience and a BIG challenge. They will rely on you for survival and they need a very secure environment where there is little chance the dog can escape. They are very trainable dogs and will rely on their sense of smell, and their eyes to interact with the outside world. There are several trainers available in Sioux Falls that work with deaf dogs. AJ is a very special dog that has some lifelong challenges, caused by mankind. With the right family; he can have a normal, happy life. AJ must have a home with a secure, fenced yard. Both of AJ's foster homes had 6' privacy fenced yards. He will have to be the only pet in his new home, and a age restrictions of kids nine years old and up, due to the fact they will be a little more responsible, and can understand things a little better. He is neutered and he has been microchipped, frontlined, and started on his vaccinations. Come meet AJ today and see if you are up to challenge.
	Contact Info: Monica Mixell Monique@sfhumanesociety.com 3720 East Benson Road, Sioux Falls, SD 57104 1 605-338-4441 http://www.sfhumanesociety.com Closed until 11:00 am Mon - Wed: 11:00 am - 6:00 pm Thu - Fri: 11:00 am - 7:00 pm Sat - Sun: 11:00 am - 6:00 pm