Keefe Pit Bull Terrier Kansas City, MO

To apply- https://www.mopitbullrescue.org/keefe

Hard to believe that such a hunk landed at the city pound after being found as a stray and was never claimed. This dog is so gorgeous, he could be a show dog. Our guess is that he was used as a stud and eventually discarded for a younger dog. We promised Keefe to find him a loving home worthy of his remarkable beauty to live his golden years safe and well cared for.

Adoption Fee: $ 200
Breed: AmStaff
Sex: Male
Age: 7+ yrs (Senior)
Weight: 65-75 lbs

Health Condition:
Sadly, this striking looking dog tested positive for Heartworm disease. It's a strong positive and the treatment will take a few months. We are hopeful that he will be back to his healthy self before spring.
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Physical Description:
Well, hello gorgeous! While Keefe seems to have had a hard life that left him with a dull coat and a little out of shape when he first came in, we suspect an ancestry of a well bred Am Staff line. We can't tell for sure without a pedigree in hand, but he certainly has many of the attributes described in the AKC's breed standard: “The American Staffordshire Terrier should give the impression of great strength for his size, a well put-together dog, muscular, but agile and graceful, keenly alive to his surroundings. He should be stocky, not long-legged or racy in outline. His courage is proverbial”.
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Keefe has only been with us a few weeks and has already gained much needed weight. His "bad-life coat" is quickly being replaced by shiny and healthy, deep blue fur. His evenly-cropped ears and a little grey on his face give him the dapper distinction of a gentleman.

Current Living Situation:
Keefe is doing his very best to accept his current situation as an homeless dog. We suspect that this dog might have had several homes in his life. Some good and some obviously pretty bad. He seems to know a good thing though, and while he appreciates the safety of our shelter, we can tell he longs for a loving home of his own.
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Keefe loves attention and finds it hard to wait patiently for his turn when our volunteers visit the dogs. In order to help him cope with shelter life, we are currently giving him a mild dosage of anxiety medicine. We are seeing an improvement but we think Keefe is the type of dog who needs a little bit of time to decompress and adapt to a new situation.
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UPDATE: Keefe has been with us since late November 2021 and has made tremendous progress already. He is becoming more relax and accepting, and stoically learning the ropes of shelter life.
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Personality:
Very outgoing, super confident and strong-willed. Keefe has many of the best characteristics of the AST breed. While those attributes are coveted by breed fanciers, dogs like him require confident leadership and structured management. Keefe is drop dead gorgeous, smart, friendly and self-assured, but he is not a dog for everyone. We prefer an experienced home for him - Someone comfortable with large powerful dogs, and prepared to provide him with positive coaching and responsible ownership.
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Behavior with people:
Keefe is friendly but can be intimidating when you don't know him well. He grunts when interacting with people and might even try to "talk back." He is pretty good at recognizing authority, or lack thereof. He thrives on leadership and becomes more affectionate when he knows someone is not a push-over. At the same time, this dog requires and deserves respect.

Behavior with children:
Unknown. As of now, we believe Keefe will do better with adult leadership and mature management. This dog requires responsible owners.

Behavior with other dogs:
Must be an only pet! No ifs, ands, or buts.

Behavior with other animals:
Must be an only pet!
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Training:
We are still in the process of determining what commands Keefe knows. He seems housebroken but he might have separation anxiety. We're not sure if he is crate-trained. He does need to be supervised in a room, as he can be destructive. He does well when he has plenty of hard toys to chew on such as Nylabones. Chewing on a toy seems to help him decompress.
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Additional Info:
This striking dog has a lot going on for him but he's not perfect. No one is. Dogs of his caliber require experienced and responsible ownership. In the right hands, he will be a king!