About Marshy

Marshy is a spayed male Pitbull mix�'�|his DNA test said he is half Pitbull, with the other half being a mix of Pomeranian, Miniature Schnauzer, and Miniature Pincher. He's 52lbs, 4 years old, and located in Medford, MA. He has the broad chest and muscles of a Pitbull but does circus dog tricks like spinning while standing on his back legs. He is great with humans (including school age kids, untested with kids under 6) after about 5 minutes of acclimation to someone new. He's an affectionate cuddle bug who wants to curl up with you on the couch or bed and get lots of belly rubs. He's not a velcro dog, but he likes to be nearby whenever possible. He walks beautifully on a leash with a head harness, enjoys runs with sniff breaks, & has done fabulously at doggy day care 2 days a week for 2 years. He's a couch potato in the house but does well with 30 minutes of running or an hour of walks outdoors a day. He loves playing fetch in the water, chewing on fake sticks, patrolling the yard (catching rabbits and barking at squirrels), supervised play with other dogs, and cuddling with other dogs and humans. He does a bunch of tricks (including rolling over, paw, and sit pretty) and, when you get home, if you tell him 'get a stick', he'll get a stick/toy to get petted instead of jumping on you. At mealtime, he sits on an ottoman and waits patiently for permission to eat. He's fully housebroken; If he needs to go out, he just stares at you intently until you let him out. He's trustworthy to be left alone in the house without being crated, although he'd probably eat food if you left it on the coffee table while you're away. Marshy is happy-go-lucky�'�|.and also has a high degree of anxiety and is usually extra alert to people walking past the house, who he barks at and then gets stuck in a loop of barking. His anxiety also manifests in that he struggles with being separated by barriers (closed doors, crates, etc), recall (especially after he jumps the fence at the dog park - a 4' fence is insufficient to contain him but he has never jumped a 6' fence), and long daylight car rides (or short ones after dark). Despite getting stressed during long car rides, he readily gets in the car and loves exploring new places. On two occasions, his anxiety spilled over and he bit my other dog (the behavioral veterinary specialist said that he isn't dog aggressive, just anxious). Medication helps with his anxiety (Prozac and Gabbapentin, with melatonin and trazodone added for veterinarian visits, nail trims, baths, or long car rides), but he would be be better off in a home set back aways from the sidewalk, in a low stimulation environment, as an only dog, without cats or small animals, and with someone who can teach him to relax and not be on guard. His skin allergies are manageable with Apoquel, Zyrtec, and a chicken-free diet. Fish oil and vitamin E help with his dry skin. Medications cost about $60/month.

Middlesex County
Medford, Massachusetts 02155