Pearl

Pearl plays like a puppy. She is strong and loves tug-of-war. She prefers to play with other dogs and does lots of puppy biting still. She generally comes up and nibbles at your hand to get your attention. When she gets really wound up, she will catapult herself into the back of the couch like a ruber ball and jump off and then do it over and over. It is hilarious!

Pearl loves rope toys, kongs, chew toys and balls. She is not much of a fetcher but likes to run after the ball and chew on it.

Pearl is a velcro dog; she prefers to be touching a human or another dog most of the time. She rarely wanders off on her own in the house and I think the constant contact helps her navigate the world and know what is going on, as she is deaf. I woke up last week to Pearl's snores and realized she was sleeping with her cheek on top of my head. She snores and grunts a lot also. When she lays down, she grunts and drops to the floor with a thud.

Pearl loves dogs more than any dog I have ever met. Although she is missing the verbal cues (growls and barks), she is adept at reading other dogs' positions and adjusting her style of play. She immediately recognized the alpha female in my house (a boxer) and chose to give her more room than the little blonde mutt. She bites at their ears or legs and does the play bow when she wants to play. She likes to play, walk and sleep next to them. When we walk, she stays close to the pack and watches them for cues to direction.

Pearl has interacted with bigger children, maybe age 10 and up, but only for a few moments on walks. I have not had the opportunity to watch her with children for any extended period of time. She has been playful and fine with these kids. She is rambunctious and strong so I would recommend that she not be placed in a family with smaller children.

At the park, I have to get her attention by signaling her because she gets so wrapped-up in play that she does not check-in. She plays with all the dogs and is never aggressive but does play with a puppy roughness. She is very submissive and if she feels like a dog is playing too rough with her, she will walk away with her tail between her legs! Pearl is super-good with all dogs.

Pearl is very dog-focused right now & prefers to be around companion dogs at all times. I actually think that she may have some anxiety if she were an only dog. They help guide her. She is such a velcro dog that I think she would have separation issues if she were left at home alone without any other pets. I have taken her to a friend's house where two cats are present. She sniffs at the cats but otherwise did not really interact. She appears to be rather used to and at ease with cats. I have not seen her around any other animals.

Pearl was already potty-trained when I began fostering her. She obviously had a decent home where she was trained to some degree and can stay out in the house all day with no accidents. She has been in the crate but really dislikes it. She will whine and bark to get out. I don't think she likes being in there while the other dogs are wandering to other rooms where she can't see them. I leave her out because she is fine in the house with the other dogs when I am at work. Her only puppy "vice" is chewing shoes, so I keep all the shoes put away in closets. She knows the "sit" command and we are working on "stay," "shake" and "come." It is different training her because I have to get her attention to reinforce the good without using my voice! I have her sit for every thing: leash, food, treats, going out the door.

The ideal adoptive family would have at LEAST one other dog, no children under 10 or 12 and the ability/time to exercise a pretty active dog. Pearl needs lots of activity but in spurts. She is not a runner but can walk for a long time. She loves to play and is very good in the car--usually taking naps while you drive. She can be tentative when first meeting people but that seems to be lessening every day. I ask that people wait for her to sit and then gently offer their hand to sniff!

Pearl is quite literally the best dog I have ever had in my home. Even with her puppy-craziness, she is well-mannered with other dogs, very loving with people and good in all the important areas of life: home, car, park & public.

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