Tucker


American Pit Bull Terrier/Italian Greyhound
Picture of Tucker, a male American Pit Bull Terrier/Italian Greyhound

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Age: 7 Years   Sex: Male

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Birthday:
May 5th 2006

I've Been On Dogster Since:
May 4th 2012 More than 1 year!

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Dogster Id:
1247669

 

I need a home with space to run


Tucker needs a home with room to run

May 4th 2012 3:49 pm
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It breaks my heart to be writing this, but because I love this dog so much, I want what is best for him.

Tucker is a 6-year-old Pit Bull/Italian Greyhound mix that thinks he is still a puppy. He loves to run and jump, play with sticks, and enjoy the outdoors. He enjoys long walks and hikes. He is 40 lbs and as healthy as can be. His fur is super soft and very easy to maintain...I only have to brush him to help with the shedding, and he is very cooperate in the bathtub. He is completely potty trained. He is very good on the leash, and knows that he is not to pull. I walk him with a "gentle leader" and it works wonders. He loves to have his belly rubbed, and he makes more expressive faces than I have ever seen any dog make…he is definitely full of personality. Tucker knows how to sit, stay, lie down, stand up on his back legs, and give high fives (he even knows "other foot").

I adopted Tucker from a shelter when I lived in North Carolina. I had a big fenced in backyard when I lived there, but I have since moved to NYC. In NC, he had plenty of room to run, but since moving to the city, we traded grassy areas, for concrete. Although I am a very active person, and run with Tucker at least 4x a week, at the end of the day it is not enough. I am an actress and between work and auditions, Tucker has to sit in my small apartment a lot.
The only real problem I had with Tucker in NC is that he would get excited when a friend came to the house and he would jump for a few minutes, but then he would settle down.

Tucker plays well with most bigger dogs, I don't let him play with small dogs because he would just trample all over them the way he likes to jump and play. Since living in NYC, I have been unable to bring Tucker to dog parks. For some reason, he feels the need to constantly mount other dogs, which I believe is just to assert dominance. If he is trying to mount a dog, and the dog shows dominance over Tucker, Tucker gets snappy with it. Tucker has never injured another dog, but because I am afraid that he could if he messed with the wrong dog, I keep him out of the dog parks.

When we moved to NYC, and he lost his backyard, he started getting some anxiety, which I believe is from sensory overload and lack of space. He will often bark at other dogs that are walking by, not out of aggression, but out of frustration that he can't get to them to say hello. When I do allow him to approach a dog to say hello, he just wags his tail and sniffs. Although I am very active and take Tucker on frequent runs, it is just not enough. He is not a city dog by any means. He needs a home and a yard with space to run.
Since moving to NYC I have worked with two different dog trainers. Some people have encouraged me to continue to work with him, but I really believe that this is more of an environmental issue than it is a behavioral one…Tucker has become such a different dog in NYC, than he was in NC.

While it breaks my heart to find another home for Tucker, I love him so much that I want what will make him the happiest. I am almost positive if Tucker is able to get out of the city, that he can become the happy dog he used to be. The stress that this situation is causing Tucker and myself is becoming almost unbearable. I would appreciate any guidance or help that I can get. Thank you!

 
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